Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (3)
Message Eleven
The Fellowship of Eternal Life—The Reality of the Living in the Body of Christ
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture Reading:
1 John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us);
I. John’s epistles unveil the mystery of the fellowship of eternal life—1 John 1:3-4, 6-7: (Monday)
A The fellowship is the flow of eternal life within all believers, as typified by the flow of the water of life in New Jerusalem—1 John 1:2-4; Rev. 22:1; Col. 1:18b.
B The fellowship is the flowing Triune God—the Father is the source of life, the Son is the fountain of life, and The Spirit is the river of life—John 4:14b; Rev. 22:1-2.
C The fellowship is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—dispensing Himself into the believers as their unique portion and enjoyment—1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14.
D Fellowship signifies putting personal interests aside and uniting with others for a common purpose—Acts 2:42.
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II. The fellowship of eternal life is the reality of the living in the oneness of the Spirit in the Body of Christ—1 Cor. 10:16-18; Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:3: (Tuesday, Wednesday)
A We enter into the vertical aspect of divine fellowship through the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit—2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3, 6; Mark 12:30.
B We enter into the horizontal aspect of divine fellowship through the human spirit—Phil. 2:1; Rev. 1:10; 1 John 1:2-3, 7; 1 Cor. 16:18.
C This divine fellowship is an interwoven fellowship, in which the horizontal fellowship is interwoven with the vertical fellowship—1 John 1:2-3; cf. Acts 2:42.
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III. In order for us to remain in the enjoyment of divine fellowship, we need to apply Christ as our sin offering for the indwelling sin in our nature—1 John 1:8-9; 3:20-21; Lev. 4:3: (Thursday)
A Sin is Satan’s evil nature, which, through Adam’s degradation, he injected into man—Rom. 5:12, 19.
B To apply Christ as our sin offering means that our old man is dealt with—Rom. 6:6; Heb. 2:14; John 12:31.
C Our participation in Christ as our sin offering is for us to enjoy Him as our life—1 John 5:16; Lev. 10:17.
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D Man was created by God with the purpose to express and represent God, not for anything other than God but absolutely for God—Gen. 1:26; Isa. 43:7; Rom. 3:23. (Friday)
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V. As we enjoy Christ in divine fellowship, we constantly experience a cycle in our spiritual life, which includes eternal life, the fellowship of eternal life, the divine light, and the blood of Jesus, the Son of God—1 John 1:1-9; Heb. 6:1; Eph. 4:13: (Saturday)
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ—1 John 1:3.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth; But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.—1 John 1:6-7.
Word of Appetizer
What is the fellowship of the eternal life? Why is the divine fellowship everything in the Christian life?
Fellowship is the flow of the eternal life within all believers, portrayed by the flow of the water of life in the New Jerusalem; the reality of the Body of Christ, the practical church life, is the flowing out of the Lord Jesus within us, and this flowing One must have the first place in us.
In the Christian life, divine fellowship is everything; when fellowship ceases, God disappears; God comes as fellowship; in this divine fellowship, God is interwoven with us; this interweaving is the blending of God with man, bringing the divine element into our spiritual being, causing us to grow in life and be transformed; divine fellowship blends us, regulates us, adjusts us, harmonizes us, and blends us together to be one Body.
Spiritual Burden
As we enjoy Christ in the divine fellowship, we continually experience a cycle in the spiritual life, which involves four crucial things: the eternal life, the fellowship of the eternal life, the divine light, and the blood of Jesus, the Son of God; such a cycle carries us forward in the growth of the divine life until we become mature in life and corporately attain to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
John’s Epistles (especially 1 John) unveil the mystery of the fellowship of the eternal life.
Fellowship is The Triune God—the Father, the Son, and The Spirit—dispensing Himself into the believers as their unique portion and blessing for their enjoyment, from now until eternity.
The fellowship of the eternal life is the reality of the living in the Body of Christ in the oneness of The Spirit.
This divine fellowship is an interwoven fellowship—a horizontal fellowship interwoven with a vertical fellowship; through the divine Spirit (the Holy Spirit), we enter into the vertical aspect of the divine fellowship; through the human spirit, we enter into the horizontal aspect of the divine fellowship; this aspect of fellowship refers to our fellowship with one another by exercising our spirit and loving one another.
The Experience of Life
When we have genuine, intimate, living, and loving fellowship with God who is light, we see ourselves as sinful and take Christ as our sin offering and trespass offering.
The more we love the Lord and enjoy Him, the more we realize how evil we are; this realization that we have a sinful nature and that we take Christ as our sin offering, causing us to be judged and subdued, keeps us from having any confidence in ourselves; whatever we do out of ourselves, whether good or bad, is done for ourselves, and since it is done for ourselves and not for God, it is sinful in God’s eyes; sin is for the self.
Practice and Application
If we want to remain in the enjoyment of the divine fellowship, we need to take Christ as our sin offering for the indwelling sin in our nature, and take Christ as our trespass offering for the sinful acts in our behavior.
When we take Christ as our trespass offering, we need to thoroughly confess all our sins and uncleanness, and have a clear and clean conscience; confessing our sins in the divine light and taking Christ as our trespass offering is our way to drink Christ as the living water, making us the New Jerusalem.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The word “communion” originally means to participate together, to share in common (1 John 1:3).
( Please illustrate that what is the meaning of “communion”.)
T2 Communion is the divine life flowing out from the redeeming God (Rev. 22:1).
( Please illustrate that the communion of the divine life is clearly depicted in Revelation 22.)
Day 2
T1 The communion of the divine life has a vertical aspect and a horizontal aspect (1 John 1:6-7).
( Please illustrate that we must maintain both vertical and horizontal aspects of communion to be spiritually healthy.)
T2 Divine communion is the reality of living in the Body of Christ (1 John 1:6-7, Acts 2:42).
( Please illustrate that one thing can control us, which is divine communion; we are restricted in this communion.)
Day 3
T1 Divine communion is God Himself (1 Cor. 1:9, 10:16).
( Please illustrate that the communion of The Spirit is The Spirit Himself operating within us.)
T2 The vertical and horizontal aspects of divine communion are intimately related (2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:1).
( Please illustrate that when we have genuine communion by exercising our spirit, we will long to pray and contact the Lord.)
Day 4
T1 Seeing the revelation of Christ as our atoning sacrifice (John 1:29).
( Please illustrate that what negative things were dealt with through Christ’s death in the flesh.)
T2 For us to have communion with God, we must walk in the light, as God is in the light (1 John 1:5, Rom. 8:23).
( Please illustrate that the more we love the Lord, the more we see how evil we are.)
Day 5
T1 What we do out of ourselves, whether good or bad, is sin (Gen. 2:23, Rom. 3:23).
( Please illustrate that what is the reason our love for our children may be in the flesh?)
T2 Our experience of the sin offering is entirely related to our enjoyment of the Lord Jesus as our burnt offering (Rom. 7:18).
( Please illustrate that the more we love the Lord and enjoy the Lord, the more we realize how evil we are.)
Day 6
T1 Regarding indwelling sin, we need to be careful and watchful (1 John 1:9).
( Please illustrate that in 1 John 1:1-7, we see a cycle in our spiritual life, formed by what four crucial matters.)
T2 Christ is not only with God, but also an Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).
( Please illustrate that the divine family is full of love, but this family is also full of righteousness; therefore, there are rules, and there is the Father’s chastisement.)
