The issue of knowing and experiencing God as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is the Israel of God, the church in the Triune God (1 Thes. 1:1; Matt. 28:19).
The issue of our experience of God as our source and Father (the God of Abraham), as the grace being constantly dispensed into us for our receiving and enjoyment (the God of Isaac), and as the One transforming us and dealing with us to mature us in life (the God of Jacob) – the issue is the church as the Israel of God, the church in the Triune God.
What does it mean for the church to be “in the Triune God”? In both 1 Thes. 1:1 and 2 Thes. 1:1 Paul says, “…to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ…” The Spirit is not mentioned, but it is implied and understood.
The church is of the Thessalonians since the believers Paul was addressing were living in Thessalonica, but the church was not only “of God” but IN the Triune God! Just as the Lord Jesus commissioned us in Matt. 28:19, everyone who believes into God and is baptized is being put in the Triune God, and the entire church is in the Triune God!
This means that as we experience God as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, we are being put individually and corporately into the Triune God to be the church in the Triune God! And this Triune God is not merely “God” but the processed Triune God as the life-giving Spirit!
I am so glad to meet together with the brothers and sisters in London, England, on the ground of the locality and in oneness with all the other local churches on earth. But I have to see that the church of the Londoners (the church in London) is in the Triune God! Hallelujah!
If we see such a vision concerning the local church where the Lord has placed us, our view and understanding will be uplifted, and our appreciation of the church and even our daily living will be revolutionized.
The Israel of God is the Church in the Triune God
Today God has a spiritual people, the real Israel of God, and this people is the church in the Triune God (1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1). When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, he knew that it was composed of sinners saved by grace who were experiencing the Triune God and were in oneness with the Lord.
But he called them, “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Even though Paul didn’t mention the Spirit, he implied it. Wherever the Father and the Son are, the Spirit is there also (2 Cor. 13:14).
For the church to be in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ means that the church is in the Triune God. The issue of our experience of the Triune God (the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob) is that we are put into the Triune God and we are the church in the Triune God!
You may meet in the church in Los Angeles, the church in Anaheim, the church in London (UK), the church in Toronto, the church in Montreal, the church in Sydney, the church in Taipei (Taiwan), the church in Austin (TX, USA), the church in Rome (Italy), or in any other local church, but the real location of the church is the Triune God!
We are baptized into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), we enjoy the dispensing of the Triune God (2 Cor. 13:14), we experience the Triune God (as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and we become the church in the Triune God!
We love the church life, and as we meet with the saints in the local church, we need to realize that we are in the Triune God! When we do something in the church, when we go to blend somewhere, when the brothers have to take some decisions, we all need to be immersed in the Triune God first!
How is it possible to be “in the Triune God”? In a sense, it is easier to understand how the church is “of God” and “of Christ”, but it is not that easy to understand how the church is “in the Triune God”.
This is because it is an organic matter – it is of life, the divine life, that the church can be in the Triune God. Only God can do something of life, and we may not understand this in full (just as we don’t understand what’s happening in our human body in full).
But what the Bible tells us is that the issue of our experience of the Triune God is the Israel of God, the church in the Triune God!
“In a way that is organic and of life, God has made it possible for the church to be in the Triune God.” (W. Lee)
The Church is in the Triune God, in the Processed Triune God
There is a difference between the church being “in God” and the church being “in the Triune God”, and in 1 Thes. 1:1 and 2 Thes. 1:1 Paul doesn’t merely say that the church is “in God”, but that the church is “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ”, implying the Triune God.
The Triune God is the processed God, God who passed through the process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Through this process, God accomplished redemption, terminated the old creation, destroyed Satan and death (all of these through Christ’s death), and He germinated the new creation, became the life-giving Spirit, and came into us to give us life (in His resurrection).
Basically, for the church to be in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ means that the church is in the processed Triune God, the One who has become the life-giving Spirit with the Father and the Son (see Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6; John 14:20).
The church in London is the church in the processed Triune God, the One who is the life-giving Spirit with the Father and the Son, constantly imparting the divine life into the saints! Wow!
If we see such a vision of the church, if we see that the church is in the Triune God, our living and meeting will be different. Such a vision of the church in the Triune God will control our thinking, our activities, and our entire life.
When we meet, we will realize, Together with the saints, right now, we are in the Triune God! I need to exercise my spirit mingled with the divine Spirit to receive life from God and minister life to others! We may even pray to the Lord, in the light of this revelation,
Lord, cause us to see that the church is in the Triune God! We pray back to You the word You spoke to us. Cause us to experience You as the God of Abraham, our unique source. We want to experience the God of Isaac by living a receiving life, receiving grace upon grace, and realizing that all we have is from You. Lord, take away any fear of experiencing the God of Jacob. Don’t let us finish our course in our natural life or in immaturity. Bring us on to maturity for the sake of the Israel of God! Look upon us, Lord, and minister to us according to where we are and according to what You know we need. We present ourselves to You. We open to You. We abandon ourselves to You. We consecrate ourselves to You! O Triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit, build Yourself into our being! Work yourself into our being! Be our life and life supply! Saturate and permeate our being with all that You are! Give us the experiences that we need so that day by day we would go on in experiencing You until You gain on earth the Israel of God! Lord, advance in us. Do what You need to do in order to subdue our whole being and gain more ground in us. Deal a fatal blow to the enemy, and cause him to lose ground! Lord, gain ground in us that You may have a corporate expression on earth! God of Abraham – our Father, God of Isaac – the Son, and God of Jacob – the Spirit, we praise and worship You! Hallelujah, Amen!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Ron Kangas’ speaking in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of 1 Thessalonians (msgs. 1, 3-5, 7-11), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Genesis (2), week 1 / msg 1, Knowing and Experiencing the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob to Become the Israel of God.
- Hymns on this topic:
# In spirit, in the church we see / The high estate we’re destined for. / It’s higher, vaster, more profound / Than anything we’ve seen before. (Hymns #1322)
# Do you see the saints migrating? / Praise the Lord the move is on / For the church in every city / That our blessed Lord may come! / Do you see the Lord is coming / For the church for whom He died? / In the churches He’s preparing / Now His holy, chosen Bride. (Hymns #1257)
# In each member we can see / Our God in humanity; / As each functions in life, / Christ is then manifest / Through His Body practic’ly. / As we gather we can see / One expression, corp’rately; / As His Body on earth, / Now Christ’s riches we share / In the church life, heavenly! (New hymn on the Church Life)
