The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 4, Sunday, chapter 10

THE MINISTRY

CELESTIAL OF CHRIST

Chapter 10

THE UNIVERSAL ADMINISTRATION OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENS

WEEK 3 – LORD’S DAY

Bible Reading: Rev. 3:21; 8:3-5; 10:1-2; 18:1; 20:4, 6; 22:1, 3

Read and pray: “He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.” (Rev. 3:21)

Offering prayers and pouring out the answers

In chapter eight, Christ is again portrayed as another Angel, offering the prayers of the saints to God (vv. 3-5). In His administration He needs our prayers. Our prayer is the response to His heavenly ministry.

As we pray, He administers. As He administers, we pray. These prayers He offers to God and then pours out God’s answers to them upon the earth. This is the meaning of verse 5: “And the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it to the earth; and there were thunders and voices and lightnings and an earthquake.”

The pouring out of God’s answers to our prayers equals His universal administration. This Administrator is qualified in every way; nevertheless, He needs our prayers. We may say that Christ administers the entire universe through our prayers.

Taking possession of the earth

In chapter ten, another strong Angel is seen “coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon His head, and His face was like the sun, and His feet like pillars of fire… And He placed His right foot on the sea and the left on the land” (vv. 1-2).

Here Christ, as the other Angel, has left the throne in the heavens and is on His way back to the earth. The fact that He is clothed with a cloud indicates that at this stage His coming is secret. He returns secretly to the earth in order to take full possession of it. One foot on the sea and the other on the land symbolizes His possession. The earth belongs to the Lord. It is entirely His inheritance. He will come with power to take possession of it.

Judging Babylon

In 18:1 we are told: “After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with His glory.” He is no longer clothed with a cloud. He is in the open space and very near the earth. He comes to exercise His authority over Christendom, the great Babylon. After fully judging this perverse religion, He will destroy Satan and establish the millennial kingdom on the earth.

SOVEREIGN IN THE KINGDOM
AND FOR ALL ETERNITY

In that kingdom He will reign, with all the overcomers as co-kings (Rev. 3:21; 20:4, 6). He will be the chief Administrator of the kingdom. After those thousand years there will be the New Jerusalem, having as its center the throne of God and of the Lamb (22:1, 3).

In it the redeeming Lamb will be the Sovereign for all eternity, and He will also be the Administrator for all eternity. This universal administration is a great part of the heavenly ministry of Christ.

FULFILLMENT THROUGH THE
CORRESPONDING MINISTRIES ON THE EARTH

Without the completing ministry of Paul, Christ has no way to carry out His heavenly ministry. The two correspond to one another. One is in the heavens, the other among the saints on the earth. Today we are under these two ministries. Even at this very moment Christ is ministering in the heavens, and the completing ministry of Paul is being carried out here among us.

The completing ministry carries out the divine economy in the preparation of a Body for Christ. The Head needs a Body. Think of what you could accomplish if you had only a head without a body. You could do nothing! Without the church, His Body, Christ also can do nothing. The completing ministry therefore exists to produce the Body so that the Head may carry out the divine administration on the earth.

The completing ministry of Paul, as we shall see in the coming messages, focuses on Christ as the center of the divine economy and the circumference of God’s purpose. This Christ needs to live in us, and we need to live in Him. He is the all-inclusive Christ. Then we have the wonderful church life!

God passed through a process in order to become the life-giving Spirit and enter into our spirit. These two spirits become one when we are regenerated. From that point on, this all-inclusive Spirit spreads from our spirit into our soul, that it may be saturated with the Triune God.

This spreading of God within us is called transformation and growth in life. Through this growth, we are consolidated to become a Body. This Body is not built up through teaching, organization, or formalities, but through the transformation of our soul. Thus we grow together, not only as a Body, but also as the universal new man.

Christ has His Body, and God has a new man. Therefore Christ can act, and God can carry out His eternal purpose. This is the way the completing ministry of Paul carries out the heavenly ministry of Christ. After the series on the completing ministry of Paul, we will proceed with the mending ministry of John. With these three ministries the Bible is consummated, and the new heavens and the new earth, with the New Jerusalem, come into view.

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Hymn: Supplements – “Spiritual Warfare”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Saturday, chapter 10

THE MINISTRY

CELESTIAL OF CHRIST

Chapter 10

THE UNIVERSAL ADMINISTRATION OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENS

WEEK 3 – SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Rev. 1:11-13, 16-18, 20; 2:1; 3:1, 7, 21; 4:1; 5:1-10; 8:3-5; 10:1-2; 18:1; 20:4, 6; 22:1, 3

Read and pray: “I saw another strong Angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon His head, and His face was like the sun, and His feet like pillars of fire” (Rev. 10:1).

In our previous messages we saw that Christ presently exercises His sovereignty for the spreading of the gospel, to bring His people into Himself; He exercises His headship to cause us to grow and function so that His Body may be built up; He exercises His priesthood to intercede for us; He executes the new testament on our behalf and ministers the supply of life to us.

We are all under His care. As far as we are concerned, nothing is lacking. But what about the universe? And what about God’s total purpose? To answer this, we need to consider one more aspect of the Lord’s ministry in the heavens.

This final aspect of Christ’s universal administration in the heavens is revealed to us in the book of Revelation. The entire universe, both the heavens and the earth, is under His authority. He is the universal Administrator.

THE HIGH PRIEST CARING FOR THE CHURCHES

In Revelation, first of all we see that Christ, God’s Anointed One, now cares for His church. He cares for it administratively. The churches are God’s lampstands shining forth His testimony and they need Christ’s administration.

At times problems and difficulties arise that require His administrative attention. In ancient times the high priest cared for the lampstand, making sure that all the lamps were in good condition to continue shining.

Our High Priest does exactly the same today as He walks in the midst of the lampstands (Rev. 1:11-13). He also cares for the churches by holding their leading ones in His hands. The leaders in the churches are likened to stars shining in the heavens in the darkness of the night (vv. 16, 20). We who serve the churches need to realize that we are not in our own hands but in His. He administers the lampstands and holds the stars.

The vision presented in Revelation 1 shows us how the churches can go on in these times. The situation among Christians surely leaves us disappointed and discouraged. We need to turn from the earthly view to Christ! He is the First and the Last! He lives, and He lives forever! He is able! He is the One who now holds “in His right hand the seven stars” and walks “in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” (2:1). He “opens and no one will shut, and shuts and no one opens” (3:7).

By looking only to Him we will be encouraged. The local churches will never fail because of this Administrator who walks among us and holds our leaders! This is Christ’s administration in the churches.

THE REDEEMING LAMB EXECUTES THE TESTAMENT

Revelation also tells us that Christ is the Administrator who takes care of all the peoples. There are the Jews, who are God’s chosen people; the Gentiles, who are the nations; and those who participate in Christendom. We need to know that even Christendom and the way it will progress are under Christ’s administration.

After all these categories of people have been dealt with according to Christ’s government, the millennium, the kingdom of God on the earth, will come. After that there will be a new age, eternity, with the New Jerusalem and the new heavens and the new earth. Of all these peoples and times, Christ is the Administrator.

This is what is revealed to us beginning in Revelation 4. The scene shifts from Christ taking care of the lampstands (chapters one through three) to “a door opened in heaven,” and we are shown “the things which must take place after these things” (4:1).

Christ is presented as the redeeming Lamb who has overcome, qualified to take the new testament, open it, and execute it. This is the meaning of the scroll sealed in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne (5:1).

When a strong angel proclaims, “Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?” (v. 2), only this worthy Lamb-Lion is able to come and take the book (5:5-7). He is qualified to take the new testament, open it, and execute it.

The new testament in Paul’s Epistles is mainly for our enjoyment of the riches of Christ that have been bequeathed to us. There is, however, another aspect of the new testament. God deals with the universe according to His testament. He will act toward the Jews, the nations, and Christendom according to His testament.

In it there is an inheritance for us, the believers, to enjoy. In that same testament there are also matters concerning how God deals with the various peoples and even with the heavens and the earth. It is this new testament that the Redeemer of the entire universe is qualified to take, open, and execute.

In the end, everything in the universe will be headed up in Christ. The Jews, the Gentile nations, and Christendom will all be dealt with, and the kingdom of God will be brought in on the earth. When everything has been headed up in Christ, the fullness of the times will have come. The heavens will be new, as will the earth and everything in it.

The whole universe will be in order. There will be no more divisions, confusion, darkness, death, night, or tears. When we are asked how we are, we usually answer, “fine.” In reality, not everything is fine. Things are tangled, confused, obscure, and moving toward death. There is reason for tears.

Even people should weep over the miserable condition of things. To claim that we are fine or that things are fine is not to tell the truth. No one is fine. No family is fine. No society is fine. But the day will come when there will be new heavens and a new earth. All things will be headed up in Christ. Everything will be put in order. Then everything will be fine.

Who is worthy to administer these new heavens and new earth with the New Jerusalem? Only Christ. It was He who died for the redemption of the entire universe. It was He who defeated Satan through His death. It was He who consummated the covenant with His redeeming blood. It was He who bequeathed to us the new testament as an inheritance. He is fully qualified!

He is worthy to take the book of the new testament, open it, and execute everything written in it, providing us with everything that has been bequeathed to us, carrying out every item contained there, and putting everything in order in the universe. This is the supreme heavenly ministry of Christ: the carrying out of everything God has planned.

“ANOTHER ANGEL”

In Revelation Christ is first presented as the High Priest for the churches. He walks in their midst, takes care of their shining, and holds all their leaders in His hand so that they may go on even in the dark night of a degraded situation.

Next Christ is portrayed as the overcoming Lamb, the Lamb-Lion qualified to execute the new testament. Then, in chapters seven, eight, ten, and eighteen, He is referred to as “another Angel.” That the title “another Angel” refers to Christ is clear from the context. God sent many angels; however, Christ, as God’s sent One, is extraordinary. In this role He is called another Angel.

To control the universe

In chapter seven, Christ as God’s Angel controls the entire universe, directing the other angels in order to execute God’s judgment on the earth (vv. 2-3).

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Hymn: The Church – “The Lampstand of Christ”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Friday, chapter 9

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 9

THE MORE EXCELLENT MINISTRY

OF CHRIST IN THE TRUE TABERNACLE

WEEK 3 – FRIDAY

Bible Reading: Gen. 28:12; John 1:51; 14:27; Rom. 8:26, 34; 2 Cor. 3:17; Phil. 4:7; Heb. 8:1, 2, 6; 9:11, 15

Read and pray: “And He said, Truly, truly, I say to you, You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)

THE MINISTER WHO SUPPLIES US

After interceding and executing the testament, this same Intercessor and Executor is the Minister, bringing us everything we need and serving us according to our needs. Here on earth I may be facing problem after problem. My situation leaves me worried and anxious. I cannot see any way out. That may be the case on earth. However, hallelujah, a different situation prevails in the heavens!

There the High Priest is interceding for me. The Executor is taking care of the arrangements of the testament. Moreover, the Minister takes the peace that I need and supplies me with it. This peace was promised to me in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” It was also promised in Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When a problem arises, however, I forget these promises that have become my inheritance and remember only my worries. I may forget everything that was bequeathed to me; nevertheless, He does not forget. And He comes as the life-giving Spirit who dwells in my spirit.

He comes as the heavenly Melchizedek, this time not bringing bread and wine, but peace. It is He who comes to visit me. Within me, without any apparent reason, I suddenly become full of peace. The worry disappears. The anxiety is gone. How did this change take place? I experienced the heavenly ministry of Christ as the High Priest, the Executor, and the Minister.

Most certainly you also have experienced something similar. In the past, however, you did not understand what it was. Now light and knowledge have come to you. No trial should leave you defeated. You have a High Priest to intercede for you. You have the One who executes the provisions of His testament on your behalf.

You have a Servant to supply you with the right thing at the right time. In every situation that arises, this heavenly Minister acts on your behalf. After many experiences of His care, gradually you will realize that there is no reason to worry. Christ is there, ministering in the heavens for you!

Christ is called High Priest, Minister, and Mediator interchangeably in Hebrews (8:1, 2, 6; 9:11, 15). The High Priest is the Minister, and the Minister is the Mediator.

The term Executor is not used explicitly, but it is implied in chapter nine: “For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, it is necessary for the death of the testator to occur; for a testament is confirmed in the case of those who have died, since it has no force at all while the testator lives” (9:15–17).

In His death Christ established the new covenant and bequeathed it to us as the new testament. After death He resurrected and became the One who executes the new testament. The four titles—High Priest, Minister, Mediator, and Executor—refer to the resurrected Christ.

IN THE HEAVENS AND IN US

This same Christ is now the Lord in the heavens and at the same time the Spirit in us. “And the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). As the Lord, He is in the heavens. As the Spirit, He is in us. As the One in the heavens, He exercises His sovereignty, His headship, and His priesthood.

He exercises His sovereignty for the spreading of the gospel so that God’s chosen ones may be brought into Him. He exercises His headship so that all His members may grow and function, that His Body may be built up. He exercises His priesthood to rescue us from all our complicated confusions through intercession, through the execution of the provisions of the new testament, and through ministering what we need; and thus He keeps us firm so that we do not fall. All these are His activities as the Lord in the heavens.

Everything that He carries out as the Lord, He applies to us as the Spirit. How can we perceive all His heavenly functions? Everything that He intercedes, executes, or ministers is transmitted to our spirit. As the Lord in the heavens, He is the electricity at the power plant. As the Spirit in our spirit, He is the electricity in the building where we are now.

The Lord in the heavens and the Spirit in our spirit are one. There is a continual transmission between the heavens and our spirit, so that everything manifested there is immediately applied here. Notice that this transmission is between the heavens and our spirit. Our mind does not count. It is our mind that makes us worried.

When the heavenly transmission comes, this wonderful reality strengthens our spirit, which then rises up to exclaim, “Glory to God!” The transmission has reached our spirit, not our mind. The Spirit in our spirit is the very Lord in the heavens.

Romans 8 confirms that the One who is the Spirit is the same One who is the Lord. Verse 26 tells us that “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Then verse 34 says that Christ Jesus “is at the right hand of God and also intercedes for us.”

Who intercedes for us? It is the Lord Spirit! In the heavens He is the Lord, and in us He is the Spirit. The same is true concerning Melchizedek. There is only one Melchizedek. In the heavens He is the Lord, and in our spirit He is the Spirit. From a doctrinal standpoint, we do not have a satisfactory explanation for this double reality; but in our experience, however, we do indeed have the confirmation.

Perhaps you return from work exhausted and wonder how things will be at home. Unexpectedly, while you are wondering, you sense that you are being supplied and strengthened. What is the source of this supply? It comes from Christ Himself, who is both the Lord in the heavens and the Spirit within us. He intercedes for you, cares for you, and executes the new testament on your behalf.

Based on this testament, He takes the supply of life and provides you with it exactly according to what you need most. You then experience Him as the Lord, the Spirit, the High Priest, the Executor, and the Minister. He is also the Mediator, who transmits to your spirit what you need from the Father, who is the source, in order to supply and sustain you.

THE SUSTAINING PRIEST

Surely we all have experienced this heavenly ministry of Christ. Why have we remained standing without falling all these years? I can testify that this is what preserved me for these fifty-five years.

In His earthly ministry, He died for me on the cross. Now He serves me in resurrection, and this is His heavenly ministry. Its main element is the priesthood toward the members of His Body. Of course, He exercised His sovereignty to make sure that I would be saved and thus brought to God.

He also exercised His headship over me to cause me to grow and function and thus be built up in the Body. However, it is His priesthood that He exercises most to preserve me. Hallelujah for our heavenly High Priest! We have been sustained, preserved, and supplied by His intercession, the execution of the testament, and His ministering to us according to our needs.

I lacked nothing. My portion is a precious supply of life. Our preservation and our sustaining through Him are fully guaranteed by His priesthood, which is based on the testament. The testament is in our hands, and the High Priest is both in the heavens and in us.

In the heavens He is the Lord; in us He is the Spirit. The Lord Spirit continually ministers the supply of life to us. The supply we receive is heavenly, because the heavens are its source. Our High Priest ministers to us in the true tabernacle, the heavenly Holy of Holies, which is joined to our spirit by Him as the heavenly ladder (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51). By ministering the heavenly supply to us, He makes us a heavenly people. We are a people on the earth who live a heavenly life.

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “His All-Inclusiveness”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Thursday, chapter 9

THE CELESTIAL
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 9
THE MORE EXCELLENT
MINISTRY OF CHRIST IN THE TRUE TABERNACLE

WEEK 3 – THURSDAY
Scripture Reading: Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 6:19-20; 7:11-17; 8:2; 10:12

Read and pray: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was priest of God the Most High” (Gen. 14:18)

THE TESTAMENT AND ITS EXECUTOR

We have a wonderful testament and a magnificent Executor! The testament is actually the entire Bible: it began with God speaking, became His promise, later became His covenant, and now, since everything has been accomplished through the death of Christ, it is a testament or last will, with all the items of its contents bequeathed to us as an inheritance.

Everything in this testament is ours. We have a wonderful Executor who ensures the execution of the testament! He is God; nevertheless, He became a man. He lived on this earth and experienced all the sufferings of human life.

At the end of His experience as a human being, He died on the cross. By this means, He solved the problem of our sins, defeated Satan, terminated the entire old creation, and provided a solution to all problems. He satisfied God and fulfilled all His requirements.

After being buried for three days, He overcame death and entered into resurrection life. In resurrection He uplifted humanity, and He Himself became the life-giving Spirit. This is the compound, all-inclusive Spirit. This wonderful Person—God and man, dead and resurrected, living forever, strong and able—executes everything that is in this testament for our benefit and enjoyment.

What a privilege we enjoy to live in the stage in which the testament is in full execution and to have an Executor fully able to carry out all its provisions for our enjoyment!

THE MINISTRY OF MELCHIZEDEK

The book of Hebrews tells us that Christ is the High Priest, not according to the order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek (7:11-17). At the end of His life on earth, He acted as the High Priest, offering Himself as a sacrifice to God. This earthly part of His priesthood—offering the sacrifice to accomplish redemption—was typified by Aaron, the high priest chosen by God from among His people.

Now that this has been accomplished, Christ in resurrection is the heavenly High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. What does our heavenly Melchizedek do? He no longer offers sacrifices, but serves. Just as a minister serves by supplying those whom he serves with what they need, so this Minister supplies us with the heavenly supply, ministering God Himself to us.

In the account of Genesis 14:18-20, when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings, Melchizedek, priest of the Most High, came out to meet him with bread and wine. Melchizedek was not a high priest who presented offerings, but one who served.

Abraham must have been exhausted after fighting against the kings. In his exhaustion he undoubtedly needed supplies. Christ now does, in the heavenlies, what Melchizedek did for Abraham. He serves us the supply of life according to our need. There is no longer any need for sacrifices, for His one offering has satisfied God forever (Heb. 10:12).

The heavenly priesthood of Christ is to serve us bread and wine. Christ is also “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man” (Heb. 8:2). The true tabernacle is the heavenly Holy of Holies, where He entered beyond the veil as our High Priest (6:19-20).

In addition to being the High Priest who intercedes for us and the Mediator who executes the new testament, He is the Intercessor, the Executor, and the Minister! We have this wonderful High Priest!

THE TESTAMENT AS OUR BASE

All this service is based on the testament. It is not something carried out without a base, but has a solid foundation. Suppose, by way of illustration, that there is a bank full of money. I have no money in my pocket, so I go there to withdraw some. Unfortunately, I have no account there, or my account has no funds. My request for money has no base.

Now suppose that someone deposited ten million dollars in that bank. If I go to the bank and present a check signed by him, I will have a base to withdraw money from his account. Many times we approach God when we are in need and plead for His mercy. We shed tears and pray, “Father, how I need Your mercy! Have mercy on me in this sad condition. I thank You because You are a God of mercy.”

To plead in this way is like going to the bank and saying to the manager, “Oh! have mercy on me! I desperately need money. Have compassion on me and give me some money so that I can pay my bills.” Would it not be foolish to use this approach to get money from the bank? We have no base at all if we plead in this way. What is the base on which we present our requests to God? It is the testament, the one that Christ enacted and left to us as an inheritance. On this base Christ carries out His heavenly priesthood and intercedes in the heavens.

We need this Executor to interrupt our prayers of pleading and remind us, “Why do you pray in such a pitiful way? Come forward to the throne with boldness! Go to the bank and claim your money! Here is the testament. I am the Executor. You may be young and foolish, but I am your Attorney. Who would dare to deceive you? I am the Son of God, who died on the cross for you and now lives resurrected!”

How do you deal with the daily problems that assail you? I fear that the sisters in particular pour out their tears and groan before the Lord. In doing so, you forget the testament and the Executor. The Bible and Christ are far away. Only your tears are near.

I have the same inclination. I do not shed tears, but sometimes I do not know what to do when a problem arises. Then I remember that I need to seek the Lord. And I cry, “O Lord Jesus! Have mercy on me!” He is indeed merciful! While I call on Him, He reminds me of the testament and of His position as my Executor and Advocate.

How many times He has reminded me! And thus I realize once again that the Son of the living God, the resurrected Christ Himself, is right beside me, standing at my side, interceding for me and executing His testament on my behalf. And I am strengthened, I drop my anxiety, and I begin to praise Him. Sisters, spare your tears. Instead, praise Him for executing the testament on your behalf.

How blessed we are to be in the Lord’s recovery! What we have heard is unknown to the ears of many who are outside. When we are in Christianity, we may hear about Daniel’s seventy weeks, the ten horns, and the four beasts. However, very little, if anything, has come to us concerning the testament as our legacy and the living Christ as its Executor. We see what others have not seen. Now we enjoy what many others have no way to enjoy. We do not know how blessed we are.

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Hymn: Experience of Christ – “As the Minister of the New Covenant”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Wednesday, chapter 8

THE HEAVENLY

MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 8

THE EXECUTION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT THROUGH CHRIST

WEEK 3 – WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 26:27-28; Lk 22:20

Read and pray: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25)

OUR INHERITANCE

We have already covered three aspects of the heavenly ministry of Christ: how He exercises His sovereignty over the entire world so that His gospel may be preached and God’s chosen ones may be brought into Him; how He exercises His headship to cause us to grow and function so that His Body may be built up; and how He intercedes for us and takes care of us as our High Priest.

In this message we will consider the fourth aspect: how He executes the testament that He has bequeathed to us as our inheritance. Through the execution of the new testament, the heavenly Christ causes all the items listed in it to become real to us.

Everyone likes to be remembered in a will. I am sure that all my children and even my grandchildren expect to be included in my will! Let us suppose that in a will we are left a large property with a mansion, and that in that mansion there are twenty-four rooms and seven bathrooms. In addition, ten million German marks are left to us. This would certainly please us.

However, we would need to make sure that this inheritance is more than merely two items written on a sheet of paper. The will would have to be executed for us to take possession of our inheritance.

Have you ever tried to find out what is included in the new testament? It is a long list! In fact, after trying several times to enumerate all the items, I came to the conclusion that it is not possible to do so. The list is endless. Here are some of those items: redemption, forgiveness of sins, justification, reconciliation, regeneration, sanctification, sonship, life, power, peace, holiness, etc.

Have you already received all this bequest? Sometimes the heir is very young and is not aware of everything he has inherited. Or perhaps the heir is simple and cannot understand the meaning of the terms of the will.

Or again, in a third situation, the heir may be too weak to claim his inheritance, even though he has sufficient maturity and knowledge. In all these cases, someone is needed to help the rightful heir take possession of what has been bequeathed to him.

THE COVENANT ENACTED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

When Christ died on the cross, He turned God’s promise into a covenant. His blood was the symbol of the enactment. The Lord’s table, which we celebrate week after week, is the symbol of the testament.

The Lord took the cup and gave thanks. Then He gave it to the disciples, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:27-28).

The words in Luke 22:20 are: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is being poured out for you.” The cup that we drink is the new covenant. This is very profound. When we take the cup, we need to know that it is the new covenant.

The two main items in the new covenant are the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of life. Through them, we enjoy God. He is the blessing of the cup. He is the eternal portion of the blessing contained there. The blood of Jesus, therefore, established the covenant. His death confirmed it. Then, in resurrection, He comes to execute its contents.

THE EXECUTION OF THE TESTAMENT

He is now in the heavens, living, divine, capable, constituted with the indissoluble life. Nothing can oppose Him! Nothing can destroy Him! He is the One who lives forever! Therefore He is able to execute this testament in all its details.

Do you need life? power? forgiveness? peace? holiness? It is clear that you have many needs. How can you be supplied? In the testament are all these items. They have been bequeathed to you. Christ today executes the testament, making all the items available and real to you.

Suppose your wife causes you difficulties. You need patience. Where will you obtain the patience needed to bear the pressure? Patience is one of the items of the testament, and it applies and is available to you through Christ’s execution. When what you need is patience, He makes it available to you. You sense patience coming to you as a flowing. Have you never experienced this?

The same is true with regard to joy. You may be in suffering, but there is joy in this testament. How can this joy become real to you? Christ Himself will execute the joy in you, flooding your being with it. Perhaps you wonder how I can have so much to say. Perhaps you think that I will lack something to say; for included in this testament is the precious Word.

When I am about to give a message, I do not turn to reference books in order to find a subject, gather some points, study some commentaries, and thus organize what I will say. No! Christ as the Executor floods me with the riches of the Word of God. Out of this flooding come precious insights and rich utterances. For this reason, the speaking has no end.

What a magnificent testament we have! And what an Executor—living, powerful, and capable! The intercession of Christ is part of the execution of the testament. You may be lacking life and light. Perhaps you are not enjoying God as your life and your light.

Then your High Priest will pray for you so that you may enjoy God richly. This is His intercession. Then He will exercise His position as Executor and will flood you with life and light from God. This is the answer to His intercession and also the fulfillment of His testament.

OUR RECIPROCITY

Just as you need to have proper reciprocity toward His intercession by coming forward to the throne of grace, you also need to have proper reciprocity toward His execution of the testament.

You may fail to have reciprocity because you have never received help to see these matters. Perhaps you have never heard these messages. From now on, there is no longer any reason for this—you can now have reciprocity toward Him!

Hebrews 7:25 teaches us the way to have reciprocity toward His execution of the new covenant: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them.” We cooperate with Him when we come forward to God.

Continue to come forward to God. In the morning and in the afternoon, day and night, when you pray and when you do not pray, come forward to God! “O God, I am open to You. You are rich. I need You. I need everything that You have for me in Your testament. I want to be open to You all the time.”

As you do this, Christ, the One who is capable, will execute within your being everything that you need. It is part of His heavenly ministry to execute item after item of the testament within you for your enjoyment. Becoming conscious of this will strengthen you.

Suppose your workday has ended and you are ready to go home. You have devoted eight hours to hard work and are tired. However, the idea of going home is not very attractive, because you never know what situation awaits you. There is no way to predict whether you will be received with a “long face” or with a smile.

Some days, when you go home, you encounter a storm; other days, everything is calm and sunny. You would not be able to bear facing another storm tonight. What should you do? Remember the testament. Open yourself. Come forward to God. You can simply say, “O God, my Father, I open myself to You now,” and you will have the deep conviction that you have been strengthened. He interceded for you and executed something in you. You were strengthened in the inner man. Now you are ready to go home.

You can now declare: “Lord, it no longer matters whether the climate is stormy or calm. I want to go home and enjoy You. Whether the sky is clear or cloudy; whether it is raining or sunny, I will still remain open to You. You will be my supply according to Your testament. I am included in Your testament. Father, I know that You are committed to Your testament. Moreover, I have an Executor who ensures that I receive all the items of that testament. My circumstances do not matter, for Your testament provides me with everything I need.”

The heavenly ministry of Christ has not yet ended. His earthly ministry is indeed finished. But as the Executor of the new covenant, He still ministers in order to strengthen, comfort, supply, sustain, and even carry you. His purpose in doing this is that you may grow and function so that His Body may be built up.

His heavenly ministry, whose goal is the building up of the Body of Christ, has many aspects. We have already considered four of them. There is the exercise of His sovereignty, the exercise of His headship, the priesthood, and the execution of God’s covenant and testament. In the next message we will proceed to a new aspect.

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Hymn: Worship of the Father — “His Newness”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Tuesday, chapter 8

THE HEAVENLY

MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 8

THE EXECUTION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT THROUGH CHRIST

WEEK 3 – TUESDAY

Bible Reading: Gen. 3:15; 15:7–18; Jer. 31:31–34; Luke 22:20; Heb. 7–10; 8:8–13; 9:15–17

Read and pray: “Likewise, after supper He took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20)

From Hebrews 7 through 10, Christ is presented in a threefold way: as the High Priest, as the Minister, and as the Executor of the new covenant. When Christ is mentioned as the High Priest, we are also told that He is the Minister of the sanctuary and the Executor of the new covenant.

These three titles are mentioned together because their functions overlap. While Christ carries out His priestly work, He also executes the new covenant and at the same time ministers its contents to us.

In this message we will consider how He executes the new covenant. This is the most complicated point in the New Testament to understand; however, it is all-inclusive.

GOD’S SPEAKING TO MAN

Throughout the Bible, God’s speaking occurred in three ways: His word, His promise, and His covenant (or testament). In God’s speaking there was His promise. When spoken under oath, His promise became a covenant, which is also a testament.

From the beginning, God spoke to man. Before Adam disobeyed, God spoke to him. After the fall, God came back to speak to him again, this time promising that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15).

With God’s speaking came God’s promise. This was also true in the case of Abraham. In speaking to him, God promised him a seed and the good land (Gen. 13:15). God spoke and God promised. How did the promise become a covenant? It was by the addition of an oath made with a sacrifice in which there was the shedding of blood (Gen. 15:7–18). A covenant is a pact in which one party promises certain things to the other.

A testament, on the other hand, is an inheritance of what has already been accomplished. In present terms, it is a last will, a written legal declaration for the distribution of the testator’s property at the time of his death. The Bible, viewed as a whole, is actually God’s testament, and even its two parts are called the Old and New Testaments.

God is a speaking God. The more He speaks, the more He commits Himself by His words. Yet He cannot refrain from speaking! He has much to say to human beings. The Bible is full of God’s speaking. It is God’s word to man.

When we speak, we may make promises even unconsciously. If we can get others to speak with us, we may induce them to make promises they did not intend to make. As long as they remain silent, we cannot persuade them; but if they speak, they may take on an obligation toward us.

God has spoken. In both the Old and the New Testaments He has spoken, and in speaking He made promises. The Bible is full of promises—promises to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to David, and to us, the New Testament believers.

If the Lord Jesus had not died, these promises would have remained merely promises. But in order to fulfill these promises, He actually died. Through His shed blood, these promises became a covenant.

Now there is a firm commitment for their fulfillment. In this covenant there are still some things to be done. Others have already been accomplished and have been bequeathed to us as an inheritance. Thus the covenant became a testament, which tells us what our inheritance is.

“For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must be established. For a testament is confirmed in the case of the dead, since it never has force while the testator lives” (Heb. 9:15–17).

In Greek, the same word is used for both covenant and testament. The new covenant, consummated with the blood of Christ (vv. 11–14), is not only a covenant but also a testament that includes all the things accomplished by the death of Christ and bequeathed to us as an inheritance.

First, God promised that He would make a new covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:8–13). Then Christ shed His blood in order to enact the new covenant (Luke 22:20). Since there are promises already fulfilled in this covenant, it is also a testament.

This testament, or last will, was confirmed and validated by the death of Christ and is carried out and executed by Him after His resurrection. The promise of God’s covenant is secured by His faithfulness; God’s covenant is guaranteed by His righteousness; and the testament is executed by the power of Christ’s resurrection.

The Bible first tells us that Christ will come. Then it promises that He will come. There is not only the speaking but also the promise. Many blessings are included in this promise: that He would die for us so that our sins might be forgiven and we might be redeemed; that we would receive life; that this life is the Spirit, who in turn is God Himself as everything to us for our enjoyment; and finally, that we will inherit all that God is, has, and does. After speaking and promising (including the contents of His promise), Christ went to the cross and died, shedding His blood.

Because of His death, the promise was consummated, the covenant was established, and the testament was enacted. We therefore have four stages in God’s speaking with man: His speaking, His promise, the establishment of His covenant, and the execution of His testament.

Adam, in Genesis 2, was in the first stage. Abraham, in Genesis 12, was in the second stage, the stage of promise. The disciples, in seeing Christ die on the cross, were in the third stage, the stage of the establishment of the covenant. We today are in the fourth stage, when the testament is being executed. God spoke, promised, Christ established the covenant, and the covenant became a testament to us.

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “In Remembrance of Him”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Monday, chapter 7

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 7
THE HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST

WEEK 3 – MONDAY
Bible Reading: Exod. 28:6–10, 21; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:5; 2:6–9, 10; 3:1; 4:8, 14–16; 7:25, 27–28; 8:1; 10:21

Read and pray: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25)

INTERCEDING FOR US IN OUR NEEDS

How much we need Him!

“Of Thee, Lord, I have need,
Yes, I always need”

(Hymns, no. 186)¹

Without doubt, we need Him at every hour. Hour after hour, we do not know for sure what we will face. We may say hallelujah or amen in the meeting, but when we return home our joy may disappear, and instead of hallelujah and amen, there may be only silence and a “long face.”

A problem arises, or we may catch a cold and become ill. Whatever the problem may be, Christ is there taking care of our case. He sustains us when we are sad or sick. His intercession for us never ceases.

His capacity to care for us is unlimited, because He is the almighty God. His priesthood is a ministry of intercession in the heavens, in the Holy of Holies, before God on our behalf.

Many times we are not conscious of His intercession; however, at times we can perceive that He cares for us in this way. Perhaps you find yourself in the midst of an argument with your wife when, suddenly, words fail you.

Why do those words full of anger suddenly stop coming out of your mouth? Did you ever have such an experience before you were saved? In my own case, I used to become angry in a way that could last all day, even through the night.

Since I was saved, however, I have never again been able to become completely furious. The longest my anger has lasted, as far as I can remember since then, has been only a few minutes. And what about you? How long can you stay angry? Not very long, because Christ is there, interceding for you at the throne of God, and His intercession is heard.

Sometimes problems strike us and we become anxious. Before we were saved, these anxieties were endless. Now, when anxiety begins to arise, we soon sense a consolation that brings us relief, as if saying to us, “Why don’t you pray? You do not need to worry.”

Christ begins to intercede for us, and this is the effect that His intercession produces in us. Then we respond to Him, “Thank You, Lord, for bearing my anxieties. All my cares are in Your hands.”

Just a few words, and the anxiety is gone. We can enjoy Him! This is the priestly intercession of Christ for us. It is unceasing.

In Romans 8:34 Paul asks, “Who shall condemn them? Christ Jesus is the One who died; rather, who was also raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” There is no one who can condemn us. Christ certainly will not; He died for us, was raised, and now is in the heavens interceding for us.

His heavenly ministry is to take care of us. We have all had many experiences of the care of our faithful High Priest toward us. We have been reminded, comforted, strengthened, and even guided by Him many times.

If we had time, we could give testimony after testimony of how help came to us not so much outwardly, but from within us. Help also comes to us from the heavens. There is something within us and something from above that strengthens us, sustains us, comforts us, and enlightens us.

Without this support of the intercession of our High Priest, we would long ago have been defeated. We have been preserved not by ourselves, but by our High Priest. Our High Priest is highly qualified for this office.

The book of Hebrews presents His qualifications to us. He is the Son of God (1:5), the Son of Man (2:6–9), the Author of our salvation (2:10), the Apostle sent by God to us (3:1), and the true Joshua who leads us into rest (4:8).

It is this One, fully qualified, who now takes care of us in every detail. His intercession is precious to the Father. God, on His throne, considers the priesthood of His Son as a precious treasure. We need to have the same regard.

He prays for you day and night. You may have been away from the Lord and from the church life. You turned a deaf ear to everyone who tried to help you. Yet one day, perhaps while you were far away on the top of a mountain, you began to think, “Why not return to the church?”

You were completely alone, far from the influence of others, and yet you heard this inward counsel. How can this be explained? It is surely the result of the priesthood of Christ. His intercession touched you while you were away and brought you back.

We really do not need so much outward help. We have a Helper in the heavenly places! Our help comes from the heavens to our spirit. Eventually, it comes from within us. We have this tremendous High Priest!

OUR RECIPROCITY

WITH THE HEAVENLY INTERCESSION

“Having therefore a great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God…let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:14–16). After presenting us with a picture of our High Priest caring for our weaknesses, the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to come forward to the throne of grace.

It is by coming forward in this confident way that we have reciprocity with His heavenly intercession. Where is the throne of grace? We must answer that it is both in the heavens and in our spirit. If it were only in the heavens, how could we come forward to it? As our experience testifies, the throne is also in our spirit.

By way of illustration, let us suppose that we are anxious for some reason. Being anxious is a characteristic of intelligent people. Only fools are completely carefree, no matter what happens to them. If we are awakened, reasoning people, many things make us anxious.

When we are single, our thoughts turn to personal concerns. After we marry, there are two of us to care about. Instead of thinking only of ourselves, we focus on our spouse: “What about the conversation we had last night? What about our future? What if one of us becomes ill?”

We need to find a way out to face all the disturbing thoughts and difficult situations that assail us. Thanks be to God that our spirit is connected to the Holy of Holies! When we turn from the mind to the spirit, we enter the Holy of Holies. Once there, it is difficult to tell whether we are in heaven or on earth.

The Holy of Holies has two ends: one in the heavens and the other in our spirit. There, in the Holy of Holies, is the throne of grace. What do we do at the throne of grace? We pray, we worship, and we seek the One who is on the throne. We praise Him and thank Him.

From that throne flows the river of life. If we remain there for a few moments, we will sense that something flows from the throne of grace to us, in us, and out from us. We will experience eternal life as the supply of grace. We will receive mercy and find “grace for timely help” (Heb. 4:16).

By coming forward to the throne of grace, we have reciprocity with the heavenly priesthood of Christ. Whenever we turn to the spirit and come forward in this way to the throne of grace, we have reciprocity with His heavenly intercession. His intercession and our prayer constitute a two-way traffic between heaven and earth.

When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, he bore on his shoulders the names of the twelve tribes (Exod. 28:6–10). These names were also written on the breastplate (v. 21). Today our High Priest bears us all before God in the heavenly Holy of Holies.

He stands before God in order to bring us there and also to bring our needs to Him. In that Holy Place all our problems are solved. He is serving us at the throne of grace. Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help!

The throne of grace is the only place where our problems can be solved. By coming forward to it, we have reciprocity with His intercession. This communication continues throughout the day. Although none of this can be seen with physical eyes, our spirit perceives what is taking place in the Holy of Holies on our behalf. Come forward to the throne of grace!

This office of High Priest is the greatest part of the heavenly ministry of Christ. We meet with Him hour after hour, enjoying Him, experiencing Him, and touching Him. As He intercedes for us, we come forward with confidence to the throne to receive mercy and find grace.

Mercy and grace are always available to us, but we need to receive them and find them by exercising our spirit, coming forward to the throne and touching our High Priest, who sympathizes with us in all our weaknesses.

THE GREATNESS OF OUR HIGH PRIEST

How great our High Priest is! He “is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). The high priests who served under the law had weaknesses; therefore they had to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people (v. 27).

Our High Priest, on the contrary, is “holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens” (v. 26). He has no need to offer sacrifices, “because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (v. 27).

Unlike the weak men who served as high priests under the law, our High Priest is “the Son, perfected forever” (v. 28). “[…] we have such a High Priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (8:1). He is the “great Priest over the house of God” (10:21).

____________________

¹ Hymn no. 186 in the Brazilian hymnal

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Hymn: 186

The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 3, Sunday, chapter 7

THE HEAVENLY

MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 7

THE HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST

WEEK 3 – SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Gen. 14:18–20; Deut. 8:15–18; Luke 19:41; John 11:35; Heb. 2:16–17; 3:1; 4:14–16; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:16

Read and pray: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like us, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15)

As you probably already know, the Bible teaches us that Christ has three offices: prophet, priest, and king. Christ came the first time mainly as the Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18. In His earthly ministry, He spoke for God, conveyed God by speaking, taught His disciples, and prophesied.

This was His role as prophet. Then, in the last part of His earthly ministry, He began to offer Himself to God, until the moment when He finally offered Himself on the cross as a sacrifice to God for us. In this He fulfilled His role as priest. From that time onward, this has been His function.

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE EARTHLY PRIESTHOOD

In the times of Leviticus, the priests carried out two kinds of activities. The first was the offering of sacrifices to God, in the court of the tabernacle, around the altar. Once the offerings had been presented, the priests entered the Holy Place. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies. There they ministered to God on behalf of His people.

The first priestly activity typifies the earthly priesthood of Christ; the second typifies His heavenly priesthood. When Christ offered Himself to God on the cross on our behalf, He was a priest, presenting the offering on the earth in the court.

Then, after His resurrection, He entered into the third heaven, which is the Holy of Holies. There He continues to serve as the heavenly Priest. It is this second aspect of His priesthood that we will now consider.

This priesthood in the heavens is what Christ is most occupied with today. It is a very broad subject to address. The book of Hebrews deals with this matter in a very comprehensive way. Since our time here is limited to analyze the subject fully, I recommend that you read the messages of the Life-study of Hebrews that address this topic (especially messages 13, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, and 35).

OUR PRIEST BOTH DIVINE AND HUMAN

For Christ to be a priest, He must first be a man (Heb. 2:16–17). The high priest was “taken from among men” (5:1). If He had been an angel, He would not have had the slightest understanding of human problems.

Because He was chosen from among men, the priest could sympathize with the weaknesses of men. Our present High Priest, Jesus Christ, is a man!

He partook of our nature. He partook of flesh and blood. He was made like us in all things. He had to eat and drink. At times He even wept. He shed tears at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35); He wept over Jerusalem at the end of His earthly ministry (Luke 19:41); and He prayed “with strong crying and tears” (Heb. 5:7) in the garden of Gethsemane.

Even today He remains a man, a man in glory. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like us, yet without sin” (4:15). Because He fully knows all our weaknesses and problems, He has compassion on us. Such is our High Priest as a man.

Our High Priest is also God! As a man, He can sympathize with us; but as One who is also divine, He can take care of us. In the Old Testament, the high priest Aaron could sympathize with the people; however, many times he could not help them because he was not divine.

Our High Priest, however, is not according to the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek (5:6, 10; 6:20). There is no genealogical record of Melchizedek in Genesis (Gen. 14:18–20), so that he may be an appropriate type of Christ as the One who is eternal, in order to be our High Priest forever.

As a man, Christ knows our situation and sympathizes with us; and, as God, He is able to care for all our needs. Hallelujah for this God-man who is our High Priest!

The priesthood of Christ is “constituted not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:16). Aaron was constituted high priest according to the weak letter of the law; but Christ was constituted according to the powerful element of an indestructible life.

Our High Priest is constituted of a life that cannot be defeated but conquers all. It is a life that cannot be destroyed—a life that saves to the uttermost; the life that has no end, eternal, divine, uncreated; the resurrected life that has already passed through the test of death and Hades.

Our High Priest now serves God on our behalf in the Holy of Holies. He is our Advocate in the supreme court of the heavens! He is our Representative, who presents our case before God. We are not aware of how much Christ is doing for us there. Although His redemptive work has been accomplished, His heavenly service on our behalf never ceases.

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “His Name”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 2, Saturday, chapter 6

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 6

HOW TO HOLD THE HEAD

AND GROW IN HIM IN ALL THINGS

WEEK 2 – SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Dan. 9:24-27; Eph. 4:14; Col. 2:19

Read and pray: “But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ,” (Ephesians 4:15)

DISTRACTED BY PROPHECIES

As soon as I was saved, I loved the Lord and His Word. When I was young, I loved the Bible and made a firm decision that I would understand all its verses. Moreover, I would devote my entire life to this. Today I already know that the Bible is too profound for me to comprehend it completely.

At first I thought that I was making very good progress in my efforts. I went out in search of books on the Bible and went wherever it was being taught. In the end I became captivated by the United Brethren.

When I began to attend their meetings, they preached on the seventy weeks of Daniel (9:24-27). In all my years in Christianity since I had been born again, I had never heard of the seventy weeks. I was fascinated.

Later, I heard about the ten toes, the four beasts, and the ten horns. Then I began to study these strange matters, although very biblical. During the years I spent among the United Brethren, I do not recall ever hearing a single message about Christ.

One day I realized how sad my situation was. I had learned everything about the prophecies; yet I was dead, powerless. Disappointed, I changed. The Lord turned me away from the ten toes, the ten horns, the four beasts, and the seventy weeks! I turned to Christ, to the Spirit, to life, and to the church! Since 1932, my attention has been concentrated on these matters.

Message after message, these are the topics you hear in the Lord’s recovery. I need to warn you, dear young people, not to be distracted from these matters by any others.

Perhaps someone will approach you and ask what the meaning of the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls is. If you do not know, they will make you feel that your knowledge of the Bible is too small, that you only know about Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church.

Young people yearn for knowledge. If you allow yourselves to be distracted by prophecies, you will not be able to hold the Head. I do not mean that you should not study other subjects of the Bible. You should study them, but you should also realize that all these things are minor matters. The great subjects of the Bible are Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church.

DISTRACTED BY DOCTRINES

It is easy to be distracted. I know people who were distracted by Sabbath-keeping. Instead of caring for Christ, the all-inclusive Spirit, the divine life, and the church, they talk about the seventh day.

Others were distracted by the form of baptism. Some preacher may ask you what kind of baptism the church practices: sprinkling or immersion, in whose name, forward or backward, how many times. How would you answer? Would you be distracted?

A sister who attended a Lord’s table meeting in Los Angeles wrote to me objecting to the use of wine. How would you answer? I have already spent a good amount of time studying whether we should use wine or grape juice at the Lord’s table. Both sides have arguments in their favor. One cannot reach an absolute decision. What good, then, is it to argue about such matters?

The wearing of a veil by the sisters is another kind of question that may be asked of you. If you say that you are in favor of its use, they may question you about its color, shape, or size. Turn your back on all these questions that only cause distraction!

My advice is this: hold the Head! Christendom has thousands of divisions because of these distractions. When you are asked any of these questions, you may pray inwardly, “Lord, have mercy on me. Help me to hold You as the Head. I do not want to be seduced by any of these questions that only serve to distract us. I prefer to hold the Head.”

When Paul wrote about not holding the Head in Colossians 2:19, he was referring to those who distracted the church in Colossae with Judaism, Greek philosophy, and Gnosticism. Only when you hold the Head can you stay away from such distractions and then have reciprocity with the ministry of Christ in the heavens.

Only if you hold the Head will you grow. The reason so few Christians have reciprocity with the heavenly ministry of Christ is that they have stopped holding the Head.

Ephesians 4:14 says, “That we may be no longer little children, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.”

The winds that carry people about are teachings. They are not the winds of heresies only, but even of correct, biblical doctrine, which can carry us away: away from Christ (the Head) and from the church (the Body).

These winds are part of the satanic system to deceive believers and draw them away from Christ. How important it is to hold the Head and not allow any doctrine, no matter how biblical it may be, to distract us from Him!

GIVING THE LORD ROOM

As we hold the Head, we grow in Him (Eph. 4:15). Gradually we will realize that, in one matter after another, we are not in Christ. As we realize this, we can pray, “Lord, take control. I give You room in this aspect of my life.” This is the practical growth in life.

We belong to Christ; yet in many things we are not in Him. In these things He finds no room in us. In our manner of speaking, perhaps He finds no room. As we hold the Head, we may realize that our speaking is not in Christ. If we ask the Lord to take control in this area, we will grow in life with regard to our manner of speaking.

Many Christians love the Lord; yet He has no room in them, because they do not hold Christ. When they hold Him, the Spirit within them may, for example, question them concerning the way they dress. If they say, “Lord, I give You room to deal with the way I dress,” then He will come and take control.

The same may occur in the way a brother treats his wife or in the way a sister acts toward her husband. They may love the Lord; yet in their marital relationship they give Him no room to act. If they hold the Head, the Spirit within them will tell them that Christ finds no room in their attitude. As they open and give room to the Lord, He will occupy them more and more.

Therefore, giving the Lord room in daily life is the proper way to grow in life. You will not grow by accumulating biblical knowledge. To grow in life is to let the Lord take control in all practical matters.

As you do this in each matter, attitude by attitude, you will grow in those specific areas. The Lord will gradually fill you, and you will come to belong to Him in your whole being.

Thus you will mature. Through this growth in life your function will emerge, and the Body will be built up. This is a more excellent and deeper reciprocity with the Lord’s heavenly ministry. This is the way the churches are built up.

THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY

May we all realize that in the divine economy nothing matters except Christ. We have been transferred into Him. He is our portion, enjoyment, and life. He is the life-giving Spirit. He must be everything to us. This vision will preserve us. We will not allow any doctrine to distract us; doctrines are like wild beasts waiting to devour us!

We need to hold the Head with fear and trembling. Then the Spirit, day by day, will continue to speak to us: “In this matter, you still keep room only for yourself. In that other matter, you have never yielded to the Lord. In this area, you have not given Him even one inch of room. In that area, you still close yourself to the Lord.”

If we hold the Head, our response will be, “Lord, in this case I give You room. In that other, I yield so that You may take control.” Such a response results in growth in life.

Christ grows in us as He is able to take more room. In this way our function will come forth, and the Body will be built up. This vital reciprocity with the Lord’s heavenly ministry is more excellent than outward activity in life to attract people to God’s move. Having reciprocity with Him in this deeper way makes possible the building up of His Body.

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Hymn: Worship to the Father – “His Praise of Many Sons”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 2, Friday, chapter 6

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 6
HOW TO HOLD THE HEAD
AND GROW IN HIM IN ALL THINGS

WEEK 2 – FRIDAY
Bible Reading: Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:9, 24, 30; 2:2; 15:22, 45; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal. 5:4; Eph. 3:16-17; Phil. 1:21a; 3:8; Col. 1:18; 2:17, 19; 3:4, 10-11

Read and pray: “He is the Head of the Body, the church. He is the beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things” (Col. 1:18)

The goal of the heavenly ministry of Christ is to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. What God wants is the church. For the church to be realized, two kinds of work are required. The first is the outward move in life in order to preach the gospel and lead people to God. The second is the inward growth in life for the building up of the Body.

In past centuries, the first aspect of the work was carried out extensively. Many zealous Christians went forth as missionaries to propagate the gospel. Even today, many sincere Christians still follow this path.

When it comes to the building up of the Body, however, we discover that this aspect has been neglected. Many Christians do not even know what it means to grow in life. Very few know of the need for the building up of the Body.

Millions have been brought to the Lord, but because of the lack of growth in life, there is little building up. Few Christians are concerned with this excellent and inward aspect of the work. My burden concerning this aspect of the Lord’s move in the heavens is that there would be a more excellent and deeper reciprocity toward Him on our part.

Such reciprocity depends on holding the Head and growing in Him (Col. 2:19; Eph. 4:15). How much we hold the Head and grow in Him determines how much reciprocity we have with Him in the inward life for the building up of the Body.

However, it is likely that these two crucial terms are new to you. Has anyone ever drawn your attention to them? Have you ever heard a message on how to hold the Head or how to grow in the Head? Christ is our Head. He is the Head of the Body. All the members of the Body need to hold the Head and grow in Him in all things.

THE WRITINGS OF PAUL

The Epistles of Paul form two groups. The order in which they appear in the Bible is very significant. The first seven, from Romans to Colossians, form one group. His earliest Epistles are Romans and 1 and 2 Corinthians.

These three are followed by the four that I call the heart of the divine revelation: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. The first group, therefore, consists of three plus four.

The second group consists of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon; a total of six. Of course, there is also Hebrews, whose authorship has caused so much discussion. I believe there is ample evidence to state that Paul was the author.

These seven Epistles are made up of four plus three. The two to the Thessalonians and the two to Timothy make four, while Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews are the other three.

We will not speak of this second group of seven Epistles in this message. The first group of seven Epistles deals with three important points: Christ lives in us, the all-inclusive Christ, and the church. These are the crucial points in Paul’s ministry for completing the Word of God (Col. 1:25).

For this work of completion to be accomplished, we need to experience Christ living in us, understand how He is all-inclusive, and have the vision of the glorious church. These are the emphases of the first seven Pauline Epistles. Let us see how Paul’s writings emphasize these three points.

A QUICK SURVEY OF THE FIRST SEVEN EPISTLES

Romans mentions various matters in its sixteen chapters. According to Martin Luther, however, its main theme is justification by faith.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that its message is that God has transferred us from Adam into Christ. This includes justification by faith. Through our parents we were born in Adam, but when we believed in the Lord Jesus, we were transferred from the first man into Christ.

Romans 6:3 tells us that we were baptized into Christ Jesus. Now we are in Him. We are no longer in Adam, but in Christ. First Corinthians tells us that we were “called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:9).

Many Christians hold the poor concept that God called them so that one day they may go to heaven. This verse, however, says that we were called into the fellowship, or participation, enjoyment, of Christ.

He must be our delight. He is the power and the wisdom of God (1:24). Because we are in Him, He is to us “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (v. 30). With such a vast Christ for our enjoyment, Paul determined “to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified” (2:2).

In 15:22 Paul also tells us that “all will be made alive in Christ.” Christ gives us life because, as the last Adam, He became a life-giving Spirit (15:45). All these aspects of Him presented in this Epistle are for our enjoyment and are available to us because He became the life-giving Spirit.

Second Corinthians continues this line that the Lord is now the Spirit (3:17). Our part is to remove the veils to behold Him and reflect Him. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit” (3:18, lit.).

As we look at Him and reflect Him, we are transformed into His image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit. This expression Lord Spirit is a compound title referring to Christ.

Paul warned the believers in Galatia that if they tried to keep the law, they would be brought to be severed from Christ (Gal. 5:4). He was concerned that they remain in Christ and not be distracted by the law or religion. If they returned to them, they would lose everything they had gained from Christ and thus be separated and cut off from Him, causing Him to be nullified in His effect. To make circumcision a condition for salvation would be to abandon Christ, which would be of no profit to them.

In Ephesians Paul prayed that the Father would strengthen the believers “with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith” (3:16-17).

Our inner man needs to be strengthened so that Christ may make His home in our heart. He must occupy us to the extent that our whole being becomes His dwelling place.

“For to me, to live is Christ,” Paul tells us in Philippians 1:21. Christ was everything to him. In 3:8 he declares how precious Christ was to him: “But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ.”

Because of the surpassing value of Christ, Paul counted all things as loss in order to gain Him. Colossians further tells us how great Christ is. “He is the Head of the Body, the church. He is the beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things” (1:18).

He is all-inclusive, He is the reality of everything positive (2:17), He is our life (3:4), and He is all and in all in the new man (3:10-11). How great was the Christ that Paul saw! We all need such a vision in order to hold the Head.

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “In Remembrance of Him”

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