Page 117 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

God’s Building 116

change, it is visible, but it is the result of an inward change. This is why it is
a serious matter to live in the church life year after year and yet remain the
same. This means no transformation is taking place; thus, no growth is taking
place. If there is no growth, this means the person has not been receiving
the proper nourishment for the growth. I will share this not as criticism
but for fellowship. There is a certain brother whom I’ve known for a long
time. I have never seen him eat the Lord. I have never seen him receive the
nourishment. Because he has not eaten the Lord, he has not grown and he has
not been transformed. And because he is not transformed, he cannot be built
up. Do you get the sequence? Eat the Lord! Take in the word of God! Get
the nourishment, and not just the teaching. Get the life essence of the word
of God everyday and pursue the Lord for the growth in life—for your own
growth in life, for the growth in life of the saints, for the growth in life of your
wife and children. If you do this, you will grow in life. If you grow in life,
you will be transformed, because under God’s government, He will arrange
many things in your family life, in your personal life, and in your church life.
He will arrange many things in the environment to go along with the inward
growth and cause you to be transformed. Then when we come together, it will
be very easy for us to be built up. The frustration in the building is due to the
lack of transformation.
SINCE GOD’S BUILDING IS LIVING, IT BEING GROWING; THE
ACTUAL BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH AS THE HOUSE OF
GOD BEING BY THE BELIEVERS’ GROWTH IN LIFE
Since God’s building is living, it is growing. This building that we are
in is much larger now than the last time I was in Malabon; it did not grow
because this building is not alive. Somebody just added onto it. I am glad
the brothers added onto it. It is a wonderful building. But this is not the way
God’s building is built. The way to build up God’s building is by growing.
God’s building actually grows organically, like a physical body. How did
your body become so big? It started out very small. The body was built up
as it grew. This is the concept of God’s building; it is a growing building.
The actual building up of the church as the house of God is by the believers’
growth in life. Let us be those who diligently pursue the growth in life. This
should be a major focus in our life. The points in this outline will help us both