BEING ASSURED THAT THE LORD WILL WORK OUT HIS RECOVERY
This is the conclusion of what we have received in the last four or five years after reconsidering our ways before the Lord according to the Bible, by studying church history, and by comparing the statistics of numerous denominations. This is also the life that we should live, the work that we should do, and the way that we should take as God’s New Testament priests of the gospel. For this reason I am convinced that among us the Lord will first recover the New Testament priesthood of the gospel. Second, He will recover the organic essence of the Body of Christ so that every member is living, full of the Spirit, and full of life. Third, He will recover Ephesians 4 so that all the gifted ones may perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry, and fourth, He will recover 1 Corinthians 14 so that all the saints may arrive at a state in which they all speak for the Lord as prophets. I believe that the Lord will work this out for the accomplishment of His purpose. On the human side, we may have looseness and shortcomings which merely delay the Lord’s time. Furthermore, to the Lord a thousand years are like one day. However, He will eventually accomplish what He is after; He will work it out sooner or later.
BEING POSITIVE, ENDURING, AND ENDEAVORING
We all should have much faith and maintain a heart of endurance, being hopeful in the Lord and hopeful concerning His new way. In the last days of this age the Lord will fully recover these four things among us—the New Testament priesthood of the gospel, the organic function of the believers, the perfecting in Ephesians 4, and the prophesying in 1 Corinthians 14. We need to be positive but not anxious. We all have our old background and old upbringing which are not easy to discard and replace with something new. Therefore, we should not be too hasty to have a success but should rather proceed slowly with a right heart and endurance. At the same time, those who have already entered into the new way should not despise those who have not yet entered, and neither should those who have not yet entered oppose those who have entered. We all should love one another, bear one another, and wait for one another. Do not forget that whichever way we are in, we are all those who believe in the Lord, who love Him, and who are for Him. However, it makes a difference which way we take. If we take the right way, the results will be great; if we take the wrong way, the results will be small, and this will be a frustration to the Lord. Therefore, as much as we can, we should turn to the proper way.
We must endeavor to go on with the Lord. The Lord knows our problems and our circumstances. He can be our supply and strength and day after day bring us to the right way. We also should consider one another and pray for one another, without criticizing, despising, or opposing, but only loving, exhorting, and supporting one another. We all should endeavor together to do our best. May every saint enter into the God-ordained way, may everyone be a priest of the gospel, may everyone preach the gospel to save sinners, may everyone nourish others, may everyone perfect others, and may everyone prophesy and help others to prophesy for releasing the riches of Christ that all may be supplied and the church may be built up.
(The Church Life in the Lord's Recovery Today, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)
