The function of the word of God is the operation of God Himself, and when we come to God’s word as His loving seekers, we receive God’s blessing. The Lord is training us to be His loving seekers, those pure in heart and single in focus only for Him, so that we may enjoy the unique blessing in the universe – God Himself.
When we come to God’s word we need to come to the Lord Himself, the One of whom the Bible speaks and who can give us life (John 5:39-40). May we be brought back to God Himself, to our all-inclusive Christ, each time we come to the word of God as His loving seekers, so that we may enjoy the blessing.
The unique blessing in this universe is God Himself; the blessing we receive by coming to the word of God as His loving seekers through the function of His precious word is God Himself with all of His riches.
This week we will get deeper into the five main blessings that we receive through the function of the word of God:
- The blessing of light becoming life. Christ is both light and life, and His light becomes life in our experience.
- The blessing of being watered by God and absorbing God with all His unsearchable riches.
- The blessing of inhaling the inhalable, breathable, all-inclusive Triune God as the wonderful life-giving Spirit.
- The blessing of enjoying God Himself as our portion. Nothing else but God is our portion!
- The blessing of His countenance and the shining of His face to the point that all of us are glowing with Him!
Enjoying the Blessing of Light becoming Life through the Function of the Word of God
Through the function of the word of God, God’s loving seekers receive the blessing of light becoming life. The opening of God’s word gives light, imparting understanding to the simple (Psa. 119:130); His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path (Psa. 119:105).
Without the enjoyment and experience of the enlightening and the enlivening of His word we have no ability or way to walk and we don’t have where to walk. Many times our soul clings to the dust, and only the Lord can enliven us according to His word (Psa. 119:25); this is our comfort in our affliction, that God enlivens us through His word (Psa. 119:50).
A great principle in the Bible is that light and life go together: where light is, where God’s light shines, life is brought in, and where life is, there is light (Psa. 36:9; John 1:4; 8:12). With God is the fountain of life, and in His light we see light.
When Christ came, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. With God first there’s life: He is life; then, He as light shines, and those who receive His shining enjoy His life.
The Lord came as the light of the world, and whoever receives Him and follows Him shall by no means walk in darkness but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). As the Lord shines on us through His word, we have little turns to Him here and there, we confess our sins under His light, and the divine life increases in us.
There is a line throughout the Bible that speaks of light and life together – see Gen. 1:3; John 1:4; 8:12; Rev. 21:23; 22:1, 5. There is only one realm and source of life, and that is light; life comes from light, and light is the key to life.
In the physical realm there’s the need for light in order for life to exist and grow; in the spiritual realm we need to be under the Lord’s shining in His living word so that we may have the divine life and grow in life. On God’s side, there is first life and then light; on our side, there is first light and then life (see Psa. 36:9; John 1:1, 4-5; 8:12; 2 Cor. 4:6; Acts 26:13).
When the Lord Jesus came, in Him was life, and this life was the light of men. When we see the Lord, we see the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ, and we receive the divine life. When Paul was met by the Lord, He shined on him and Paul received the divine life. God’s divine light brings in the divine life, and where God’s life is, there is the divine light.
In the church life today we enjoy the Lord’s rich speaking, and there’s much light shining on us; if we are the Lord’s loving seekers as we come to the Word of God, we will enjoy the blessing of light becoming life through the function of the word of God.
Lord Jesus, open up Your word to us so that we may receive light and have Your living word as a lamp to our feet. Oh Lord, with You is the fountain of life, and in Your light we see light! We come to Your word as Your loving seekers to enjoy You, touch You, be filled with You, and have Your fresh shining so that Your divine life in us may grow day by day. Speak to us, Lord, and shine on us through Your speaking through Your living word so that we may grow in life for the accomplishment of Your purpose!
Our Need to have More Light so that we may Grow in life and be Transformed
The Bible reveals that life comes from the shining of the light, and that the amount of life is in direct proportion to the amount of light.
For example, in Gen. 1 we see that the first-day light was enough for generating life, and the plant life was created; however, there is the need for a stronger light for a further growth in life – the fourth-day lights were needed for further development of life (the coming in of the animal life and even the human life).
In our Christian experience, when the Lord shines on us through His living word, we are regenerated; but for our growth in life, we need a further and stronger light (see Gen. 1:3-25; John 3:3; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 4:16; 5:8-9, 13-14).
The light we see at the time of our regeneration is not very concrete but it is enough to regenerate us; however, day by day we need to receive more light and even a stronger light so that the divine life in us may grow, develop, and arrive unto maturity. We need a more substantial and strong light so that the divine life in us may grow and become more defined in form until Christ is formed in us.
Both the spirit of man and the Spirit of the Lord are lamps, shining and enlightening our inward parts; as we exercise our spirit over God’s word, the Spirit uses the Word to shine on us and enlighten our spirit, searching our inward parts and spreading in us for our further growth in life (Prov. 20:27; Luke 15:8).
We want to be spirit-exercising believers who, no matter what they do and where they go, they exercise one spirit with the Lord and experience and enjoy Him as the light, be one with Him as the light, and allow Him to become life for the sake of His increase.
The more we exercise our spirit by calling on the name of the Lord, praising Him, praying, pray-reading His word, fellowshipping with the saints, psalming, etc, the more we enjoy Christ as the light becoming life and we allw Him to spread into all our inward parts to make His home in us (Eph. 3:17).
Where Christ as the light shines, there the life supply grows; the more Christ shines on us through His living word, the more His divine life in us grows. God’s way of transforming us is through enlightening: wherever He as light shines, His life is supplied to that place for our transformation (see 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6).
The glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ, and we behold Him with an unveiled face, a pure heart, an exercised spirit, and a turned being toward Him; this causes a process of metabolic transformation to take place in our inner being, and we are being transformed into the same image as He is from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.
As we behold the Lord, all things work together for good, we receive His divine light, and in this light there’s a bountiful supply for our growth in life and reigning in life so that we may be fully saved in life (Phil. 1:19).
Lord Jesus, we love You! We exercise our spirit to enjoy You in Your word so that You may shine on us and impart the life supply for our growth in life. Lord, keep us calling on Your name, singing hymns, psalming, and praising You so that we may have a heart turned and pure for You to behold You face to face and be transformed in life into Your image! Lord, may Your Spirit shine on us through Your word so that Your divine life in us may grow unto maturity and we would be saved to the uttermost!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, brother Dick Taylor’s sharing in the message for this week, and The Knowledge of Life, ch. 14 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Exodus (2), week 4 / msg 4, The Blessing Received by God’s loving Seekers through the function of the Word of God.
- All Bible verses are taken from, Holy Bible Recovery Version.
- Hymns on this topic to strengthen this burden:
# O Light of light, shine in! / Cast out this night of sin, / Create true day within: / O Light of light, shine in! (Hymns #359)
# Glory! Glory! Christ is life in me, / As the Spirit leading constantly! / What was weak is mighty, / What was dark is light, / Glory! Glory! Christ is life in me! (Song on Christ as Life and Light)
# Life eternal brings us / Fellowship of life, / Fellowship in Spirit, / Saving us from strife. / We, by life’s enabling, / Fellowship aright; / Fellowship in Spirit / Brings us into light. (Hymns #737)
About aGodMan
Both the spirit of man and the Spirit of God are lamps, shining and enlightening our inward parts. As our spirit shines, the Spirit of God intensifies the shining sevenfold, until we find we have no place to hide. Where this light shines, there the life supply goes. Little by little, chamber by chamber, we are transformed into the Lord’s image. The gold in us takes shape. Christ is formed in us. For us, to live is Christ. In all of us this shining, supplying, and transforming is going on, making us the golden lampstand. (Witness Lee, Life Messages, vol. 2, p. 236)