Experiencing Christ Teachings

The disciples were backsliding from the Lord's call to their old occupation. The Lord had told His disciples to wait in heavenly power from on high. But the disciples had left that position, giving up that ground. By leaving Jerusalem and coming to Galilee, they gave up their position. They had decided to go to the sea to fish. Peter and the other disciples went fishing because of their living. They might have lacked a sufficient supply of food and were very concerned about it.

First, the fish are mentioned, the animal life with the lowest consciousness. We have all had some experience of this. Suppose there are some goldfish swimming in the water and we come near them. They will be frightened away. However, if we scatter some food into the water and keep away, all the fish will return. This life is higher than the tree life, higher than the plant life (Ezek. 47:7, 9). Although it is not very high, it is higher. This is the first step of the growth of life.

These people go along with the Lord, and to them He turns to speak. The purport of what He will next say is this: Yes, you are saved; but if you want to follow Me, you will now have to fulfill certain conditions. He thus raises the standard of truth, for He will not lower God’s ordained yardstick on account of the great multitudes.

All the blessings, benefits, and bounties in the universe are of three categories. The first category is God's creation, the second is God's redemption, and the third is God's regeneration. In God's creation we enjoy so many good things: air, sunshine, minerals, animal life, vegetable life. All these are good things of God's creation, and we are qualified to partake of them because we are God's creatures. Furthermore, as the redeemed ones, we enjoy forgiveness of sins, justification by faith, reconciliation in God's grace, and sanctification. Because we are redeemed, all the benefits in God's redemption are ours.

The great power that operated in Christ has subjected all things under His feet. For Christ to be far above all is one thing; for all things to be subjected under His feet is another. The former is Christ's transcendency; the latter is the subjection of all things to Him. Here we see the subduing power, the power to subdue all things.

Our hope is singly and uniquely Christ. Every aspect of our hope is related to Him. What a Christ we have within us. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, the reality of all positive things... If we see the vision that the all- inclusive Christ who indwells us is our hope of glory, our living will be revolutionized.

My burden in this message is to relate the exaltation of Christ to our spiritual experience. God has already exalted Christ, but have you exalted Him? Christ has been exalted in the universe, but has He been exalted in you? The problem is that Christ has been exalted everywhere except in you

We have mentioned the positive aspect of spiritual progress, which is the increase of the element of God in us. Now let us look at the negative aspect of spiritual progress. Spiritual progress on the negative side is the shedding of certain things from us, that is, from our inner being. As soon as something is shed from us, we have spiritual progress. When something that usurps God's place is shed from us, we have spiritual progress.