You can all prophesy one by one… —1 Cor. 12:31

2024 TGC Message One

Living a Christian Life and Church Life
Under the Government of God
for the Economy of God

Message One

The Government of God for the Economy of God

OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING

Reading the verses in each day.

Reading the main points in the outlines.

Pray-reading the verses:

1 Pet. 4:17 For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?

1 Pet. 1:17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.

3:4 But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very costly in the sight of God.

Word of Appetizer

Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is God’s government, what is the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles?

The central focus and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the energizing Triune God operating in His economy to bring His chosen ones into the full enjoyment of the Triune God; our human spirit, as the hidden man of the heart, and God’s Spirit, as the Spirit of glory and as the Spirit of Christ, are the means for us to partake of God, in His divine nature, as our portion.

The central focus and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the Triune God operating to accomplish His complete salvation so that we may be regenerated, so that we may feed on His word, and so that we may grow, be transformed, and be built up in order that He may have a dwelling place and we may be glorified to express Him.

Spiritual Burden

Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is God’s government, we need to see that everything concerning God’s government should bring us back to the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles—the Triune God as our full enjoyment to carry out the economy of God.

Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting

The Revelation of the Truth

The subject of Peter’s Epistles is the government of God with His judgment.

Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is God’s government, this is not the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles; everything concerning God’s government should bring us back to the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles—the Triune God as our full enjoyment to carry out the economy of God.

In his two Epistles, comprising only eight chapters, Peter covers the entire economy of God, from eternity past before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:2, 20) to the new heavens and new earth in eternity future (2 Pet. 3:13); he unveils the crucial things related to God’s economy, concerning which things the prophets prophesied and the apostles preached (1 Pet. 1:10-12) from four sides.

The Experience of Life

The Spirit, sent from heaven, has sanctified and purified those whom Christ has redeemed and saved; The Triune God’s divine power has provided the redeemed ones with all things that relate to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4) to guard them unto full salvation (1 Pet. 1:5).God also disciplines them (5:6) by some of His varied governmental judgments (1:17; 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7), and He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground them by His all grace (1 Pet. 5:10).

Practice and Application

Peter tells us that we should “pass the time of your sojourning in fear” (1 Pet. 1:17); he also says that we need to “be humbled under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time” (5:6); to be willing to be made low by God’s humbling hand in His discipline is a prerequisite to our being made high by God’s exalting hand and to our enjoying the Triune God Himself as our life supply, which is multiplied in the humble believer. 

To fear the Lord is to revere Him and to consider and regard Him in everything never forgetting that He is the wonderful God who has created us (Isa. 43:7); fearing the Lord stops us from doing evil; it also causes us to be touched by the sufferings
of others and to show mercy and compassion to them.