LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “But what things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ.” (Phil. 3:7)
THE NEED FOR COORDINATION
I hope that every believer can understand that we cannot be isolated Christians. Basically, as believers in Christ, we are a corporate entity, and we cannot do anything alone. The vision in Ezekiel 1 shows us that we need to be corporate and that we need to be in coordination.
Necessary for the Expression of God
Coordination is necessary for the expression of God. We have shown that the four living creatures are for the expression of God in Christ. For God to have a corporate expression of Himself in Christ, we need to be united and joined with all the saints and thus become one entity.
If we are isolated, we cannot express Christ in a proper way. Each of the living creatures has four faces. However, if we were to look at the living creatures one by one, we could not see all four faces at the same time. Only when the living creatures are coordinated together can we see all four faces simultaneously.
This indicates that, as individual believers, we cannot express Christ completely and properly. For the corporate expression of Christ, we need to be united, joined, and coordinated together.
Necessary for the Move of God
Coordination is also necessary for the move of God. The spreading of God’s gospel, the advance of God’s move on the earth, the carrying out of God’s will, the progress of God’s church—all these require coordination. It is impossible to accomplish these things as individual Christians.
Through our experience in serving the Lord, we have learned that coordination is necessary for all aspects of God’s move. The great wheel of God moves according to the coordination of the living creatures.
Necessary for God’s Administration
Furthermore, coordination is necessary for God’s administration. In Ezekiel 1, the throne of God’s administration is supported not by any individual living creature but by the coordination of all four living creatures. Thus, coordination is necessary for the expression of God, the move of God, and the administration of God.
THE PREREQUISITES OF COORDINATION
Now we need to see the prerequisites of coordination.
Experiencing the Wind, the Cloud, the Fire, and the Electrum
The prerequisites of coordination include such matters as the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. In order to coordinate with other Christians, we need to pass through the experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum to become living creatures bearing a human likeness and, in the Lord’s grace, manifesting Christ in the four aspects of man, lion, calf, and eagle.
Having the wings of an eagle, we must deny the self and trust in God’s grace and power. We also need the hands of a man and the hooves of a calf. These are the prerequisites of coordination.
Suppose a certain person has not passed through the experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, yet he is a nominal Christian. Such a person cannot participate in the coordination of the four living creatures.
Suppose another person, a genuine believer in Christ, has experienced the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum and thus has become a living creature. However, he is not willing to allow the Lord to continue His work in him.
As a result, he does not manifest the expression of man, lion, young bull, and eagle and therefore cannot coordinate with others for the expression, move, and administration of God. Because he remains in himself and expresses his self in every word and action, it is impossible for him to coordinate with others.
We should not think that it is easy for us to express and live out the faces of man, lion, calf, and eagle. This requires much experience of the dealing of the cross. Today, although many brothers and sisters have passed through the experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, they are not willing to allow the cross to work in them.
Therefore, they do not have the expression of the four living creatures. Instead of having the expression of an eagle in their daily life, some believers may have the expression of a reptile.
Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry, yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” To be angry is not a sin, but with it there is the possibility of committing sin. We should not continue in anger but should let go of our anger before the sun sets.
However, when certain brothers and sisters become angry, they do not let it go. Because they have not overcome their anger and have not let it go, they have the expression of a reptile, not of an eagle.
The situation is the same with believers who are not willing to forgive those who have offended them. Once certain brothers and sisters are offended by what is spoken to them or about them, they refuse to forgive that offense.
They may go through their entire life without forgiving those who have offended them. Believers who are unwilling to forgive offenses certainly do not have the wings of an eagle and certainly cannot coordinate with the other saints.
Those who do not accept the dealing of the cross and enjoy grace are not able to share in the coordination of the four living creatures.
There are some brothers and sisters who are reluctant to separate from and forget things such as their education, money, and career. Therefore, they also have the expression not of an eagle but of a reptile.
However, the one who enjoys grace will consider his career or education as loss (Phil. 3:7). Even if he has a doctoral degree, he will consider it as nothing (v. 8). Being willing to receive the dealing of the cross and because he enjoys grace, he has the wings of an eagle and can coordinate with others.
Brothers and sisters who do not understand God’s grace and power but do everything by themselves and with their natural intelligence and ability cannot coordinate with others. Those who can coordinate are those who deny themselves, reject themselves, consider themselves as nothing, and trust in God’s grace, power, and work in everything and for everything.
These can easily coordinate with others. In fact, there is no need for them to strive to coordinate; they coordinate spontaneously and effortlessly, because they are in God and not in themselves. Those who are in themselves cannot coordinate, but those who are in God can coordinate with ease.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: “Free from Adam, from the self, build me up, Lord”
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