GROWING IN THE DIVINE LIFE
AND BEING BUILT UP
Few Christians pay attention to the growth in life (1 Cor. 3:6-7) and the building up (1 Cor. 3:10-12) as the Body of Christ and as the church, the house of God. Spirituality comes out of the growth in life; the aim of the growth in life is the building up of the Body of Christ and of the house of God. Practically speaking, this means the building up of the local church. Without the proper church life in our locality. how can we be built up with others? We need to be where there is a church. Then within that church we can he built up with others to be God’s spiritual house (Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Pet. 2:5). While we are being built up as the local church, we are also being built up as the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:16).
BEING TRANSFORMED IN THE SOUL
Our spirit has been regenerated, but what about our soul? We need to be transformed (2 Cor. 3:18) by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23). The mind is the leading part of our soul (Psa. 13:2; 139:14; Lam. 3:20). For the transformation of the soul, the mind must be renewed.
BEING SANCTIFIED EXPERIENTIALLY
The transformation of our soul is the sanctification of our disposition. The Lord sanctifies us in our spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23). Our entire being is to be sanctified. transformed.
TO BE TRANSFIGURED IN OUR BODY
When the Lord returns, our body will be transfigured (Phil. 3:21) fully redeemed (Rom. 8:23). When we believed, our spirit was regenerated. During our Christian life on this earth our soul is gradually being transformed and sanctified. Then at His coming back our body will be transfigured. Our entire being will then be fully conformed to Christ.
CONFORMED TO CHRIST
As the many brothers of Christ, we shall be conformed to His image and be with Him in glory (Rom. 8:29-30). We will no longer be natural in any part of our being. We are still somewhat natural in our soul and corrupted in our body; this is why, after the regeneration of our spirit, we need the transformation of our soul and the transfiguration of our body. Then we shall be fully conformed to the firstborn Son of God as His many brothers.
(The Basic Revelation in the Holy Scriptures, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)
