WEEK 7 — DAY 3
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 15:6 "That with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Cor. 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion."
[First Corinthians 1:10] greatly bothered me many years ago. I thought,“How could all Christians speak the same thing?” It seemed to me that this was impossible, but one day I understood. The church is the one new man with only one person, and this person controls our speaking, so whatever He speaks is surely “the same thing” that we all speak as the new man. (One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, p. 59)
Today's Reading
Many times I wanted to speak, but I checked within, asking myself, “Is it I who want to speak or is it the Lord?” In other words, in the matter of speaking, is the Lord the person, or am I the person? If it is I, there will be a problem; if it is the Lord, there will be no problem. If I allow the Lord to be the person, He is the One who speaks; then two months later, if you allow the Lord to be the person, you will speak the same thing that I have spoken. We have one mouth speaking the same thing.
You have to consider “one mouth” in Romans 15:6 and “speak the same thing” in 1 Corinthians 1:10 together with “one new man” in Ephesians 2:15. Otherwise,you will never understand the first two verses. You may wonder how the entire church can have only one mouth and how millions of members can speak the same thing. Humanly speaking, this is absolutely impossible. However, we must see that in Romans 15, Paul was speaking of a local church. In a local church, there must be only one mouth....In Taipei, there should be only one mouth.There should also be only one mouth in the churches in Southeast Asia. This is because there is only one person. In the past you had too many mouths because you had too many persons. When there are many persons, there are many ideas;when there are many ideas, there are many opinions, but we thank the Lord that now there is one mouth and one person here.
Once when I spoke about having one heart and one mouth, I asked, “Whose is this mouth?” Someone said very softly, “It is your own.” You are wrong; your understanding is wrong. Having one heart and one mouth means that even though we are many and all are speaking, we all speak the same thing. Some say it in Spanish, some in Portuguese, some in Italian, some in English, some in French, some in the southern Fukien dialect, and some in the Shantung dialect. We all are speaking in many languages and with many accents, but we are speaking one thing. This is what it means to have one mouth.
In the new man there is no freedom to speak your own things. This is more limiting and restricting than being members one of another. Everyone knows that what limits you the most is the matter of speaking. If I cannot say this or that—whatever I like—then I am very much restricted, but if I can say whatever I want, then I am very free. However, in the church, in the Body of Christ, and especially in the new man, neither your natural man nor my natural man has freedom of speech. This is because we ourselves are not the persons. In the one new man there is only one person. Only this person has the freedom to speak, and our natural man has absolutely no freedom of speech. The Lord has the absolute freedom to speak, and I absolutely have no freedom to speak. We cannot allow the natural man to speak; we definitely must not allow it. Only the one person should speak.
Although we are many and we come from many places, all of us have one mouth, and we all speak the same thing. This is because we all are the one new man having only one person. (One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, pp. 60-62, 91-92, 61, 60)
Further Reading: One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, chs. 6-7
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 15:6 "That with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Cor. 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion."
[First Corinthians 1:10] greatly bothered me many years ago. I thought,“How could all Christians speak the same thing?” It seemed to me that this was impossible, but one day I understood. The church is the one new man with only one person, and this person controls our speaking, so whatever He speaks is surely “the same thing” that we all speak as the new man. (One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, p. 59)
Today's Reading
Many times I wanted to speak, but I checked within, asking myself, “Is it I who want to speak or is it the Lord?” In other words, in the matter of speaking, is the Lord the person, or am I the person? If it is I, there will be a problem; if it is the Lord, there will be no problem. If I allow the Lord to be the person, He is the One who speaks; then two months later, if you allow the Lord to be the person, you will speak the same thing that I have spoken. We have one mouth speaking the same thing.
You have to consider “one mouth” in Romans 15:6 and “speak the same thing” in 1 Corinthians 1:10 together with “one new man” in Ephesians 2:15. Otherwise,you will never understand the first two verses. You may wonder how the entire church can have only one mouth and how millions of members can speak the same thing. Humanly speaking, this is absolutely impossible. However, we must see that in Romans 15, Paul was speaking of a local church. In a local church, there must be only one mouth....In Taipei, there should be only one mouth.There should also be only one mouth in the churches in Southeast Asia. This is because there is only one person. In the past you had too many mouths because you had too many persons. When there are many persons, there are many ideas;when there are many ideas, there are many opinions, but we thank the Lord that now there is one mouth and one person here.
Once when I spoke about having one heart and one mouth, I asked, “Whose is this mouth?” Someone said very softly, “It is your own.” You are wrong; your understanding is wrong. Having one heart and one mouth means that even though we are many and all are speaking, we all speak the same thing. Some say it in Spanish, some in Portuguese, some in Italian, some in English, some in French, some in the southern Fukien dialect, and some in the Shantung dialect. We all are speaking in many languages and with many accents, but we are speaking one thing. This is what it means to have one mouth.
In the new man there is no freedom to speak your own things. This is more limiting and restricting than being members one of another. Everyone knows that what limits you the most is the matter of speaking. If I cannot say this or that—whatever I like—then I am very much restricted, but if I can say whatever I want, then I am very free. However, in the church, in the Body of Christ, and especially in the new man, neither your natural man nor my natural man has freedom of speech. This is because we ourselves are not the persons. In the one new man there is only one person. Only this person has the freedom to speak, and our natural man has absolutely no freedom of speech. The Lord has the absolute freedom to speak, and I absolutely have no freedom to speak. We cannot allow the natural man to speak; we definitely must not allow it. Only the one person should speak.
Although we are many and we come from many places, all of us have one mouth, and we all speak the same thing. This is because we all are the one new man having only one person. (One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, pp. 60-62, 91-92, 61, 60)
Further Reading: One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, chs. 6-7
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