The Constituents of the Vital Groups (4)
In the previous chapter we saw the first three items of the constituents of the vital groups: the believers in Christ, the disciples of Christ, and the witnesses of Christ. In chapter 1 we pointed out that to live the church life we have to pursue with those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Also, we have to learn how to enjoy Christ as the Spirit in our spirit to be the abiding grace for our enjoyment (4:22)… In this chapter we want to see the last three items of these constituents: the members of Christ, the brothers of Christ, and the prophets of God.
After we have been discipled to be Christ’s witnesses, we are qualified to be His members. Romans 12:5 says, “We who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” As Christ’s members, we are a part of Him.
The members of Christ constitute His Body for His spreading by His multiplication. We in the Lord’s recovery are spreading Christ for His multiplication, but our rate of multiplication has not been that high. Christ is great, so He needs a great Body with many members through His multiplication. We should remember these two words: spreading and multiplication.
Christ’s multiplication is by Him as a grain of wheat producing many grains (John 12:24). He is the unique original grain, and we are the many grains. In our function we should be the same as Christ for His multiplication.
In John 15 the Lord said, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (v. 5). The branches are not for blossoming but for bearing fruit. Christ as the vine tree bears much fruit as His multiplication through His branches, His members.
The multiplication of Christ spreads God through speaking for the increase of Christ, His bride. John the Baptist said, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom…He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:29-30). This increase is the bride.
Christ speaks the words of God for the dispensing of the Spirit without measure (v. 34). Our speaking must be followed by the Spirit for dispensing.
His words spoken by Him and received by His believers minister spirit and life (6:63). When God’s words spoken by us are received into others’ spirits, they become spirit and life to them. Christ’s multiplication spreads God through His speaking and our speaking. His speaking and our speaking should be the same. They should be followed by the Spirit. Christ is the Word of God, and we are the members of Christ. Therefore, we are members of the Word of God. As such, we must be the oracle of God, the speaking ones, to spread God for the multiplication and increase of Christ. (The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups”, ch. 3, pp. 74-83)
The church in Zamboanga 