弗四 15~16『惟在爱里持守着真实，我们就得以在一切事上长到他，就是元首基督里面；本於他，全身借着每一丰富供应的节，并借着每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以联络在一起，并结合在一起，便叫身体渐渐长大，以致在爱里把自己建造起来。』
即使我们有神的形像，但在我们天然的光景中，我们里面并没有宝贵的东西；我们只是土造的人。神的心意是要将我们这班土造的人完全变化成为他的形像，使我们与金、珍珠、宝石一样宝贵。成就这事的路非常简单。首先，主耶稣进到我们灵里，成为内里的元素，因此变化我们的灵。从那时起，只要我们与他合作，他就会在我们里面扩增，并从我们的灵扩展到我们的魂里。在他回来那天，甚至我们物质的身体，就是我们全人外面的部分，也会被他的元素浸透（腓三 21）。（信徒对变化的经历，二一至二二页）。
若没有那灵扩展到你的魂里，你与别人的一便无法持久。比方说，你访问香港，受到热烈的欢迎，起初在那里觉得很愉快。但是在短短的时间内，你就会发现他们作事的方法和你所认为的大相径庭。过不了几天，他们就把你得罪了。你在国内的时候，高喊『阿利路亚，一个新人！』但是到了一个新环境，新人却被你坚持不改的观念切成了碎片。
你的魂还没有变化。你还是活在老旧、天然的魂里。这对新人来说是一个阻碍。你肯让内住的灵完全浸透你的魂，而使其有生机的变化么？你肯让那灵自由的渗透你的灵，也渗透你的魂么？果真如此，不论你到迦纳，到菲律宾，或者到巴西，你都不会有难处。你意见的大本营已经被毁坏了。你的魂被内住的灵浸透，你便与新人成为一，被建造在身体里。不管你访问甚么地方，遇见甚么人，你这一面都没有难处。
如果全地的圣徒都是这样的话，新人就出现，身体就建造起来了。…以弗所四章十二至十六节告诉我们，基督身体的建造在於生命长大：『为要成全圣徒，目的是为着职事的工作，为着建造基督的身体，直到我们众人都达到了信仰上并对神儿子之完全认识上的一，达到了长成的人，达到了基督丰满之身材的度量，使我们不再作小孩子，…惟…在一切事上长到他，就是元首基督里面；本於他，全身借着每一丰富供应的节，并借着每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以联络在一起，并结合在一起，便叫身体渐渐长大，以致在爱里把自己建造起来。』
我们在一切事上长到元首基督里面，乃是借着我们的魂被那灵浸透。必须『身体渐渐长大』，主才能得着新人。这是主所要达到的目标。当主的身体建造起来时，他便在地上得着一个新人来完成神永远的定旨。让我们为着这件事得以实现出来而祷告，并为此把自己献给他。『主啊，求你从我的灵扩展到我的魂，浸透我的魂，使我产生新陈代谢的变化。我要有生机的改变。』过了一段时间，我们就会生命长大而变化。然后，我们要建造到身体里面，成为新人的肢体。这种情形在我们许多人身上产生出来，并且扩展到全地，新人就要出现。这是主的目标，让我们在追求这个目标上与他是一（保罗的完成职事，九七至九九页）。
参读：保罗的完成职事，第八至九章；信徒对变化的经历，第二至三章。
Eph. 4:15-16 But holding to truth in
love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, out from whom all the Body,
being joined together and being knit
together through every joint of the
rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes
the growth of the Body unto the building up of
itself in love.
Even though we have the image of God, in our natural state we have
nothing precious within us; we are only men of clay. God's intention is to
transform us men of clay into His image in a full way so that we would be as
precious as gold, pearls, and precious stones. The way that this happens is
very simple. First, the Lord Jesus comes into our spirit to be the inward
element, thereby transforming our spirit. From that time onward, as long as we
cooperate with Him, He will increase within us and spread from our spirit into
our soul. On the day He returns, even our physical body, the very outer part of
our being, will be saturated with His element (Phil. 3:21). (The Believer's
Experience of Transformation, p. 22)
Without the spreading of the Spirit into your soul, your oneness with
others is of short duration. If you visit Hong Kong, for example, you will be
warmly received and at first feel happy to be there. Within a very short time,
however, you will realize how differently they do things from the way you think
they should be done. Before many days go by, you will be offended. While you
are here at home, you shout,"Hallelujah for the one new man!" but
when you are in a new environment, the new man is cut into pieces by the
concepts you still hold.
Your soul is still not transformed. You are still living in your soul,
which remains old and natural. This is the hindrance to the new man. Will you
allow the indwelling Spirit to thoroughly saturate your soul so that it is
organically transformed? Will you give the Spirit the freedom to permeate your
soul as well as your spirit? If He does, whether you go to Ghana, or the
Philippines, or Brazil, you will have no problem. The base of your opinion will
have been destroyed. With your soul saturated by the indwelling Spirit, you are
one with the new man. You are built up in the Body. Whatever locality you
visit, whomever you meet, there is no problem on your side.
When this is true of the saints all over the world, there will be the
new man. The Body will be built up....Ephesians 4:12-16 tells us that the
building up of the Body of Christ depends on the growth in life."For the
perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of
the Body of Christ, until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the
full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may be no longer little
children...but...may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ,
out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together
through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure
of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself
in love."
[To]"grow up into Him in all things" comes about through our
soul's being saturated with the Spirit. There must be"the growth of the
Body" for the Lord to have the new man. This is the goal the Lord is
pursuing. When His Body is built up, He will have the new man on earth to carry
out God's eternal purpose. Let us pray for this to be realized and offer
ourselves to Him for this."Lord, spread Yourself from my spirit into my
soul. Saturate my soul. Transform me metabolically. I want to be organically
changed." After some time we shall be transformed by the growth in life.
Then we shall be built into the Body and be members of the new man. As this
happens in many of us throughout the whole earth, the new man will come into
being. This is the Lord's goal. Let us be one with Him in pursuing this. (The
Completing Ministry of Paul, pp. 71-72)
Further Reading:
The Completing Ministry
of Paul, chs.
8-9; The Believer's Experience of
Transformation, chs. 2-3
