Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.”
It is so easy to take these verses for granted, but if we are enlightened by the Lord we will see that the church is where God demonstrates the operation of the might of His strength!
In the church, God operates according to the power which He caused to operate in Christ by raising Him from the dead. Just as God broke through the barriers of death in Christ, so He is breaking through any barrier of death in the church!
The church is the same as the resurrected Lord
This morning I was really impressed with brother Nee’s sharing in his collected works concerning this matter of the church being the same as the resurrected Lord. In the church we can now experience the same might and strength as the Lord experienced – the church is the same as the resurrected Christ in life, nature, and also in POWER! Hallelujah!
This power that operated in Christ is now TO THE CHURCH – “the church is the depository and the storehouse of the power of resurrection“. When we come to the church, when we are in the church, resurrection life operates in us automatically and spontaneously!
In the church life today we enjoy the storehouse and the depository of the resurrection life of Christ! Christ as the ascended Head of the Body continually transmits this power into the church – this is how the church was produced (in Christ’s resurrection) and this is how the church is being built up!
The church in God’s eyes and in the whole universe is an entity, a vessel, a container, of the resurrected Christ with the power of His resurrection! All I can say is, HALLELUJAH! As we enjoy the Lord in the church life daily we have this power of resurrection being transmitted into us and operating in our being!
The gates of Hades cannot prevail against the church
Christ is building His church today, and the gates of Hades cannot prevail against the builded church (Matt. 16:18)! This means that the gates of Hades – which are many, are full of death, and are imparting death – are open to the church BUT they cannot prevail against the church!
Hades represents death and the church represents resurrection – the church is victorious! Death may “will a battle” but resurrection will “win the war”! All the gates of Hades combined are attacking the church, but the church is the depository and the storehouse of the power of resurrection! It is time that the Lord would show the power of His resurrection through the church!
The church is what is in God’s heart in this age – He wants to gain a built-up church which is the Body of Christ. This will bring Him back and will turn the age to the age of the kingdom.
For this reason, we need to realize that the church is absolutely in the resurrection life of Christ – it was produced in Christ’s resurrection, it is being built up in resurrection, and it exists and continues its existence in resurrection!
Many of us need to be ready to pay the price to know resurrection, to know the resurrected Christ, and together to apply the power of resurrection to defeat all death! May we all be brought into the experience of Christ’s resurrection!
Lord, release the resurrection life into the church! Oh, may we all know the resurrection life – in every kind of death we would enjoy its power being outpoured! Thank You Lord for bringing us to the church and making us a part of the church of God! Here we enjoy the power of resurrection being transmitted from the resurrected and ascended Head! Praise the Lord – the gates of Hades cannot prevail against the builded church!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from, The Collected Works of Watchman Nee (vol. 59, ch. 10), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on the Crystallization-Study of Psalms (2), week 17/
- Hymns on this topic:
# Oh, may I know this resurrection life! / In every kind of death its power outpoured. / In my experience ever realize, / This life is nought but Christ, my living Lord! - Picture source: beautiful scenery.
