WEEK 6 — DAY 3
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 3:17 "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith,that you, being rooted and grounded in love."
2:6 "And raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus."
Being full of the stature of Christ means that we are full of the life and nature of Christ. When a person's experience of life reaches its climax, the life and nature of Christ have permeated all the various parts of his being. The different parts of his spirit as well as the mind, will, and emotion of his soul are filled with the life and nature of Christ. Even his physical body at times is supported by this strength from the spirit. (Christians today cannot as yet be full of the element of Christ in their body; this can only be attained when we are raptured and transfigured.) At this time his life comes to maturity. (The Experience of Life, p. 375)
Today's Reading
There are many among us who have believed in the Lord for years,but to this day there is but little of the element of Christ in them. Their thoughts are filled largely with themselves. Though there is little filthiness or corruption in their thoughts, there is also little of Christ. This also means that in their thoughts there is very little of the stature of Christ. With regard to their will, though it may not rebel against God, oppose Him, or seem to be wrong in any way, the element within it is largely of themselves and very little of Christ. With regard to their emotion, their mood, desire,and inclination may be blameless, but they are still not filled with the element of Christ. This proves that the stature of Christ within them has not reached full measure and that they have made very little progress in spiritual growth.
How can we gradually be filled with the life and nature of Christ? We know that man has three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the center, the body is the outer circumference, and between these two is the soul. When we are regenerated, Christ as the Spirit enters into our spirit.From this time, He lives and grows within us. First He fills us in our spirit; then He spreads outward from our spirit to the mind, emotion,and will in our soul. He uses the cross to deal with our self and our natural constitution, that is, to deal especially with the soul-life, which is in our mind, emotion, and will. The more our mind, emotion, and will are dealt with and broken by the cross, the more Christ as the life-giving Spirit can enter into these parts. At a certain point, all the elements of our mind, emotion, and will are Christ; then the stature of Christ is fully grown in us.
When a person arrives at the full stature of Christ, he is in the same position as Christ, not only in objective fact but also in experience. Christ is seated in the heavens, and so also is he; Christ is on the throne, and so is he.At this time he is not easily shaken; neither can he fall easily.
When you welcome him, he is a certain kind of person; when you oppose him, he remains the same. If you lift him up, he is on the throne; if you trouble him, he is still on the throne....One who has attained to maturity of life lives in the spirit, in the life of Christ; he shares His position and is not easily disturbed or excited. Just as Christ is stable and sure in the heavens,so also is he. One whose life has attained unto maturity is one who is stable and steady.
As Christ Himself is unshakable in the heavens, so are those who are full of the stature of Christ and who share the same position as Christ. He changes not because of place or time; no matter what kind of environment he encounters, he remains seated in the heavens, unchanged. He shares the same position as Christ. This is the condition of one who is full of the stature of Christ. (The Experience of Life, pp. 375-378)
Further Reading: The Constitution and the Building Up of the Body of Christ, ch. 4; Life Messages, vol. 1, ch. 1
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 3:17 "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith,that you, being rooted and grounded in love."
2:6 "And raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus."
Being full of the stature of Christ means that we are full of the life and nature of Christ. When a person's experience of life reaches its climax, the life and nature of Christ have permeated all the various parts of his being. The different parts of his spirit as well as the mind, will, and emotion of his soul are filled with the life and nature of Christ. Even his physical body at times is supported by this strength from the spirit. (Christians today cannot as yet be full of the element of Christ in their body; this can only be attained when we are raptured and transfigured.) At this time his life comes to maturity. (The Experience of Life, p. 375)
Today's Reading
There are many among us who have believed in the Lord for years,but to this day there is but little of the element of Christ in them. Their thoughts are filled largely with themselves. Though there is little filthiness or corruption in their thoughts, there is also little of Christ. This also means that in their thoughts there is very little of the stature of Christ. With regard to their will, though it may not rebel against God, oppose Him, or seem to be wrong in any way, the element within it is largely of themselves and very little of Christ. With regard to their emotion, their mood, desire,and inclination may be blameless, but they are still not filled with the element of Christ. This proves that the stature of Christ within them has not reached full measure and that they have made very little progress in spiritual growth.
How can we gradually be filled with the life and nature of Christ? We know that man has three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the center, the body is the outer circumference, and between these two is the soul. When we are regenerated, Christ as the Spirit enters into our spirit.From this time, He lives and grows within us. First He fills us in our spirit; then He spreads outward from our spirit to the mind, emotion,and will in our soul. He uses the cross to deal with our self and our natural constitution, that is, to deal especially with the soul-life, which is in our mind, emotion, and will. The more our mind, emotion, and will are dealt with and broken by the cross, the more Christ as the life-giving Spirit can enter into these parts. At a certain point, all the elements of our mind, emotion, and will are Christ; then the stature of Christ is fully grown in us.
When a person arrives at the full stature of Christ, he is in the same position as Christ, not only in objective fact but also in experience. Christ is seated in the heavens, and so also is he; Christ is on the throne, and so is he.At this time he is not easily shaken; neither can he fall easily.
When you welcome him, he is a certain kind of person; when you oppose him, he remains the same. If you lift him up, he is on the throne; if you trouble him, he is still on the throne....One who has attained to maturity of life lives in the spirit, in the life of Christ; he shares His position and is not easily disturbed or excited. Just as Christ is stable and sure in the heavens,so also is he. One whose life has attained unto maturity is one who is stable and steady.
As Christ Himself is unshakable in the heavens, so are those who are full of the stature of Christ and who share the same position as Christ. He changes not because of place or time; no matter what kind of environment he encounters, he remains seated in the heavens, unchanged. He shares the same position as Christ. This is the condition of one who is full of the stature of Christ. (The Experience of Life, pp. 375-378)
Further Reading: The Constitution and the Building Up of the Body of Christ, ch. 4; Life Messages, vol. 1, ch. 1
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