When we began to take this way, we were not quite sure of the way of doing things; however, we have seen quite clearly the principle and the emphasis. I held on to one thing: the principle cannot be changed, and the emphasis cannot be shifted; the truth is forever the truth. My principle and emphasis are Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church. Although my voice for changing the system and walking the new way was very high and strong, I walked very firmly in a stable way. I walked slowly, step by step, according to my evaluation of the church’s situation and the pace of the brothers. I was like a cook, busy working in the kitchen every day, preparing to put forth a feast. Therefore, I hope that no one will be anxious. You cannot require that we succeed within three years in this change of the system which has not been successfully accomplished within the last fifty years. You need to wait patiently and broaden your view. You also need to listen accurately and should not assume that your understanding is the same as what I spoke. I found that the people outside the training were not clear, or misunderstood, or had too many opinions concerning the change of the system. Even with those who were in the training, there were areas where they did not listen accurately, or understand adequately. They may have listened correctly and understood rightly, but when they went out to speak, they did not speak accurately. Therefore, now I feel compelled to present the inclusiveness of the new way in its entirety so that you can have a complete view.
We should realize that the Lord’s recovery is to recover Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church. Christ is the embodiment and expression of the Triune God; He is the all-inclusive God-man. Concerning this point, Hymns #501 has given a simple, clear, and appropriate description. The Spirit is the ultimate expression of the Triune God. The theology in Christianity has separated God into three Persons: the Father being one Person, the Son being one Person, and the Spirit being another Person. But we see from the Bible that Christ is the embodiment of God and is not separate from the Father. He Himself says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Then, again, He says, “You, Father, are in Me and I in You” (John 17:21). The Bible also says that the Holy Spirit is the reality of the Son (John 14:17-20; 1 John 5:6). Hence, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one. This Triune God has passed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead, and He has become the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). Therefore, now the Lord is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17). At the end of the Bible it says, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come!” (Rev. 22:17). The Spirit here is the ultimate expression of the processed Triune God. Moreover, life is simply Christ, and life is also the Spirit. In John 14, Christ says, “I am the life.” This Christ who is life, having passed through the processes to become the life-giving Spirit, entered into us to be the life that we enjoy. Romans 8:2 speaks of “the Spirit of life.” This term joins life together with the Spirit, which indicates that everything related to life is contained within the Spirit. Life belongs to the Spirit; and the Spirit is of life. These two are one in reality. Hence, Christ is the Spirit, and the Spirit is life. The Spirit entering into us is the Triune God being our eternal and incorruptible life. When this life is gained by us, the result is the producing of the church, and the ultimate consummation of the church is the New Jerusalem. The sixty-six books of the entire Bible begin with God, the Triune God, and consummate in the New Jerusalem. And the New Jerusalem is the ultimate manifestation of the mingling of the processed Triune God with the redeemed and transformed tripartite man.
This is our vision, and it is the objective truth in the Lord’s recovery. I have released over two thousand messages concerning Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church. These messages have also been published as books. I hope that the younger generation and the newcomers to the Lord’s recovery would spend time to study these messages.