Day: March 20, 2022

The Second Category—Building Up Morality

A second category of things in the Bible is related to morality. When God enters into man to be His life, He cannot allow man to remain an evil person. As a vessel, man must be upright and proper in order to match God so that God can become his life. For this reason the Bible speaks much concerning morality. If I want to drink from a cup, I must first clean it thoroughly and properly. Although my ultimate goal is to have a liquid inside the cup, I must first clean the cup. In the same way, when God wants to make us His vessel, to enter into us as life, He must first cleanse our vessel from sin and evil. However, this is only a peripheral preparation work.

Man is also full of concepts about morality. Hence, when he reads the Bible and finds something on morality, he heartily responds to what he reads, and he echoes it. Most people mark only the passages in their Bibles on love for one another, meekness, humility, righteousness, and justice. Everybody who comes across these passages feels that these words are great and encouraging.

This does not mean that these teachings in the Bible are bad. These teachings are good. However, we must realize that these are peripheral matters. They are not the central matters in God’s will. If we can find only these matters in the Bible, then the Bible is no different from the writings of other religions or the teachings of sages. These things are absolutely not the center of the Bible

The Third Category—Guidance for Human Living

A third category of peripheral matters in the Bible is secrets on human living. How should we live as human beings on earth? How should we handle human relationships? How should we behave as parents and as children? How should we relate to our spouse? How do we make friends? What attitude should we have toward money? How should the rich live? How should the poor live? Things like these can be found in many places in the Bible. The book of Proverbs is full of such advice. These are the things that many people consider to be precious when they come to the Bible. However, these are peripheral matters, like skin and feathers.

The Fourth Category—Religious Zeal

The fourth category of peripheral matters in the Bible is related to zeal for religion. Every Christian has a zeal to serve God, to be dedicated to Him, to love Him, and to be faithful to Him. These are not bad things. They are all good, but they are religious concepts. They are peripheral matters that have nothing to do with the central point of the Bible.

Although the Bible contains these four peripheral categories of things, the central matter of the Bible concerns God becoming our life. The peripheral matters of the Bible deal with solutions to sufferings, exhortations for moral conduct, guidance for human living, and zeal for religion. When man comes to the Bible, he may be filled with concepts and needs related to these four areas, but he may also have no consciousness of God becoming our life. Therefore, he receives only peripheral things. He misses the central matter, the trunk and the root. This is a great lack in our reading of the Bible.

EXAMPLES OF READING THE BIBLE

Suppose a brother loses his job and worries continually about his employment. When he reads Philippians 4, he may not understand verses 1 through 3 but may touch something in verse 4, which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” This verse is in contrast to his situation since he is not rejoicing and is unhappy about losing his job. Consequently, his attention is drawn to the word rejoice, but he misses the words in the Lord. It is as if the verse reads “Rejoice always; again I will say, rejoice.” As he continues reading, he is not touched by verse 5 but is touched by the words in verse 6, which say, “In nothing be anxious.” Since he has been very anxious about his job, this word is very precious to him. He feels as if the Lord has spoken to him and has touched his inner being with these words. Then he reads, “But in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” This word is even better, and he begins to pray, saying, “Lord, thank You and praise You that I can let my requests be made known to You by prayer and petition with thanksgiving. My request is to have a job. I need a job. You said that I should be anxious in nothing. I am not anxious anymore. I give my anxiety to You.” He ultimately feels cherished after reading verse 7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” Immediately, he thanks and praises God for giving him the peace that will guard his heart and thoughts. He seems to be reading the Bible in the way of life. He has exercised his spirit, not his mind, and has digested the word through prayer, eating God through the Word. He is fed and satisfied.

Although this is good, we may ask whether the brother has eaten the meat or the feathers. Has he touched the central matters of the Bible or peripheral matters? These few verses contain central matters and also peripheral matters. The peripheral matters are attached to the central matters. Regrettably, this brother found only the peripheral matters; he did not touch the central matters. Verse 4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The words in the Lord mean that we have a life union with the Lord, that we allow the Lord to be our life. Based on our being in the Lord and on this life union with Him, we can and will spontaneously rejoice. Verse 7 says, “The peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” The basic issue lies in the words in Christ Jesus. This is the central matter. Guarding is merely the result of being in Christ Jesus. But our brother only picks up the words peace and guard, not in Christ Jesus. He picks up only the things that are not of the Lord. He does not understand the central point. He sees only the peripheral matters. These peripheral matters belong to the first category, to consolation and deliverance from sufferings.

Then the brother reads verse 8, which says, “Finally, brothers, what things are true, what things are dignified, what things are righteous, what things are pure, what things are lovely, what things are well spoken of, if there is any virtue and if any praise, take account of these things.” He is touched again. This verse is related to the category of ethics and morality. God requires that man be proper. Man should not be evil. Hence, God says that we should take account of things that are true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of. We should think of good things, not evil things, pure things, not filthy things, and lovely things, not hateful things. However, these are peripheral matters; they are not central. Because our brother’s mind is full of ethical concepts, he responds immediately to these words on morality and ethics.

Our brother continues to read verse 12, which says, “I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack.” This word appeals to him even more because it speaks of a secret to human living, a secret related to abounding and being in lack. Then he reads, “I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me” (v. 13), and he exclaims, “I have found the secret to human living! It is to trust in the Lord.” Many Christians utter these words without knowing what it means to trust in the Lord. The important words in this verse are in Him. We are able to do all things “in Him.” The One who empowers us dwells within us. If we learn to live in Him, we find the secret to human living. It is only when we are in Him that we are able to do all things.

On another day this brother may read Galatians 1. While he is not impressed by verses 1 through 9, he is touched by verse 10, which relates to the category of zeal for religion: “Am I now trying to win the assent of men or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Christ.” He is touched again, and because he thinks that a Christian should be faithful to God, he turns this feeling into prayer, saying, “Lord, forgive me for being fearful of men and trying to please men. Strengthen me so that I will please You all the time and not care to please men. I want to live before You instead of before men.” The prayer enables him to touch his spirit, and the more he touches his spirit, the more he is filled and satisfied.

The next morning the brother reads, “It pleased God…to reveal His Son in me” (vv. 15-16). Even though these are central verses, his inward being is like oily paper that prevents the ink from penetrating into his heart. His inward being cannot absorb these words. This brother is receiving the skin of the chicken, not the meat. God is pleased to reveal His Son in us in order to be our life and to become the fullness of God in us. This is the most central matter. However, when he reads, there is no response in him; it is as if these words do not exist. The only words that touch him in Galatians 1 concern being a slave of Christ and not pleasing man. This is the skin. However, he does not realize that the meat in Galatians 1 is the phrase it pleased God to reveal His Son in me. Although this is God’s goal, he is fully occupied by religious zeal and concepts. He feels that he should be zealous for God and faithful to God, but he does not see God’s central goal.

On the third day the brother reads chapter 2 of Galatians and does not see anything significant in verses 1 through 10. In verse 11 he reads Paul’s rebuke of Peter, and there is an echo within him. He considers Paul to be a faithful man who did not compromise in order to preserve the purity of the gospel. He is “enlightened,” and prays, “Lord, in the past some brothers have spoken erroneously in public. Please forgive me for not correcting them immediately. I am not faithful. Please give me the strength to be faithful for the defense of Your gospel so that the truth can be preserved among us.” This is a religious concept. He is not touched, however, by verse 20 even though this is a precious central word, which says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

IDENTIFYING THE CENTRAL 
AND PERIPHERAL MATTERS IN THE BIBLE

Many brothers and sisters may still not be clear concerning studying the Bible in the way of life. In this chapter we will consider again the matter of enjoying God through reading the Word. First, I will mention a few crucial points and then give some examples to illustrate these points.

THE BIBLE HAVING CENTRAL 
AS WELL AS PERIPHERAL MATTERS

In the Bible there are central matters and there are peripheral matters. In other words, some things in the Bible can be compared to the roots of a tree and others to the leaves. A tree has roots and a trunk, but it also has branches and leaves. There is a basic difference between the roots and the trunk, and the branches and the leaves. We can also use the example of a cooked chicken, which has meat as well as skin. If the feathers are not thoroughly plucked before cooking, there may even be feathers. The central matter of a cooked chicken is the meat, and the peripheral matters are the skin and feathers. Similarly, there are central matters in the Bible as well as peripheral matters. May we all bear this distinction in mind.

THE CENTRAL MATTER IN THE BIBLE— 
GOD IN THE SON COMING TO BE LIFE TO MAN

What is the central matter, the root and trunk, of the Bible, and what are the peripheral matters, the branches and the leaves? In the previous chapter we pointed out that the central matter, the root and foundation, of the Bible is God in the Son coming to be life to man. This simple word speaks of the very essence of the Bible. The subject of the Bible is God becoming life to man in the person of His Son. God is embodied in His Son, and He has given His Son to man. As soon as man receives God’s Son, the Holy Spirit enters into man to become life to man. God becomes life to man by becoming man’s food. When man receives Him as food and digests Him, He becomes every element within man. By living according to this life and by this life, man lives before God. This is the root, the foundation and central matter, of the Bible.

At the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 1, man was placed before the tree of life. At the end of the Bible, in Revelation, the tree of life is still before man. All properly trained students of the Bible would agree that the tree of life symbolizes God revealing and presenting Himself to man as life in the form of food so that man would eat Him, thus enabling Him to become life to man. The accomplishment of this goal is recorded between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20. God has now entered into man and become life to man. God entered into man in His Son and through the Holy Spirit. He is now being digested by man to become man’s satisfaction and life so that man can live by Him. Although the Bible says many things, the center of its revelation is this subject. This, however, is only a brief sketch. Many items are attached to this central subject, but we will not consider these items now.

FOUR PERIPHERAL MATTERS IN THE BIBLE

The peripheral matters, the skin and feathers, in the Bible can be grouped into four categories.

The First Category—Consolation in Sufferings

The first category is related to sufferings, consolation in trials, and deliverance from difficulties. We can find many things in this category in the Bible. Although God’s central thought and goal are to work Himself into man to be man’s life, from man’s perspective there are many things that he must face. The first is suffering. Human life is always accompanied by sufferings. For example, I can preach the gospel to a friend and exhort him, saying, “You should believe in the Lord Jesus. He wants to save you and enter into you to be your life.” My friend, however, may respond, “My wife has had tuberculosis for three years. Can you come and pray for her? If she is healed as a result of your prayer, I will believe in Jesus.” Whereas God is trying to work His Son into my friend to be his life, my friend does not understand or even care for this. Instead, he cares for his wife’s deliverance from tuberculosis. God wants to enter into him to be his life, but he wants his wife to be healed. There is a conflict of interests. In such a situation God may sympathize and give in a little, causing me to respond, saying, “Has your wife had tuberculosis for three years? God is a sympathetic God. His name is also Jehovah-ropheka, Jehovah who heals” (Exo. 15:26). “He can heal. As long as you and your wife pray to Him, she can be healed.” This word may comfort my friend, and he may return to his wife, saying, “I spoke with a preacher today. Even though I did not understand or care for what he said, he did say that there is a true and living God who can heal you. If we pray, your sickness may be healed. Why don’t we try?” The two of them may pray for healing, but as they are praying, they are also providing an opening to the Lord and affording the Holy Spirit an opportunity to enter into them and work on them. The Holy Spirit may convict them of their sins and lead them to confess their sins. They may call on the Lord Jesus without much understanding and confess Him as their Savior. They might not be clear concerning who the Lord Jesus is, but by calling on Him, they can still be saved by God’s mercy. On the one hand, the wife is healed, but on the other hand, God has entered into them.

Even if the wife is healed, the husband might not have a job. Hence, when we speak again, I may say, “God has cared for you. He knows your troubles and answers your prayers. Go and pray with your wife again.” As long as he is only concerned about his troubles, those who try to help him can only help him solve his troubles. There is no way to help him to know God in a simple way and to experience Him as life.

The human life is full of sufferings. God knows this and, therefore, is somewhat obliged to help man before He can be life to man. I believe that the Lord allows me to say “somewhat obliged,” because this is not the main work of God. But man misunderstands God and thinks that God desires only to heal people and find jobs for them. It is as if God is a free doctor and a great employment agent. People think that God is only supposed to find jobs, schools, and homes for them. Many people begin their Christian lives by asking Him to do many things for them and thank and praise Him when their prayers are answered. However, when He no longer answers their prayers, they immediately question Him, saying, “What is wrong with Jesus? Why is God partial to some people? Maybe God is not a faithful God, or maybe He is not trustworthy.” They become angry and stop going to meetings or praying at home, thinking that God is not faithful and not trustworthy. There are many examples of such Christians. Many among us may even be such Christians.

Since man does not know God, he thinks that God is a goodhearted and good-natured God, who blindly dispenses love and mercy. Veiled by this misconception, he cannot understand God’s desire. He does not understand God’s thoughts and is completely occupied with his sufferings. Some preachers even say that man suffers because he lacks religion and that only religion can solve the problems of human suffering. They even preach that Christianity solves the problems of human life, giving examples of families whose problems were solved once they believed in Jesus. They use these words to attract people and to satisfy man’s psychology, because they know that human life is full of sufferings; however, they are ignorant of God’s mind.

The Bible does show that God is compassionate and cares for man. He is ready to comfort the suffering and heal the sick. Although the Bible does mention many such precious promises, these things are not the central goal in God’s heart. God’s central goal is not to heal our sicknesses or to remove our sufferings. His central goal is to enter into us to be our life. Because we have sufferings, sicknesses, and needs, He comforts, heals, and abides by the promises in the Bible. However, promises such as these are peripheral matters in the Bible. They are not the central matters. They are not the root and the trunk; rather, they are the branches and the leaves. Unfortunately, we often find only these superficial and outward things in the Bible. We fail to see the central, foundational things.