According to the divine revelation in the Bible, in this universe there is only one church, which is spreading on earth as the many local churches – all these churches have a sevenfold oneness, being one in the processed and now-dispensing Triune God.
It is so good to come back to the word of God and pay attention to the divine revelation in the Bible concerning the church; this will keep us from making or being in another division in the Body.
If we look at the general situation among Christians today, what we see is division and degradation; we live in the age of the decline of the church, and there is so much division in the Body.
It seems that on every street there is a church, and the more seeking a person is, the more division he may bring in the Body, for he may set up his own independent group or so-called church. Oh, Lord!
It is good to come back to the word of God and pay attention to the intrinsic essence of the church according to the word of God.
It is good to come to the Lord and ask Him to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him so that He may enlighten the eyes of our heart for us to see the church according to His heart’s desire.
We need to see and experience the organic existence of the church; our focus shouldn’t be on the outward matters or the organisation in the church but on its organic existence and intrinsic essence.
If we see and remain in the organic existence of the church according to its intrinsic essence, we will be preserved in the oneness of the Body, and wherever we are, we will be in the church.
According to the New Testament, there is one God and there is only one church; Christ calls it His church (Matt. 16:18), and He builds His church; there is only one church in this universe and on the earth.
This one church is universal and also local; on one hand, there is one universal church for Christ’s universal expression, and on the other, there are many local churches as the local expressions of the one church.
The one universal church spreads in many localities on the earth as the many local churches to be the local expressions of the Triune God in humanity; all these local churches are not separate or individual but together they are the one church.
In God’s eyes there is only one church, and all the local churches – one church in one city – are the local expressions of the one universal church.
There may be more than one church in a certain area, but in God’s eyes there is only one church, and all the local churches are part of the one universal church to express the one God in the flesh.
In God’s Eyes, the Universal Church and the Local Churches are just “the church” having the Processed and Now-Dispensing Triune God as its Essence
1 Cor. 12:28 is a very interesting verse with much insight concerning the church in both its universal and local aspect.
In this verse, Paul puts together a list of functions or gifts which God placed in the church: apostles, prophets, teachers, works of power, gifts of healing, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues.
Apostles are universal, prophets and teachers are both universal and local, while deacons and elders (the helps) are both local.
This shows that whether a gift to the Body or a function in the Body is universal (for the whole Body of Christ, not just for the local church) or local (functioning mainly in the local church), it is for the church and in the church.
The word “church” in 1 Cor. 12:28 implies both the universal church and all the local churches; whether our function is in the local church (in things such as helps, administrations, etc) or in the universal church (such as apostles), we are in and for the church.
In God’s eyes, the universal church and all the local churches are just “the church”; they are not separate or distinct, they are not apart, and they are not separate entities.
Just as the Triune God is one, and He is the very essence of the church, so the church in both its universal and local aspects is just the church.
The essence of the church is simply the processed and now-dispensing Triune God, and He is one; because the essence of the church is one, we cannot but be one – we are just one church.
May we all realize that, in the eyes of God, the universal church and the local churches are just “the church” and nothing else.
May we return to the intrinsic essence of the church, paying attention not merely to the outward things related to the church but to the intrinsic essence of the church, so that we may be one intrinsically and essentially.
If we come back to the essence of the church, we will not talk wrongly about the differences of the churches.
Yes, the local churches may be different among themselves, but these differences are mainly related to the negative aspects, to their problems.
We can see this in Rev. 1 where John saw seven golden lampstands, which were identical; these signify the seven local churches, who were one intrinsically, but the differences among them were on the negative side.
All the churches are the unique, one organism of the processed and dispensing Triune God, and all the differences are washed away and removed by the Lord’s speaking to all the churches.
When we come back to the intrinsic essence of the church for its organic existence, we will not talk wrongly about the erroneous teaching that the local churches could be different from one another.
Rather, we will realize that all the churches are the one organism of the Triune God, for in God’s eyes the church in both its universal and local aspects is just one – just “the church”.
Such a view of the church will save us from being divisive and from wrongly emphasizing something other than the intrinsic essence of the church for its organic existence.
Lord, enlighten the eyes of our heart so that we may see the intrinsic essence of the church for its organic existence. May we realize that there is only one church in this universe, and there are many local churches as the local expressions of the one church! Amen, Lord, may we see the church even as You see it. May we realize that both the universal church and all the local churches are just one church. Hallelujah, the church is one in the processed and now-dispensing Triune God, who Himself is the essence of the church! We come back to You, Lord, and to the divine revelation in Your word concerning the church, so that we may be kept in the oneness of the Body of Christ!
The Practical, Sevenfold Oneness is for us to be Kept in Oneness in the One Church
According to the New Testament, our oneness in the church as the Body of Christ is sevenfold – we have a practical, sevenfold oneness in the church.
Our oneness is in seven aspects: teaching, practice, thinking, speaking, essence, appearance, and expression.
The practical, sevenfold oneness is for us to be one in teaching, one in practice, one in thinking, one in speaking, and one in essence, appearance, and expression.
The sevenfold oneness – the practical oneness – is for us to be one in teaching (see 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 16:1; Acts 2:42; Rom. 16:17; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3; Eph. 4:13-14).
There is only one teaching – the teaching of the apostles, the teaching of the New Testament ministry; this one teaching keeps us and preserves us in oneness in the one church, the Body of Christ.
The apostles taught the same thing in all the churches, and those who teach different things bring in divisions.
The main teaching is the eternal economy of God concerning Christ and the church, which is in faith and builds up the church.
We are one in practice (1 Cor. 11:16; 14:33b-34); we do not have the custom to be contentious but rather we keep the peace, for our God is a God of peace, and we abide in His peace in all the local churches as the local expression of the one church.
The practical, sevenfold oneness is for us to be one in thinking (Phil. 2:2, 5-8; 4:2; 1 Cor. 1:10); we are being joined in soul, we think the same thing – even think the one thing, for we allow the mind which was in Christ to also be in us.
May we be exhorted by the Lord in His word to think the same thing and be attuned in the same mind.
The practical, sevenfold oneness is for us to be one in speaking (Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 1:10) so that with one mouth we may glorify the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, even as we speak the same thing, for we are attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion. Amen!
Furthermore, this sevenfold oneness is for us to be one in essence, appearance, and expression, even as the seven golden lampstands in Rev. 1:11-12 were one in their essence of gold, their appearance of lampstands, and their expression of God.
There are another seven items concerning our oneness in doctrine: one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one church, one recovery, one testimony, and one work.
We are one in the Triune God, and we are one as the one church, one recovery, having one testimony, and doing only one work.
If we have problems with the sevenfold oneness, however, we do not keep the oneness of the Body of Christ.
This does NOT mean that we need to follow blindly, foolishly, and ignorantly; this does not mean that we are being unified. No, this means that we are made one organically in the church as the Body of Christ for the corporate expression of the Triune God.
It is similar to our physical body: all the members of the body function harmoniously, and when one member functions, the others support it in oneness.
It is not possible for one hand to do something while the other hand does something else, one foot to go somewhere while the other goes somewhere else, while the head says and thinks something completely different.
The members of our human body are not “unified” in an “organisational way”, neither do they “follow blindly” the leading of a “supreme” organ.
Rather, the head in our body gives the direction and the members of our body function in oneness and harmony.
The church of God is like this; the church is not an organisation but an organism, it is not a unified organisational entity but a body for Christ, and He is the Head while we all are the members remaining in the oneness and functioning harmoniously.
May we come back to the inward aspect, the intrinsic element of the church for its organic existence, realizing that this is what the Lord wants to recovery today, and may we be kept in the sevenfold oneness of the Body for the corporate expression of the Triune God on earth.
Thank You, Lord, for giving us a sevenfold oneness in the Body of Christ for us all to be one for Your corporate expression! Hallelujah, we are one in teaching, practice, thinking, speaking, essence, appearance, and expression! Thank You for making us one in You. We are one in the processed and now-dispensing Triune God who is the essence of the church. Praise the Lord, we have one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one church, one recovery, one testimony, and one work. Amen, Lord, we come back to the inward, intrinsic element and essence of the church, and we are one with You and one with all Your believers for the church, the Body of Christ, as the corporate expression of the Triune God.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Minoru Chen for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1989, vol. 4, “The Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ to be the Organism of the Processed and Dispensing Triune God”, pp. 275-276, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Intrinsic and Organic Building up of the Church as the Body of Christ (2021 International Chinese-Speaking Conference), week 1, The Intrinsic Essence of the Church for Its Organic Existence.
- Hymns on this topic:
– One God, one Lord, one Spirit- / Her elements all one- / One faith, one hope, one baptism, / One Body in the Son; / The triune God is in her, / One Body members own, / By faith they are united, / In hope of glory shown. (Hymns #824)
– There are seven golden lampstands in the nature all divine— / Nothing natural does the Body life allow. / When we’re one and share God’s nature, / how the lampstand then does shine— / Hallelujah, it is brightly shining now! (Hymns #1226)
– The Lord’s eyes o’er the whole earth / Are running to and fro; / Those seven, burning, searching, / Our heart’s desire to know. / His purpose—many churches, / Built up in one accord; / This golden testimony / Will thus express the Lord. (Hymns #1265)
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