Receive the Lord’s mercy to be a Pattern to the Believers by Living in the Spirit

Even during the period of the decline of the church, when there’s a downward trend and most of God’s people are carried away, we need to be among the remnant of God’s people who receive mercy from the Lord to remain faithful to Him, and we need to be patterns of people who live in spirit and do all things in the mingled spirit. Amen!

This week we come to the topic of, Being Empowered in the Grace Which is in Christ Jesus to be Teachers, Soldiers, Contenders, Farmers, and Workmen.

We are still in the book of 2 Timothy, mainly in chapter 2; here we see some vivid pictures of what it means to be a pattern for the believers.

To be such a pattern, we need the Lord’s mercy so that we be produced to be teachers, soldiers, contenders, farmers, and workmen.

We need to be shepherd-teachers, those who both teach and shepherd the saints to enter into the enjoyment of the truth in the Word of God.

Furthermore, we need to fight the good fight of the faith, being soldiers in the Lord’s army who stand on earth for the interests of God.

We need to fight the good fight until we finish the course and receive the prize.

We need to be those who contend for the faith, and we need to be like a farmer, patiently labouring and awaiting the result. The apostle Paul was such a one.

He entrusted what he knew and had to many brothers, and he told them to entrust these things to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others.

He wanted everyone to be like this, to follow his pattern.

Especially in these days today when the church is facing such a downward decline, when there are not only the self, the flesh, the world, and Satan that distract us and need to be dealt with, but also the degradation of the church, we need to have proper patterns in the church life.

We need to be empowered by the grace of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Degradation is not only out there in religious Christianity; it is somehow part of our religious blood.

How do we overcome degradation?

We need to be empowered by the grace. Also, we need to exercise our spirit, fanning our spirit into flame.

Grace empowers us to fan our spirit into flame; when we fan our spirit into flame, we enjoy the empowering of the grace.

This is a cycle: the empowering grace and the exercise of our spirit.

May the Lord’s grace be with our spirit and may we enjoy His grace, His mercy, and His peace.

In this time of degradation we need the Lord’s mercy in an intensified way so that we may be faithful to the Lord until the end.

May we see the pattern of Paul and of so many others, and may we follow their pattern in the church life.

We need to be a pattern to the believers in Christ so that not only by word but also by our living we would nourish them and strengthen them to live the Christian life.

Receive the Lord’s Mercy to be Faithful to Him and be a Pattern to the Believers

We live in an age of the degradation of the church; there’s a downward trend today, and most of God’s people are carried away from the pure revelation in God’s word and from God’s purpose.

Even during this period of decline, we need to be among the remnant of God’s people who receive mercy from the Lord to remain faithful to Him and even be a pattern to the believers (1 Cor. 7:25b; 1 Kings 19:14, 18; Rom. 11:5; Ezra 9:8; Neh. 1:3; Hag. 1:14).

God always works in the principle of a remnant; though He calls all of His people, only some respond to His call to be His overcomers.

May the Lord show mercy to us that we may be faithful to Him and be a pattern to the believers.

In Paul’s Epistles, we see not only the pattern of Paul but at least five other brothers who were a pattern to the believers.

Paul as a pattern was multiplied and duplicated in five other brothers, and they received mercy from the Lord to be faithful to Him to the end.

The pattern of Onesiphorus

Onesiphorus was one of them; he was an overcomer who resisted the general trend and stood against the downward current to refresh Paul, not being ashamed of the apostle’s imprisonment on behalf of the Lord’s commission (2 Tim. 1:16-18).

This brother was an overcomer; he refreshed the Lord’s ambassador in spirit, soul, and body, and he was not ashamed of Paul when he was in prison but rather took care of him.

Though all those in Asia turned away from him, most likely being ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment, Onesiphorus was not afraid to be associated with Paul.

Paul was a big channel of supply, but even he needed refreshing and shepherding. Onesiphorus sought him out diligently and found him in prison, and served Paul the best he could.

Onesiphorus means “one who brings profit;” he was a Christian who rendered valuable services to the apostle Paul in Rome and in Ephesus while Paul was in prison.

He was a man who was kind to his friend. We need many Onesiphoruses in the church life today, those who bring a profit to the saints, add something positive to them, serve them, and refresh them.

Lord Jesus, make us an Onesiphorus today. Make us those who resist the general trend of degradation in the church today. May we stand against the downward trend today and refresh the saints in spirit, soul, and body. May we add something positive, a profit, to the saints by ministering Christ to them and taking care of their needs. Make us a plus, not a minus. May we seek out the saints, care for them, minister to their needs, and refresh their being for their going on with the Lord!

The Pattern of Timothy

Timothy was one who was fully perfected and equipped to minister the word of God; he cared not only for a local church but also confronted the worsening decline of the church (2 Tim. 3:13-17; Phil. 2:19-22; 1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim. 1:16; 4:12).

Furthermore, Timothy was like-souled with the apostle Paul to genuinely care for the church with all the saints and remind them of Paul’s ways which were in Christ. Amen!

Though he was a young co-worker of Paul’s, Timothy was filled with faith and he was also perfected and equipped to minister God’s word.

Here was a young brother who was willing to be perfected; we need to have such a heart, being willing to be perfected even by the imperfect ones.

We need to be willing to be equipped to minister the word of God.

And in the work of the Lord, we need to be like-souled with the brothers taking the lead, not doing our own thing, initiating our own work, or doing what we think we should do.

Rather, as we are with the saints, we need to remind the saints of Paul’s ways which were in Christ, being identified with the Lord and also with the patterns He has left for us to follow.

May we be saved from seeking our own things, not the things of Christ Jesus.

May we serve with the saints unto the gospel, and teach the same thing everywhere in every church – teaching the eternal economy of God.

May no one despise our youth but rather, may we be a pattern to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Lord Jesus, make us a Timothy today, one who is willing to be perfected and equipped with God’s word. Amen, Lord, we open to You and we open to the perfecting in the Body. Make us willing to be perfected and equipped so that we may minister the word of God. May we learn to care for the saints and confront the worsening decline of the church. May we be like-souled with our fellow serving saints to genuinely care for the saints with all the saints according to God. Amen, Lord, save us from seeking our own things! May we seek the things of Christ and care for the saints in love!

The Pattern of Luke

Luke was the beloved physician; he was a faithful companion of Paul until his martyrdom (see Col. 4:14; Philem. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11).

The early church recognized Luke as the author of the Gospel of Luke and of the book of Acts.

His authorship is evident from the style of composition of the two books.

He was not a Jewish person; he was a Gentile (Col. 4:14, 11), probably an Asiatic Greek, and a physician.

He joined Paul in his ministry beginning in Troas, and he accompanied him in his last three ministry journeys (see Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:15).

Luke was a pattern to the believers, for he was a faithful companion of Paul until the apostle’s martyrdom.

Just as Mark’s gospel reflected Peter’s views on the Lord’s life and ministry, Luke’s Gospel reflected Paul’s views.

At one point Paul said, Only Luke is with me. Here was the minister of the age, one of the greatest apostle, and he was accompanied only by Luke.

Luke took care of Paul, most likely extending his human life through his care as a physician.

There’s no message that Luke gave or work that he did except be with Paul and care for him, being alongside him to tend to his needs.

This is what we need to be, faithful to the Lord and to His ministers to the end, and therefore be a pattern to the believers in our living.

Lord Jesus, make us like Luke today, those who are faithful companions with the saints, taking care of their needs and ministering to them. We need Your mercy, Lord, to be faithful to You to the end. May we focus not on doing a great work for You or being eloquent and capable but being a faithful companion of the saints and a pattern to the believers. Have mercy on us, dear Lord, that we may be found faithful to the end.

The Pattern of Titus

Titus walked in the same spirit and in the same steps as Paul to care for the churches (2 Cor. 7:6-7; 12:18; Titus 1:4-5; 3:12; cf. 2 Tim. 4:10).

Titus was one of Paul’s co-workers, a young co-worker who walked in the same spirit as Paul, even walking in the same steps as the apostle did, to care for the churches.

Paul sent Titus to the Corinthians and told them that Titus was there to walk in the same steps as Paul, even in the same spirit.

Titus’ coming to the Corinthians was Paul’s coming to them, for they were one in spirit, and even their walk was the same.

Titus was even called by Paul, My genuine child. Wow. What a pattern he was to the believers.

Here is a young brother who was willing to cooperate with the older co-worker in such a way, representing him faithfully and being absolutely in the same spirit, walking in the same steps, not trying to do anything differently.

Titus didn’t invent something, didn’t speak his own thing, nor did he do his own work; he walked in the same spirit and same steps as the apostle.

May we be like Titus today, not doing our own thing in the work of the Lord but joining in under the leadership of the older brothers and labouring faithfully together with them.

May we learn from the more senior co-workers and be like-souled with them in the Lord, even walking in the same steps of faith as they do, reminding the saints of their ways in the Lord.

Lord Jesus, may we be like Titus today, those who walk in the same steps as the apostle Paul to care for the churches. Save us from doing our own thing and starting our own work within the work in the church life in the Lord’s recovery. May we walk in the same spirit as our older co-workers and be joined in soul with them. May we even walk in the same steps, being fully one with the brothers and sisters You put us with. Amen, same spirit! Amen, same steps! Yes, Lord, one with You and one with the saints for the shepherding of the saints and their going on!

The Pattern of Mark

Mark was useful to Paul for the ministry (v. 11; Acts 15:37).

Mark had quite an interesting journey and experience, and he is a pattern to the believers.

Beginning from Acts 12, he appeared on the scene, for when Peter was released from prison he went to the house of Mark’s mother.

Then, he travelled with the brothers a little bit, and then there was a shortage exposed in Barnabas, who took Mark and went somewhere, while Paul and Silas were sent by the church somewhere else.

However, even though there was this situation, later Mark was somehow recovered.

We don’t know the whole story, but Peter called him, My Son, and he was useful to Paul.

Mark supported both Peter and Paul and was useful to them.

Though Mark had a period of time when he was not in the ministry with Paul and/or Peter, he was eventually recovered and became useful to Paul.

May the Lord gain many such young ones today, those who are useful to the Lord and to His ministers in the work.

May we all be those who are faithful to the Lord until the end.

May we be coordinated together with the saints, following the pattern of those who went before us and receiving the Lord’s mercy and grace to be faithful to Him to the end.

Lord Jesus, make us those like Mark today who are useful for the ministry. Grant us to have Your mercy and grace in our daily living and in all the aspects of our Christian life and church life so that we may be faithful to the Lord to the end. Amen, Lord Jesus, no matter what happens, keep us one with You and one with the saints in the church life so that we may be faithful to You to the end. We want to be useful to You and to the brothers taking the lead in the work for the ministry. Be our faithfulness. Keep us faithful. Be the faithful One in us. Make us useful in Your hands for the ministry.

As a Pattern to the Believers, we Live in the Spirit, Walk in the Spirit, and do all Things in the Spirit

The apostle Paul was a very good pattern to us, for he was a person who lived in the spirit, walked in the spirit, behaved in his spirit, and did all things in his spirit.

In 2 Cor. 2:13 he said that he had no rest in his spirit, so he did a particular matter, even though a door in the Lord was opened to him.

He could have gone ahead through the wide open door from the Lord and done this and that for the Lord, but he cared more for the rest in his spirit.

He was a pattern to the believers in this matter, and we need to follow his pattern today.

We need to be in our spirit today.

We need to be brought into the realization of our spirit and learn to do everything in our spirit.

When we are happy, we need to learn to be happy in our spirit, and if we’re sorrowful, we need to be sorrowful in the spirit.

Many times, however, we’re happy in our emotions and we’re sorrowful in our feelings, not in our spirit.

May we learn to pay attention to our spirit, take care of the rest in our spirit, and be persons living in the spirit.

In this way, we will be those living in our spirit for the fulfilment of God’s eternal purpose.

May we have the same spirit of faith (2 Cor. 4:13) and be in our spirit, being persons who exercise their spirit.

Whatever we are, whatever we do, whatever we say, we need to have the same spirit, that is, be in the spirit.

We should not be in our flesh or living out the self but in our spirit. When we visit someone, we need to visit them in our spirit.

When we do our chores at home, taking care of many practical things around the house for the sake of our family, we need to be in our spirit.

Like Titus, we need to walk in the same spirit as the apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12:18).

Paul was a person fully, absolutely, and thoroughly living in the spirit.

May we never be kept away from our spirit but may we do all things in our spirit.

When we go to work, we need to exercise our spirit.

When we travel or do something, we need to learn to be in spirit. In all things and in everything, whether big or small, we need to exercise our spirit and be in our mingled spirit.

When we live in spirit and walk according to our spirit, we will be a pattern to the believers not only in word but also in conduct.

May no one despise our youth but may we learn to live in spirit and do all things in the mingled spirit so that we may be a pattern to the believers in the church life today.

Lord Jesus, bring us into a deeper realization of our spirit. We want to learn to do everything in our spirit. Hallelujah for our spirit! Amen, Lord, we want to live in spirit. We want to be happy in our spirit, care for others in spirit, and do all things in our spirit. May we care more for the rest in our spirit than for doing something outwardly for the Lord. Yes, Lord, we want to exercise our spirit to such an extent that we live in our spirit and do everything in our spirit. Keep us in our spirit. Save us from doing anything apart from our spirit!

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, 1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit,” pp. 146-148, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Being a Vessel unto Honor, a Fully Equipped Man of God, by being Empowered in the Grace which is in Christ Jesus to Fully Accomplish our Ministry in the Unique Ministry of God’s Economy (2024 April ITERO), week 3, Being Empowered in the Grace Which Is in Christ Jesus to Be Teachers, Soldiers, Contenders, Farmers, and Workmen.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – A pattern to the believers – not neglecting the gift, a portion from, Life-Study of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon, Chapter 8, by Witness Lee.
  – 4 Characteristics of Blessed People You Might Not Expect, via, Holding to truth in love.
  – Receiving the things done through the body, a portion from, Gospel of God, The (2 volume set), Chapter 22, by Watchman Nee.
  – The corporate expression of the pneumatic Christ in the Gospel of John: the kingdom of God, article by Ron Kangas in, Affirmation and Critique.
  – Leadership in the Lord’s Recovery, Part 2: The Biblical Pattern of Leadership, article via, Shepherding Words.
  – The experience of Paul, a portion from, Spiritual Man, The (3 volume set), Chapter 41, by Watchman Nee.
  – Endurance and Long-Suffering with Joy, via, New Jerusalem blog.
  – Taking the Lead to Be Patterns, via, Living to Him.
  – Why We Need a Hidden Life with the Lord Jesus, via, Bibles for America blog.
  – Paul being a pattern to the believers, a portion from, The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – O Lord, Thou art the Spirit now / Who in my spirit makes His home; / He mingles with my spirit too, / And both one spirit thus become. / Lord, teach me how to exercise / My spirit now to contact Thee, / That in Thy Spirit I may walk / And live by Thy reality. (Hymns #493 stanzas 4-5)
  – Lord, Thy life abundant, / Flowing, rich and free, / Constantly refreshes / And empowers me. / Death by life is swallowed, / Weakness is made strong, / All my bonds are broken, / Gloom is turned to song. / I would give myself, Lord, / Fully unto Thee, / That Thy heart’s desire / Be fulfilled in me. / I no more would struggle / To myself reform, / Thus in me to hinder / What Thou wouldst perform. (Hymns #841 stanzas 4-5)
  – Make my spirit strong I pray / Others’ spirits to revive; / Lift my spirit high and free, / Others’ spirits then may thrive. / Every time I speak, O Lord, / May my spirit actuate; / And whatever I may do, / Let my spirit motivate. (Hymns #782 stanzas 4-5)