The increase and spread of the church
is the increase and spread of Christ:
is the increase and spread of Christ:
After passing through death,
the Lord Jesus
entered into resurrection
to impart His divine life into those
who believe into Him
so that they
could become His reproduction.
the Lord Jesus
entered into resurrection
to impart His divine life into those
who believe into Him
so that they
could become His reproduction.
Through His death and resurrection,
Christ has been propagated,
increased,
and spread.
Christ has been propagated,
increased,
and spread.
The church
is the Body of Christ,
even Christ Himself;
hence,
the church
is Christ’s increase and spread
on earth.
is the Body of Christ,
even Christ Himself;
hence,
the church
is Christ’s increase and spread
on earth.
The church
does not merely announce Christ;
the church
increases and spreads Christ.
does not merely announce Christ;
the church
increases and spreads Christ.
“He who has the bride
is the bridegroom
…He must increase”
(John 3:29a, 30a):
is the bridegroom
…He must increase”
(John 3:29a, 30a):
The increase in verse 30
is the bride in verse 29,
and the bride
is a living composition
of all the regenerated people:
is the bride in verse 29,
and the bride
is a living composition
of all the regenerated people:
Regeneration
not only brings the divine life
into the believers,
but it also makes them
the corporate bride
for Christ’s increase:
not only brings the divine life
into the believers,
but it also makes them
the corporate bride
for Christ’s increase:
The bride as the increase of Christ
is related to
the spiritual part of our being.
is related to
the spiritual part of our being.
Our regenerated human spirit
is part of the increase of Christ,
and this increase
is Christ’s multiplication and reproduction;
through regeneration
we have become
part of Christ’s increase.
is part of the increase of Christ,
and this increase
is Christ’s multiplication and reproduction;
through regeneration
we have become
part of Christ’s increase.
Christ increases
by regenerating redeemed sinners,
making them
His bride, His wife.
by regenerating redeemed sinners,
making them
His bride, His wife.
For Christ
to increase continually,
we need to contact people
and help them
to be regenerated,
thereby producing new spiritual children.
to increase continually,
we need to contact people
and help them
to be regenerated,
thereby producing new spiritual children.
The Christ who is increasing
is the immeasurable and unlimited Son of God:
is the immeasurable and unlimited Son of God:
He is such an immeasurable and unlimited One,
who comes from above,
who is above all,
to whom the Father has given all,
and who dispenses the Spirit without measure.
who comes from above,
who is above all,
to whom the Father has given all,
and who dispenses the Spirit without measure.
Such a One
needs a universal increase
to be His bride
to match Him.
needs a universal increase
to be His bride
to match Him.
Christ the Son
gives the Spirit
without measure
to God’s people:
gives the Spirit
without measure
to God’s people:
The unique way
for us
to become the increase
of the unlimited Christ
is to receive the Spirit
and be filled with the Spirit;
the more we have the Spirit,
the more we will be Christ’s increase.
for us
to become the increase
of the unlimited Christ
is to receive the Spirit
and be filled with the Spirit;
the more we have the Spirit,
the more we will be Christ’s increase.
This increase
begins with our regeneration,
and it consummates with
begins with our regeneration,
and it consummates with
our being filled with
the immeasurable Spirit.
the immeasurable Spirit.
“Unless the grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies,
it abides alone;
but if it dies,
it bears much fruit”
(John 12:24):
falls into the ground and dies,
it abides alone;
but if it dies,
it bears much fruit”
(John 12:24):
The Gospel of John
reveals that the Lord Jesus
came to impart the divine life to us
so that He
might have an increase for Himself.
reveals that the Lord Jesus
came to impart the divine life to us
so that He
might have an increase for Himself.
The Lord Jesus
fell into the ground and died
to release His divine element, His divine life,
from within the shell of His humanity
to produce many believers in resurrection,
just as a grain of wheat
has its life element released
by falling into the ground
and growing up out of the ground
to bear much fruit,
that is,
to bring forth many grains.
fell into the ground and died
to release His divine element, His divine life,
from within the shell of His humanity
to produce many believers in resurrection,
just as a grain of wheat
has its life element released
by falling into the ground
and growing up out of the ground
to bear much fruit,
that is,
to bring forth many grains.
These many grains
are His many members
that constitute His mystical Body
—His eternal, boundless increase.
are His many members
that constitute His mystical Body
—His eternal, boundless increase.
We should not remain as whole grains;
rather,
we need to be broken
and ground into fine flour
so that we
may be blended with others
for making a loaf;
this loaf
is the Body of Christ,
which consummates in
the New Jerusalem.
rather,
we need to be broken
and ground into fine flour
so that we
may be blended with others
for making a loaf;
this loaf
is the Body of Christ,
which consummates in
the New Jerusalem.
The church life
portrayed by the house of feasting in Bethany
was marvelous (John 12:1-11):
portrayed by the house of feasting in Bethany
was marvelous (John 12:1-11):
It was excellent in quality,
but it was much too small in quantity.
but it was much too small in quantity.
It was necessary, therefore,
for the Lord Jesus
to die a life-releasing death
so that this kind of church life
could be multiplied
in resurrection.
for the Lord Jesus
to die a life-releasing death
so that this kind of church life
could be multiplied
in resurrection.
“Go to My brothers
and say to them,
I ascend to
My Father and your Father,
and My God and your God”:
and say to them,
I ascend to
My Father and your Father,
and My God and your God”:
Through Christ’s resurrection
His disciples
were regenerated with the divine life,
which had been released
by His dying as a grain of wheat.
His disciples
were regenerated with the divine life,
which had been released
by His dying as a grain of wheat.
He was
the Father’s only Son, the Father’s individual expression;
through His death and resurrection
the Father’s only Begotten
became the Firstborn among many brothers (John 1:18; 3:16; Rom. 8:29):
the Father’s only Son, the Father’s individual expression;
through His death and resurrection
the Father’s only Begotten
became the Firstborn among many brothers (John 1:18; 3:16; Rom. 8:29):
His many brothers
are the many sons of God
and the church,
a corporate expression of God the Father in the Son;
this is
God’s ultimate intention.
are the many sons of God
and the church,
a corporate expression of God the Father in the Son;
this is
God’s ultimate intention.
The many brothers
are the propagation of the Father’s life
and the multiplication of the Son
in the divine life;
hence, in the Lord’s resurrection
God’s eternal purpose
to have many sons
for His eternal, corporate expression
is fulfilled.
are the propagation of the Father’s life
and the multiplication of the Son
in the divine life;
hence, in the Lord’s resurrection
God’s eternal purpose
to have many sons
for His eternal, corporate expression
is fulfilled.
“That they all
may be one;
even as You, Father,
are in Me
and I in You,
that they also
may be in Us.
..And the glory
which You have given Me
I have given to them,
that they
may be one,
even as We are one;
I in them,
and You in Me,
that they
may be perfected
into one”
(John 17:21-23a):
may be one;
even as You, Father,
are in Me
and I in You,
that they also
may be in Us.
..And the glory
which You have given Me
I have given to them,
that they
may be one,
even as We are one;
I in them,
and You in Me,
that they
may be perfected
into one”
(John 17:21-23a):
We need to see
the oneness of the increase of Christ,
a oneness
in which all the regenerated ones, the grains, and the brothers
are one.
the oneness of the increase of Christ,
a oneness
in which all the regenerated ones, the grains, and the brothers
are one.
The Triune God
is three,
but the three
are in a unique oneness
—a oneness of coinherence,
which is a model
of the oneness of the Body of Christ.
is three,
but the three
are in a unique oneness
—a oneness of coinherence,
which is a model
of the oneness of the Body of Christ.
The oneness of the Body of Christ,
the oneness of the increase of Christ,
is the enlarged oneness
of the Divine Trinity.
the oneness of the increase of Christ,
is the enlarged oneness
of the Divine Trinity.
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7 replies on “The Increase of Christ as Portrayed in the Gospel of John”
Prophecy note, 31 July 2016
After passing through death,
the Lord Jesus
entered into resurrection
to impart His divine life
into those
who believe into Him
so that they
could become His reproduction.
Through His death and resurrection,
Christ has been
propagated, increased, and spread.
The church
is the Body of Christ,
even Christ Himself;
hence,
the church
is Christ’s increase and spread
on earth.
The church
does not merely announce Christ;
the church
increases and spreads Christ.
The bride
as the increase of Christ
is related to
the spiritual part of our being.
Our regenerated human spirit
is part of the increase of Christ,
and this increase
is Christ’s multiplication and reproduction;
through regeneration
we have become
part of Christ’s increase.
Christ increases
by regenerating redeemed sinners,
making them
His bride, His wife.
For Christ
to increase continually,
we need to contact people
and help them
to be regenerated,
thereby producing
new spiritual children.
Christ the Son
gives the Spirit
without measure
to God’s people.
The unique way
for us
to become
the increase of the unlimited Christ
is to receive the Spirit
and be filled with the Spirit;
the more
we have the Spirit,
the more
we will be Christ’s increase.
This increase
begins with
our regeneration,
and it consummates with
our being filled
with the immeasurable Spirit.
Regeneration
not only brings the divine life
into the believers,
but it also makes them
the corporate bride
for Christ’s increase.
We should not remain
as whole grains;
rather, we
need to be broken
and ground into fine flour
so that we
may be blended with others
for making a loaf;
this loaf
is the Body of Christ,
which consummates in
the New Jerusalem.
His many brothers
are the many sons of God
and the church,
a corporate expression of
God the Father in the Son;
this is
God’s ultimate intention.
The many brothers
are the propagation of
the Father’s life
and the multiplication of
the Son in the divine life;
hence,
in the Lord’s resurrection
God’s eternal purpose
to have many sons
for His eternal, corporate expression
is fulfilled.
We need to see
the oneness of
the increase of Christ,
a oneness
in which all the regenerated ones, the grains, and the brothers
are one.
The Triune God
is three,
but the three
are in a unique oneness
—a oneness of coinherence,
which is
a model of the oneness
of the Body of Christ.
The oneness of the Body of Christ,
the oneness of the increase of Christ,
is the enlarged oneness
of the Divine Trinity.
Day 6
That they all
may be one;
even as You, Father,
are in Me
and I in You,
that they also
may be in Us;
that the world
may believe
that You have sent Me.
And the glory
which You have given Me
I have given to them,
that they
may be one,
even as We are one;
I in them,
and You in Me,
that they
may be perfected
into one…
the Lord
is called
the only begotten Son of God,
but chapter 20 tells us
that the Lord
has brothers,
indicating that the Lord
was multiplied.
As the only begotten Son of God,
He was the one grain.
However,
through His death and resurrection,
He produced the many grains.
He, as the original grain,
is the first
among the many grains,
and all the other grains
are out of Him.
Thus,
the only begotten Son of God
became the firstborn Son of God
among the many sons
who are His increase.
…Christ has been increased;
He is no longer
merely the one grain
or merely the only begotten Son.
He has been increased
and is now the Firstborn
among many brothers.
the oneness of the increase of Christ.
All the grains
must be one,
all the branches
must be one
in the one vine,
and all the brothers
must be one.
This is
why the Lord prayed
in John 17:21-23,
“That they all
may be one;
even as You, Father,
are in Me
and I
in You,
that they also
may be in Us;
that the world
may believe
that You have sent Me.
And the glory
which You have given Me
I have given to them,
that they may be one,
even as We are one;
I in them,
and You in Me,
that they
may be perfected
into one,
that the world
may know
that You have sent Me
and have loved them
even as You have loved Me.”
the basis for our oneness.
Verse 21 shows us
that Christ is in the Father,
the Father is in Christ,
and we are one
by being in Christ.
Verse 22 mentions the glory
that the Lord has given to us.
This glory
is simply the divine life,
which the Father gave to the Son
and the Son gave to us
so that we might be one.
We can be one
only in the divine life.
Verse 23 says,
“I in them,”
indicating that Christ is in us.
It is because Christ is in us
that we can be perfected into one.
Thus, we are in Christ,
we have the divine life,
and Christ is in us.
These are
the most important aspects
of the basis for our oneness.
It is possible
for us
to be one with others
because we are in Christ,
we have the divine life,
and Christ is in us.
is our pattern;
while He was on the earth
He always realized
that He was in the Father,
and He never acted
outside of the Father.
All His activities in His daily life
were limited by the Father.
Now
we are in Him,
just as He was in the Father.
Thus,
we must act, walk, work, and live
in Christ,
who is
our limitation, our sphere, and our everything.
When we are outside of Christ,
we are outside of the oneness of the Body.
When we act apart from Christ,
we are detached from the Body of Christ.
We must learn
the lesson of constantly walking in Christ.
This is even related to
the matter of the church,
which is
the increase and counterpart of Christ.
We cannot be
in the church
in actuality
apart from Christ.
We must walk, live, and work in Christ
in order to have
the real church life.
the Lord prayed to the Father
for the oneness among all His believers,
that it may merge with
the genuine oneness of the Divine Trinity.
…Verses 21 through 23 show
the merging of the oneness of the believers
with the genuine oneness
among the three of the Divine Trinity.
The oneness among the three of the Divine Trinity
is a model of the oneness of the believers
in the Body of Christ,
and the oneness of the believers
in the Body of Christ
is actually the enlargement
of the oneness of the Divine Trinity.
Day 5
Jesus said to her,
Do not touch Me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father;
but go to My brothers
and say to them,
I ascend to
My Father and your Father,
and My God and your God.
Because those
whom He foreknew,
He also predestinated
to be conformed to
the image of His Son,
that He
might be the Firstborn
among many brothers.
portrayed by the feasting in Bethany
was marvelous,
but it was too limited.
It was excellent in quality,
but it was much too small in quantity.
Therefore,
it was necessary
for the Lord Jesus
to die in
order for this kind of church life
to be multiplied.
For this reason,
the Lord
was not willing to receive
the exaltation of the crowd
but instead told His disciples
that He was
a grain of wheat
to fall into the ground and die
in order to produce many grains.
As the unique grain,
the Lord
is the source of the church life.
…Because the Lord
fell into the ground and died,
many have been drawn to Him.
This was the reason
He said,
“I, if I be lifted up
from the earth,
will draw all men
to Myself” (John 12:32).
John 12 reveals
that the Lord Jesus
was ready to die
in order to bring His people
into God.
Christ is revealed as the resurrected One
who brought His believers into God the Father
and breathed the Holy Spirit into His believers.
…Christ, as the resurrected One,
brings His believers into God the Father,
making His Father their Father
and His God their God,
and making them His brothers.
…The Lord’s word to Mary
indicated that in resurrection
His disciples
had become the same as He
insofar as they also were sons of God.
Previously,
the most intimate term
the Lord used in reference to His disciples
was friends.
But after His resurrection
He began to call them brothers,
for through His resurrection
His disciples were regenerated
with the divine life,
which had been released
by His life-imparting death,
as indicated in John 12:24.
It was through His resurrection
that the Lord
imparted Himself
as the Spirit
into His disciples.
By receiving His life
they were reborn,
regenerated,
and became His brothers,
having the same life as the Lord.
He was
the one grain of wheat
that fell into the ground
and died
and grew up
to bring forth many grains
for the producing of the one bread,
which is His Body.
He was
the Father’s only Son,
the Father’s individual expression.
Through His death and resurrection
the Father’s only Begotten
became the Firstborn
among many brothers.
His many brothers
are the many sons of God
and are the church,
a corporate expression
of God the Father
in the Son.
This is
God’s ultimate intention.
The many brothers
are the propagation of the Father’s life
and the multiplication of the Son in the divine life.
Hence, in the Lord’s resurrection
God’s eternal purpose
is fulfilled.
the Lord Jesus
also said to Mary,
“I ascend to
My Father and your Father,
and My God and your God.”
Through His life-imparting death and resurrection,
the Lord
made His disciples one with Him.
Therefore,
His Father
is the Father of His disciples,
and His God
is the God of His disciples.
In His resurrection
they have
the Father’s life
and God’s divine nature,
just as He has.
In making them His brothers,
He has imparted
the Father’s life
and God’s divine nature
into them.
By making His Father and His God theirs,
He has brought them
into His position
—the position of the Son—
before the Father and God.
Thus,
in life and nature inwardly
and in position outwardly
they are the same as the Lord,
with whom they have been united.
is not only the Father of the Lord Himself;
He is also
the Father of the disciples.
Henceforth,
all the disciples
are sons of God.
We are
the same as the Firstborn,
and He is
the same as we are.
This is
the church in His resurrection.
Praise Him!
Day 4
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
Unless the grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies,
it abides alone;
but if it dies,
it bears much fruit.
Seeing that there
is one bread,
we who are many
are one Body;
for we all
partake of the one bread.
reveals that the Lord
came to impart life to us
in order that He
could have an increase for Himself.
In 12:24-25
the Lord told us
that He
was the one grain of wheat
that would fall into the earth
to die
in order to become
the many grains.
Originally,
He was
the one grain of wheat,
but through death and resurrection
He became the many grains,
which are the believers
as the increase of Christ,
the multiplication of the one grain.
As the many grains
we are exactly the same as
the original grain, Christ.
In our natural life
we are
the increase and multiplication of Adam,
but as those
who have been reborn,
we have
the life of Christ,
and because of this divine life,
we are
the increase and multiplication of Christ.
In the natural realm
we are of Adam,
but in the spiritual realm
we are of Christ.
according to the worldly view,
Jesus was
in His golden time.
A great crowd of Jews
esteemed Him highly
and welcomed Him warmly,
and even the Greeks
were seeking after Him.
However,
the Lord
neither accepted this kind of exaltation,
nor took this opportunity
to get a name for Himself;
nor did He seize the golden opportunity
as the means
to have His increase.
Rather,
knowing that the way
for a grain of wheat
to multiply
is not by being welcomed and honored,
but by falling into the ground and dying,
the Lord preferred to fall
as a grain of wheat
into the ground
and die
that He
might produce
many grains
for the church.
releases its life
by falling into the ground,
so Christ
released the divine life within Him
through death.
Through His death on the cross,
the shell of His flesh
was broken,
and the divine life
contained and concealed within it
was released.
If Christ
had not fallen into the earth to die,
He would have remained
one grain.
But He
fell into the earth and died,
and He brought forth
many grains
as His multiplication.
who as a grain of wheat
fell into the ground and died,
grew out of death
to produce many grains,
which are the believers.
The Lord Jesus
fell into the ground and died
that His divine element, His divine life,
might be released
from within the shell of His humanity
to produce many believers
in resurrection,
just as a grain of wheat
has its life element released
by falling into the ground
and growing up out of the ground
to bear much fruit,
that is,
to bring forth many grains.
are His many members
which constitute His eternal, mystical Body.
This mystical Body
is His eternal, boundless increase.
the one grain of wheat
for death
resulting in resurrection.
This refers to Himself
as the divine seed
to produce many grains
(the people who receive Him)
to become His many members
who constitute His organic Body
which consummates in the New Jerusalem.
If one grain of wheat
remains whole,
it is
only one grain.
But when it
falls into the earth and dies,
it will grow
and bring forth many grains
in resurrection.
These many grains
are to be ground and blended into flour
to make a loaf,
which signifies
the Body of Christ.
Although we
are the many grains,
we do not like to be ground
in order to be blended.
But we
need to be broken.
Then
we can be blended with others.
We should not remain
as whole grains.
We have to be broken
and ground into fine flour
so that we
can be blended with others
for making a loaf.
This loaf
is the Body of Christ
which consummates in
the New Jerusalem.
Day 3
He who comes from above
is above all;
he who is from the earth
is of the earth
and speaks out of the earth.
He who comes from heaven
is above all.
For He whom God has sent
speaks the words of God,
for He gives the Spirit
not by measure.
gives the Spirit
without measure
to God’s people.
The unique way
for us
to become the increase
of the unlimited Christ
is to receive the Spirit
and be filled with the Spirit.
The more we have of the Spirit,
the more we will be Christ’s increase.
This increase
begins with our regeneration,
and it consummates with
our being filled with
the immeasurable Spirit.
John the Baptist said,
“He who has the bride
is the bridegroom.”
Who is this bride?
The bride
is the composition, the aggregate,
of all the regenerated ones.
The totality of all those
who have been regenerated
is the bride of Christ.
We all
are part of Christ’s bride,
and this bride
is His increase.
the disciples of John the Baptist
came to him
and said,
“Rabbi,
He who was with you
across the Jordan,
of whom you have testified,
behold,
He is baptizing
and all
are coming to Him.”
John’s disciples
were made jealous
by the fact
that so many of his followers
were coming to the Lord Jesus.
As part of his answer to his disciples,
John the Baptist said
concerning Christ,
“He must increase,
but I must decrease” (v. 30).
The increase in this verse
is the bride
in the previous verse,
and the bride
is a living composition
of all the regenerated ones.
This means
that in this chapter
regeneration
is not only to bring the divine life
into the believers
but is also to make them
the corporate bride
for Christ’s increase.
As Adam was increased in Eve,
so Christ is increased in His bride.
understand verse 30
in a natural, human way.
They think
that John the Baptist’s word
means that Christ
must be everything
and that we
should be nothing.
This interpretation
is incorrect.
As we have indicated,
the increase in verse 30
refers to the bride in verse 29.
By being the bronze serpent
bearing God’s judgment,
Christ has opened the way
for us
to believe into Him
and receive Him
so that we
may be regenerated
to become His increase.
As those who believe into Christ,
we are all members of His Body.
This is
Christ’s increase.
When Christ was on earth,
He was the individual Christ.
Now
there is
the corporate Christ,
and this corporate Christ
is the increase
of the individual Christ.
This corporate Christ
is the church, the Body, and the bride.
we have
a very high revelation
of Christ.
These verses
speak of the immeasurable Christ,
the One
who comes from above
and who is above all,
who speaks the words of God
and gives the Spirit
not by measure,
and the One
to whom the Father
has given all things.
This is
the universal Christ,
the immeasurable Christ.
of this chapter
in the Gospel of John
is to show us
that this unlimited Christ
must have a universal increase,
and He is
in the process of
gaining this increase today.
Wherever we go,
Christ is present
by the Spirit
He gives without measure.
Verse 34 says definitely,
“He gives the Spirit
not by measure.”
This is
the Spirit
He gives to His Body, the church.
The Spirit
given by Christ
to His Body
is immeasurable.
Every one
of the millions of persons
who believes in the Lord Jesus
has received
the Spirit, the immeasurable Spirit.
This immeasurable Spirit
produces a universal increase
for the unlimited Christ.
I would call your attention
to the three adjectives
used in the previous sentence:
immeasurable, universal, unlimited.
I use the word immeasurable
to describe the Spirit,
the word universal
to describe the increase,
and the word unlimited
to describe Christ.
The unlimited Christ
gives the immeasurable Spirit
in order to produce
a universal increase.
Day 2
He who has the bride
is the bridegroom;
but the friend of the bridegroom,
who stands and hears him,
rejoices with joy
because of the bridegroom’s voice.
This joy of mine therefore
is made full.
He must increase,
but I must decrease.
there was Jesus.
Then in Acts 1
there were
one hundred twenty believers in Jesus,
each of whom
was His increase.
In this regard,
the one Jesus
was multiplied
by one hundred twenty.
In chapter 2
three thousand people
were saved
on the day of Pentecost,
bringing the number of Christ’s multiplication
to three thousand one hundred twenty-one.
Then in chapter 4
another five thousand men
were added.
In chapter after chapter of Acts
there are
the continuous increase and multiplication of Christ.
In chapter 21,
when Paul went up to Jerusalem,
James said,
“You observe, brother,
how many thousands
there are
among the Jews
who have believed” (v. 20).
This means
that by the time of chapter 21
the propagation of Christ
had reached many thousands
just in Jerusalem.
in John 3:29
indicates that Christ
is the Bridegroom:
“He who has the bride
is the bridegroom.”
The bridegroom
is a most pleasant person,
who comes for the bride.
The believers in Christ
as a corporate bride
are prepared
for Christ as the Bridegroom.
To us
He should be
the attraction, the pleasure, and the satisfaction.
All the believers
should experience and enjoy Him
as the pleasant Bridegroom.
Christ has the regenerated ones
as His bride.
Whereas verse 29
speaks of the bride,
verse 30
speaks of the increase.
The increase in verse 30
is the bride in verse 29,
and the bride
is a living composition
of all the regenerated people.
This indicates
that in John 3, a chapter on regeneration,
regeneration
not only brings the divine life
into the believers
but also makes them
the corporate bride
for Christ’s increase.
Regeneration, therefore,
is for the increase of Christ;
it is
for the producing of the bride.
Regeneration is
for us
to be a part
of the bride of Christ.
is related to
the spiritual part of our being.
Our regenerated human spirit
is part of the increase of Christ,
and this increase
is Christ’s multiplication and reproduction.
Through regeneration
we have become
part of Christ’s increase.
is the increase of Christ.
All of the reborn people
are the increase of Christ,
and this increase
is the bride,
which becomes
the counterpart of Christ.
The bride of Christ
is the church,
the composition of all the regenerated people.
All those
who are regenerated
are composed together
as the corporate bride
to match Christ.
Without regeneration,
Christ cannot have His bride
as His increase.
Hence,
Christ increases
by regenerating the redeemed sinners,
making them His bride, His wife.
Adam and Eve
are a type of Christ
with His increase.
Adam was
a bachelor, a single man,
but one day
the Lord opened his side,
took out a rib,
and built that rib into Eve
as a wife to match Adam.
Eve was
Adam’s increase,
and through his wife
Adam has
billions of descendants,
who are also his increase.
…Adam is
a type of Christ,
and Eve is
a type of the church
as the bride of Christ.
Not only the wife
but also all the children
are the increase of the husband.
The increase of Christ
today on this earth
is immeasurable.
Christ
is still increasing.
to increase,
we need to contact people individually
to get them regenerated.
Then
gradually and steadily
with the proper care,
we as their parents
should feed, nourish, and cherish them
day by day
through the small groups.
For Christ to increase continually,
each of us
must be
in a small group
to produce new spiritual children.
Day 1
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
Unless the grain of wheat
falls into the ground
and dies,
it abides alone;
but if it dies,
it bears much fruit.
And believers
were all the more being added
to the Lord,
multitudes of both men and women.
are for the church’s increase and spread.
However,
we also should realize
that the increase and spread of the church
are the increase and spread of Christ.
In John 12:24
the Lord Jesus
referred to Himself
as a grain of wheat.
As the only begotten Son of God,
He was
the one grain of wheat.
When He went to the cross,
He fell into the ground
and died.
Then
in resurrection
He produced much fruit,
that is,
many grains
as the multiplication of Himself
as the unique grain.
Much fruit in verse 24
refers to those
who believe into Him.
reveals that the only begotten Son of God
became flesh,
passed through human living,
and died on the cross.
After passing through death,
He entered into resurrection
to impart His divine life
into those
who believe into Him
so that they
could become many grains.
Individually speaking,
these grains
are individual believers;
collectively speaking,
they are
the one Body of Christ, the church.
He is
both increased and spread.
The increase and spread of the church
is the increase and spread of Christ.
Through His death and resurrection, Christ has been
propagated, increased, and spread.
Christ is present
on every continent of the whole earth,
and the expression of this spreading Christ
is the church.
the book of Acts
is merely a record
of the activities and work
of the apostles.
In actuality,
it shows
how the resurrected Christ
in His ascension
and by the Spirit of power
has been multiplied continuously
on the earth
through His believers.
This propagation
begins in Acts 2,
and it does not stop
even at the end of chapter 28.
…The book of Acts
has no conclusion;
it is a book
that transcends time and space.
Perhaps God in the heavens today
looks upon the continuing acts of His disciples
as further chapters in the book of Acts.
did not begin with us;
it began with Peter
and continued with Paul.
In Acts
Peter, Paul, and all the other saints
continuously propagated Christ
so that Christ
could be increased and spread
on the earth.
Today in the twentieth century
there are
genuine Christians
in every large city
of every continent on the earth.
The number of those
who have been washed
by the Lord’s precious blood,
who have been regenerated
with the divine life,
and who have become
members of Christ
to be constituted
as the Body of Christ
is in the hundreds of millions.
This is
His propagation.
is the Body of Christ,
the fullness of Christ,
and Christ Himself;
hence,
the church
is Christ’s increase and spread
on the earth.
Many people think
that the church
is nothing more than a group
that proclaims and announces Christ to the world.
However,
according to the Scriptures,
the church does not merely proclaim Christ;
the church
is Christ.
The church does not merely announce Christ;
the church increases and spreads Christ.
As the Body of Christ,
the church
is Christ.
The church on the earth
is Christ on the earth.
For example,
my body
is me.
…My body
is my presence.
My body
can proclaim me
and enables you
to see and know me,
because my body
is my very self.
What my body is to me
is what the church is to Christ.
The church
can proclaim Christ on the earth
for people
to see Christ and to know Christ,
because the church
is the Body of Christ;
the church
is Christ.
Hence,
Christ goes
wherever the church goes,
and Christ exists
wherever the church exists.