We all need to arrive at the oneness of the faith, by arriving at the full knowledge of the Son of God; this knowledge is not objective but subjective, in our experience, for only when we take Christ as our center and focus on Him can we arrive at the oneness of the faith. Amen!
This week we have been enjoying the matter of keeping the faith; to keep the faith refers to keeping the objective faith, and we keep the faith not only objectively but by exercising our spirit of faith as we remain in the word of God.
All genuine believers in Christ have the subjective faith; as a result of being under the hearing of the faith, they were infused with Christ as their faith, their ability to believe.
Now we need to keep the faith.
We keep the faith by keeping the entire New Testament economy of God; we keep the faith by keeping the New Testament revelation concerning Christ as the embodiment of God and the mystery of God and the church as the Body of Christ and the mystery of Christ.
Not only do we need to keep the faith – we also need to fight the good fight of the faith. Because there are so many different teachings, the church is degraded and has deviated from the faith.
Therefore, we need to return from any other teachings to the New Testament economy of God concerning Christ and the church, and we need to fight the good fight of the faith.
We fight the good fight of the faith by laying hold on the eternal life, and not trusting in our human life.
We keep the faith to participate in the divine riches in God’s economy.
As we exercise our spirit to enjoy Christ and partake of His riches, our faith increases, and we keep the faith.
May we all see what is God’s economy; may we realize that He wants to dispense Himself into us, His chosen people, to make us His corporate expression.
By faith in Christ, we’re born of God to be His Sons, and now we partake of His life and nature.
Furthermore, we are members of the Body of Christ, sharing in all that He is for His expression.
May we hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Faith is a mystery; we hold the mystery of the faith – the objective faith – in a pure conscience.
We need to deal with the Lord and take care of our conscience so that we may have not only a good conscience but also a pure conscience, a conscience purified from any mixture.
Jude further says that we need to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
We all have received the faith; all Christians have the faith, now we need to contend for the faith, that is, contend not for doctrines, teachings, or practices but for the faith.
May we hold on to the faith, keep the faith, fight for the faith, and contend for the faith to remain in faith and live by faith until the Lord returns. Amen!
We need to Arrive at the Oneness of the Faith and of the Full Knowledge of the Son of God
As believers in Christ who are fighting for the faith, holding the faith, contending for the faith, and keeping the faith, we need to all arrive at the oneness of the faith (Eph. 4:13).
In Eph. 4:3 we see the oneness of the Spirit, which is the oneness of the divine life in reality, and in v. 13 we see the oneness of the faith, which is the oneness of our living in practicality.
On one hand, we need to realize that we have the oneness of the Spirit, and we simply need to keep this oneness.
Hallelujah, the oneness of the Spirit is ours, and as long as we exercise our spirit, we are one in spirit with all the saints in the Body of Christ.
This oneness we need to keep.
![Beloved, while using all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you [and] exhort [you] to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Beloved-while-using-all-diligence-to-write-to-you-concerning-our-common-salvation-I-found-it-necessary-to-write-to-you-1-683x1024.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "Beloved, while using all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you [and] exhort [you] to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7")
However, we still need to go on to not only have the oneness of the divine life in reality but even more, arrive at the oneness of the faith, that is, arrive at the oneness of our living in practicality.
How can we arrive at the oneness of the faith?
It is by faith and by arriving at the full knowledge of the Son of God.
The faith here refers not to the subjective faith, our act of believing, but to the objective faith, the faith revealed in the New Testament into which we believe to be saved.
Jude 3, 2 Tim. 4:7, and 1 Tim. 6:21 shows us that the faith to which we hold, which we keep, and which we fight for, is the objective faith.
This faith refers to the things we believe in; we believe in the person of Christ and in His redemptive work accomplished for our salvation.
For this, we fight, this faith we keep, and for this faith, we contend today.
Also, we are daily enjoying the Lord Jesus, the wonderful Person revealed in the New Testament who has become our life.
We daily fellowship with Him, read His word to know Him more, and allow Him to make His home in our heart.
The full knowledge of the Son of God refers to the apprehension of the revelation concerning the Son of God in our experience.
This knowledge is not merely something objective, something we learn by reading the Word of God, but it is something very subjective, something we experience of Christ.
On the one hand, we read the word of God and are constituted with the truth, firmly holding to and keeping the faith.
On the other hand, we know the Lord Jesus subjectively by enjoying Him, fellowshipping with Him, eating Him, drinking Him, and experiencing Him.
As we grow in life, we cleave to the faith and to the full knowledge of Christ, and we all arrive at the oneness of the faith. We all need to arrive at the oneness of the faith.
May we cleave to nothing else but to the faith revealed in the New Testament and to Christ, the most wonderful Person who has become our life and our everything.
May we learn to drop any minor points of doctrine and any meaner doctrinal concepts that cause divisions, and focus only on the faith and on the enjoyment of Christ in a subjective way.
![[Because of] which some, professing [this,] have misaimed regarding the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Tim. 6:21 From which things some, having misaimed, have turned aside to vain talking. 1 Tim. 1:6 Who concerning the truth have misaimed, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and overthrow the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2:18](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Because-of-which-some-professing-this-have-misaimed-regarding-the-faith-683x1024.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "[Because of] which some, professing [this,] have misaimed regarding the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Tim. 6:21 From which things some, having misaimed, have turned aside to vain talking. 1 Tim. 1:6 Who concerning the truth have misaimed, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and overthrow the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2:18")
Praise the Lord, the faith was delivered to us once and for all, and we also have an equally precious faith!
On one hand, we believe into the Lord Jesus and the word of God concerning His Person and work.
On the other hand, we daily enjoy and experience Christ, arriving at the full knowledge of the Son of God in a personal, experiential, and subjective way.
As we keep the faith and have the subjective knowledge of Jesus Christ, we arrive at the oneness of the faith.
We all are in the process of growing in life and in the knowledge of the Son of God, until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God.
The oneness of the faith depends on the full knowledge of the Son of God, and this knowledge is very subjective.
May we daily take Christ as our center, focus on Him, and enjoy Him.
May we daily grow in life unto maturity so that we may know Christ in a subjective way.
And may we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, even at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ!
May we bring this verse, Eph. 4:13, to the Lord, and pray it to Him until He makes it real to us in our experience and in the experience of the saints together with us.
May we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God!
Lord Jesus, we believe into You. We believe in Your person and in Your wonderful redemptive work on the cross. We are joined to You as one spirit. We receive You and we are one with You. Amen, Lord Jesus, we praise You for all that You are to us. We want to know You, enjoy You, and experience You day by day. We want to know You subjectively in our daily experience. Save us from merely having an objective knowledge of Christ; bring us into the subjective experience of Your wonderful person! Amen, Lord Jesus, may we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ! We drop any minor and meaner doctrinal concepts that cause division. We want to grow in life unto maturity. Grow in us, Lord, and bring us to the full knowledge of the Son of God in our subjective experience. Amen, Lord, we pray for ourselves and for all the saints: may we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God!
Knowing the Son of God Inwardly and Keeping the Faith to Arrive at the Oneness of the Faith
Brothers and sisters, we all need to arrive at the oneness of the faith. All the saints, all the gifts given by Christ to the Body, all the serving saints, and all the older and younger saints need to arrive at the oneness of the faith (Eph. 4:11, 13).
We arrive at the oneness of the faith by arriving at the oneness of the full knowledge of the Son of God and by keeping the faith.
On the one hand, we keep the faith by immersing ourselves in the word of God, being constituted with the truth, and knowing God’s New Testament economy.
On the other hand, we want to know the Son of God inwardly by enjoying Him and experiencing Him in our daily life.
If we know the Son of God inwardly, if we daily enjoy and experience Christ in His all-inclusiveness, it will not matter to us whether we or others keep the Lord’s Day or the Sabbath day.
This is a minor matter, and we will seek to all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God.
Rom. 14:5 says that one believer may judge one day above another, while another judges every day alike.
The Lord Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8); real rest is in the Lord, who is our real Sabbath.
It’s not a matter of the Sabbath – it is a matter of the Lord Jesus, who is the real focus.
May we all take Christ as our center and focus on Him, knowing the Son of God inwardly and keeping the faith so that we all may arrive at the oneness of the faith.
If we do not have Christ as the center, we will deviate from the oneness.
Once Christ is the focus of our life and living, we will truly know the Son of God, and there will be no more arguments.
Our knowing the Son of God doesn’t depend on our mental comprehension but on our growth in life and our inner knowing of the Son of God.
As we grow in life and know the Lord subjectively by enjoying and experiencing Him, we will arrive at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
When others tell us about their doctrinal understanding concerning the rapture, we will not be bothered nor will we argue with them, for we are keeping the faith and we aspire to all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God.
We will be ready to infuse something of the wonderful person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, into them.
The oneness of the faith among the saints doesn’t depend on our understanding of the rapture or the proper way to baptize others; it depends on the Son of God, Christ, who is our life and everything in our daily life.
May the Lord save us from trying to win arguments with our fellow believers in Christ or trying to convince them of this or that doctrine or teaching.
May we all hold the faith and inwardly know and experience Christ so that we may focus only on Christ, the One who makes us one and who is our daily enjoyment.
Even in the matter of the administration of the church and in the management of the church, the way we take is not as important as arriving at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God.
If we see this great principle, there will be no more arguments.
If we believers in Christ take Christ, the Son of God, as the criterion and broaden our view, there will be NO MORE problems! Hallelujah!
However, if we have an inadequate vision and knowledge of Christ, the Son of God, there will be many problems.
May we all seek to know the Lord subjectively, experience Him, and hold to the faith, so that we all may arrive at the oneness of the faith.
May we all be under the constant transmission of the heavenly television to have Christ infused into our being day by day.
May our heart be turned to Him so that we may receive His divine dispensing moment by moment, day by day, so that we may arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God!
Lord Jesus, we want to know You in a subjective way in our daily life. We do not want to focus on this teaching or that doctrine; we want to focus only on Christ, the Son of God, who is our life and who is becoming our daily experience. Amen, Lord Jesus, we love You! We want to know You in a personal, subjective, and intimate way. May You grow in us. May we grow in the divine life so that we may arrive at the full knowledge of the Son of God. May our focus be Christ Himself with His wonderful person and work, not any teaching or doctrine. Dear Lord Jesus, bring us on with You and grow in us day by day. May we seek to have oneness with others in the faith and not argue about minor points related to Christian doctrines or practices. Amen, Lord Jesus, keep us open to Your divine dispensing. Keep us enjoying You and experiencing You. Keep us one with You today. You are our focus. We want to keep the faith and experience You subjectively until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers in the message for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1952, vol. 2, “How to Administrate the Church,” ch. 3, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing in Order to Receive the Reward of Christ as the Crown of Righteousness (2024 ICSC), week 3, Keeping the Faith.
- Hymns on this topic:
– To the “unity of faith” we must attain, / All the “winds of doctrine” evermore disdain; / Holding Christ the Spirit, our reality, / For the Body’s growing in its unity. (Hymns #832 stanza 5)
– Until we all arrive / At the oneness of the faith / And of the full knowledge / Of the Son of God, / At the oneness of the faith, / At a full-grown man, / At the measure of the stature / Of the fullness of Christ, / Until we all arrive. (Scripture song)
– The unity of Church is but / The saints in oneness living; / The Spirit which indwelleth them / This oneness ever giving. / Thus it is realized and called / The unity of Spirit; / ’Tis based upon the common faith / Which all the saints inherit. / This precious faith of all the saints, / Is constituted solely / Of Christ and His redemptive work, / Which are unique and holy. / In this the saints are truly one, / Together all agreeing, / And it is from this common faith / The Church came into being. (Hymns #831 stanzas 1-2)
About aGodMan![Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Col. 1:13](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Who-delivered-us-out-of-the-authority-of-darkness-and-transferred-us-into-the-kingdom-of-the-Son-of-His-love-2.jpg?fit=178%2C100&ssl=1)
Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1952, vol. 2, “How to Administrate the Church,” pp. 87-89
Eph. 4:13, footnote 2, Recovery Version Bible
Amen, brother, we all need to arrive at the oneness of the faith by coming to the full knowledge of the Son of God not only in doctrine but in our experience.
We need to take Christ as our center and focus, take him as our life and live by Him, so that we may know Him subjectively.
Amen. We take Christ to be our experience & enjoyment so that we may express Him.
Amen Lord be so real to us today!
We need to arrive at the oneness of the faith – the full knowledge of the Son of God.
Christ must be our focus and centre.
Only then will we have the oneness in our living in practicality. Otherwise minor, doctrinal matters will divide us.
For this we need the vision and growth in life.
the full knowledge of the Son of God is the apprehension of the revelation concerning the Son of God for our experience.
This knowing does not depend on mental comprehension but on growth in life; this knowing is not in the mind but in experience.
All our problems are due to our inadequate knowledge and vision of the Son of God.
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07/06/24 Keeping the Faith (Week 3, Day 6)
“We All Need to “Arrive at the Oneness of the Faith””
Ephesians 4:13 says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” Paul’s fighting the good fight, his finishing the course, and his keeping the faith, according to Second Timothy 4:7, have a definite goal, a final destination. Like Paul, our fighting the good fight, running the race, and keeping the faith must also have a definite goal. Our goal should be to arrive at our final destination, which is of threefold:
a.) at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God,
b.) at a full-grown man,
c.) at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
These are not three different destinations, but are of the same one destination, having three aspects – oneness of the faith and the knowledge of Christ, full-grown in life, and fullness of Christ.
This does not mean that we first need to arrive at the oneness, then at the full-grown man, and finally at the fullness. No. When we diligently run the race, we eventually will arrive at the same destination, which are of three aspects. When we have attained the oneness of the faith and the knowledge of Christ, we also have become full-grown in life, and we also have the fullness of Christ.
When we regularly run the race by pursuing Christ daily in His Word, we would finally be filled unto the fullness of Christ, become full-grown in life, and have the oneness of the faith and the full knowledge of Christ. God’s goal in His eternal economy is not just to have a few individual believers, but to have a corporate Body to be His matured Bride for His second coming. The time of the Lord’s coming will be the time when we will arrive at our final destination. Therefore, the sooner we all arrive at our final destination, the sooner will be the second coming of the Lord.
Initially, we have “the faith” and “the knowledge of theSon of God, Christ.” These refer to our objective faith. But we need to pursue the words of “the faith” and “the knowledge” to such an extent that we shall experience every item in this objective faith to become our subjective faith.
We need to eat and drink Christ, as the words of “the faith” and “the knowledge”, so that gradually we shall grow in the divine life and be filled with Christ, which eventually will issue into the oneness of the Body, being built up and becoming mature to be the glorious Bride of Christ to meet Him in His second coming.
We must focus on the words of “the faith” and “the knowledge”, the objective faith, concerning the Person of Christ and His redemptive work in order to apply and experience every item into our daily living. When we eat Christ daily, we eventually will become Christ. This is why Paul could say, “To me, to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21a).
Every day, by the precious blood, we can open our spirit to contact the Lord as the Spirit. In such a contact we breathe Him in, eat Him, drink Him, and enjoy Him so that in our daily life, He can saturate every part of our being—our emotion, our mind and thoughts, and our will. This is Christ experienced out of us, and this Christ who is experienced out of us is the Body, which is the fullness.
The fullness involves a measure. Our measure today is not enough, so we need to enjoy and experience Him every day. When we enjoy Him and experience Him every day, the measure of the stature gradually increases until one day we will arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Our oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, our becoming a full-grown corporate man, and our being saturated with the fullness of Christ altogether will be our final destination, wherein, the Lord will meet us in order to render His reward to us in His second coming.
Only when we take Christ as the center and focus on Him can we arrive at the oneness of the faith. HWMR – W3D6
[Excerpt from HWMR-Wk. 3 Day 6]
Ameeen!!!
Christ our centrality and universality in our experience.
He must have the preeminence.
He must be our life and everything to arrive at the oneness of our living in practicality as full grown man.