The Christian Life
Message Two
A Grafted Life
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Cor. 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
John 15:4-5 Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Word of Appetizer
What is the result of grafting?
The sap of the better tree is supplied to the grafted branch, and all negative elements are removed. Then the original function of that branch is restored and strengthened. The fruit remains the same as before the grafting, but the problem factors have been overcome. We are problem branches that God has grafted into Christ. The sap of His life enters us, taking away all the pitiful elements within us. He elevates, strengthens, and enriches the original function that God has given us. Then naturally our whole being is permeated and transformed, bearing wonderful fruit.
Spiritual Burden
We who are believers in Christ should live the grafted life, in which we are one spirit with the Lord and live in vital union with Him. We, who are born again, should live the grafted life—a life where both parties are united together and grow in vitality. Having been grafted into Christ, we can no longer live by ourselves, but must allow the Spirit-Christ to live in us; we can no longer live by our flesh or our natural being, but must live by our regenerated spirit, which is grafted into Christ.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
We who are believers in Christ should live the grafted life, in which we are one spirit with the Lord and live in vital union with Him.
The Bible reveals God’s desire for all relationships with man—He wants to be one with man.
In grafting, two similar lives are joined together and then grow together. For us to be grafted into Christ, He had to go through the process of becoming flesh, dying, and being resurrected.
The grafted life is not a replacement life, but a harmonization of the human life with the divine life. In the grafted life, the human life is not removed, but is strengthened, elevated, and enriched by the divine life.
The Experience of Life
When we repent and accept the Lord, the life-giving Spirit of the Lord enters our spirit, bringing the life of God into us, and we are grafted into Christ; Christ, as the life-giving Spirit, brings the door of death and resurrection into us believers, so that we can die and rise with Christ.
In the grafted life, the divine life works in us, removing negative elements; in the grafted life, the divine life supplies the richness of Christ to every part of our being; in the grafted life, the divine life permeates our whole being; through this permeation of the divine life, we are conformed to the image of Christ.
Practice and Application
We, who are born again, should live the grafted life—a life where both parties are united together and grow in vitality; having been grafted into Christ, we can no longer live by ourselves, but must allow the Spirit-Christ to live in us; we can no longer live by our flesh or our natural being, but must live by our regenerated spirit, which is grafted into Christ.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The one who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17; John 15:4-5)
(Please illustrate that God’s relationship with us is that God desires to have a vital connection with us.)
T2 Grafting illustrates the relationship between God and us (Rom. 11:17, 24)
(Please illustrate that grafting means that our life now comes from two lives that have been joined together.)
Day 2
T1 Our human life is not divine life, but it is similar to divine life (Rom. 11:17-18)
(Please illustrate that the reason why human life and divine life can be joined together and then grow together vitally.)
T2 In grafting, there is cutting, union, and vital connection (Rom. 11:17-18).
(Please illustrate that the two main aspects of grafting.)
Day 3
T1 In grafting, both the branch and the tree must be cut (Rom. 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:45)
(Please illustrate that when the Lord Jesus and sinners were each cut.)
T2 United growth (Romans 6:5)
(Please illustrate that the two sides of grafting and growth in Romans 6:5.)
Day 4
T1 “It is no longer I” does not refer to a replacement life – Christ coming in and I going out (Gal. 2:20)
(Please illustrate that we, as born-again people, have an old self that has been crucified, and we also have a reborn new self.)
T2 The living Christ is making Christ the center and everything in my life (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:4)
(Please illustrate that the life of a Christian is a grafted life, a life where both sides are united and grow vitally.)
Day 5
T1 The Christian life is not a replacement life (Rom. 6:3-5)
(Please illustrate that God’s sharing in us does not replace our human life, but rather harmonizes with it.)
T2 Our natural life must be destroyed in our death with Christ (Rom. 6:3-5)
(Please illustrate that two greatest elements in the natural life of the old creation.)
Day 6
T1 When we are grafted into Christ, Christ swallows up our defects (Rom. 11:17, 24)
(Please illustrate that divine life swallows up the defects and weaknesses of our natural life, enriching, elevating, and changing it.)
T2 Divine life can swallow up the defects and shortcomings of our human life (Rom. 11:17, 24)
(Please illustrate that the result of grafting.)
