WEEK 6 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:13 "Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Col. 2:7 "Having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
When we speak about being full of the stature of Christ, we mean that our life in Christ has attained to the realm of full maturity. If we have really experienced all the lessons of life mentioned previously, then the life of Christ can be fully wrought into us. At this time, we will be full of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (The Experience of Life, p. 373)
Today's Reading
While life is God Himself, God being our life is Christ; therefore, the Bible says that Christ is our life. We can say that when we are regenerated, it is Christ being born again within us to be our life. But when we first receive it,this life is still very young and immature, which means that the stature of Christ within us is very small. When we love Christ, seek Christ, and allow Christ to live in us more and thereby gain us, the stature of Christ gradually increases within us. This is the growth of life. Since this life is Christ who lives in us, the growth of this life is therefore the increase of the stature of Christ within us. (The Knowledge of Life, p. 180)
We also need to arrive at a full-grown man. We may be mature but not full-grown. All of us need the growth in the divine life to arrive at a fullgrown man. Finally, we need to arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Christ has a fullness, and this fullness is His Body. This Body has a stature, and this stature has a measure. The church as the Body of Christ has a stature, but this stature may be very short, so the measure is not that high. Therefore, the church has to grow. That means the church has to be organically built up, and this organic building up will result in our arriving at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is His Body. (The Advance of the Lord's Recovery Today, p. 69)
If we are lacking in spiritual stature, we cannot be built up as the Body of Christ. In Ephesians 4:13 Paul says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” The Body of Christ has a stature, and this stature has a full measure. We all need to grow until we arrive at the full measure of the stature of the Body of Christ.
Having been rooted in Christ, we now are “being built up in Him” (Col.2:7). Paul's words being built up...do not directly refer to the building up of the Body of Christ. Rather, this expression denotes an increase in our spiritual stature, which can be compared to a person's increase in stature as he grows physically.
For us to be built up does not first mean that we are built up as the church,the Body; rather, it means that we are built up in the Lord and experience an increase in stature. Hence, in Colossians 2:7 to be built up actually means to grow in life. First, we are rooted in Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit, and then we grow up into Him. We build ourselves up by growing up. Our being built up depends on our assimilating the riches of Christ as the soil into our being. Having assimilated these riches into us, we will grow and be built up.When we are fully grown, we will be built up. Therefore, to be built up simply means to grow.
The building up of the Body depends upon the individual and personal building up of all the members. If a particular member has not been built up,it will not be possible for him to be built up in the Body. To be built up in the Body we first must be built up in ourselves. When we have become built-up members, we will then be able to be built up with others in the Body. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3566, 3565, 3566-3567)
Further Reading: The Knowledge of Life, ch. 12; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 212, 354
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:13 "Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Col. 2:7 "Having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
When we speak about being full of the stature of Christ, we mean that our life in Christ has attained to the realm of full maturity. If we have really experienced all the lessons of life mentioned previously, then the life of Christ can be fully wrought into us. At this time, we will be full of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (The Experience of Life, p. 373)
Today's Reading
While life is God Himself, God being our life is Christ; therefore, the Bible says that Christ is our life. We can say that when we are regenerated, it is Christ being born again within us to be our life. But when we first receive it,this life is still very young and immature, which means that the stature of Christ within us is very small. When we love Christ, seek Christ, and allow Christ to live in us more and thereby gain us, the stature of Christ gradually increases within us. This is the growth of life. Since this life is Christ who lives in us, the growth of this life is therefore the increase of the stature of Christ within us. (The Knowledge of Life, p. 180)
We also need to arrive at a full-grown man. We may be mature but not full-grown. All of us need the growth in the divine life to arrive at a fullgrown man. Finally, we need to arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Christ has a fullness, and this fullness is His Body. This Body has a stature, and this stature has a measure. The church as the Body of Christ has a stature, but this stature may be very short, so the measure is not that high. Therefore, the church has to grow. That means the church has to be organically built up, and this organic building up will result in our arriving at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is His Body. (The Advance of the Lord's Recovery Today, p. 69)
If we are lacking in spiritual stature, we cannot be built up as the Body of Christ. In Ephesians 4:13 Paul says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” The Body of Christ has a stature, and this stature has a full measure. We all need to grow until we arrive at the full measure of the stature of the Body of Christ.
Having been rooted in Christ, we now are “being built up in Him” (Col.2:7). Paul's words being built up...do not directly refer to the building up of the Body of Christ. Rather, this expression denotes an increase in our spiritual stature, which can be compared to a person's increase in stature as he grows physically.
For us to be built up does not first mean that we are built up as the church,the Body; rather, it means that we are built up in the Lord and experience an increase in stature. Hence, in Colossians 2:7 to be built up actually means to grow in life. First, we are rooted in Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit, and then we grow up into Him. We build ourselves up by growing up. Our being built up depends on our assimilating the riches of Christ as the soil into our being. Having assimilated these riches into us, we will grow and be built up.When we are fully grown, we will be built up. Therefore, to be built up simply means to grow.
The building up of the Body depends upon the individual and personal building up of all the members. If a particular member has not been built up,it will not be possible for him to be built up in the Body. To be built up in the Body we first must be built up in ourselves. When we have become built-up members, we will then be able to be built up with others in the Body. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3566, 3565, 3566-3567)
Further Reading: The Knowledge of Life, ch. 12; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 212, 354
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