HENCEFORTH THE LORD DEFINITELY MAKING ALL THE CHURCHES ON THE EARTH INTO ONE NEW MAN
I absolutely believe that this conference and training are symbolic. In the past we had international conferences, but in none were all the continents represented. At this time, however, all the continents are represented; this is of the Lord. This is a symbol that henceforth the Lord wants to raise up the churches of His recovery in all the cities, towns, and localities on the earth and make them all into one new man. Please consider: Can you believe this or not? It does not matter whether or not you can believe; the Lord’s word is faithful. This is not my invention nor my creation nor my imagination; this is what the Lord has said in His Word. He has slain the enmity on the cross, creating the two in Himself into one new man. I believe that before the Lord returns this will be fulfilled.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, you and I have all seen that this is not just a matter of being united, nor is it merely to say that we all stand on the ground of one locality with one church, and therefore we are one. This morning we all must see that we are one new man and that the churches in all the localities on earth are one new man. We are not simply one assembly, nor are we merely one household, nor are we even merely one Body; we are one new man. In the assembly there is a distinction among the members, in the family there is a distinction among the members, and in the Body there is also a distinction among the members. In the new man, however, there is no distinction. In the Body we are members one of another, in the family we are brothers and sisters as family members one of another, and in the assembly we are also members one of another. In the new man, however, there is nothing of mutuality. In the new man there is only one matter, the person.
Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to ask you again, do you believe this is possible? I believe it! I believe it because this is not my dream or imagination; this is what I have found out in reading God’s Word. He has created the two in Himself into one new man. Brothers and sisters from Africa, America, Germany, and Australia, do you believe this? You do believe it! Brothers and sisters from Japan, do you believe it? You also believe it! Brothers and sisters from Manila, do you believe that all the saints on the entire earth can be one new man? You believe it! O Lord! One new man! I believe that the one new man is possible. This is possible; the Bible tells me so, and we must believe what it says. Since the Bible says this is so, it will definitely be fulfilled. God has said it is so, so it will be fulfilled accordingly.
In God’s view, one thousand years is not much different from two thousand years. To God, time is not a problem. If we do not accomplish this for Him between 1970 and 1980, He will wait for the period from 1980 to 1990. If we still do not give Him the opportunity, He will wait for the time between 1990 and 2000. No matter what, this new man must appear. I am not afraid that you do not believe, but I do hope that you all would believe because this will be a blessing to you. If you do not believe, then one day God will carry it out with another group of people after you. I believe that one day there will be a new man on the earth. That will be a glorious day.
I believe that all the advances of civilization and technology, such as the train, the automobile, the airplane, the telegraph, and even the telephone are all for this new man. The things that happen in the churches in Ghana, Africa can be known immediately by the churches in every other locality. The new technological inventions have already shrunk the earth in the matter of distance. I believe that in the future the distances will be reduced even more. Today if I want to make a long-distance phone call to America, all I need is modern telecommunication equipment to be able to dial directly from Taipei. Twenty years ago if we wanted to make a long-distance phone call, we had to make a trip to the Telegraph Bureau. Now all I need to do is dial from my home, and the operator will connect me. One day, however, we will not even need the operator; I will be able to dial your number directly from my home. I believe that these things are not merely for the world; all these things are for the church. There is definitely the possibility that the saints in all the localities in all their environmental circumstances will become the one new man.
(One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)
