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