Practice the Organic Relationship of the Churches in the Fellowship of the Divine Life

We need to see and enter into the fellowship of the churches for their organic relationship; in particular, we need to see and enter into the organic relationship of the churches, which is based on the organic fellowship of the divine life, for all the churches are the one Body of Christ.

As believers in Christ, we need to come back to what the Bible tells us – we need to leave aside our opinions, preconceived notions, and religious thoughts; we need to realize that today the church is in degradation and decline, and this is not how God intended from the very beginning.

From the beginning, God intended to have only one church, one Body for the all-inclusive Christ, and this church is expressed in each locality as a local church as the local expression of the one Body of Christ.

Furthermore, there is only one fellowship of the Body of Christ, only one fellowship of the churches, just as in our human body there is only one circulation of blood.

There is only one fellowship of the Body of Christ, and this fellowship is the flow of the divine life in each one of us; when we exercise our spirit to contact the Lord and fellowship with the saints, we remain in this divine-human vertical-horizontal fellowship.

Vertically, we contact the Lord and exercise our spirit to touch Him as the Spirit; horizontally, we exercise our spirit as we contact the saints so that we may fellowship in spirit.

How we long for fellowship in spirit, being freed from independence, and being brought into the unique fellowship of the Body of Christ to remain here!

We need to see and be brought into the intrinsic fellowship of the churches for their organic relationship. We truly treasure this intrinsic fellowship.

We can enjoy the flow of the divine life in, among, and within us day by day, year by year, from morning to evening.

We can daily enjoy our vertical fellowship with the Lord and our horizontal fellowship with the saints; we can remain in and enjoy the intrinsic fellowship among the churches and among the saints.

This fellowship of the churches, which is the fellowship of the Body of Christ, is for the organic relationship of the churches; just as there is one fellowship in the Body of Christ, so there is one relationship among the churches.

The churches cannot and should not be separated or autonomous; rather, we have the one fellowship among the churches, and in this intrinsic fellowship we build up an organic relationship among us.

Entering into and Practicing the Organic Relationship of the Churches Based on the Fellowship of the Divine Life

As believers in Christ and members of the organic Body of Christ, we need to see and enter into the organic relationship of the churches; this is the unique relationship of the unique church.

There is only one church – one universal church composed of all the local churches, and this unique church has a unique relationship.

In 1 Cor. 12:28 we see how God placed various gifts in the church; the church here refers to both its universal and local aspects.

This organic relationship of the churches is practised uniquely and universally among all the local churches as the unique, organic Body of Christ (2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3, 7).

The reality of the church is the Body of Christ, and the body is unique and organic.

In 1 John we see again and again that our fellowship is both with God and with all the saints in all the churches; this is an organic relationship, and this relationship can be practised.

There is only one fellowship in the Body of Christ; there is only one relationship in the Body of Christ.

There are not two or three different kinds of fellowship; our fellowship is unique and universal, being among all the local churches on the earth and producing a unique relationship. This is very precious.

Among the churches, we need to practice this fellowship in a thorough way.

All the local churches on the earth are one church, and their organic relationship is based upon the organic fellowship of the divine life.

Among all the churches that compose the one universal Body of Christ, there is no organisation, but there is the fellowship of the Body of Christ (Phil. 1:5; cf. Acts 9:31).

In Acts 9:31 we are told of the church throughout the whole of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria; there must have been many churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, but there was actually only one church.

There are many hundreds of local churches all throughout the earth, and if we add them together, we can only conclude that there is one church. This is marvellous!

We have a very close relationship among the churches because all the churches are the one Body of Christ in the Lord’s eyes, one church.

The organic relationship of the churches is based on the divine life, which brings in the unique fellowship of life in the universe.

All the local churches are one church in the Lord, and this church is not formed by any organisation or federation.

There is no such thing as “the headquarters” among the churches, neither is there a “leading church” or a “head church” with a hierarchical organisation.

There is no lead church that is higher or better than others, neither is there one church that can tell all the other churches what to do.

There is one Body of Christ, and all the saints are members of the Body; Christ is the unique Head, and our headquarters is in the heavens.

Many Christians are puzzled by the propagation work of the Lord’s recovery on the whole earth; they see many saints migrating, and they are wondering who organizes all this, who tells the saints to go here or there, and who pays for this and for that.

The truth is that we ourselves don’t know these details, for it is the Lord who moves in the moving of the saints, and the saints who migrate are taken care of in the fellowship of the Body, in the relationship of the churches.

We are truly here where we live by the Lord’s organic sending among the churches; the Lord’s throne is the unique headquarters, the sending centre, and also the supply that we need.

Among the churches there is no rank; no church is higher or lower than others.

May the Lord bring us back to the divine revelation in the Word of God concerning the intrinsic relationship of the churches based on the fellowship of the divine life so that we may enter into this and remain here, even practice this in the local churches.

Hallelujah for the organic relationship of the churches based on the fellowship of the divine life! Praise the Lord, there is only one Body in this universe, and we all are members of the Body having CHrist as our unique Head and bountiful supply! Thank You Lord for putting us in the Body; thank You for putting us in the local church where we are to be part of the local expression of the universal church. We want to practice the organic relationship of the churches uniquely and universally among all the local churches as the organic Body of Christ. May we realize that our organic relationship is based upon the organic fellowship of the divine life. Shine on us, Lord, and remove all our concepts of viewing some churches as higher or lower than others. May we respect the organic relationship among the churches, enter into it, and practice it based on the fellowship of the divine life!

We Practice the Organic Relationship of the Churches by Realizing there is one Body, one Circulation of Life, and One Fellowship of the Body with no Autonomous Local Church

It is truly regrettable to see that a local church or some local churches feel that they have no relationship whatsoever with other churches but rather, they think they are autonomous, being responsible only to the Lord as the Head.

It is true that, in terms of administration and taking care of local needs, covering local situations, and caring for particular things, each church is responsible to Christ the Head.

However, in terms of relationship, fellowship, the flow of life, going on together, and the building up of the Body of Christ, we all are one!

The church one locality shouldn’t have the attitude that they have nothing to do with the church in another locality.

The teaching of the separate, autonomous relationship of the churches is intrinsically wrong, being part of the “different teachings” which causes division after division.

Based upon the unique fellowship of the divine life, we have a relationship with one another – there is an organic relationship among the local churches.

When one church takes a decision, they need to consider, will the other churches feel peaceful about this? How will other churches feel concerning this?

We can’t just do something simply because we feel peaceful about it.

On the earth today there are so many Christians who built up free groups, independent groups, and non-denominational “churches”; they worship God according to their personal way and in the way of their group. This is such a pity.

This cannot accomplish the building up of the Body of Christ. In the Body of Christ there cannot be federation or organisation among the churches, neither can there be autonomous churches that do not fellowship with others.

The Lord’s recovery is based upon the truth that Christ has only one Body which is expressed in many localities as the local churches.

The New Testament clearly says that, because there is only one Spirit, there is only one Body, and there is only one circulation of life in the Body (see Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4-6; 1 John 1:3, 7; Rev. 1:11).

The circulation of life in the Body is the fellowship of the Body of Christ, which is the fellowship among the churches.

A local church is a part of the unique Body of Christ, and the fellowship of the Body of Christ is universally one; in the divine fellowship, there is no separation (Rev. 1:11; 2:7).

Since the Body of Christ is composed of all the local churches on earth, all the churches on earth have only one circulation of life.

Our hand is part of our body and it cannot be autonomous or apart from the body; if the hand is cut off, no matter how strong it may be, it is dead, for it loses the circulation of life.

No church or region should isolate itself from the fellowship of the Body, for the result of such a thing is darkness, confusion, division, and death.

As local churches, we should desire to have fellowship with all the churches; this is a protection, an overshadowing of grace, and a rich supply.

As long as a local church stays in the Body of Christ, it will receive a bountiful supply, for Christ is rich to all the local churches who remain intimately connected in the unique relationship of the churches in the Body.

We all can partake of all the riches in the Body of Christ as long as we are open vessels and remain in the organic relationship of the churches.

Though we may be a small local church or a small part of the Body, we can enjoy the blessings of the entire Body by remaining in the Body.

By living in the organic relationship of all the Body, the church in our locality will not be in darkness but in the light, it will not be in confusion but in order, it will not be in division but in oneness, and it will not be in death but in life.

Even if the church in our locality has some financial need, maybe we are a newly established church, we can still open to all the churches on the earth, for all the churches will pray for us, and the rich supply in love will come to us under the Lord’s guidance.

In fact, many of the local churches on earth have purchased their meeting hall through such fellowship among the churches; in many places, the local offerings are not sufficient, but the offerings from the whole Body meets their local need.

Even such needs such as the financial situation of our local church don’t need to be hidden – it can be opened to seek the help of other churches.

If we isolate ourselves from the fellowship of the Body, we are not qualified to partake of the Lord’s supper, because the loaf on the table in the Lord’s supper signifies the entire Body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:25-28).

This is very serious, for every time when we break the bread, it signifies not just the saints in our local church but the entire Body of Christ.

Thank the Lord, as long as we are not isolated from the Body and are not cut off from the fellowship of the Body, we can forever participate in this one bread and the one cup! What a blessing!

Thank You, Lord, for bringing us in Your recovery to practice the church life in the local churches as part of the unique Body of Christ to express God corporately. Hallelujah, there is one Body of Christ in the universe, and this Body is expressed in many localities as the local churches! Thank You, Lord for the one circulation of life in the Body, the fellowship of the Body of Christ, which is the fellowship among the churches. Save us from having the thought that our local church should be autonomous and separated from other local churches. Keep us in the organic relationship of the churches, practising the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Keep us in the universally one fellowship of the Body of Christ. Save us from isolating ourselves or separating ourselves from other saints or other local churches. Lord, we treasure the fellowship of the universal Body of Christ and we want to practice the organic relationship of the churches in the one Body of Christ.

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by the brothers 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. 317-318, 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 4, The Intrinsic Fellowship of the Churches for Their Organic Relationship.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – Churches, churches, in the local churches / We all find the flow: / Deeper, higher, Christ as all our living, / For the church we grow. / The churches are today / Just Christ in every way. / For this, from self we cease, / For Thy Body, Thine increase. (Hymns #1240)
  – Oh, how we need the churches, / All of them, great or small! / We need their many portions / To profit us withal. / Yes, Lord, enlarge the churches; / We love their needs to bear. / Enlarge our hearts, Lord Jesus, / In fellowship and prayer. (Hymns #1265)
  – We also are drinking the cup of His blessing, / The church’s true fellowship of the Lord’s blood; / Redeemed by believing, all saints we’re receiving, / All those who through redemption have come unto God. (Hymns #1106)