We need to see that, according to the divine revelation in the Holy Word, God has a heart’s desire – He desires to have a corporate expression in humanity, a corporate people who collectively express Him in oneness.
Before He could obtain such an expression, the enemy Satan came in and tricked man, ruining him for God’s plan. But God did not give up – He Himself became a man, lived a perfect human life on earth, and died an all-inclusive death on the cross – He took care of everything, He redeemed man, opening now a new and living way for man to be recovered to God’s original intention.
Now man can come to God through Jesus Christ and be one with God in what He desires to do! Christ did all these things on the earth and on the cross “For the joy set before Him” (Heb. 12:2) – He did it for the church! He obtained the church through His own blood (Acts 20:28), and purchased us from among men to be His Body, the church!
Wow, He paid such a high price and went through so many things to obtain us as His duplication, His expression, His continuation, His reproduction – He did it for the church! What is on God’s heart is this – Christ and the church, Christ His Beloved One and His counterpart, the church!
If we see this, we will give everything for the church, since this is what God wants to obtain today. We will no longer live for ourselves, but for the church; no longer do things that will benefit us, but the things that build up the church. And even more – this church is not something very “spiritual” only – but according to the Bible, this church is PRACTICAL and TANGIBLE!
The Church is not “in the heavens” only, as a spiritual reality, but the church is also practical – as in Matt. 18:17 – you can go to the church with your problems! This practical church in the Bible is the local church, the church in a locality.
Wherever we see the church being mentioned, it is the church in a particular city – the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1), the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1), etc. If there is the plural form, churches, then it is referring to the churches in a certain region, in a certain province – like the churches in Asia (1 Cor. 16:19).
We need to see then that, just as in the Old Testament the people of Israel were not allowed to “worship God wherever they want”, today God also desires that we would worship Him and enjoy Him on the proper ground with the proper organ!
We need to be in the proper place – in the local church, where there’s no other “name” or “denomination”, but simply “the church in… ” – and with the proper organ: with and in our mingled spirit (John 4:24). God today is seeking such worshippers, in the spirit and on the local ground!
When we see all this, and we’re in this in a practical way, we realize that we need to be those who are building up the Body of Christ – building up the church life! Furthermore, just as “God has blended the Body together” (1 Cor 12:24) – we need to be blended in our locality, in our region, in our country, in our continent, and with the saints from all over the earth!
We need to blend – we need to STOP and have fellowship with the other saints! Fellowship with the saints locally and universally – fellowship brings in much benefit! Learn to fellowship. Learn to be blended. We all need to come together frequently and fellowship and even blend with the neighbouring churches, and go and visit other churches for blending! We will eventually acquire a taste for the blending, a taste for fellowshipping.
This blending is by the Spirit and through the cross – it’s not our “natural man” that needs to blend, but our God-regenerated-and-being-transformed person! Just as we daily deny ourselves to live by another life, the divine life within, so when it comes to blending, we need to continually apply the cross to ourselves and be by the Spirit! The real blending for the building up of the Body of Christ is through the cross and by the Spirit!
[enjoyment from, The Vision of the Church, and, The Divine and Mystical Realm – by brother Witness Lee, as quoted in the Morning revival book on, The Need for a Fresh Vision of the Lord’s Recovery]
Lord, thank You for Your heart’s desire! Thank You for showing us what is on Your heart – Christ and the church! Lord, we just say AMEN to what You desire! We are for Christ and the church! Thank You for the local church – the local expression of Your Body! Save us more from our individualism, our own very self, as we live and build up the church life! Lord, blend us more! Help us stop and fellowship! We want to stop our being and fellowship with the saints! Lord, Amen, blend Your Body together!
Here's a song, based on the early part of this article, on the tune: Hark, Ten Thousand Voices Crying (hymn #127)
According to the divine rev'lation
We see that God has a heart’s desire-–
Corporate expression, shown in human'ty,
Corporate people, oneness expressed.
Before He could obtain this expression,
Satan, the enemy, came in, tricked man,
Ruining man for God’s plan–but God did–
Not give up– He became a man;
Living a perfect, human life on earth,
An all-inclusive death on the cross –
Took care of everything–He redeemed man,
Opening a new, living way!
This is for man to thus be recovered–
To God’s original intention.
Now man can come to God through Christ Jesus–
One with God in what He desires!
Christ did these things on earth, on the cross–
'Tis “For the joy set before Him”–
Amen! He did it for the church! He–
Obtained the church, through His own blood.
He purchased us, ev'n from among men that-
We'd be His Body, we are the church!
He paid such a high price, went through–
So many things to obtain us!
We are His duplication, expression–
Continuation, reproduction-–
On God’s heart: Christ, His Belov'd One and
His counterpart, here, 'tis the church!