Romans 8 is the only chapter in the whole Bible which talks about God in Christ as the Spirit coming into us as the life-giving Spirit and mingling Himself with our spirit to impart life to our spirit (making it life, Rom. 8:10), to our mind (making it life, Rom. 8:6), and to our body (Rom. 8:11).
This is God’s intention and His desire: God desires to work Himself into us as our life – He wants to impart life to every part of our being and make us His corporate expression in life. This is the focus of the Bible – God’s desire to work Himself into us as our life!
The divine life is the Triune God being subjective to us
What is the divine life, as seen in Romans 8? The life that is given to our spirit, soul, and body, is the Spirit – the consummation of the Triune God. Actually, the divine life, the Triune God, and Christ are one with and in the Spirit.
Initially we have received the divine life when we were born again, and daily we receive more life as we continually breathe in the Spirit as life by calling on the Lord’s name! The Triune God becomes subjective to us by our calling on the name of the Lord to breathe the Spirit in!
Growing in life by the element of God being added to us
God desires not only to give us life once and for all – He wants us to grow in the divine life by receiving daily the addition of the element of God into us. Growth in life requires that God would continually add Himself to us – the divine element is being daily added to us.
How does this happen? One way to grow is to “pray unceasingly” by calling on the name of the Lord, Oh, Lord Jesus! Such a simple practice can bring in again and again the element of God into us, causing the divine life in us to grow.
Whenever we feel weak in our spirit, our mind, or our body toward the things of God, we need to call on the name of the Lord. When we call on the Lord’s name we actually breathe in the divine life, which is Christ as the embodiment of God realized as the Spirit.
When we call on the name of the Lord, the entire Triune God is added to us in the Spirit, and we grow with the element of God which is added to us. This is to know God and experience Him in the way of life, daily, even moment by moment. In this way, God grows in us daily – and our Christian life and growth is normal, healthy, and proper.
The law of life functions to conform us to Christ’s image
The divine life we receive, enjoy, and grow in has a law – the law of life, the law of the Spirit of life – which has a particular function. The law of the apple tree functions to make sure the fruit of that tree is an apple, and the law of the human life functions to conform the children to the image of a human being.
As we grow in the divine life by breathing in the Lord daily, enjoying Him, eating and drinking Him, the law of life operates in us automatically to regulate us from within and shape us into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). As we grow in life, we look more like Christ!
It is not through religion, ethics, morality, improvement of our character, or anything else that we can fulfill the purpose of our life and God’s purpose, and neither is it through culture, habit, our disposition, or our self-perfecting. Only the Triune God dwelling in us and becoming our life and person subjectively can do this!
As we turn to Him, as we call on His name, the divine element grows in us and the law of life automatically works in us to shape us, transform us, and conform us to the image of Christ! The inward operation of the law of the Spirit of life results in the Body of Christ, the new man, the mutual dwelling of God and man, the bride of Christ, and eventually the New Jerusalem!
Thank You Lord for Your heart’s desire to work Yourself into us to be our life and everything. Lord, keep us open to You for Your inward working and daily growing. Grow in us every day, Lord, by adding Your element to our being. Oh, Lord, we don’t want to remain the same – we want to grow in life! May we gain Christ every day – may every day there would be an increase of the element of God in our being! Oh, Lord Jesus!
References / Further reading:
- Inspired from The All-inclusive Indwelling Spirit, ch. 6 (by brother Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Focus of the Lord’s Recovery, week 3;
- More on this topic via, The Focus of the Lord’s Recovery;
- Picture credit: growing plants.
Amen! Praise the Lord
I appreciate afresh that whenever we feel weak in our spirit, our mind, or our body toward the things of God, we need to call on the name of the Lord.
"We can fulfill the purpose of our life and God’s purpose only by the Triune God dwelling in us and becoming our life and person subjectively.
We As we turn to Him, as we call on His name,
the divine element grows in us and the law of life automatically works
in us to shape us, transform us, and conform us to the image of Christ!
The inward operation of the law of the Spirit of life results in the
Body of Christ, the new man, the mutual dwelling of God and man, the
bride of Christ, and eventually the New Jerusalem!"
Amen!
I appreciate afresh that whenever we feel weak in our spirit, our mind, or our body toward the things of God, we need to call on the name of the Lord.
“We can fulfill the purpose of our life and God’s purpose only by the Triune God dwelling in us and becoming our life and person subjectively.
We As we turn to Him, as we call on His name,
the divine element grows in us and the law of life automatically works
in us to shape us, transform us, and conform us to the image of Christ!
The inward operation of the law of the Spirit of life results in the
Body of Christ, the new man, the mutual dwelling of God and man, the
bride of Christ, and eventually the New Jerusalem!”
Amen!