The Believers (1)
Message Two
The Eternal Life—the Life of God with the Divine Nature, the Triune God Being the Structure of the Bible, and the Hidden God, a God Who Hides Himself
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture reading:
1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
I. The divine life can be considered the primary and basic attribute of God; in the whole universe, only the life of God is counted as life, which is the uncreated life, without beginning and without ending, self-existing and ever-existing, and eternally unchanging—1 John 5:12, John 1:4. (Monday)
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II. Eternal life is the life of God with the divine nature, which is in the Lord Jesus and is freely given by God, obtained as soon as one believes; having eternal life, one will never perish—1 John 5:11-13, John 3:16, 10:28-29: (Tuesday)
A. Receiving eternal life in this age, receiving the crown of life in the coming age, and enjoying the water of the spring of life in eternity—John 3:16, Mark 10:29-30, Rev. 21:6.
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B. The divine seed has been sown into us, and we need to experience the development of the divine life and nature so that we may enter richly into the eternal kingdom—2 Pet. 1:4-11, John 1:12-13. (Wednesday)
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III. The Triune God is the structure of the New Testament, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit jointly express the economy of redemption and life throughout the New Testament—Matt. 12:28, 28:19, John 14:26, Eph. 3:16-17: (Thursday)
A. The Lord charged to have all the nations baptized into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father sends in the Lord’s name, will teach the believers all things—Matt. 28:19, John 14:26.
B. The Spirit of the One who raised Christ from the dead dwells in the believers to impart life to them; God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, that Christ may make His home in our hearts through faith—Rom. 8:11, Gal. 4:6, Eph. 3:16-17.
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IV. God is a God who hides Himself, omnipresent and omnipotent, working secretly yet mightily within the believers; He is constantly working, yet He remains always hidden—Isa. 45:15, Phil. 2:13: (Friday)
A. The omnipotent God whom we serve is still hiding Himself, especially when He is helping us; the God who hides Himself works secretly yet mightily within us—Isa. 45:15, Phil. 2:13.
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B. The parable in Luke 18 is profound in significance; the widow signifies the believers, and we still need to pray to God persistently and not lose heart, for He will carry out the avenging of His chosen ones quickly—Luke 18:1, 3, 7-8: (Saturday)
1. While our Husband is apparently absent, our God seems for a time to be an unrighteous judge, but we still need to appeal to Him and bother Him again and again—Luke 18:6-8.
2. The faith of union is the divine requirement for the overcomers; when the Lord returns, He will find the overcomers who live by this faith, taking them as the treasure in His reigning kingdom—Luke 18:8, Rev. 20:4, 6.
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life—1 John 5:12.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of reality…—John 14:16-17.
Surely You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior—Isa. 45:15.
Word of Appetizer
God is indeed a God who hides Himself. Why did Isaiah come to this conclusion?
It is because God did many things in the midst of the children of Israel and upon them, yet God hid Himself… He did many things, yet the children of Israel did not know who the Doer was. Therefore, one day Isaiah exclaimed, “Surely You are a God who hides Himself.” We need to realize that the omnipotent God whom we serve is still hiding Himself, especially when He is helping us; the God who hides Himself operates silently yet mightily within us.
Spiritual Burden
Eternal life is the life of God with the divine nature.
The Triune God is the constitution of the New Testament, and God is a God who hides Himself—the hidden God.
The divine seed has been sown into us, and we need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in this divine seed so that we may enter richly into the eternal kingdom.
The parable in Luke 18:1-8 is profound in its significance, and we need to know God as the hidden God according to what is revealed therein.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The divine life can be considered the primary and basic attribute of God.
Eternal life is the life of God with the divine nature; the life of God has the divine nature; since we, the believers in Christ, have received the same precious faith, we should be partakers of the divine nature.
The Triune God is the constitution of the New Testament.
God is a God who hides Himself—the hidden God.
The Experience of Life
Since we, the believers in Christ, have received the same precious faith, we should be partakers of the divine nature; the divine seed has been sown into us, and we need to experience the development of the divine life and the divine nature contained in this divine seed so that we may enter richly into the eternal kingdom.
The faith by which we are saved is the initial stage of faith; the faith that brings us into the life union with Christ is the linking faith—the faith that comes into us through our continuous contacting of The Triune God, causing us to live by the Son of God. The linking faith is The Triune God operating within us, linking us to His unsearchable riches.
Practice and Application
“There is no one who has left… for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in this time… and in the coming age, eternal life.”
The believers in Christ are widows in the present age; when our Husband is apparently absent and leaves us on earth as widows, our God temporarily seems to be an unrighteous judge; although He appears unrighteous, we still must appeal to Him, pray persistently, and bother Him again and again, because He will quickly carry out the avenging of His chosen ones who “cry to Him day and night.”
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1: Eternal life is the greatest blessing God has given to us in His salvation (John 1:4; 1 John 5:12)
(Please illustrate that concerning receiving eternal life, the Bible shows us that it is divided into which three different periods.)
T2: God gives us His life by putting it in His Son and wants us to receive it (John 3:16; 1 John 5:12)
(Please illustrate what the way to receive God is.)
Day 2
T1: To receive eternal life in the coming age is a reward (Mark 10:29-30)
(Please illustrate that this is not related to our eternal salvation, but to our receiving a reward in the kingdom.)
T2: The Lord will give the crown of life to those who are faithful to Him unto death (Rev. 2:10)
(Please illustrate that receiving eternal life in the coming age is a reward, which requires us to pay a price to obtain.)
Day 3
T1: Enjoying the blessing of life eternally in eternity (John 4:14; Rev. 21:6)
(Please illustrate that enjoying eternal life in eternity is in the time of the new heaven and new earth, in which all those who are saved by grace will have an eternal share.)
T2: The full blessing of God’s salvation is in the coming New Jerusalem (John 4:14; Rev. 21:6)
(Please illustrate what blessings of eternal life all saved ones can enjoy in the New Jerusalem in the future.)
Day 4
T1: The function of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (John 20:22; Rom. 8:2; Eph. 1:13)
(Please illustrate what the first to third aspects of the function of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us are.)
T2: The function of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (Eph. 1:14; Rom. 8:9; John 14:16-17)
(Please illustrate what the fourth to sixth aspects of the function of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us are.)
Day 5
T1: O God of Israel, You are truly a God who hides Himself (Isa. 45:15)
(Please illustrate why Isaiah came to this conclusion.)
T2: No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18)
(Please illustrate that even this declaring is hidden.)
Day 6
T1: Fallen people have no thought of God being their enjoyment because they have been drugged (Luke 17:27-28; 18:1-3)
(Give examples to Please illustrate how many times the Lord spoke of this matter on His long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.)
T2: We will suffer persecution as we seek Him and enjoy Him (Luke 18:1-8)
(Please illustrate what the parable in Luke 18:1-8 indicates.)
