For the proper church life we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility, that is, we need to love Him in the new creation (not in the old creation), in our regenerated and renewed spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and according to all the incorruptible things related to Christ and the church.
Eph. 6:24 concludes the whole epistle to the Ephesians by saying, The grace of the Lord Jesus be with those who love the Lord in incorruptibility.
Paul didn’t use the word “incorruption”, which is very close to “incorruptibility”.
Incorruption is a word that refers to the state or condition of something that is free from decay, free from corruption.
Incorruptibility, however, refers to something that is not capable to corrupt, something that is not able to be corrupted.
It’s one thing to have something that exists in a state of being free from decay, but it may still be subject to decay.
For example, an apple may be quite good with no corruption, but later on, it is subject to corruption.
Just leave it out for a few days, and corruption will come in. Gold, however, is not only incorrupted but even more, no matter what happens outwardly, gold is incorruptible, for it’s not possible for a piece of gold to be subject to decay.
Paul tells us to love the Lord Jesus Christ not only in incorruption but in incorruptibility, in a condition and state that is impossible for any corruption to come in.
We may still be subject to corruption, but the love with which we should love the Lord so that we may continue in the enjoyment of Christ in the church life is a love that is not capable to be corrupted.
Only God’s love is such love, for our love is corruptible and corrupted.
When Paul refers to “incorruptibility” in this verse, he mainly refers to God and the things of God.
Everything that is natural is corruptible, but God, the divine life, and all things that are in resurrection are incorruptible (1 Tim. 1:17; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 15:42, 52-54).
God, the King of ages, is incorruptible, invisible, the only wise God. He is not only in incorruption but He is incorruptible.
The appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ nullified death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel.
God Himself is incorruptible, and Christ with the gospel and salvation He brought to us is also incorruptible.
Furthermore, everything that is in resurrection is incorruption; in resurrection, the corruptible things put on incorruptibility.
God, Christ, and the things of God, and everything that is in resurrection is incorruptible. Our love for the Lord must be in incorruptibility.
Many today say they love the Lord, and all Christians say they love God; however, they may love the Lord in their natural man, in corruption.
We are not talking merely about loving the Lord fervently; we have to love the Lord in incorruptibility in order for the church as the Body of Christ to be completed, built up, and established. Loving the Lord is not enough; we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility.
We Love the Lord in Incorruptibility by Loving Him in the New Creation, in our Regenerated Spirit
To love the Lord in incorruptibility is to love Him in the new creation and not in the old creation (Eph. 2:15; 4:24; 2 Cor. 5:17).
The new creation has God in it; the old creation is devoid of God, but God has wrought Himself into the new creation.
On the cross, Christ created the one new man; we need to therefore put off the old man and put on the new man.
The new man was created according to God in holiness and righteousness of the reality. The new man, the new creation, has God in it, and God is incorruptible.
To love the Lord in incorruptibility is to love Him in the new creation. The new man, the new creation is incorruptible.
![Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, [so] making peace. Eph. 2:15 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. Eph. 4:24 So then if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Abolishing-in-His-flesh-the-law-of-the-commandments-in-ordinances-that-He-might-create-the-two-in-Himself-into-one-new-man-683x1024.webp?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, [so] making peace. Eph. 2:15 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. Eph. 4:24 So then if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17")
In the church life today we need to be in the new creation and not in the old creation.
All the things of the old creation are corruptible, and the whole old creation is groaning under the slavery of corruption (Rom. 8:21-22).
But the new creation is not corruptible; the new man created by Christ on the cross is not corruptible.
Neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision – all these are of the old creation; what matters is the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
We need to love the Lord in the new creation.
May we love Christ in the church as the new creation, the new man.
In a practical way, to love the Lord in incorruptibility, is to love Him in the regenerated and renewed spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 3:6; 1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Tim. 1:7).
Praise the Lord for our regenerated spirit!
Our human spirit was regenerated by God at the time of our believing into the Lord, and now the Holy Spirit indwells us; He is incorruptible, and so is our regenerated spirit.
Our human spirit indwelt and renewed by the Holy Spirit is incorruptible. Hallelujah!
Our love for the Lord shouldn’t merely be in our emotion that is stirred up or in our heart that is touched by the word of God; we need to love the Lord in our mingled spirit, in our regenerated spirit.
We need to love the Lord in the incorruptible mingled spirit, not just according to our ability, our gift, our power, or our knowledge.
All these may be good, but we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility, that is, love Him in the new creation, in our regenerated spirit.
Many times, however, we love the Lord in the way of corruption; we love Him in a natural way, and we may say and do many things in our natural man out of our natural love for the Lord.
Throughout history, the church has been damaged and divided many times because of such natural love for the Lord.
Many have loved the Lord, but in a natural way, in the way of the old creation, not in the regenerated spirit.
For example, some Christian groups would raise money for some noble cause, and they would make a list of the donors, with the ones that donated the most at the top of the list.
This is to love the Lord in corruption. We may ask, How can we love the Lord in incorruptibility in our giving?
Matt. 6:3 says that we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing.
As kingdom people, we shouldn’t let others know about our righteous deeds such as giving, helping others, praying, etc; we need to do them in secret (vv. 4, 6, 8).
We need to do all things in our mingled spirit which is incorruptible, and our heavenly Father will be pleased, and He will reward us in secret.
Doing things for God in the way of making a display for the self is loving the Lord in corruption, in our natural man.
Our living and doing should be by the Father’s divine life according to our regenerated spirit, and we do good things in secret, not in public.
Anything that we do in public, for public exhibition, doesn’t correspond with the mysterious, hidden nature of the divine life in our spirit.
We may be in a meeting and we may want to share something for the Lord, but the way we share may be in a way to get others’ appreciation and Amens.
When others say Amen to what we share, we may feel so glorious; this is to function in corruption, for our natural man wants to gain the glory. Oh, Lord!
To love the Lord in incorruptibility is to love Him in our regenerated spirit which is indwelt and renewed by the Spirit.
May we learn to love the Lord in the new creation by loving Him in our mingled spirit so that we may love the Lord in incorruptibility.
Lord Jesus, we want to love You in incorruptibility. Save us from loving You in a natural way, in the way of corruption. Save us from doing things for You out of our natural love for You to make a display or a show. Dear Lord Jesus, purify us and make us those who live by the divine life according to our spirit, doing things in secret for the heavenly Father to appreciate and be satisfied. Amen, Lord, we want to love You in the new creation, not in the old creation. Perfect us to love You in the mingled spirit, the regenerated spirit indwelt and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah for our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit! We can love the Lord in incorruptibility by loving Him in the new creation, in our regenerated and renewed spirit!
Love the Lord in Incorruptibility by Loving Him according to all the Incorruptible things Revealed in Ephesians, the things of Christ and the Church
Since Paul concluded the epistle to Ephesians by telling us that we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility, we can safely assume that to love the Lord in incorruptibility is to love Him according to all the incorruptible things revealed in Ephesians.
This incorruptibility Paul speaks of in Eph. 6:24 refers back to all the things he spoke in the six chapters of this epistle, and we need to go deeper into all the incorruptible things related to Christ and the church revealed in this epistle.
We need to love the Lord Jesus in His being the embodiment of the Triune God (Col. 2:9).
We need to love the Lord in His being the element of the Body (1 Cor. 12:12), and in His being reality, grace, peace, love, and light (John 1:17; 8:12; 14:6; Eph. 2:14; 1 John 4:8).
We need to love the Lord in His being the constituent of the one new man (Eph. 2:15; Col. 3:10-11).
![In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses, according to the riches of His grace. Eph. 1:7 But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have become near in the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity. Eph. 2:13-14 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her That He might sanctify her, cleansing [her] by the washing of the water in the word, That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:25-27](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/In-whom-we-have-redemption-through-His-blood-the-forgiveness-of-offenses-according-to-the-riches-of-His-grace-683x1024.webp?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses, according to the riches of His grace. Eph. 1:7 But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have become near in the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity. Eph. 2:13-14 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her That He might sanctify her, cleansing [her] by the washing of the water in the word, That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:25-27")
We need to love the Lord in His being the embodiment of the Triune God, in His statuses, His accomplishments, and all that He is and has done.
We love not just a lowly Jesus, a lovely sweet Jesus the Nazarene; we love the One in whom the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell.
We love the Lord as the element of the Body, as the One who not only died for us, who redeemed us, who forgave our sins, and who cleanses us from our sins, but as the One who became the very essence and element of the Body of Christ.
Because we love the Lord as the element of the Body, we cannot do anything or say anything that damages the Body or breaks the order in the Body.
To love the Lord in corruptibility, however, is to love Him according to our zeal, our knowledge, and our ability; this brings in loving others in a preferential way, and there’s much damage done to the Body.
If our love is to be incorruptibility, we need to love the Lord according to all the things related to Christ and the church in the book of Ephesians.
These things include the Triune God, Christ, and His Body, the church.
Ephesians speaks concerning the dispensing of the Triune God to produce the church (1:3-23; 3:16-21), of what Christ is and has done for the church (1:7; 2:13-18; 5:25-27, 29), and about the church being the Body of Christ, being the bride of Christ, and being one with Christ in the heavenlies (1:22-23; 5:23, 25-27; 2:6).
All such matters are incorruptible, and if we love the Lord Jesus in all these things, our love toward Him will be incorruptible (6:24).
Such a love is not a natural love but a love in resurrection, that is, the love that God Himself is in His divine essence (1 John 4:16).
It may not be easy to understand or apply these matters, but we need to learn to pray over them and apply them in our daily living.
This means that, instead of giving others advice according to our knowledge and experience, we should bring them into the enjoyment of Christ and the church, the divine dispensing, and the Triune God being everything to us.
We may think that we have much to share with others from our experience humanly, and we may encourage them to do this or that in a very nice, polite, and moral and ethical way.
But our advice out of our good heart may be full of germs; yes, we may give them practical advice, but later this brings in damage and corruption, for we minister to them from our natural man.
We need to shepherd others with the divine and incorruptible things revealed in the book of Ephesians, and we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility by loving Him in these spiritual matters related to Christ and the church.
We may think that our pragmatic and practical advice is sound and helpful, but it has a lot of germs of our natural man; we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility and help others love Him in incorruptibility also.
In the Lord’s recovery, we need to love our dear Lord Jesus Christ in all the divine, spiritual, heavenly, and incorruptible things revealed in Ephesians concerning the Triune God, the divine life, what Christ is to us, what He has done, and the church (see Eph. 1:3-23; 2:5-6, 13-18; 3:16-21; 4:4-6; 5:23, 25-27).
All these things are incorruptible.
We all need to learn to love the Lord in incorruptibility and be in the incorruptible things, and when we meet others and speak with them, we will minister to them these incorruptible things for them to love the Lord in incorruptibility as well.
Such a love toward the Lord is for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we love You in all the divine, spiritual, heavenly, and incorruptible things revealed in God’s word concerning the Triune God, the divine life, what Christ is to us, what He has done, and the church! Amen, Lord, we love You in incorruptibility. We love You in Your being the embodiment of the Triune God and the element of the Body of Christ. We love You in Your being reality, grace, peace, love, and light! We love You, dear Lord Jesus, in Your being the constituent of the one new man! We give ourselves to just love You in incorruptibility. We give ourselves to be in the incorruptible things related to Christ and the church. Amen, Lord, we love You in our mingled spirit. We love You in the dispensing of the Triune God to produce the church. May our love for You be in incorruptibility so that we may build up the church as the Body of Christ.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother James Lee in the message, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1985, vol. 3, “Elders’ Training, book 6: The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles,” pp. 517-519, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Loving the Lord and loving one another for the organic building up of the church as the Body of Christ (2022 fall ITERO), week 3, entitled, Loving the Lord Jesus in Incorruptibility.
- Hymns on this topic:
– All creation groans together, / Subject now to vanity, / Looking for their full deliv’rance / From corruption’s slavery… / God will bring us into glory, / We will then be glorified; / Fully saturated with Him, / We’ll be wholly sanctified. (Hymns #970 stanzas 2 and 5)
– Thou, Lord, alone, art all Thy children need, / And there is none beside; / From Thee the streams of blessedness proceed, / In Thee the bless’d abide. / Fountain of life, and all-abounding grace, / Our source, our center, and our dwelling-place. (Hymns #546, stanza 2)
– Christ the Savior hath ascended / To the heavens far above, / Crowned with glory and with honor / By the Father God in love; / He hath made Him Head of all things, / His supremacy to prove. / From this Christ to God ascended / Hath the Spirit been outpoured, / Poured upon the Church, His Body, / That His members be empow’red; / Thus the Lord of all in heaven / Thru His Church will be adored. (Hymns #277 stanzas 1-2)
About aGodMan
Many times we love the Lord in the way of corruption. We should not love the Lord in a natural way, in the way of the old creation, but in the new creation. When some Christian groups wanted to raise money, they put out a list of those who gave, with the ones giving the most at the top of the list. This is to love the Lord in corruption. What is it to love the Lord in incorruptibility in giving? Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matt. 6:3)… As the kingdom people, our righteous deeds should be kept secret as much as possible (vv. 4, 6, 18). What we do in our spirit, under the heavenly rule to please solely our Father, must not be interfered with by our flesh lusting for man’s glory. The kingdom people’s living is by the Father’s divine life according to their spirit. Thus, they are required to do good things in secret, not in public. Any public exhibition does not correspond with the mysterious, hidden nature of the divine life. In Matthew 6:4 the Lord says that our alms should be in secret, and our Father who sees in secret shall repay us. To do things in the way of not making a display or a show of oneself is in the new creation. Sometimes when a brother testifies, he testifies because he likes to make a show or a display. When his testifying gets many Amens, he feels glorious. This is to function in corruption because it is in the old creation. When you are testifying, you must remain on the cross. When you are giving a testimony, try your best not to make a show… If we do, we are serving in corruptibility. To love the Lord in incorruptibility is to love Him in the regenerated, renewed, and indwelt spirit. If you do anything in your flesh, that is in corruption. Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1985, vol. 3, “Elders’ Training, Book 6: The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles,” pp. 517-519
What does it mean for us to love the Lord in incorruptibility?
Everything that is natural is corruptible and corrupting, but the new creation is incorruptible.
We need to love the Lord in the new creation, in our mingled spirit, according to all the wonderful aspects of Christ and the church revealed in Ephesians.
Brother we need to love the Lord in incorruptibility, this that we need to love Lord in the New creation not in the old creation,
this is to love according to the Church, the Body of christ and the one New man, to love him according to that he is and all that he has done,
in order for us to do this we have to be saved from the self and the only to be from the self is to be under the cross, and the reality of the cross is in our mingled spirit
To love the Lord in incorruptibility means to love Him in the new creation! Wow never heard of this before
Lord Jesus we love You in the new creation! We love Your Body, the church, the new man, the bride of Christ in our mingled Spirit indwelt with the Spirit of God. Thank You for the incorruptible things. Save us from everything corruptible! We love You Lord!
In resurrection, the corruptible things become incorruptible, for God is incorruptible.
All the things of the old creation are corruptible.
So, we need to love the Lord our God in the new creation.
Everything related to Christ and the church is incorruptible.
We have to love the Lord according to all the achievements & attainments of the Father, Son & Spirit.
Also, we must live by our heavenly Father’s divine life according to our spirit. To love the Lord in incorruptibility means to love Him in our regenerated & renewed spirit.
Amen brother,
Dear brother, as those in Christ we are a new creation! Praise the Lord!
A new creation is what matters to God. This means that to love the Lord in in incorruptibility is to love Him according to the new creation not in the old creation. O Lord!
Practically, this means in our giving we should not give to be seen by men, but to give in secret.
We should not seek any public exhibition in our service. In our speaking, that is our testifying or giving our testimony, we should not promote ourselves but rather give glory to God.
As those in Christ, we love God according to our regenerated, renewed spirit!
I enjoyed that when we are in touch with God we are in incorruption. But when we are away from God we are in corruption so as everything we do.
Amen brother!
“So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new.
Amen Lord may we be those who love you in incorruptibility!