God & man mingled being displayed

For eternity the mingling of God and man will be manifested and displayed, realized and exalted.

First verse: John 12:24

"Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24)

For eternity God intends to manifest the living union and blending of God and humanity.

Another proof text:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom He predestinated, these He also called;
and those whom He called, these He also justified;
and those whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30)

Ephesians is all about the display to the universe of the mingling of God and man. Here is a great passage showing the "riches" of His salvation on display forever.

"Even when we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Him [Christ] and seated us with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,

That He might DISPLAY in the ages to come the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:5-7)

"And to know the knowledge surpassing love of Christ, that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

But to Him who is able to do superabundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power which operates in us.

To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen." (Eph. 3:19-21)

The mingling of God and man is not to be displayed only in some future age. The normal church life must aspire to be the manifestation of God in the flesh.

Or let me put it this way. The local church normal is to be a spiritual farm where Christ is growing in the Christians. Growing, developing, maturing, and being displayed in their humdrum daily lives.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.

So then neither is he who plants anything nor he who waters, but God who causes the growth.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

FOR WE ARE GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS;
YOU ARE GOD'S CULTIVATED LAND (or farm), GOD'S BUILDING." (1 Cor. 3:6-9)

A special thanks and acknowledgment to the writings of Witness Lee.

@divegeester

The mingling of God and man is the petition in the prayer of Jesus Christ in John 17. Think of a prayer of a man SO POWERFUL that its answer from God effects the eternal future of the recipients of the intercession.

The Son's mighty petition includes this:

"That they all may be one, even as You Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me. (v.21)

And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one. (v.22)

I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one, that they world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. (v.23)

Father, concerning that which You have given Me, I desire that they also may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:21-24)

@divegeester

A special thanks and acknowledgment to the writings of Witness Lee.

The following chapters are translations of a series of messages spoken in Chinese by Brother Watchman Nee to the church in Shanghai and the co-workers who were under his training for a longer period, from the fall of 1939 to the fall of 1942

CHAPTER FIVE
THE HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM

We have already seen that the woman in Genesis 2 is the same woman seen in Ephesians 5 and in Revelation 12. Now let us look at another woman, recorded in Revelation 21 and 22.

Although there is a long distance between them, the last two chapters of Revelation correspond with the first three chapters of Genesis. God created the heaven and the earth in Genesis, and the new heaven and the new earth are in the last two chapters of Revelation. In both Genesis and Revelation there is the tree of life. In Genesis there is a river flowing out from Eden, and in Revelation there is a river of living water flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In Genesis there is gold, pearl (bdellium), and a kind of precious stone (onyx), and in Revelation there is gold, pearl, and all kinds of precious stones. In Genesis 2 Eve was Adam's wife. In Revelation 21 the Lamb also has a wife. The Lamb's wife is the New Jerusalem, and God's eternal purpose is fulfilled in this woman. In Genesis 3 man's fall was followed by death, sickness, suffering, and the curse. But, when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven in Revelation 21, there is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain because the former things have all passed away. If we read the Scriptures carefully, we will see that Genesis 1 through 3 does indeed correspond with Revelation 21 and 22. They face each other at the two ends of the expanse of time.

Revelation 19:7 continues, "Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him..." This is the time when God will be glorified. Following this, the verse says, "...for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (Wife is the correct translation, though some translators use bride.) Not only has God's authority commenced, but the kingdom has been ushered in. Furthermore, the corporate man, the eternal Eve whom God desired, has been obtained. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. There are two reasons for praise. First, God reigns. To this we say, Hallelujah! Second, God has obtained what He determined to have in eternity past. To this we also say, Hallelujah! We too should rejoice and be exceeding glad, because one day God will surely obtain what He desires. When the marriage of the Lamb has come, the wife has made herself ready.

When we look at ourselves, it seems impossible that such a day will ever come when Christ presents a glorious church to Himself, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things. But since this will happen, how can we refrain from saying, Hallelujah! Regardless of how much weakness there has been, both yesterday and today, God will obtain His determined will in that day. Never forget this—in that day the wife will be ready. Therefore, we must give Him the glory, and we must say, Hallelujah!

The church is the pillar and base of the truth. Individual spirituality is good but it falls short of God's overall goal that the truth would be supported and exalted by the church.

"But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15)

This is fantastic to me. The church far from pitiful and contemptible failure is "THE PILLAR AND BASE OF THE TRUTH" .

I don't believe the failures in Christianity. I believe what Paul saw, and labored on, and which is being recovered today - the church as the supporting foundation and uplifting column of the truth in this universe.

This is for the display of God and man mingled together.

The church is the PILLAR and BASE of the truth.

" ... how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15)

It is no small thing that Paul writes "the church of the LIVING God". It is not the church of right doctrines. Though we should want our doctrines to be right and not wrong.

But the church of the living God means beyond correct doctrinal knowledge God is LIVING in the members of the church. Through them the living God is moving and living in them. This is the truth. And the church is the PILLAR and the BASE of this truth.

This is absolutely demonstrated by the following words from verse 15. Verse 16 is apparently a kind of hymn or poem that the believers in Paul's time were proclaiming. And it is about God manifest in the flesh.

"And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory." (verse 16)