The Ministry of Life for the Body, Message 2

My Great Delight in God's Word

The Experience, Growth, and Ministry of Life for the Body, Message 2

Dealing with the Natural Constitution in Order to Be in Resurrection

In the last message, we learned how important the "fellowship" is for our spiritual growth. The vertical fellowship (our relationship with God) and horizontal fellowship (our relationship with our brethren in Christ) are inseparably interwoven, and one axis promotes the other. For the corporate growth of Christ's body, each of us, therefore, needs both of them.
Now we are moving to another topic. It is about dealing with our "self." In order to be transformed to the image of His Son, we need to deal with our natural constitution by crucifying it, so that we may gain more resurrected life and be useful to the Lord. I'm going to talk a little about the differences between natural ability and resurrected ability, hoping that it may be a useful information to examine ourselves if we are using our natural ability or resurrected one to serve the Lord. Lastly, I would like to demonstrate you how the apostle Paul thinks about his own natural constitution.

Natural constitution

This is not a biblical term. So don't attempt to search it in the bible. But it is based on the concept that we can find in the bible. It means "the aggregate of man's physical and mental powers," which expresses the living out of our old man. It includes human ability, capability, wisdom, cleverness, schemes, and skills.
Graciously, God has given each of us much of the natural constitution. Indeed, in order for an organisation to be successful, it needs the capable ones with strong natural constitution, especially those who are also ambitious. And can this principle be applied to the Church? Does the Church need the ones with strong natural constitution in order to be truly successful? If you think so, I would like to say, "I'm sorry." Why? Simply because the Church is not an organisation. It is an organism. It is the Body of the living Christ, not a non-living organisation. Her growth depends upon the growth of resurrected life of all the members. And the resurrected life actually is the life of God within us. Ironically, those who have strong natural constitution, particularly those with strong ambition, are the ones who usually cause problems and conflicts within the local churches, resulting in hindrance to the growth of the Body and, even worse, frequently causing divisions. Natural constitution is therefore considered "useless," if not "detrimental," to the Church.
So what can we do to turn the useless natural constitution to be useful to God's move on earth? It needs to pass through the process of "crucifixion and resurrection." Unless we put an end to our natural constitution, God cannot use it for His glory. And paradoxically, if we kill it, it will become even much more fruitful. The Lord teaches us in John 12:24-25 that unless a corn of wheat dies, there will be only one corn. But when it falls into the earth and dies, it can produce much fruit.

²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25 NKJV)

The verse 25 is quite confusing, isn't it? How can I hate my own life in order to gain it? And when I want to have life, is it possible that I can hate it at the same time? It is not logical at all, is it?
I really admire the really literally-translated Recovery Version, which clearly distinguishes the life that we should hate and the life that we will have as a result. The former is the psuche life, or soul life, while the latter is the zoe life, or spiritual life. (I explained about the 3 parts of human life in the crystallization study of the book of Zechariah, message 4. You can read it here, http://www.followhissteps.com/web_christianstories/thingsienjoy/MR_zechariah04.html.) Yes, we should hate our soul life, which consists of mind, will, and emotion, to the extent that we want to put it to an end on the cross, so that we will gain more spiritual life. Similarly, as the natural constitution is the product of our natural soul-life, we need to crucify it, so that it will be resurrected, becoming useful to the Lord. Our loss will be merely temporary, but the harvest of resurrection will last forever and will give us an exceeding joy.
Brothers and sisters, would you like to be useful to Him? Would you like to be used by Him for His move on this earth? If so, be open to Him. Allow Him to get rid of our natural constitution and terminate it on the cross, so that He can bring it into resurrection. We then will be able to use it for His glory. Consequently, if you have this mindset, you are not going to trust your own natural constitution anymore, because it is useless. Instead, we are going to trust in the God of resurrection who can transform it to be something extremely useful!

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV)

Natural ability VS resurrected ability

Now, let's examine ourselves if we are serving God with our natural ability or our resurrected ability. They are absolutely different. One is totally useless, while the other is extremely useful.
I would like to start with some questions for you to answer. You don't need to reply me. But please consider about them, and honestly answer to yourself. They are yes-no questions, so they should not be too difficult to answer.

• Is your work mixed with the elements of flesh and temper?
• Does your work aim to benefit yourself?
• Does your work involve craftiness and manoeuvring?
• Does your work rely wholly upon self?
• Is your work out of the control of the Holy Spirit?
• Does your work act entirely according to self-will?
• Does your work result in pride, boasting and self-glorification?

If at least one of the answers is "yes," you fail the test. I want you to stop to think about it. It is not a good idea to continue serving the Lord like this, because it will never promote your spiritual growth. You will just waste your time serving Him in an inappropriate way. A true service, which employs the resurrected ability, should bring you to a closer relationship with the Lord. You will do it with joyfully and wholeheartedly, not grudgingly, and you will grow spiritually while serving Him.
What does the resurrected ability look like? It is devoid of the flesh and temper elements. It is selfless with no element of self. It does not scheme, but absolutely relies upon God under the control of the Holy Spirit and acts according to God's perfect will. It does not give rise to self-glorification, but it glorifies God.
How are you serving God today? Are you using your natural ability or resurrected ability to serve Him? Which area of your natural constitution remains natural that you would like Him to terminate and bring it into resurrection? Life is too short to waste a single second. Redeem the time by serving Him joyfully and wholeheartedly with your resurrected ability!

Paul's attitude towards his natural constitution

Everyone has something that he wants to keep as his pride. It can be remarkable success in career, high level of education, or millions of pounds in bank account. Sometimes people can be proud when they do something good, such as donating a great amount of money. Ironically, they may be proud that they have donated anonymously, and may even boast about it. Some people may not have one yet, while others may have some already but they are not content with what they have. As a result, they ambitiously pursue their dreams to gain the worldly success.
I have got a few humble things to be proud of. But should I keep them as my little pride, so that I can feel happy every time I think about them or whenever people mention about them? Or should I even pursue the things that the world defines as success, such as, as a scientist, winning a Nobel prize (which I'm really sure I cannot get it)?
I have to say that all of my successes cannot be compared with the apostle Paul's, according to his short CV (résumé) in Philippians 3:4-6 and Acts 22:3.

⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6 NKJV)
I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. (Acts 22:3 NKJV)

His CV (résumé) is really impressive. He was circumcised when he was eight days old, exactly as the law prescribes. He was born in the chosen nation from which the Messiah would come and thereby the world would be blessed. He was descended from the tribe of Benjamen, from which the king Saul, the first king of the Israel, came. He is truly Hebrew, probably born of Hebrew parents. He has observed the law so strictly, as he is one of the Pharisees. And within the Pharisees' society, he is among the top ones, as he is a student of Gamaliel, who was famous at that time, and was "a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people." (Acts 5:34) He is so zealous, since he used to persecute Christians. He has observed the law so perfectly that his record is spotless. So his future seems to be so bright if he just continues what he has pursued.
But what has happened in his life after he encountered the Lord Jesus? His life has completely changed since then. The direction of his life has turned upside down. He eventually comes to a remarkable conclusion, written in Philippians 3:7-8.

⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (Philippians 3:7-9 NKJV)

All the honourable things that he has succeeded and has considered as valuable are eventually counted as worthless or nothing. Why does he think like that? Because he has found something far greater. Actually, he has found the excellent One, even only intellectual knowledge of whom is enough to throw all other things in his life into the trash (and empty the recycle bin too). He sees the supremacy of our Lord and the infinite value of knowing Him. He responds to this by giving his whole life to Him and throwing anything else aside, considering it as nothing but rubbish or a pile of waste. He does this so that he may gain Christ and be found in Him.
But is he satisfied to just know him intellectually? Definitely not. He continues with this.

¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11 NKJV)

Not only does he wants to know Christ intellectually, but he also desires to know Him personally and experientially. Moreover, he also wants to experience the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. He longs to be conformed to His death. And his ultimate goal is that he may attain the outstanding or extra-resurrection (different original word from the resurrection in verse 10) from the dead when Christ is coming back.
Interestingly, the apostle Paul mentions about knowing the power of Christ's resurrection before knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. He did not make a mistake. For Christ, He suffered and died first, and then He was raised from the dead. But the apostle realises that we are too weak to join the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death, unless we experience the power of His resurrection first.
Additionally, the power of His resurrection in verse 10 is a continual and gradual experience. It means that our life needs to be continually and gradually resurrected. The apostle does not say, "power in His resurrection," which occurred only once in the history, but he says "power of His resurrection," which can be experienced by us everyday. The more we know the power of His resurrection, the more we will be able to join the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death, which will further increase the power of resurrection in us. This is the process whereby our life will be saturated with the resurrected life of Christ and be transformed to be more like Him everyday. And this process continues until it consummates at our outstanding or extra-resurrection from the dead when Christ comes back, which is very soon. At that time, our life - the body, the soul and the spirit - will wholly be transformed. This should be our goal and destination.
Brothers and sisters, do you consider anything more valuable than knowing Christ both intellectually and experientially? What is preventing you from allowing God to terminate your natural life? Would you ask God for more power of Christ resurrection, so that we can die with Him and gain more resurrected life each day? Is your goal and destination set to the right thing as Paul does - the special resurrection from the dead? Let's learn from Paul, and imitate Him, just as he imitates Christ!

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: The Experience, Growth, and Ministry of Life for the Body, week 2.

• Footnotes of Philippians 3:7-11

  • The Holy Bible Recovery Version.

  • NKJV Study Bible

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)