弗四 15~16『惟在愛里持守着真實，我們就得以在一切事上長到他，就是元首基督裡面；本於他，全身借着每一豐富供應的節，並借着每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以聯絡在一起，並結合在一起，便叫身體漸漸長大，以致在愛里把自己建造起來。』
即使我們有神的形像，但在我們天然的光景中，我們裡面並沒有寶貴的東西；我們只是土造的人。神的心意是要將我們這班土造的人完全變化成為他的形像，使我們與金、珍珠、寶石一樣寶貴。成就這事的路非常簡單。首先，主耶穌進到我們靈里，成為內里的元素，因此變化我們的靈。從那時起，只要我們與他合作，他就會在我們裡面擴增，並從我們的靈擴展到我們的魂里。在他回來那天，甚至我們物質的身體，就是我們全人外面的部分，也會被他的元素浸透（腓三 21）。（信徒對變化的經歷，二一至二二頁）。
若沒有那靈擴展到你的魂里，你與別人的一便無法持久。比方說，你訪問香港，受到熱烈的歡迎，起初在那裡覺得很愉快。但是在短短的時間內，你就會發現他們作事的方法和你所認為的大相徑庭。過不了幾天，他們就把你得罪了。你在國內的時候，高喊『阿利路亞，一個新人！』但是到了一個新環境，新人卻被你堅持不改的觀念切成了碎片。
你的魂還沒有變化。你還是活在老舊、天然的魂里。這對新人來說是一個阻礙。你肯讓內住的靈完全浸透你的魂，而使其有生機的變化麼？你肯讓那靈自由的滲透你的靈，也滲透你的魂麼？果真如此，不論你到迦納，到菲律賓，或者到巴西，你都不會有難處。你意見的大本營已經被毀壞了。你的魂被內住的靈浸透，你便與新人成為一，被建造在身體裡。不管你訪問甚麼地方，遇見甚麼人，你這一面都沒有難處。
如果全地的聖徒都是這樣的話，新人就出現，身體就建造起來了。…以弗所四章十二至十六節告訴我們，基督身體的建造在於生命長大：『為要成全聖徒，目的是為着職事的工作，為着建造基督的身體，直到我們眾人都達到了信仰上並對神兒子之完全認識上的一，達到了長成的人，達到了基督豐滿之身材的度量，使我們不再作小孩子，…惟…在一切事上長到他，就是元首基督裡面；本於他，全身借着每一豐富供應的節，並借着每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以聯絡在一起，並結合在一起，便叫身體漸漸長大，以致在愛里把自己建造起來。』
我們在一切事上長到元首基督裡面，乃是借着我們的魂被那靈浸透。必須『身體漸漸長大』，主才能得着新人。這是主所要達到的目標。當主的身體建造起來時，他便在地上得着一個新人來完成神永遠的定旨。讓我們為着這件事得以實現出來而禱告，並為此把自己獻給他。『主啊，求你從我的靈擴展到我的魂，浸透我的魂，使我產生新陳代謝的變化。我要有生機的改變。』過了一段時間，我們就會生命長大而變化。然後，我們要建造到身體裡面，成為新人的肢體。這種情形在我們許多人身上產生出來，並且擴展到全地，新人就要出現。這是主的目標，讓我們在追求這個目標上與他是一（保羅的完成職事，九七至九九頁）。
參讀：保羅的完成職事，第八至九章；信徒對變化的經歷，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
