Knowing the Church as the Organism of the Triune God

Have you ever considered what the real meaning of “the church” is? Since the church is something that has its source in the heart of God, we should really make His Word the yardstick for the truth concerning the church. We should hold to the truth and let the word of God preside. By aligning ourselves with God’s word we will be able to render Him the human cooperation He needs to fulfill His eternal plan for man.

The church is not an organization of man but an organism of the Triune God.

We need to see that the church, as revealed in the Bible, is not an organization manufactured by man, but an organism produced by the Triune God (Eph. 1:22-23). No organization of man, regardless of how massive and efficient, can fulfill God’s purpose for the church. God wants something organic—of His eternal, divine life— and could never be satisfied with millions of “artificial flowers”—void of this divine life. The Lord Jesus referred to this divine organism in John 15 when He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches” (John 15:5). It is only through such a vine that the Triune God can fulfill His eternal plan or economy.

This divine organism is the structure of the union and mingling of all the believers with the Triune God.

Ephesians 4:4-6 reveals the church as such a divine organism. The base for the believers to maintain their oneness, is the Triune God of oneness who is united and mingled with them. These verses say, “one Body and one Spirit…, one Lord,…one God and Father of all who is over all and through and in all.” From these verses we can see that the Spirit is the life essence of the Body for we were all given to drink of this one Spirit so that we may be thoroughly mingled with Him (1 Cor. 12:13) . Christ is the life element of the Body. It is by the one faith that we believed into Him, receiving Him as our life (John 1:12; 3:15) and by the one baptism we were immersed into our union with Him (Rom. 6:3-5). Then, we enjoy the Father as the person of this organism who is over all (managing and caring), through all (penetrating and joining) and in all (dwelling and living) (Eph. 4:6).

For the producing of this organism we need to experience a metamorphic change by the mingling of God and man.

There are two sections of the word that speak of this metamorphic change in relation to the church. After revealing this divine organism being the mingling of the believers with the Triune God (Eph. 4:4-6), Paul goes on present the way for the church to experience this metamorphic change. This requires that we live in a way of putting off the old man and putting on the new man. Such a metamorphic change is accomplished by our being renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph. 4:22-24). Since the Spirit dwells in our spirit, we need to continually contact Him and keep ourselves open to allow Him to spread into our mind, to saturate our mind. When we set our mind on the spirit, our mind is transformed and becomes divine life (Rom. 8:6). So first we need the Spirit with our spirit.

Second, we need the Word (Eph. 5:26-27). For this metamorphic change, we need the continual washing of the water in the Word. By the nourishing, sanctifying, and washing of Christ’s words of life, we undergo a metamorphic change to become this divine organism, the Body of Christ which will one day be presented to Christ as His spotless, glorious bride. It is good to begin each day by praying over a few verses so  that the Spirit as the essence of life metabolically cleanses us (Eph. 6:17-18).

We should daily open ourselves to allow the Lord as the Spirit with our spirit to spread into our mind for the renewing of the new man. We should also daily immerse ourselves in the water of life in the word of Christ to be prepared as the bride for Christ. In such a way we can cooperate with the Lord that He may gain His mysterious organism to fulfill God’s eternal plan or economy.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for revealing to us God’s heart’s desire to have Your Body, as this mysterious divine organism. Lord may we be unveiled and unloaded of all of our religious background so that we may be focused on and cooperate with such a divine plan. Lord daily renew us in the spirit of our mind and daily wash us with the water in your word. Make us this mysterious organism to fulfill God’s economy”

This post was inspired by Week 6 of the Holy Word for Morning Revival – Crucial Elements of the Bible. If you liked this post you may also enjoy reading The Mysteries in God’s New Testament Economy, pp. 62-71. You can also read it online at ministrybooks.org.