As we Function Organically in the Church Life, the Triune God moves together with us

As we function organically in the church life, the Triune God moves together with us to speak in us and through us for the building up of the church.

The organic function of the organic Body of Christ is in the local expressions of the Body and by the move of the Triune God in the operations of God, through the ministries of the Lord, and through the gifts of the Spirit in His manifestations to the members of the organic Body of Christ (see 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28).

The Body of Christ is an organic entity, and in this organic Body – the organism of the Triune God – there are many members, and each member has its organic function.

As believers in Christ, we are members of the organic Body of Christ; our function is organic (not mechanic or robotic) and our function is necessary for the building up of the Body of Christ.

If we look around us, however, we see that so many of our brothers and sisters, though they are genuine children of God, do not function in the church meetings.

On one hand, the building up of the Body of Christ depends on our allowing the Lord Jesus to make His home in our heart through faith; this is on the personal and individual side.

On the other hand, the building up of the Body is a corporate matter, and in the meetings of the local church is the best time and place to practice to speak for the Lord, speak the Lord forth, and exercise our gift in life for the building up of the church.

May we realize that we are members of the organic Body of Christ, and may we be organic members who function organically in the church life!

We may have gifts in life that differ according to the supply of grace, but each one of us is a gift to the Body and has a gift for the building up of the Body.

May we bring this matter to the Lord and pray concerning it, and may we be perfected in the meetings of the church to speak for the Lord.

Some may say that, if you allow every member of the church to speak, there will be chaos, for someone will say this while the other will say that.

This is why we all need to be perfected and trained, so that we may function in our measure in the meetings of the church.

When we as members of the Body enjoy the Lord as grace, the divine element we receive brings with it some spiritual skills and abilities which, accompanying our growth in life, develop the gifts in life that we may be able to function in the Body of Christ.

The grace of God enters into us as life and enjoyment, and some spiritual skills and abilities are brought forth.

We may be a small member of the Body who thinks that our function is not that important, but we need to realize that not even a more developed or mature brother in the Lord has the portion that we have, and we need to function in our measure for the building up of the church.

The Organic Function of the Body is by the Move of the Triune God in the Operations of God, through the Ministries of the Lord, and through the Gifts of the Spirit

1 Cor. 12:4-11 is a portion that speaks concerning how we all can and should function in the meetings of the church for the building up of the organic Body of Christ.

There are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are distinctions of ministries, yet the same Lord; and there are distinctions of operations, but the same God, who operates all things in all.

Here we see that the organic function of the Body of Christ is by the move of the Triune God; it is in the local churches as the local expressions of the universal Body of Christ, and it is through the members of the Body.

We are either supplying joints or operating parts, and we are one with the Triune God, who lives within us and moves together with us.

There are God the Father’s operations, God the Son’s ministries, and God the Spirit’s gifts.

The gifts of the Spirit are to carry out the ministries of the Lord, and the ministries of the Lord are to accomplish the operations of God the Father; all these are in the union of God with man.

It is in the organic union of the Triune God with us, the members of the Body of Christ that we can exercise our gifts in life so that we may carry out the ministries of the Lord and accomplish the operations of God the Father.

There are differences in the gifts for the manifestation of the Spirit; there are distinctions, diversities in these gifts – but there is the same one Spirit.

These gifts refer to the outward gifts, the abilities to enable for service; some of these are miraculous, while some are developed out of the initial gifts mentioned in 1 Cor. 1:7.

There are distinctions of ministries, yet the same Lord; this doesn’t refer to many ministries in the Body – here ministry is a service, and ministries are services.

The gifts we have in life, which we develop by enjoying grace and by growing in life, are for the services in the church life, which are the ministries of the Lord.

There are many services in the church, but there is only one Lord.

Furthermore, there are distinctions of operations, but the same God, who operates all things in all (1 Cor. 12:5); the operations here are works, and the ministries (services) are for the works, the operations.

The Triune God is involved with three things: gifts (of the Spirit), ministries (of the Lord) and operations (of God the Father).

The gifts are by the Spirit to carry out the services (the ministries) of the Lord, and the ministries for the Lord are to accomplish the operations (the works) of God.

Here we see not just the Triune God but also the believers in Christ; we see the Triune God moving in the believers for Him to accomplish His eternal purpose to build up the church, the Body of Christ.

The gifts are for the enabling; they are developed by our growth in life and enjoying the grace.

As we are enabled through growing in life and partaking of the grace, we exercise our gifts, and the ministries come forth; we can serve in the church life.

When we use our gifts to function, spontaneously that function becomes a service.

May the Lord save us, however, from measuring ourselves with others; this is a big mistake we can do as members of the Body.

May we be saved from comparing ourselves with others. If we sense we are envious or jealous of others, we need to recognize that this is our flesh, this is the self, and exercise our spirit for the cross to be applied to it.

Eventually, as we exercise to function in the Body, we will rejoice at seeing the various functions of the other members, and we will consider them as being better than us in many ways, for we need their portion!

Lord Jesus, grow in us and keep us enjoying You as grace so that we may develop our function in the Body for the building up of the church as the organic Body of Christ. We want to exercise our gifts in life for the carrying out of the ministries and the accomplishing of the operations for the building up! Amen, may the Triune God move in us for the accomplishing of His eternal purpose to build up the church, the Body of Christ! May there be the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit for the carrying out of the ministries of the Lord and the accomplishing of the operations of God the Father in the church life through all the saints!

As we Function Organically in the Church Life, the Triune God Moves together with us for the Building up of the Church

In 1 Cor. 12:4-6 we see that the gifts of the Spirit are to carry out the ministries of the Lord, and the ministries of the Lord are the operations of God the Father.

These gifts, ministries, and operations are of the Triune God, but they are manifested in and through the members of the Body of Christ.

Here we see that, as we function organically in the church life, the Triune God moves together with us. If we move, God moves, and if we function, God has a way to flow through us for the building up of the Body.

We could even say that the Triune God does not move apart from us, for He doesn’t do things by Himself to build up the Body.

Rather, if we speak in the meeting, God speaks through us, but if we don’t speak, God has no way to speak.

When we exercise our spirit to function organically in the church meetings, the Spirit exercises His gifts, the Lord carries out His ministries, and God operates.

The building up of the church as the organic Body of Christ is something mysterious yet wonderful, for it is in the principle of incarnation.

This building takes place not merely by the Triune God doing everything nor merely by man’s activities; it is by God in man, man in God, the mingling of God with man for the expression of God in man.

The organic function of the church by the move of the Triune God is for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.

The Triune God doesn’t move apart from us; when we move, He moves, for when we allow Him to make His home in our heart, He does it, and when we function organically, He moves through our functioning (Eph. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 12:4-6).

Through the Triune God operating in us, He moves in us, and He causes us to speak; then, in the meetings of the church we speak for the Lord, we speak forth Christ, and we speak Christ into others.

On one hand, the Triune God lives in us and operates in us and, on the other hand, we exercise to speak and function in the meeting.

This is why we need to exercise our spirit, turn our heart to the Lord, and not be passive in the meetings, waiting for “a mighty tide of the Spirit” to come and carry us away, lifting us from the seat and make us speak.

We need to exercise to speak; when we stand up and speak, the Spirit exercises His gifts, the Lord carries out His ministries, and the Father accomplishes His operations through our organic function.

When we move, God moves; when we speak, God speaks; when we function organically, God has a way to build up the church.

And this is not only in the meetings of the church: we need to contact the Lord every day, enjoy Him, turn our heart to Him, and exercise our spirit; then, He moves in us, and as He moves, we move.

God is the Administrator: He administrates by means of the operations, which are the works that He does.

His works, His operations, are accomplished by the services, the ministries of Christ the Lord.

The ministries belong to the anointed One, Jesus Christ. And the Lord obtains these services by the Spirit’s gifts.

However, for these gifts to be used and manifested, we need to cooperate.

If we don’t speak, if we don’t utter anything for the Lord, the Spirit has no way; however, when we speak, the Spirit exercises the gifts, the Lord carries out the ministries, and the Father accomplishes His operations.

All this is for the carrying out of God’s administration, which is for the fulfilment of God’s purpose.

Lord Jesus, we choose to turn our heart to You and exercise our spirit to contact You and love You, and we refuse to be passive in the meetings of the church. Amen, Lord, strengthen us into our inner man so that we may be strong to exercise our organic function in the Body. Amen, Lord, we want to function in the meetings by speaking for the Lord, speaking the Lord forth, and speaking Christ into others. May our organic function open the way for the Spirit to exercise His gifts, for the Lord to carry out His ministries, and for the Father to accomplish His operations! Oh Lord, move in our moving; speak in our speaking; function in our functioning in the Body! May our organic function be released for the building up of the church and the carrying out of God’s administration!

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, Life-study of 1 Corinthians, msg. 57, by Witness Lee, 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 3, The Intrinsic Building Up of the Church for Its Organic Function.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – All the gifts and all the functions, / All the spirit’s power shown, / All the ministries are given / For the Church and that alone. / All the preaching of the Gospel, / All the teaching ministry, / Every other kind of service / For the church alone should be. (Hymns #914)
  – Holding Christ, as members growing, / Each his function must observe; / Christ receiving, Christ partaking, / To His Body Christ we serve. / Fellowship and testimony, / Ministry and worship too, / In all helps and ministrations / Christ is all our service true. (Hymns #912)
  – It is not God Himself to labor, / Nor man to try to serve alone, / But God and man to work together / Each moment that His plan be shown. / The principle of incarnation / To all our work we must apply, / To all our gift and operation, / That we as one may serve thereby. (Hymns #740)