Since our God is moving, we as His people need to cooperate with Him to carry out His move in His economy first by knowing this age and then by knowing the present truth so that we may know where we are, what age we live in, what is the up-to-date present truth, and how we can cooperate with the Lord for His move.
It is such a sad thing to see today the situation in Christianity, where many genuine believers and seekers of God are held back by their imperfect and unscriptural theology; they are held back from the central revelation of God, and they come short of the completion of God’s eternal economy.
The Bible clearly unveils to us five critical points regarding the Spirit of God in God’s move (the Spirit who was not yet, the life-giving Spirit, the Spirit of life, the compound Spirit, and the sevenfold intensified Spirit), but if we neglect, miss, or oppose these, we come short of the completion of God’s eternal economy.
The word of God has been completed; the entire truth that God wants us to know concerning Himself, His purpose, and His heart’s desire is all in the Bible, and especially the Apostle Paul did the completing of the word of God. But throughout the centuries the truth in the Bible has been lost, covered, misinterpreted, and applied in a very superficial way.
Even the best theology in Christianity today, including the Nicene creed which many denominations or free groups still recite every Sunday after service, comes short of the divine revelation in the Bible. Today the word of God is completed, and we need to see a complete revelation of the central purpose of God.
As we see such a revelation, we can experience Christ according to the truth in the Bible, and our growth in life is normal, unto maturity, for the building up of the Body of Christ and the preparation of the bride of Christ so that God may gain what He is after.
Today God must have a group of people who are the God-men to be His overcomers so that He may accomplish His eternal economy concerning the church.
He needs to gain His overcomers by producing them in His sevenfold intensification; we need to cooperate with Him by seeing, knowing, being in, and experiencing the present truth, the complete word of God.
Having Freshly Revealed Truths – Man’s New Discoveries in the Word of God Today
In 2 Peter 1:12 we see the expression, “the present truth”, which the believers knew but Peter felt obliged to continue to remind them that they may stand firm in this truth. All the truths are in the Bible, but because of man’s foolishness, unfaithfulness, negligence, and disobedience, many truths were lost and hidden from man.
The Apostle Paul was entrusted by God to complete the word of God, and the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. After the Bible has been completed, no one can add or take away from the word of God: the divine revelation has been completed, and all the divine truths are in the Bible.
We don’t need anything new; we don’t need new inventions or revelations. What we need is new discoveries.
Ever since the early apostles departed, not long after, Catholicism came in to establish the papal system, from the sixth to the sixteenth century, and the truth in the Bible was locked up.
The Bible itself still existed, but only a select number of people had access to it, and the Bible was in latin, not in the language of the people. Historians call that period of time, The Dark Ages.
In the sixteenth century, God raised up Martin Luther who recovered justification by faith. He read the books of Romans and Galatians and realized that man is justified simply by faith (not by works or penance), by believing into the Lord.
![[In 2 Peter 1:12] the “present truth” can also be rendered the “up-to-date truth.” What is the up-to-date truth? Actually, all the truths are in the Bible; there is not one truth that is not in the Bible. Although they are all in the Bible, through man’s foolishness, unfaithfulness, negligence, and disobedience many of the truths were lost and hidden from man. The truths were there, but man did not see them or touch them. Not until the fullness of time did God release certain truths during particular periods of time and cause them to be revealed once more. Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 11, pp. 843-844](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/In-2-Peter-1-12-the-“present-truth”-can-also-be-rendered-the-“up-to-date-truth.”.jpg?resize=450%2C674&ssl=1 "[In 2 Peter 1:12] the “present truth” can also be rendered the “up-to-date truth.” What is the up-to-date truth? Actually, all the truths are in the Bible; there is not one truth that is not in the Bible. Although they are all in the Bible, through man’s foolishness, unfaithfulness, negligence, and disobedience many of the truths were lost and hidden from man. The truths were there, but man did not see them or touch them. Not until the fullness of time did God release certain truths during particular periods of time and cause them to be revealed once more. Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 11, pp. 843-844")
This truth was long ago written in the Bible, but only five hundred years ago did Martin Luther discover it and bring it to light. He didn’t invent new things: he simply discovered a major truth in the Bible.
From his time onward, many truths were recovered, and today we have come to the high peak of the divine revelation, standing on the shoulders of those who went before us. In age after age, God has freshly revealed truths to His people through particular persons – these are not “God’s new inventions” but they are man’s new discoveries.
The truth in the Bible has been lost and hidden from man, but throughout the ages, the truth has been recovered again and again. We don’t have new inventions: we have new discoveries in the word of God today.
Therefore, we need to ask the Lord what the present truth today is, so that we may be up-to-date with Him and live according to the present truth in this age.
We need to know the fresh new discoveries in the word of God, be up-to-date with the Lord, and know the present truth according to His recent speaking, so that we may cooperate with the Lord’s present move.
Lord Jesus, thank You for not leaving us in darkness but bringing us into Your recovery where we have many new discoveries in the word of God. Praise the Lord, the truths in the Bible – which were once hidden and lost – now are being recovered and freshly revealed! Amen! Lord, we want to know the present truth. Bring us to the high peak of the divine revelation, standing on the shoulders of all those who went before us, and cause us to be up-to-date with You according to Your present truth today!
Knowing the Present Truth and not being Castaways of the Present Truth in this Age
Every worker of the Lord should inquire before God as to what the present truth is. We need to ask: “God, what is the present truth?” Although there are many major and crucial truths in the Bible, what we need to know is God’s present truth. Not only do we need to know the general truths, we must also be clear about God’s present truth. We know that God’s truths are cumulative; later truths do not negate earlier ones. All the past truths of God form the foundation of the truths today. What we see today are the cumulative revelations of God. When God opens our eyes to see this fact, we begin to realize that we are living in the tide of God’s will. This tide is a continuation of all the past works of God in previous ages. Watchman Nee, Who are We?
The truth in the Bible is complete and perfect, but throughout the ages it has been lost; the Lord through many people has recovered many truths in the Bible, bringing us to see fresh new discoveries.
Today the Lord has brought us into His recovery, where we can enjoy the present truth and stand on the shoulders of all those who have recovered portions of the truth before us.
The present truth today is no longer to believe that we are saved from hell and are justified by faith in Christ. The Lord’s present commission and the present truth is for us to know Christ, the all-inclusive and all-extensive One, who is the centrality and universality of God’s economy.
God’s truths are cumulative; the truths we have today do not negate the former ones, but they are layer by layer, added in, going on; we stand on the shoulders of many who went before us, and in His mercy, the Lord has brought us to see the present truth today.
All the past truths of God are the foundation of the truth we see today, and we need to be pure in heart and with a seeking spirit ask the Lord,
God, what is the present truth? I want to know the up-to-date truth You revealed to Your children today. I want my living and experience to be guided and governed by Your present truths.
When God opens our eyes to see the present truth, we begin to realize that we live in the tide of God’s will; this tide is a continuation of all the past works of God in the previous ages. God’s revelation is like sea waves – wave after wave.
Today we thank the Lord that we live in this age, when we can know God’s New Testament economy and be one with the Lord for His present move on earth.
We have received much help from great men such as Martin Luther, Zinzendorf, the Moravian Brethren, the Keswick messages, brother Watchman Nee, brother Witness Lee, and many others; we stand on their shoulders and see the Lord’s present truth.
May God be gracious to us that we do not become the castaways of the present truth, but we may be watchful and pure in heart, not allowing the flesh to come in or the self to gain any ground. We want to know the present truth and have God’s will accomplished in us.
We want to know Christ and experience Him as the all-inclusive One, and we want to give Him the preeminence in everything, so that we may grow in all things into Him, who is the Head, and we may be built up with others into the Body of Christ which will consummate in the New Jerusalem.
Lord Jesus, show us what is the present truth. Open our eyes to see that we are living in the tide of God’s will, and today You are continuing Your work which You have done throughout the ages. Be gracious to us, Lord, that we do not become castaways of the present truth but we would know the present truth and stand firm in it. We want to be watchful and not allow the flesh to come in or the self to gain any ground. Purify our heart, enlighten the eyes of our heart, and grant us a clear vision of the present truth so that God’s will may be accomplished in us!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by brother James L. for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 11, “What Are We?”, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Special Fellowship concerning the World Situation and the Lord’s Move, msg. 1 (week 1), Cooperating with God to Carry Out His Move in His Economy by Knowing This Age and by Knowing the Present Truth.
- Hymns on this topic:
# We limit not the truth of God / To our poor reach of mind, / By notions of our day and sect, / Crude, partial and confined. / Now let a new and better hope / Within our hearts be stirred: / The Lord hath yet more light and truth / To break forth from His Word. (Hymns #817)
# God the Lord has spoken, and His heart disclosed, / That His Son should have pre-eminence in all, / That in His dear Son He might be glorified / Midst all His creation, either great or small. (Hymns #800)
# Jesus, O living Word of God, / Wash me and cleanse me with Your blood / So You can speak to me. / Just let me hear Your words of grace, / Just let me see Your radiant face, / Beholding constantly. / Jesus, living Word, / My heart thirsts for Thee; / Of Thee I’d eat and drink, / Enjoy Thee thoroughly. (Song on enjoying God’s word)
About aGodMan
Our hearts are full of thanksgiving to God. From all these brothers we have received much help. As Paul said, “Neither did I receive it from man” (Gal. 1:12). In the same way, we can say that although we have received help from our brothers, these revelations were not received from man. We received help from Luther, Zinzendorf, the Moravian Brethren, and the Keswick messages. Today we believe that God’s ultimate goal is to have Christ as everything. One elderly pastor, Dr. F. B. Meyer, also saw this matter. However, by then he was already over ninety years old and could not do much work. I believe that God has only one work today. It is the message of Colossians 1:18 which says that God desires to see Christ have the first place in all things. The basis of everything is the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ. Other than Christ, there is no spiritual reality. This is God’s “present truth.”
We thank God that we can touch God’s grand purpose. We need to humble and prostrate ourselves and to deny ourselves. We need to be clear that our work today is not just to save some souls or to help others become spiritual. Our goal is indeed the greatest and the most glorious. Thank God that we can know God’s “present truth.” May God be gracious to us so that we do not become the castaways of the “present truth.” May we be watchful, and may we not allow the flesh to come in or the self to gain any ground. May God’s will be accomplished in us. (Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 11, pp. 844, 856-859)
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens Amen Lord jesus.
Amen slamat lord,
[Thank you Lord, AMEN]
Amen!!
Amen…
Amen! We should not be the cast aways of the present truth. We should be constituted with the present truth.
Amen !!!
Amen Lord, root us and ground us in the truth which is acording to Your word.
Thank You Lord Jesus. You are the Christ that needs to have the first place in all things. Lord, open our eyes to see that You are very truth. Christ and the church in Your economy. Christ alone is everything. Oh, Lord! May we live in the tide of Your will! Be more gracious to us to touch Your grand purpose. Lord, we do not want to be castaways, be thrown away or be rejected. May Your will be accomplished in us and among us!
Yes Lord,purify our heart ,enlighten the eyes of our heart,and grant us a clear vision of the present thruthso that God’s will may be accomplished in us .!!!!!!Praise You Lord Jesus ,we love You Lord.