God’s eternal economy is to gain a group of people into whom He dispenses Himself to be their life and everything so that they would be joined to Him as one, be filled and occupied with Him, and be one organic entity with Him on earth to be the Body of Christ; the Christian life is a life that is for God’s economy. Amen!
This week we come to a new topic in our morning revival, Experiencing the Grace of God in the Economy of God.
The general subject of this series is, The Grace of God in the Economy of God.
We want to see not only what is the grace of God, which in itself is a great matter in the Bible, but even more, what is the relationship between the grace of God and the economy of God, and how can we enjoy and experience the grace of God in the economy of God.
Grace is not what we used to think – it is not what people naturally think it is; grace is not the material things that God gives us or the things that God does for us, but grace is God Himself.
Grace is actually God giving Himself to us for our enjoyment and experience.
There is nothing more excellent or more transcendent than God Himself, and for Him to just give us things or do things for us is not good enough – only God is good, the best.
There is nothing sweeter and richer than our God; He truly is our blessing. God desires to give Himself to us for our experience and enjoyment; this is God giving His best to us.
We believers in Christ are happy people, for we are a group of people who have received God’s grace.
And this grace, which is nothing but the processed Triune God being dispensed into us to be our enjoyment for our experience, is related to God’s economy.
Grace is not only related to the economy of God, but grace is for God’s economy, and it is actually grace that fulfils God’s economy.
It is not us in and by ourselves that accomplishes God’s economy; it is the grace of God that does it. Everything in God’s economy is a matter of grace.
When we consider the matter of grace and when we see grace in the Bible, we need to realize that the grace of God is related to the economy of God.
Praise the Lord, our Christian life is a life in God’s economy, and the central line of the Bible is God’s economy!
We should not think of grace as being something apart from God’s economy, for the grace of God is in the economy of God and for the economy of God, and it is the grace of God that accomplishes the economy of God.
The Economy of God is the Central Line of the Bible and it should be our Focus in our Ministry
God has an eternal economy, according to which He wants to gain a group of people into whom the Triune God can dispense Himself to be their life and everything so that they may be joined to Him as one, be filled and occupied with Him, and be one organic entity with Him on earth to be the Body of Christ, the church, for His corporate expression (Eph. 1:3-23).
In the church life, we may be quite familiar with God’s economy, but we still need to realize that God’s economy, His household administration, and His household law, is to dispense Himself into us for the accomplishment of His eternal intention.
Both Eph. 1:10 and 3:9 mention that God has an eternal purpose and an eternal economy, and this economy can be accomplished through His dispensing.
In the divine economy what God wants to gain is the expression of His own divine attributes through the human virtues; God wants man to live out God to express God Himself, and this is grace. God is God becoming flesh to express God in a full way.
This is why we say that, if we see God’s economy, we will know how important grace is; without the grace of God, it will be very hard for God’s economy to be accomplished.
The eternal economy of God is the central line of the entire Scripture.
The Bible speaks of many things, and there are many kinds of truths; among so many truths in the Bible, there is one central line, which is called God’s economy.
God’s economy is the master key which opens up the sixty-six books of the Bible.
When we have a view of God’s economy, we will know what each book of the Bible is talking about and we will also fully understand what God is after.
The Bible is God speaking through men who were moved by God to write for Him, and what is contained in the Bible is actually God’s intention; His intention is His economy.
When man reads the Bible, however, oftentimes he only reads what he likes and what he feels that he needs.
When we read the Bible, we must pay attention not only to what we need nor should we read only what we like; we need to find out what God needs and what is His good pleasure, which is His economy.
The interpretation of the Scriptures should be strictly governed by the central line under its enlightenment; since the writing of the Bible is based on the central line of the Bible, we need to pay attention to God’s economy in our reading of the Bible.
In the record of Luke 24:27, 32, and 44, we see the Lord Jesus as the best example; at that time, two disciples were going down from Jerusalem to Emmaus because their Lord had just been crucified on the cross.
They were depressed and did not know where to go, so they went down to Emmaus; while they were on their way, the Lord appeared to them and walked with them.
And then He began from Moses and from all the prophets, and He explained to them clearly in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
The Lord was expounding the Bible; He opened up the Bible to speak not about this or that but concerning Himself, for He, the embodiment of the Triune God, is the central line of the Bible.
The disciples at one point said, Was our heart not burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was opening the Scriptures to us?
When the Lord opens the Scriptures to us in and according to the vision of God’s economy, our hearts are burning within us.
This is our experience in the church life; we become burning when the Scriptures are opened up and we see the central line concerning Christ in God’s economy.
The Lord said that all the things written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning Him must be fulfilled; the Lord reminded them that, in understanding the Bible, they needed to go back to the central line, which is God’s economy.
Although we may be reading the books of the law, we should not merely see the laws, regulations, rituals, and ordinances.
Although we may be reading the books of the prophets, we should not merely pay attention to the interesting stories and events.
Although we may be reading the Psalms, we should not merely pay attention to their utterances, parallelism, and patterns.
Whether it is the law, the prophets, or the Psalms, everything recorded in the Bible is concerning Christ.
One thing that should be focused on, emphasized, and ministered is the New Testament economy of God (1 Tim. 1:4); if we focus on, emphasize, or minister anything else, it may lead to questioning rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.
We all need to remain on the central line of God’s economy and speak only God’s economy.
We have many activities, meetings, and things we need to do and take care of, but we should not be distracted from the central line of God’s economy.
Especially in this age where there are so many opinions, so many ways of interpreting the Bible, and so many Bible expositions and books, may we emphasize only the central line of God’s economy, for only this central line can help us enjoy God’s grace to fulfill God’s eternal intention.
Lord Jesus, unveil us to see the central line of the Bible, the eternal economy of God. Amen, Lord, may our interpretation of the Bible be strictly governed by the central line of the Bible and be under its enlightenment. Save us from focusing on anything else besides the eternal economy of God to dispense Himself into man for the gaining of the church, the Body of Christ, for His full expression. Save us from our own opinions and from our own way of interpreting the Bible; may we be renewed in our mind and remain in the center of God’s economy, which is in faith. Amen, Lord Jesus, keep us in Your eternal economy to enjoy the grace of God in the economy of God and for the fulfilment of the economy of God!
The Christian Life is a Life for God’s Economy to Build up the Body as His corporate expression
When we see the eternal economy of God and realize that God’s economy is the central line of the Bible, our life and living will be changed.
Our Christian life is a life that is for God’s economy. God created man and everything on earth for His economy; He created the earth and the whole universe for man, and man is for God in His economy.
Man is the center of God’s created universe, and man is for God’s economy.
Our Christian life is a life in which we live Christ and magnify Him corporately in our locality as a local church to be a local expression of the universal Body of Christ.
Our Christian life is not an individual Christian life but a life in the Body of Christ, the church, to be part of the corporate expression of Christ.
We need to realize that our Christian life is not just to live an ethical life with the human virtues for the glory of God; we are here not only to be the salt of the world and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16).
Even more, we are here to live a life that is Christ Himself with His divine attributes expressed in His human virtues to be a part of His organic Body for the universal consummation of the eternal economy of God (Eph. 3:8-11).
In the church life, we need to live a life for God’s economy, a life that is Christ Himself with His divine attributes expressed in His human virtues.
We may be very much impressed with Psalm 1, where we see an individual righteous person seeking God; however, this psalm concerns only the personal benefit of the individual godly man.
Psalm 2, however, is altogether concerning God’s economy, for here we see that God made Christ His anointed (v. 2), He set Him up as His King (v. 6) to inherit all the nations and to possess the earth to gain a great kingdom on the earth for God’s economy (vv. 8-11).
We need to believe in such a Christ, take Him as our refuge, and love Him, even kiss Him (v. 12).
This is something of God’s economy.
Our salvation and our Christian life are not merely a matter of being rescued from eternal punishment or being brought to heaven with God.
We need to have an uplifted view of the Christian life and the goal of God’s salvation; according to the central line of the Bible, which is God’s eternal economy, we are saved for God’s economy.
Everything that God does in us, for us, and around us is for the accomplishing of His economy, and our Christian life is a life for God’s economy.
We have to admit that much of our consideration is for our personal benefit.
We may want to gain more Christ so that we would improve ourselves, and our hope would be to receive a reward from Christ when He returns and not be punished by Him.
But is His economy part of our consideration? We may not consider God’s economy that much.
Christ is altogether for God’s economy; He was incarnated for God’s economy, He died for us to accomplish God’s economy, He saves us to accomplish God’s economy, and He lives in us that we may live in Him for God’s economy.
Our Christian life is a life for God’s economy so that we may build up the church as the Body of Christ, the corporate expression of Christ.
The church is the Body of Christ and the kingdom of God for the accomplishment of God’s economy.
2 Cor. 5:14-15 says that the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died, and He died that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised.
Our proper Christian life is that we die to ourselves and live to Christ; we die to ourselves and live to Him, allowing Him to live in us. Christ is the center; He is the central line, and we should live to Him and live Him, allowing Him to live in us.
Our life is heading toward one goal, which is the Lord Himself for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to die for us and bringing us into the kingdom of God to be part of the accomplishment of the economy of God. Thank You for not only saving us and rescuing us from eternal perdition but also bringing us into the economy of God! Hallelujah, our Christian life is a life that is for God’s economy! Amen, Lord, we want to no longer live to ourselves but to You, for You died for us and You live in us. Live in us today. Be expressed through us. May our Christian life be Christ Himself with His divine attributes expressed in our human virtues for the corporate expression of Christ, the Body of Christ. May we live a life that is Christ Himself living in us for the Body life. Amen, Lord, uplift our view and consideration of our Christian life and church life so that we may enjoy You as grace for the accomplishing of God’s eternal economy!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers on this message, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1991-1992, vol. 2, “The Christian Life,” pp. 348, 354-355, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Grace of God in the Economy of God (2022 International Chinese-speaking Conference), week 2, entitled, Experiencing the Grace of God in the Economy of God.
- Further reading on this topic:
– What is God’s Economy? An answer is given via, The Hearing of Faith, Life-study of Bible Radio Broadcast.
– What is “God’s economy”? It’s crucial to ask this question. Why? Because it’s a great mystery in the Bible, one that opens up God’s entire plan for man. Read more via, holdingtotruth.com.
– God’s economy – to be one with man and to make man His organism. Read more via, ministrybooks.org.
– Did You Know God Has an Economy? Have you ever heard that God has an economy? The word “economy” usually brings to mind things like money, resources, financial budgeting, and so on. However, the Bible’s use of the word “economy” doesn’t refer to such physical things, but to something far more profound. Read more via, Bibles for America blog. - Hymns on this topic:
– God planned His great purpose in eternity, / This great will was hidden, a great mystery; / With wisdom and prudence He has made it known, / Through revelation, in Christ, the Son. / Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, / To head up all things in Christ, / The things in the heavens in Him; / Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, / To head up all things in Christ / And the things on the earth, in Him. (Song on, Unto the Economy)
– Not religion, even / Christianity, / Can fulfill God’s purpose / Or economy; / But ‘tis Christ within us / As our all in all / Satisfies God’s wishes, / And His plan withal. (Hymns #541)
– Oh, Christ in all His glory put on humanity / So He could be my Person, and live instead of me. / A man in life and being, He fully fits my case, / So all His glorious Person can me replace. / O Lord, O Lord, You are the man for me! / I take You as my Person, as my full identity. / O Lord, O Lord, subdue my every part, / And every moment, every place, make home in all my heart. (Hymns #1177)
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