WEEK 4 — DAY 2
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 5:10 “For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.”
17 “...Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
The first four chapters of Romans show us the aspect of judicial redemption in God’s complete salvation; the remaining twelve chapters show us the aspect of organic salvation in God’s complete salvation. We were redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God through the death of Christ. This is on the judicial side. However, Romans shows us that God’s salvation has not only the judicial aspect but also the organic aspect. The organic salvation is referred to in 5:10....Today we are passing through the processes of God’s organic salvation that we may be saved in His life. On the one hand, we have been saved; on the other hand, we are still being saved. (The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, p. 45)
Today’s Reading
Reigning in life is the full experience of the organic salvation of God. God’s complete salvation is through our receiving grace and righteousness, and this complete salvation issues in our reigning in life as the goal of His complete salvation. Reigning in life in Romans 5 is the key to open up the rest of the book. We need to see everything in Romans 6 through 16 in this light. This is altogether a new way to interpret the book of Romans.
When we are reigning in life, we are being soaked and saturated with the holy nature of God for sanctification in our disposition, and our mingled spirit spreads into our mind to renew our mind. When we are reigning in life, we can be conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son and glorified through the sealing of the indwelling Spirit throughout our entire life. When we are reigning in life, we more than conquer the environmental hardships and sufferings, even being faithful to Christ and to God unto death. We also gain the righteousness of God, which is the subjective Christ, and we enjoy the riches of God. It is when we receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness to reign in life that we call on the Lord in a proper way. When we are reigning in life, we live a grafted life with Christ. If we do not reign in life, we cannot participate in these processes, but if we reign in life, we can be in all these things, and we can be constituted Christ’s overcoming bride for His satisfaction, pleasure, and delight. (Crystallization-study of the Complete Salvation of God in Romans, p. 31)
We are saved in the divine life of Christ, by reigning in the divine life, from all kinds of insubordination. To be saved in life causes us to reign as kings. According to Romans 5:17, those who receive the abundance of grace and the abundance of the gift of righteousness, those who are justified, shall reign in life. A justified person should reign because he has the divine life, a kingly life, with which to reign....When we were redeemed by Christ, forgiven of our sins, and washed by the blood of Christ, we were justified. In addition, we were regenerated with a divine, spiritual, heavenly, kingly, and royal life. Thus, we are now able to reign in life as kings.
The gospel which is commonly preached today does not include the matter of reigning in life. We may have heard only that we were sinners and that if we believed in the Lord Jesus, God would forgive us; then we would be redeemed and regenerated in order to have the divine life. This is right, but according to Paul’s word in Romans, there is much more. Paul tells us that we were saved with a life which is not only divine but also royal and kingly. It is a life which is able to reign (5:17). We have received a life which not only gives us the ability to be spiritual, heavenly, and divine, but also gives us the ability to reign. In this life we reign over all the negative things. (To Be Saved in the Life of Christ as Revealed in Romans, pp. 9-10)
Further Reading: The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, msg. 4; Crystallization-study of the Complete Salvation of God in Romans, msg. 4
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 5:10 “For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.”
17 “...Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
The first four chapters of Romans show us the aspect of judicial redemption in God’s complete salvation; the remaining twelve chapters show us the aspect of organic salvation in God’s complete salvation. We were redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God through the death of Christ. This is on the judicial side. However, Romans shows us that God’s salvation has not only the judicial aspect but also the organic aspect. The organic salvation is referred to in 5:10....Today we are passing through the processes of God’s organic salvation that we may be saved in His life. On the one hand, we have been saved; on the other hand, we are still being saved. (The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, p. 45)
Today’s Reading
Reigning in life is the full experience of the organic salvation of God. God’s complete salvation is through our receiving grace and righteousness, and this complete salvation issues in our reigning in life as the goal of His complete salvation. Reigning in life in Romans 5 is the key to open up the rest of the book. We need to see everything in Romans 6 through 16 in this light. This is altogether a new way to interpret the book of Romans.
When we are reigning in life, we are being soaked and saturated with the holy nature of God for sanctification in our disposition, and our mingled spirit spreads into our mind to renew our mind. When we are reigning in life, we can be conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son and glorified through the sealing of the indwelling Spirit throughout our entire life. When we are reigning in life, we more than conquer the environmental hardships and sufferings, even being faithful to Christ and to God unto death. We also gain the righteousness of God, which is the subjective Christ, and we enjoy the riches of God. It is when we receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness to reign in life that we call on the Lord in a proper way. When we are reigning in life, we live a grafted life with Christ. If we do not reign in life, we cannot participate in these processes, but if we reign in life, we can be in all these things, and we can be constituted Christ’s overcoming bride for His satisfaction, pleasure, and delight. (Crystallization-study of the Complete Salvation of God in Romans, p. 31)
We are saved in the divine life of Christ, by reigning in the divine life, from all kinds of insubordination. To be saved in life causes us to reign as kings. According to Romans 5:17, those who receive the abundance of grace and the abundance of the gift of righteousness, those who are justified, shall reign in life. A justified person should reign because he has the divine life, a kingly life, with which to reign....When we were redeemed by Christ, forgiven of our sins, and washed by the blood of Christ, we were justified. In addition, we were regenerated with a divine, spiritual, heavenly, kingly, and royal life. Thus, we are now able to reign in life as kings.
The gospel which is commonly preached today does not include the matter of reigning in life. We may have heard only that we were sinners and that if we believed in the Lord Jesus, God would forgive us; then we would be redeemed and regenerated in order to have the divine life. This is right, but according to Paul’s word in Romans, there is much more. Paul tells us that we were saved with a life which is not only divine but also royal and kingly. It is a life which is able to reign (5:17). We have received a life which not only gives us the ability to be spiritual, heavenly, and divine, but also gives us the ability to reign. In this life we reign over all the negative things. (To Be Saved in the Life of Christ as Revealed in Romans, pp. 9-10)
Further Reading: The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, msg. 4; Crystallization-study of the Complete Salvation of God in Romans, msg. 4
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