WEEK 6 — DAY 2
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:16 "Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love."
Col. 2:19 "...Holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God."
The growth of the stature of Christ within us can be divided into five steps.First, Christ enters into us to become our life. Second, Christ living within us through the Holy Spirit gradually grows in us. Third, Christ is formed in us. Fourth, Christ is manifested through us. As Christ grows and is formed in us and manifested more and more, one day every part of our being will be filled with His elements; then we will attain to the fifth step—Christ becoming matured in us, or we being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ. At this time our experience of life in Christ has reached its climax. (The Experience of Life, p. 373)
Today's Reading
Only when Christ is formed within us by expanding and increasing into every part of our being, can He make His home in our hearts; and only when Christ has made His home in our hearts, will we have the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. First Christ is revealed in us. Then He lives within us, is formed within us, and makes His home in our hearts. Finally the result...is that we arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.This is what God planned and intended in eternity past for a Christian to be—a person who is full of Christ. God desires that we would be filled with Christ not only in our spirit but also in our mind, emotion, will, and heart.At His coming, even our body will be full of Christ. At that time He will be glorified in us and through us, and we will be in His glory. (The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Christ, p. 65)
Concerning being full of the stature of Christ, we must first realize that none can attain to this stage individually. This experience is attainable only in the Body. It is entirely an experience that is gained in the Body.
A Christian who has experienced the brokenness of the flesh and the natural constitution will automatically see the Body of Christ. From this time forth, he deeply realizes from his experience that apart from the Body of Christ he cannot live—he can neither live in the Lord nor touch His presence.
If he is detached from the Body of Christ, he cannot even be a Christian.Therefore, from the time he sees the Body of Christ until he becomes mature in the life of the Lord, his spiritual life is in the Body and so also is his whole spiritual experience. Hence, his being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ is also an experience in the Body.
Not only is it impossible for anyone to experience being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ outside of the Body, but, practically speaking, even in the Body,none can be full of the stature of Christ individually. To be full of the stature of Christ is a Body matter. Therefore, only the Body can be full of the stature of Christ.
[In Ephesians 4:13] the writer is not referring to individual saints, but rather pointing out the fact that one day the Body of Christ, which is the church, shall attain to such a stage. In Ephesians 3:18, we read that to apprehend the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth of Christ, we need a togetherness with all saints. From these two scripture references we see that the stature of the fullness of Christ and the unsearchable dimensions of Christ cannot be experienced by ourselves individually but by being in the Body and joined together with all the saints.
Therefore, simply speaking, the maturity of the Christian life takes place in the Body. We should never expect that we can attain to the maturity of life individually. In fact, when one sees the Body, he can no more be individual.(The Experience of Life, pp. 374-375)
Further Reading: The Building Up of the Body of Christ, ch. 3; Knowing Life and the Church, ch. 11
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:16 "Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love."
Col. 2:19 "...Holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God."
The growth of the stature of Christ within us can be divided into five steps.First, Christ enters into us to become our life. Second, Christ living within us through the Holy Spirit gradually grows in us. Third, Christ is formed in us. Fourth, Christ is manifested through us. As Christ grows and is formed in us and manifested more and more, one day every part of our being will be filled with His elements; then we will attain to the fifth step—Christ becoming matured in us, or we being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ. At this time our experience of life in Christ has reached its climax. (The Experience of Life, p. 373)
Today's Reading
Only when Christ is formed within us by expanding and increasing into every part of our being, can He make His home in our hearts; and only when Christ has made His home in our hearts, will we have the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. First Christ is revealed in us. Then He lives within us, is formed within us, and makes His home in our hearts. Finally the result...is that we arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.This is what God planned and intended in eternity past for a Christian to be—a person who is full of Christ. God desires that we would be filled with Christ not only in our spirit but also in our mind, emotion, will, and heart.At His coming, even our body will be full of Christ. At that time He will be glorified in us and through us, and we will be in His glory. (The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Christ, p. 65)
Concerning being full of the stature of Christ, we must first realize that none can attain to this stage individually. This experience is attainable only in the Body. It is entirely an experience that is gained in the Body.
A Christian who has experienced the brokenness of the flesh and the natural constitution will automatically see the Body of Christ. From this time forth, he deeply realizes from his experience that apart from the Body of Christ he cannot live—he can neither live in the Lord nor touch His presence.
If he is detached from the Body of Christ, he cannot even be a Christian.Therefore, from the time he sees the Body of Christ until he becomes mature in the life of the Lord, his spiritual life is in the Body and so also is his whole spiritual experience. Hence, his being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ is also an experience in the Body.
Not only is it impossible for anyone to experience being full of the stature of the fullness of Christ outside of the Body, but, practically speaking, even in the Body,none can be full of the stature of Christ individually. To be full of the stature of Christ is a Body matter. Therefore, only the Body can be full of the stature of Christ.
[In Ephesians 4:13] the writer is not referring to individual saints, but rather pointing out the fact that one day the Body of Christ, which is the church, shall attain to such a stage. In Ephesians 3:18, we read that to apprehend the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth of Christ, we need a togetherness with all saints. From these two scripture references we see that the stature of the fullness of Christ and the unsearchable dimensions of Christ cannot be experienced by ourselves individually but by being in the Body and joined together with all the saints.
Therefore, simply speaking, the maturity of the Christian life takes place in the Body. We should never expect that we can attain to the maturity of life individually. In fact, when one sees the Body, he can no more be individual.(The Experience of Life, pp. 374-375)
Further Reading: The Building Up of the Body of Christ, ch. 3; Knowing Life and the Church, ch. 11
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