In message 9 of the Crystallization study of Isaiah (1) entitled “The All-Inclusive Christ becoming everything in God’s economy” I was impressed with the fact that – even though for God Christ is everything in His economy, for us personally we need to have Christ as our everything, until “Christ is all and in all”.
God’s economy and God’s heart’s desire is entirely related to Christ and is to make Christ be the preeminent One, the center of all things, even the head of all things. Several times God acknowledged “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I delight”.
Also, when the disciples were on the mountain of transfiguration we see that God does not want us to keep the law (typified by Moses) or the prophets (typified by Elijah) as a replacement / in competition with Christ – God wants just Christ. He wants to work this Christ into our being so that He, the all-inclusive One, becomes everything to us!
Specifically, I enjoyed HOW does God do this, how He makes Christ be our everything. Paul describes it in Galatians 2:20 which says
I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Paul had this experience of being “replaced” by Christ in the organic union with Christ. He realized that God crucified him in the death of Christ, and it is now Christ who lives in him! It is no longer I (the old I, the self, the natural man) that lives, but it is Christ who lives in me!
Christ “replaced” Paul, He was living in Paul! But Paul goes on to say “and the life which I now live…” – here we see that Christ did not “wipe out Paul”(it is not an “exchanged” life) and now there’s no more Paul but only Christ – no, it is still Paul living, but it is a living in the organic union with Christ!
One with Christ, filled with Christ, dead with Christ, and living with and in Christ! We live in this “faith” – the very element of God infused into us by our looking to Him, to be our believing ability!
When we were created by God, He “hired” us – making us in His image and likeness to express Him on the earth (Gen. 1:26). Unfortunately, man fell, and so God “fired” us. Man fell further and further, until God almost gave up on man. In Isaiah we see that God “hires” the nations to judge/chastise the nation of Israel, and because they are too greedy and deal too harshly with the God’s people, God “fires” them and also punishes them.
Also, God “fires” Shebnah (the steward in God’s house) and “hires” Eliachim (a type of Christ) to take care of God’s house. God “fires” all the things in His house and outside His house, and He replaces them with Christ. He “fires” us and replaces us with Christ.
Only Christ is THE ONE in God’s economy, He fulfills what God has on His heart, and He is to be our all in all – even be everything in God’s house and in God’s temple.
This is our normal Christian life, and this is the way Christ becomes everything to us – not only in God’s economy, but also in our personal life, in our personal universe – in the organic union with Christ!
As we enjoy the Lord, turn our heart to Him, pray and fellowship with Him, He works Himself into us more, and we are being “replaced” by Christ, constituted with Christ, until we are fully one with Christ – we look like Christ, live like Christ, and we are Christ!
This is the song version of this post, made by brother David B, on the tune of: Life Is God the Father In Christ Jesus, Hymn #1193 – http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1193
1) Christ, who's All-Inclusive, is becoming–
Everything in God's economy–
For us personally,
This Christ, our everything,
Til "Christ is all, in all" to me.
2) God’s economy, God's heart’s desire
Relat'd entirely to Christ
Thus, to make Christ, be–
The preeminent One,
Center, ev'n head, of all things.
3) God doesn't want law or even prophets,
To replace, or compete with this Christ–
God wants Christ alone.
Wants to work Christ as life–
He'd become ev'rything to us!
4) God makes Christ, this One, so all-inclusive,
As Paul saw, He's all, our ev'rything.
"Crucified with Christ";
For I no longer live,
But it's Christ, who now lives in me.
5) Paul had this experience–being “replaced”
By Christ, in union, organically.
He realized that God–
In Christ's death, cruc'fied him,
And it's Christ who now lives then in him!
6) When creat'd by God, He “hired” us
Making us in image and likeness,
Express Him on the earth–
Unfortunately, man fell,
Therefore God ev'ntually “fired” us.
7) All the things in His house, then God "fires"
And outside His house, replaced with Christ.
He “fires” us and so–
Replaces us with Christ.
Only Christ's The One in God’s econ'my.
8) In our normal Christian life, Christ's everything–
To us, not only, God’s econ'my,
In our person'l life,
Our person'l universe–
All in the organic union with Christ!
9) Enjoy Him, turn our heart, pray, and fellowship,
Works Himself into us, we're “replaced” by Christ,
Constitut'd with Christ,
"Til fully one with Christ–
Look like Christ, live like Christ, and we're Christ!