Chapter 99 of 106

the Lamb, will also be the bride of the Lamb—Rev. 19:7.

the believers for them to be justified by God subjectively—Rom. 4:25; 1 Pet. 2:24a; James 2:24; Matt. 5:20; Rev. 19:8. 3. As our objective righteousness, Christ is the One in whom we are justified by God—Rom. 3:24, 28; 4:25; 5:1, 9, 16, 18. 4. As our subjective righteousness, Christ is the One dwelling in us to live for us a life that can be justified by God and that is always acceptable to God—Matt. 5:6, 20. B. Christ lived out of the saints as their subjective righteousness becomes their

wedding garment—Rev. 19:8:

1. The righteousness we received for our salvation is objective and enables us to meet the requirement of the righteous God, whereas the righteousnesses of the overcoming saints are subjective and enable them to meet the requirement of the overcoming Christ—1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9. 2. The wedding garment in Matthew 22:11-12 signifies the Christ whom we live out and who is expressed through us in our daily living as our surpassing righteousness—5:20; Rev. 3:4-5, 18. C. The Lord's bride, His wife, "has made herself ready. And it was given to her

that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints"—19:7b-8:

1. Revelation 19:8 clearly associates clothing with righteousness. 2. The word righteousnesses in verse 8 is plural and can be translated as "righteous acts." 3. The righteousnesses do not refer to Christ as our righteousness, whom we received for our salvation—1 Cor. 1:30. 4. The fine linen indicates our overcoming life, our overcoming living. 5. The fine linen is the Christ whom we live out of our being. D. "Blessed are they [the overcoming saints] who are called to the marriage

dinner of the Lamb"—Rev. 19:9:

1. The marriage dinner of the Lamb here is the wedding feast in Matthew 22:2. 2. To be called to the marriage dinner of Christ is to be blessed. 3. The overcoming believers, who will be called to the marriage dinner of the Lamb, will also be the bride of the Lamb—Rev. 19:7.

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‹‹ WEEK 5 — DAY 1 ››

Morning Nourishment

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Cor. 3:8-9 How shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory? For if there is glory with the ministry of condemnation, much more the ministry of righteousness abounds with glory.

God is righteous as well as holy. Whereas holiness is related to God's inward nature, righteousness is related to God's outward acts, ways, actions, and activities. Everything God does is righteous.

The righteousness of God is what God is in His action with respect to justice and righteousness...Whatever God is in His justice and righteousness constitutes His righteousness.

Our experience of Christ rests on the foundation of God's righteousness. The foundation is not our fervency or victory; it is God's righteousness, the unshakable foundation of God's throne (Psa. 89:14). God has shown forth His righteousness by forgiving us of our sins. In this way God has proved that He is righteous. Now such righteousness of God is our solid foundation. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 87, 90)

Today's Reading

In 2 Corinthians Paul does not speak of gifts or miracles, but he does say that the Spirit gives life...He does not say a word about speaking in tongues. The emphasis in this book is on the Spirit as the life supply. The ministry of the new covenant is a matter of the Spirit as the supply inwardly and of righteousness as God's expression outwardly...In 3:8 Paul speaks of the ministry of the Spirit, and in verse 9, of the ministry of righteousness.

If we would understand what the ministry of righteousness is, we must first have a proper understanding of righteousness. Righteousness is a matter of being right. When we have the Spirit living, moving, and acting within us in a way that is real and substantial, we are automatically right with God, with others, and with ourselves. This

understanding of righteousness is correct, but it is not adequate. Hence, we must go on to see something further regarding righteousness.

In 1 Corinthians 15:34 Paul says, "Awake from the drunken stupor righteously and do not sin, for some of you are ignorant of God."...What does it mean to awake from a drunken stupor righteously? It means to become sober in such a way that we are right with God, with others, and with ourselves. A believer who is sober righteously will be right with his wife, with his children, with his neighbors, with all the saints, with the church, and also with himself. Those who are not right in all these ways are in a drunken stupor.

If we did not have the new covenant ministry, we would not have the Spirit, and we would not have righteousness...Many of us can testify that after coming into the church life, we began to realize that there is something within us that is living, real, and substantial. This is the Spirit within us working and making us joyful, peaceful, and restful. This is the Spirit of life ministered into us as the life supply by the ministry in the Lord's recovery.

Before you experienced the Spirit in this way, it may have been very easy for you to argue with your wife or husband. But if you experience the Spirit as your life supply, something within restrains you when you want to argue. For example, a sister may be tempted to blame her husband, but deep within she realizes that she should go into her room and pray. This experience comes from the Spirit as the life supply that is ministered into us through the new covenant ministry.

Perhaps in a church meeting not a word is spoken concerning the Spirit as the life supply...Although nothing is said concerning this, it is nevertheless a fact that in the meeting the Spirit is ministered to you. There is a ministry in the recovery that inscribes the processed Triune God as the life-giving Spirit into our being. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 236-239)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 9

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‹‹ WEEK 5 — DAY 2 ››

Morning Nourishment

2 Cor. 5:21 Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Eph. 4:24 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness...

Col. 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

Because I receive the supply of the life-giving Spirit in the church meetings, I very rarely miss a meeting...My only desire is to be in the meeting and to receive the supply. In particular, I enjoy the prayer meeting of the church in Anaheim. During that meeting I am infused and saturated with the Spirit. Afterward, it seems that everything is golden and that within me the tree of life is growing and the river of life is flowing.

As a result of experiencing the Spirit living and working within us, we become righteous. Spontaneously, our inner being is transparent, crystal clear, and we know the heart of God. Immediately, without effort, we know the mind of the Lord and have a clear understanding concerning His will and work. Then what we do is according to the Lord's mind and will. This is righteousness. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 239)

Today's Reading

Many Christians have the concept that when we do something wrong, we are not right with God. This concept of righteousness is too superficial. Even when we do not do anything wrong, we still may not be right with God, for our being may not be in the mind and will of the Lord. Apparently, we are not wrong in any way; however, our entire being may be far short of being right with God. We may not be according to the Lord's mind, and what we are doing may not be His will. As long as we are not doing God's will, we are not right.

Suppose a young person at school does not do anything wrong. But he does not study properly. Furthermore, when he sits in class, he is absent-minded...Outwardly, he may not be wrong, but inwardly, his whole being is wrong. In the same principle, outwardly, many saints are not wrong in anything. Actually, their being is not in the will of the Lord.

If you are infused and saturated by the life-giving Spirit, your inner being will become transparent. Then you will know what is in the Lord's mind. You will also understand what the will of the Lord is. Spontaneously, you will be in His will and do His will. As a result, you become right with Him. Moreover, you will realize how you should act toward others and even how you should deal with your material possessions. Then you will become a righteous person, one who is right in small things as well as in great things, one who is right with God, with others, and with himself. This is a person who expresses God, for his righteousness is the image of God, God expressed.

If we walk according to the Spirit, we will also fulfill the commandments forbidding murder, fornication, stealing, giving false testimony, and coveting...In Romans 7 Paul tells us that he tried to overcome coveting, but he was not able to do so. Rather, he was killed by this commandment. Then he condemned himself and cried out, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me?" (v. 24). Then in Romans 8 he could declare, "There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death" (vv. 1-2). Paul also came to realize that the righteous requirements of the law were fulfilled in him automatically when he walked according to the Spirit of life. This also can be our experience today. There is no need for us to purpose to fulfill the Ten Commandments. Once again I say that if we walk according to the Spirit of life, every commandment will be fulfilled in us unconsciously and spontaneously. Each commandment will be thoroughly fulfilled in us. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 239-240, 252-253)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1932–1949, vol. 4, "Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures,

volume 4," ch. 35

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‹‹ WEEK 5 — DAY 3 ››

Morning Nourishment

Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Rom. 8:4 That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

When the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us because we walk according to the Spirit, then we have righteousness...When we have righteousness, we have the expression of the God we serve and worship. Because we have this expression as the spontaneous righteousness that we live out by the Spirit of life, others can be convinced and subdued.

In Romans 8:4 Paul speaks of the righteous requirement of the law, and in verse 29 he speaks of the image of God's Son: "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." If we put this verse together with verses 2 and 4, we have the Spirit, righteousness, and the image. Day by day we need to walk according to the Spirit of life so that we may fulfill the righteousness of the law. This is equal to being conformed to the image of God's Son. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 253)

Today's Reading

The way to be conformed to His image is to walk according to the Spirit of life so that the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us. Then we will have righteousness, and this righteousness is the very image of the Son of God. Therefore, the Spirit produces righteousness, and righteousness is the image.

In Romans 8 we have righteousness related to the Spirit of life and issuing in the image of the Son of God. But in Romans 14:17 righteousness is related to the kingdom of God. In this chapter the kingdom of God denotes the church life. The meetings of the church are an exhibition of the kingdom of God...The church life is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is righteousness.

Paul's word in Romans 14:17 corresponds to what is written in the Old Testament. According to Psalm 89:14, righteousness is the foundation of God's throne...God's throne is established with righteousness as the foundation...Isaiah 32:1 says, "Indeed a King will reign according to righteousness." Here righteousness is again related to the kingdom...Furthermore, Hebrews 1:8 and 9 say, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness." These verses are a quotation from Psalm 45.

In the Old Testament righteousness is often synonymous with the kingdom. Therefore, righteousness is related to government, administration, regulation, and rule...Where there is righteousness, everything is headed up in a proper way.

Righteousness first issues in the image of God. Then righteousness establishes the kingdom of God. In Romans 8 we have righteousness and God's image, and in Romans 14 we have righteousness and God's kingdom. Both the image and the kingdom are based on righteousness.

Let us now apply this aspect of righteousness to our family life and our church life. When a husband and wife are not happy with each other and the situation at home is not pleasant, there is no righteousness, no image of the Son, in their family life. Likewise, the kingdom of God is not present, for God's kingdom is righteousness. Others observing the situation will not receive any impression of the image of Christ, the expression of God. However, suppose a brother and his wife live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit. They will be happy, and their children will be happy also. What a glorious family life that would be! Others will be able to see the image of God and realize that the kingdom of God is present in that family. This is righteousness in the family life. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 254-255)

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 28, "The Gospel of God (1)," ch. 5

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‹‹ WEEK 5 — DAY 4 ››

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.

2 Pet. 3:13 But according to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Suppose [that] in a particular church...instead of murmuring, criticizing, or gossiping, there are forbearance, praise, calling on the Lord, and fellowship. Moreover, suppose the meetings are living, in good order, and rich in function. Surely, in such a church we can see the kingdom of God full of righteousness. Everything there is orderly and peaceful.

The goal of the new covenant ministry is to minister the all-inclusive Spirit of the processed Triune God into others to be their supply. Simultaneously, this ministry dispenses Christ into the believers as their righteousness. Then as the believers live and walk according to the Spirit, they will be in a condition that expresses God and that gives an impression of the Son of God. Furthermore, they will actually be the kingdom of God established in righteousness, set in order, and properly headed up. They will also have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is the result of the new covenant ministry. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 255256)

Today's Reading

Ultimately, the bride in Revelation 19 will become the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22...According to Revelation 21:18, "the building work of its wall was jasper." Also, the first foundation of the New Jerusalem will be jasper (v. 19). Therefore, the appearance of the city will be that of jasper. Revelation 4 indicates that God sitting on the throne in the heavens also has the appearance of jasper. Hence, jasper denotes God's image, His expression. The fact that jasper is the appearance both of God and of the New Jerusalem indicates that this holy city will bear the same appearance that God does. The entire city will express God.

Today we are preparing our bridal gown, a gown that will have the appearance of righteousness, which is the expression of God. Ultimately, in the New Jerusalem, this will be the appearance of jasper.

As used in 2 Peter 3:13, the word righteousness is rich in meaning. To say that righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and new earth means that everything will be in order, headed up, and regulated. Everything will be governed, controlled, and under the proper rule, for the throne of God, the kingdom, the divine administration, will be there. The result will be peace and joy.

At present there is little righteousness on earth. Instead, there are unrighteousness, disorder, and confusion. But praise the Lord that in the church, where we have a foretaste of the new heaven and the new earth, righteousness dwells! Moreover, we should be able to say that, by the Lord's mercy, righteousness also dwells in our family life.

Today many Christians neglect the new covenant ministry. Instead of ministering the Spirit and righteousness to others, they argue about such things as the method of baptism...The various so-called ministries have divided the children of God...The ministry of the new covenant simply ministers Christ to others as the Spirit to be the life supply inwardly and as righteousness to be the expression of God outwardly. This expression of God as righteousness, the image of God, brings in the kingdom, where everything is regulated, orderly, and headed up. This gives us a foretaste of the coming kingdom and of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth. This is the function of the new covenant ministry.

We must all carry on the ministry to minister Christ as the life-giving Spirit and as righteousness. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 256-258)

Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msg. 57

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‹‹ WEEK 5 — DAY 5 ››

Morning Nourishment

Rev. 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.

The bride in Revelation 19:7-8 refers to redeemed and transformed tripartite mankind. This bride will wear white linen, which is the righteousnesses of the saints. If we would have a share in this bride, who is adorned with bright, shining, clean righteousness, we need to adorn ourselves with righteousness. Day by day we need to prepare bright linen clothing to cover ourselves. This is our daily righteousness. How can we produce such a garment of righteousness? We produce it by walking daily according to the Spirit of life and by having a life that is a life of the Spirit. If we prepare our wedding garment day by day, month by month, and year by year by living such a life in the Spirit, we will not be found naked when the Lord comes. Instead, at His coming, we will be wearing a bright, clean wedding garment. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 256)

Today's Reading

There are two aspects of Christ being righteousness from God to the believers. The first aspect is that He is the believers' righteousness for them to be justified before God objectively at the time of their repenting unto God and believing into Christ...Christ is our beauty given by God to us to be put on us as our clothing, our glorious dress.

The second aspect is that Christ is the believers' righteousness lived out of them as the manifestation of God, who is the righteousness in Christ given to the believers for them to be justified by God subjectively...When Christ was given to us to be put on us, He entered into us to be our life and life supply to live Himself out of us. This living out is the manifestation of God in Christ. This is pleasant in the eyes of God. Surely, God would justify us subjectively, not just objectively. Now we can see the two aspects—outward and inward. Christ is put on us, and Christ enters into us to live God out of us to be our subjective righteousness.

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