In the past messages I have already pointed out that the proper way to meet and to serve as required in the Bible is an overcoming way by living in the spirit.
The goal in the Bible is that we live in the spirit to be a fruit-bearer. This can be seen clearly from the Lord Jesus’ parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-8. He said that a sower went forth to sow, and the seeds fell into four different kinds of soil. The first kind was the wayside, where the birds came and devoured the seeds. This indicates that when anyone hears the word of the Lord’s gospel but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart so that he cannot be saved. The second kind was the rocky places without much earth. The seeds sprang up immediately because they did not have depth of earth. When the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they were dried up. This shows a person who hears the Lord’s word, receives it, and is regenerated by it, but because of hidden sin and unexposed self within him, the Lord’s word is not able to take root and grow in him. When affliction, trial, or persecution occurs, he is immediately stumbled, and his Christian life is finished. Hence, in this case there is no need to mention fruit-bearing.
The third kind was the thorny ground. When the thorns came up, they choked the seedlings. This shows a person who is not only regenerated and saved but who has also had this life grow in him. However, because of the anxiety of the age and the deceitfulness of riches, the word of life is choked, and it becomes unfruitful. Thus, he cannot be a fruitful citizen in God’s kingdom. His Christian life also can be considered a failure. Although the seed of God grows in him, at the same time there are things from Satan, such as the anxiety of this age, the deceitfulness of riches, and various lusts, that compete with the seed of life God has sown. In the end, he fails. This does not mean that he is not saved or that he will lose eternal life and perish. Rather, it means that he has not attained the goal of fruit-bearing. Fruit-bearing is the goal in the Lord’s parable of the sower. This indicates that a person not only must be saved and regenerated; he must also grow in life to bear fruit, at least thirtyfold. If he bears more, he will bear sixtyfold. The best is a hundredfold. This is represented by the fourth kind of soil, the good earth. It speaks of those who hear the word, understand, and produce fruit.
Here we see clearly that Christians are generally of four categories. The first category is those who are Christians in name, or who are on the edge of Christianity. Although they have heard the word, they have not believed and are not saved. Therefore, they have nothing to do with the fruit-bearing of life. The second category is composed of saved and regenerated believers. They have received the life of God, but they have not allowed this life to grow. The third category also is composed of saved and regenerated believers. They have some growth in the life of God. They even struggle and strive to bear fruit, yet they fail. The fourth category is the believers who bear much fruit in the Lord. They are what we call the overcomers.
Today we are all in the Lord’s recovery. We are not only the saved Christians, but we are also the meeting people. In which of the four categories of Christians should we consider ourselves to be? You must realize that the Christian’s spiritual life is for both a battle and a race. Therefore, at the end of his life, Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course” (2 Tim. 4:7). Obviously, this matter was very important to him in his Christian life. But today, the spiritual living of many Christians is neither a race nor a battle; they spend their time foolishly and ignorantly. Although we are in the Lord’s recovery, we should not be complacent. We should not make the Lord’s recovery our hiding place. In the same token, what is set before us is a race, a battle. Although many of you are young, from the time you were saved and began to pursue the Lord, you have had the sensation that the Christian life is a battle and a race. Hence, I would repeat that the way of meeting and serving as revealed in the Bible is a battle and a race. We must take such an attitude, daily putting ourselves on the battlefield and in the race.