God’s Creation vs. God’s Sons

 

God’s Creation vs. God’s Sons

Genesis 1:26–27 “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So God created man in His own image… male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:7 “The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”

John 1:12–13 “But as many as received Him… He gave authority to become children of God…who were born… of God.” 

Aspect	God’s Creation	God’s Sons
Meaning	Made by God; bears God’s image outwardly but lacks God’s life inwardly.	Born of God; possesses God’s life and nature within.
Essential Identity	A creature within creation; human life only.	A child in God’s household; has divine life and nature.
Source of Life	Formed from dust; possesses human/soulish life.	Born of God; possesses divine, eternal, incorruptible life.
Distinction	Lives by ethics, morality, conscience.	Lives by the operation of the Spirit and the growth of divine life.
Origin / Reason	Created to express God outwardly and contain Him as a vessel.	Regenerated through Christ so that God may impart His life to fulfill His economy.
Result	Remains a creature without divine life; cannot reach God’s goal.	Inherits God’s riches, partakes of His nature, grows into maturity to express Christ.
Examples	• Confucius’ “bright virtue”—moral refinement but without divine life. • Human ethics and education.	• John 1:12–13 believers receiving the authority to become God’s children. • God’s life operating and transforming believers (Rom 8; Phil 2:13).
Way of Living	Lives by human virtue, culture, morality.	Lives by the Spirit, expressing Christ and God’s nature.
Highest Attainable Level	Moral excellence, ethical perfection, cultivated conscience.	Matured sons expressing God, sharing His life, nature, authority, and kingdom.
Application	Improves outward behavior only; cannot fulfill God’s intention.	Daily experience of the Spirit, growth in life, living as God’s sons.
Burden	Do not remain at the level of God’s creation.	See that we are God’s sons; seek the growth and expression of divine life.
Prophecy (Speaking for God)	Declare we are more than creatures; we must grow in God’s life.	Speak concerning God’s inner operation, transformation, and divine nature.
Guidance	Do not rely on self-effort, ethics, or conscience-improvement.	Turn to the spirit, receive life supply, live by the divine life.
Conclusion	A creature can never reach God’s goal by human effort.	God’s economy is to produce sons who share His life and express Him.
Expanded Scriptures	John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” 1 Peter 1:23 “Having been regenerated… through the living and abiding word of God.” 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word, that you may grow…” Romans 8:14–16 “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God… The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.” Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working…” 2 Peter 1:4 “…that you might become partakers of the divine nature.”

 

Key Points Summary:

1.      Being “created” is not equal to “being born of God.”

2.      Ethics improve outward behavior but cannot impart divine life.

3.      God’s purpose is not moral refinement but life-dispensing.

4.      Through regeneration believers become God’s sons.

5.      Sons live by divine life, not by human effort.

6.      God’s ultimate goal is the expression and reproduction of Himself through His sons.

Content Summary: 

Humanity in Genesis 1 was created in God’s image and likeness but without His life. Through Christ’s redemption and regeneration, believers receive God’s life and become His sons—not merely His creatures. God’s intention is not ethical refinement but the dispensing of His life to produce sons who express Him.

 

*Please refer to Galatians Life-Study, Chapter 45, "Walking by the Spirit as Sons of God (Part Two)".

“Being Perfect as Kingdom People VS Being Perfect in the Love of God”

 

“Being Perfect as Kingdom People VS Being Perfect in the Love of God”

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.”
Rom. 5:5 — “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Aspect	Being Perfect as Kingdom People (Matt. 5:20, 44–45)	Being Perfect in the Love of God (Rom. 5:5; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; Eph. 2:4)
Meaning	• To be perfect is to be like the heavenly Father—expressing His love, righteousness, mercy, and light in our living. • Stresses the expression of God’s life in the outward living of the kingdom people.	• To be perfect in God’s love means to be constituted with God’s divine essence of love, having His love poured into our hearts. • Not behavior first, but inward constitution by the divine dispensing.
Distinction	• Emphasis on living out the Father’s perfection: loving enemies, praying for persecutors. • Based on the constitution of the kingdom (Matt. 5–7).	• Emphasis on being constituted with God’s divine love as an inner essence. • Love is not demanded but supplied through the Spirit.
Reason	• Because we are kingdom people; our living must match the Father’s nature and testify of His life. • We must express the Father to be His sons practically.	• Because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). • He first loved us, chose us, had mercy on us, and poured His divine love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).
Result	• Manifesting the kingdom life of righteousness, peace, mercy, and divine love. • Becoming the practical expression of God’s kingdom on earth.	• The believer’s heart becomes a heart of love. • Being built with God’s essence—Spirit, love, and light. • Spontaneous divine reactions toward others.
Examples	• Not retaliating, not seeking revenge. • Loving enemies; praying for persecutors. • Giving without demanding return.	• Experiencing the inward ability to love the unlovable. • Standing in love in trials, persecution, and misunderstanding (Rom. 8:35–39). • Being softened, renewed, and constituted by God’s life.
Application	• Taking the Father—not humans—as the standard. • Living out the kingdom constitution in church life. • Letting the Father’s perfection govern our family, work, and service.	• Daily turning to God’s dispensing so that His love may be freshly poured into our hearts. • Loving with God’s love, not with natural love. • Allowing God’s life to saturate us through prayer and the Word.
Burden	• That the kingdom’s reality would be expressed on the earth. • That the believers’ conduct would glorify the Father. • That the church would become the testimony of the kingdom.	• That believers would not rely on their natural love but on God’s essence of love. • That the saints would be more open to the divine dispensing of love.
Prophetic Speaking Guide	• Emphasize: perfection cannot be achieved by human effort; it must be lived by God’s inner life. • Highlight that the kingdom living is not law-keeping but a life-expression.	• Emphasize: God’s love is not merely a feeling but a divine substance poured into us. • Encourage saints to open their hearts to receive more divine dispensing.
Conclusion	Kingdom perfection is the outward expression of God’s life, which depends on the inward divine love. Only by being perfected in God’s love can kingdom people live as the Father is.	Being perfect in God’s love is an inward constitution. Only by being constituted with God’s essence of love can we live out the Father’s perfection.
Related Scriptures	Matt. 5:20 — “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” Matt. 5:44–45 — “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father who is in the heavens; because He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”	1 John 4:10 — “Not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins.” Eph. 2:4 — “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” 1 John 4:8, 16 — “God is love.” Rom. 8:35–39 — “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ…?”

 

*Please refer to the May 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training: General Topic: Matthew Chapters 5-7 - Extremely Important Aspects - Week 6: Be Perfect, Just as Perfect as Our Heavenly Father.

 

“Be Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect” (Matt. 5:48)

 

“Be Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect” (Matt. 5:48)

Matthew 5:44–48 — Love enemies; pray for persecutors; be perfect as the Father is perfect.

Item	Be Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect
1. Meaning	- “Perfect” means perfect in the Father’s love, expressing His life and nature. - The kingdom law reveals not outward conduct but the manifestation of the divine life within. - Perfection is not self-effort but the expression of the divine life imparted into us.
2. Reason  (Why We Can Be Perfect)	- We are children of the Father, having His life and nature (Matt. 5:45). - The divine life inherently makes us perfect (Matt. 5:48). - The kingdom constitution reveals what divine life can accomplish. - Adverse situations expose our natural man, causing us to turn to the Father and live by His life.
3. Way  (How to Become Perfect)	- Turn to the Father, not rely on self. - Remain in divine fellowship to receive constant life supply (1 John 1). - Enjoy the dispensing of the processed Triune God (2 Cor. 3:6a). - Live by the Father’s life and nature, especially when facing enemies or persecution. - Allow the divine life to operate by being subdued and turning to Him.
4. Result	- Living out the Father’s impartial love (sun & rain for all—Matt. 5:45). - Manifesting the kingdom life and kingdom living. - The natural man subdued; the divine life gains expression. - Becoming perfect as children expressing their Father.
5. Examples	- Loving enemies and praying for persecutors (Matt. 5:44). - Treating all people equally without preference. - Responding to mistreatment by relying on divine life rather than natural reactions.
6. Application	- Daily turn heart to the Lord; stay in divine fellowship. - Receive supply through prayer, the Word, calling on His name. - When adversity comes: “The Father arranged this to expose my natural life.” - Ask: “Am I living by myself or by the Father’s life?”
7. Burden	- God wants life expression, not outward imitation. - The kingdom laws show what the divine life can do. - As God’s children, we can and should be perfect as He is.
8. Prophecy Points	1. We are children with the Father’s life and nature. 2. The divine life enables us to be perfect. 3. Kingdom laws reveal divine life’s capability. 4. Perfection is life-expression, not imitation. 5. Sufferings expose our natural man. 6. Remaining in fellowship brings divine dispensing. 7. Living by the Father’s life expresses His perfect love.
9. Conclusion	- “Be perfect” is a statement of life, not a burden. - God desires the expression of His life in His children. - As we enjoy and live by Him, the Father’s perfection naturally flows out.
10. Expanded Scriptures	Matthew 5:44–48 — Love enemies; pray for persecutors; be perfect as the Father is perfect. Matthew 5:45 — The Father gives sun and rain to evil & good, just & unjust. John 1:12–13 — Born of God, possessing His life. 2 Peter 1:4 — Partakers of the divine nature. 2 Corinthians 3:6a — The Spirit gives life. John 15:4–5 — Abide in Me; without Me you can do nothing. Galatians 2:20 — Not I, but Christ lives in me.
11. Key Points  (Core Summary)	- Perfection is in the Father’s love. - Divine life within us can make us perfect. - Not imitation but life-expression. - Persecutions expose natural life and turn us to God. - The kingdom constitution reveals our capacity in divine life. - Perfection is normal for children born of the Father.

  

*Please refer to the May 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training: General Topic: Matthew Chapters 5-7 - Extremely Important Aspects - Week 6: Be Perfect, Just as Perfect as Our Heavenly Father.

Abiding in God’s Love VS God’s Judgment

 

Abiding in God’s Love VS God’s Judgment

1 John 4:16: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.”

2 Cor. 5:10: “We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ…” 

Category	Abiding in God’s Love	God’s Judgment
Meaning	● To abide in love is to abide in God, and God abides in us (1 John 4:16). ● Living a life that loves Christ and loves others with God’s own love, expressing Him. Scripture: — 1 John 4:16: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.”	● All believers must be manifested before Christ’s judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10). ● This judgment deals not with eternal salvation but with reward or punishment (1 Cor. 3:13–15; 4:5). Scripture: — 2 Cor. 5:10: “We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ…” — 1 Cor. 3:13–15: “…each one’s work will be revealed… If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss…”
Difference	● Abiding in love = today’s living in God’s life and love. ● God’s love is perfected in us as we abide in it (1 John 4:17).	● Judgment is according to whether we lived in God’s perfected love (1 John 4:17–18). ● Fear remains where love is not perfected.
Cause / Reason	● God abides in us so we may love with His own divine love (1 John 4:16). ● Experiencing His love causes this love to be perfected in us.	● God judges according to each person’s work (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17). ● At His coming, believers must give account.
Result	● Love perfected in us (1 John 4:17). ● Boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). ● Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).	● Living in love → boldness and reward (2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Cor. 3:14). ● Not living in love → fear and possible punishment (1 John 4:18; Luke 12:46–47).
Examples	● Christ on earth lived out God as love; now He is our life enabling us to live the same (1 John 4:17). ● Paul constrained by Christ’s love (2 Cor. 5:14).	● The unfaithful servant punished (Luke 12:46–47). ● Works burned and suffering loss (1 Cor. 3:13–15).
Application	● Daily exercise loving others with God’s own love, not natural love (1 John 4:16). ● Live in organic union with God so His love is perfected in us.	● Live every day in view of the judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10). ● Let the standard of every action be: “Does this abide in love?”
Burden	● God desires His love to be perfected in us, producing boldness before Him (1 John 4:17).	● All believers must appear before Christ’s judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10). ● Reward or loss is based on whether love was perfected in us.
Prophetic Speaking Guidelines	● “Abiding in love is abiding in God.” (1 John 4:16) ● “Perfected love gives boldness in the day of judgment.” (1 John 4:17) ● “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)	● “We must all be manifested before the judgment seat.” (2 Cor. 5:10) ● “Judgment = reward or punishment, not salvation.” (1 Cor. 3:13–15) ● “Fear indicates love not perfected.” (1 John 4:18)

 

Conclusion: 

l   To abide in God’s love is to abide in God Himself, allowing His love to be perfected in us. Perfected love removes fear and gives us boldness before Christ’s judgment seat.

l   God’s judgment is righteous and unavoidable. The judgment seat reveals how much we lived in God’s love. Those perfected in love receive reward; others suffer loss.

 

*Please refer to the May 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training: General Topic: Matthew Chapters 5-7 - Extremely Important Aspects - Week 6: Be Perfect, Just as Perfect as Our Heavenly Father.