THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message One

The Gospel Satisfying Man’s Inner Need

Zech. 12:1 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus declares Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water gushing up into eternal life.

6:35 Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst.

There Being a Need Deep within Man,

Which Can Neither Be Touched nor Seen

Within man there is a spirit, and within the spirit there is a need. In the beginning God created man with a spirit for man to receive God. To illustrate, for man to drink water, he needs a stomach to contain water. Without a stomach, man would have no need for eating and drinking. According to the same principle, there is a need deep within man, which can neither be touched nor seen.

That Need Being the Need of Our Human Spirit

We all have this kind of experience. We may be rich in outward material things and may have sufficient psychological enjoyment, yet in the deepest part of our being, we are still not satisfied, and we still have a need. That need is the need of our human spirit. Throughout the generations many people who were thoughtful, moral, and idealistic have repeatedly discovered this need deep within man. In seeking to satisfy this need, man continually seeks after religion. People seek religion not merely for outward blessings and not even for the cultivation of morality. Rather, their seeking religion is for the need deep within their being.

Nothing Satisfying Our Inner Being Besides Christ Himself

A person who seeks for inner satisfaction is a person with more depth; this kind of person seems to be more noble. However, besides Christ Himself, there is nothing that can satisfy our inner being.…The Lord is the bread of life. He who comes to the Lord shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into the Lord shall by no means ever thirst. If they truly wanted to be satisfied in their human life, they needed to gain the Lord. Material blessings could not satisfy them; only the Lord could satisfy them.

Further Reading: CWWL, 1954, vol. 3, “Dead to Law But Living to God,” msg. 3

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Two

The Sugar-coated Gospel

Phil. 1:7 …Since both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all fellow partakers with me of grace.

The Bible Being Deep and Profound,

and Not Being Content with a Superficial Understanding of It

The Bible is deep and profound, and we should not be content with a superficial understanding of it.…We do not care for tradition or for man’s systematic theology. We care only for God’s holy Word.

If we become familiar with Paul’s terminology regarding the gospel, we shall see that many of the different teachings of the gospel today are very shallow.…We in the Lord’s recovery should not be satisfied with a shallow preaching of the gospel; we must come back to the Bible and dig into the riches contained in it. We thank the Lord that, in His mercy, we in the recovery are enjoying these riches.

Being Able to Discern

between the Sugarcoated Gospel Preaching

and the Preaching of Christ

According to God’s Economy

In principle, today’s situation is the same as the situation in Paul’s time. Many are preaching Christ, but in this preaching we can discern envy, strife, and rivalry in place of fellowship, defense, confirmation, advancement, and faith. Therefore, we need to adopt Paul’s vocabulary concerning the gospel and in a proper way, with humility and love, share this with other believers who are open to us. Perhaps the Lord will give many of the young people an opportunity to share with their parents what Paul meant by fellowship unto the gospel and by the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Much of today’s preaching is not healthy. In this preaching something is presented to the people, but it is not healthy food. Rather, it is sweet and sugarcoated, pleasant tasting, but lacking in nourishment. We must be able to discern between such preaching and the preaching of Christ according to God’s economy.

Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msg. 4

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Three

Salvation Not Being Prosperity but the Lord Himself

John 6:27 Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which abides unto eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you; for Him has the Father, even God, sealed.

The Lord’s Salvation Not Being for Material Blessings

Please remember that when the Lord was on the earth, He was not here to give people material blessings.…We can use three portions of Scripture to prove that the Lord did not come to the earth to provide people with material blessings. The first portion is in Mark 1. There we see that one day, when the sun had set, all those who were ill were brought to the Lord (v. 32). Yet the Bible does not say that the Lord healed all of them; it only says that “He healed many who were ill” (v. 34).…The Lord did not heal the sick all the time, and if we think He did, we are wrong. Many times, because of our weakness, the Lord will sympathize a little with us, and He will heal us to demonstrate His power and to prove that He is God. However, if we keep considering Him as a healer and keep asking Him to care for our own welfare, then the Lord will not do it anymore but rather will depart.

The second portion of Scripture is in John 2. Many believed into the name of the Lord when they saw the signs which He did (v. 23). Yet how did the Lord react? The Lord did not entrust Himself to them (v. 24).…Believing in the Lord due to miracles, blessings, or benefits is not trustworthy. When trials come and those who have this kind of belief do not see any blessing or any answer to their prayer, they may no longer believe.

The third portion of Scripture is in John 6. The Lord Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish. Thousands of people saw that miracle. The next day the crowd came to look for the Lord Jesus and found Him on the other side of the sea.…The Lord told them not to seek the food which perishes but to seek the food which abides unto eternal life, which He could give them.…The Lord is the bread of life. He who comes to the Lord shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into the Lord shall by no means ever thirst.…The Lord came to the earth to dispense Himself into people so that they may gain Him instead of religion.

The Lord’s Salvation Being the Lord Himself

The Lord came to the earth for man to gain Him; everything outside of Him is just religion. We should not consider prosperity as a small thing; to be prosperous is a very personal matter. Many have believed in the Lord for prosperity, but little do they know that prosperity is a matter of religion. The Lord’s salvation is not a matter of prosperity; rather, the Lord’s salvation is altogether apart from prosperity. In the first century, because of their faith in the Lord, countless Christians suffered the loss of their homes, their loved ones, and even their precious lives. Were they for their own prosperity? Of course not! The more faith they had in the Lord, the less prosperity they had in their human life. In the end they even sacrificed themselves and were martyred. Not prosperity, but martyrdom—this is the Lord’s salvation. Prosperity belongs to religion. The Lord’s salvation is the Lord Himself.

Further Reading: CWWL, 1954, vol. 3, “Dead to Law But Living to God,” msg. 3

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPELN

Message Four

Man Being Made in God’s Image as a Vessel

Gen. 1:26a And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.

Rom. 9:23 In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory.

God Creating Man in His Image

God created man in His image. That means God made man to have the attributes and virtues that He has. When God created man, He created him in His image, according to His attributes and virtues, so that man can express Him through these attributes and virtues. For example, God has love, and God loves. God also created man that man may have love and that man may love. God has wisdom and God has His purpose, so God made man also to have wisdom and to have a purpose. God can think, God can consider, God can love, God can like and dislike, God can make choices, God can have intentions, and God can make decisions. God created man in the same way so that man could express God.

God Creating Man with the Breath of Life

for a Spirit That Man May Receive God

God created man with the breath of life for a spirit that man may receive God. This is also recorded in Genesis 2:7. After God formed man with the dust of the earth to give him a physical body, God breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of man. The Hebrew word for breath in Genesis 2:7 is translated into spirit in Proverbs 20:27. Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord” (NASB). This is a strong proof that the breath of life God breathed into man’s body was eventually the spirit of man.

Man Being Created as a Vessel to Receive and Contain God

Man was created as a vessel to receive and contain God. This is fully revealed in Romans 9:21 and 23 and 2 Corinthians 4:7. In Romans 9 we are told that God is a potter, and we are the clay. The Potter made the clay vessels, and He made us vessels of mercy, vessels unto honor, and even vessels unto glory. Our being vessels to contain God is not because we are so good and preferable to God; it is altogether a matter of God’s mercy. God had mercy upon us, and He wanted us to be His vessels, so we are the vessels of mercy. We are vessels of honor because we contain the God of honor. Eventually, we all will be filled with God’s glory and glorified in the glory of God to become the vessels unto glory. We must see that God’s creation is to make us vessels to contain Him…We have to make it so clear and so impressive…that the creation of man was just to make man a vessel with a receptacle, that is, our spirit, to receive God into us as our life.

Further Reading: CWWL, 1979, vol. 1, “Basic Lessons on Life,” lsn. 1

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Five

The Complete Salvation of God

Rom. 1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

The Book of Romans Being on the Gospel of God

Which Is the Complete Gospel of God for Man

The book of Romans is on the gospel of God; it is the complete gospel of God for man.…Strictly speaking, the four Gospels do not contain the complete gospel, whereas Romans contains the complete gospel. The gospel revealed in Romans can be divided into four sections.…Romans presents the complete gospel, which includes justification, sanctification, the Body of Christ, and the church expressed locally. This is the complete gospel.

Justification Concerning Our Outward Position;

Sanctification Concerning the Operation of Life within Us

Justification concerns our outward position. Sanctification concerns the operation of life within us. Romans 1 through 3 reveal that we were sinners under God’s condemnation but that when we repented and believed in the redemption of Christ, we were justified in Christ (3:24, 26). Then our position changed from one of being condemned to one of being justified. Through justification we can stand before God, we are in a position to receive grace, and we are qualified to enjoy all God’s riches. Furthermore, we have been reconciled to God; there are no problems between us and God. This is signified in Luke 15:22 by the robe that was put on the prodigal son when he returned home.

Christ Becoming Our Life to Conform Us

to the Image of God’s Firstborn Son

So That Christ Might Be the Firstborn

among Many Brothers

The prodigal son was far away from his father and in a miserable position. When he repented and returned home, his father put a robe on him so that he could stand before him and be fully reconciled to him. However, putting the robe on merely solved the prodigal son’s positional problem; he was still hungry. Consequently, the father said to his slaves, “Bring the fattened calf; slaughter it, and let us eat and be merry” (v. 23). Eating the fattened calf was a further step, because the prodigal son received the inward enjoyment of life after the problem of his outward position was resolved.…The fattened calf signifies Christ as our life. When we enjoy Christ, He becomes our life. This life sanctifies us and causes us to grow in life. It also conforms us to the image of God’s firstborn Son so that Christ might be the Firstborn among many brothers (8:29)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1981, vol. 1, “The Great Mystery—Christ and the Church,” ch. 15

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Six

The Gospel of the Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Eph. 3:8 To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel.

Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.

Preaching the Unsearchable Riches

of Christ as the Gospel

The saints in the Lord’s recovery must faithfully preach the gospel in Romans in order to arrive at the destination. We must ask ourselves which gospel we preach. In other words, do we preach the gospel of casting out demons, healing, performing miracles, and expounding doctrines, or do we preach the gospel of life by announcing the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel? In Ephesians 3:8 Paul says, “To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel.” This indicates that Paul did not preach the gospel of casting out demons, healing, performing miracles, or expounding doctrines; he preached the dispensing of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

God’s Purpose Being That Christ

Being the All-Inclusive One to Us

Colossians 1:12 says, “Giving thanks to the Father, Who qualified you for a share of the portion of the saints in the light.” What the Apostle Paul had in mind here was the good land,…Man was created to live on the land to enjoy all the provision of God. All things related to man are concentrated in the land, which is a type of Christ. All things which God has prepared for us are concentrated in Christ.

God’s purpose is not just that we enjoy Christ a little, but that He should be the all-inclusive One to us. Look at this verse: “As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). He is a sphere, a realm for us to walk in. He is not just some food or water, but a realm, a land within which we can walk. We must walk in Him. He is our land, He is our earth, He is our kingdom.…It is the all-inclusive gift of God to us. We must take possession of it. It is ours, but we must enjoy it.

Further Reading: CWWL, 1981, vol. 1, “The Great Mystery—Christ and the Church,” ch. 15; CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-Inclusive Christ”, ch. 1

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Seven

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Matt. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 4:26 And He said, So is the kingdom of God: as if a man cast seed on the earth.

The Kingdom Being the All-Inclusive Gospel

The New Testament speaks of the gospel of life, the gospel of grace, and the gospel of salvation. However, all these are different aspects of the kingdom. The kingdom is the center, the hub, and all the other items may be considered the spokes, which are centered on the hub. The gospel of life is for the kingdom, the gospel of salvation is for the kingdom, and the gospel of forgiveness is for the kingdom. All these different aspects of the gospel are for the kingdom. The kingdom is the real gospel. We may think that the gospel is the gospel and that the kingdom is something else. This concept is wrong. The kingdom is the gospel. If we do not know the kingdom, we do not know the gospel in a full way. If we want to know the gospel in a full way, we must realize that the kingdom is the all-inclusive gospel.

The Establishment of the Kingdom

Being Absolutely a Matter of Growth in Life

In Mark 4 we see that the Lord Jesus establishes the kingdom by sowing Himself as the seed of life into God’s chosen people, the believers, so that the kingdom may grow. This indicates that the establishment of the kingdom is absolutely a matter of growth in life. To establish the kingdom, therefore, is to grow the kingdom. The kingdom is not established by outward working but by inward growing. If we do not realize this, we may think that the kingdom is established by our work. The kingdom, however, can be established only by Christ’s being sown as the seed of life into humanity. Hence, the kingdom is not brought into being by teaching or working; on the contrary, the kingdom is brought into being by Christ’s being sown as the kingdom seed into the believers. The seed will grow, and the life within it will produce the kingdom in its reality. We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that the kingdom of God is wholly a matter of life—Christ Himself as the seed of life, the seed of the kingdom, sown into our being.

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 107; msg. 250

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Eight

The High Gospel

Rom. 1:2-3a Which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, Concerning His Son…

The High Gospel Being Revealed

in the New Testament

We need to preach the high gospel revealed in the New Testament. In the New Testament, different terms are used for the gospel, such as the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1; 15:16), the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19), the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1), the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4), the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), and the gospel of our salvation (Eph. 1:13). The gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23) includes not only forgiveness of sins (cf. Luke 24:47) and the impartation of life (cf. John 20:31), but also the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 24:14). In Ephesians 3:8 Paul said that he preached the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel.

Preaching the High Gospel

We need to go to preach the high gospel. The booklet we have published entitled The Mystery of Human Life really works.…In it is the central way to present people the high gospel starting from God’s creation of man. The parts of man are presented with a diagram of three circles showing man’s spirit, soul, and body. It unveils God’s intention to come into man’s spirit so that man as a container, a vessel, may contain God. This high gospel of God’s economy captures the thoughtful, educated people.

Now we are endeavoring to live uniquely for the gospel, and no other way is prevailing but the Lord’s new way.…The new way is fully ordained by God and recorded in the Bible. It is here now for us to practice. We have tried this way, and it works.…We must visit people to share with them the high gospel, that is, the Triune God Himself to be our life and content.

Further Reading: CWWL, 1987, vol. 2, “The God-Ordained Way to Practice the New Testament Economy,” msg. 14; CWWL, 1987, vol. 1, “Being Desperate and Living Uniquely for the Gospel,” ch. 3

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Nine

Facing Persecution

1 Pet. 4:14 If you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

The Reason the Persecutions We Suffer

Are the Sufferings of Christ

Being That We Suffer in the Name of Christ

The reason the persecutions we suffer are the sufferings of Christ is that we suffer in the name of Christ. According to Peter’s word in verse 14, we are blessed if we are reproached in the name of Christ.

All These Trials Being Good for Us

The entire world lies in the evil one, Satan (1John5:19). Satan opposes God continually in every possible way. Satan is displeased whenever people turn to God, and he will not tolerate this. Once a person turns to God, Satan will instigate others to persecute that one. Paul once said that we Christians are appointed to suffer persecution (Phil.1:29). Persecution, therefore, is the portion appointed to us as believers in Christ.…Persecution is a suffering. However, trials are not merely a suffering, for trials are a suffering that serves the purpose of trying or proving us. We may use final examinations in school as an illustration.…All these trials are good for us. Just as examinations are good for students, so the various trials we face as Christians are a profit to us.

Glorifying God in the Day of Visitation

When They Observed the Excellent Manner of Life

of Their Children

Not long ago, a number of saints testified to this effect in a meeting. They said that in the past they were opposed by their parents and, in some cases, even persecuted by them. But gradually, over a period of time, the attitude of their parents began to change. When the young people went home to visit the family, their parents continued to oppose them. But they also were carefully observing their children. Little by little, there was less opposition and more observation. Eventually, the parents had a complete change in attitude, and in some cases, they also came into the church life. They observed the excellent manner of life of their children, and they glorified God in the day of visitation.

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msg. 19; msg. 28; Life-study of James, msg. 1

THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES ONE

THE GOSPEL

Message Ten

Suffering for the Gospel

Phil. 1:12-13 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things concerning me have turned out rather to the advancement of the gospel, So that my bonds have become manifest as being in Christ among the whole Praetorian guard and to all the rest.

2 Tim. 2:3 Suffer evil with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Those Who Preach the Gospel for the Carrying Out

of God’s Economy on Earth

Suffering for the Sake of the Gospel

The gospel we preach in the Lord’s recovery is opposed to today’s religion. In our Life-study of Revelation we pointed out that, according to Revelation 2 and 3, Judaism is satanic, Catholicism is demonic, and Protestantism is Christless. How could such a word be pleasing to those in religion? To utter this kind of word, however, is simply to agree with the terms used by the Lord Jesus in Revelation. He was the One to use the expression “the synagogue of Satan” (Rev.2:9). Does not such an expression indicate that, in the eyes of the Lord, Judaism has become a satanic system? Furthermore, concerning Thyatira, which signifies Catholicism, the Lord speaks of “the deep things of Satan” (Rev.2:24). This expression refers to deep, satanic mysteries. Such things certainly are demonic. Concerning Laodicea, we see that Christ is standing outside the door of the church (Rev.3:20). This is the reason we say that, in a very real sense, Protestantism is Christless, for Christ is outside the door. A similar sentiment was expressed by A. W. Tozer in an article entitled “The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches.” Even Tozer’s writing indicated that Protestantism is Christless. If we preach the gospel in this way, we should expect to be opposed. In preaching the gospel, our aim is neither to please people nor to offend them. It is simply to sound forth the truth of God. However, God’s truth will slaughter many things. Therefore, those who preach the gospel for the carrying out of God’s economy on earth will suffer for the sake of the gospel.

Suffering for the Gospel Meaning to

Share in the Carrying Out of God’s Economy

To suffer for the gospel means that you are on earth solely for the interest of God’s economy. To suffer for the gospel is to care for the accomplishment of God’s economy. The gospel includes God’s economy, and suffering for the gospel requires that we participate in God’s economy. Thus, to suffer for the gospel actually means to share in the carrying out of God’s economy.

Paul’s writings indicate that he suffered for the gospel. However, the gospel for which he suffered was not low or superficial. He suffered for the gospel in the sense that he was on earth for the carrying out of God’s economy.…If we preach the gospel in the way Paul did, we also shall suffer.…As long as we remain in the Lord’s recovery, caring for the accomplishment of God’s economy, our destiny is to suffer for the gospel.

Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msg. 3