God Revealing Christ in Us vs. God Revealing His Son in Us

 

God Revealing Christ in Us vs. God Revealing His Son in Us

Col. 2:2-3 "The mystery of God is Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"

Gal. 1:15-16 "It pleased God to reveal His Son in me"

 

Analysis Item	God Revealing Christ in Us	God Revealing His Son in Us
Core Meaning	• Emphasizes Christ's offices, work, and mission • Christ = the Anointed One, Messiah • Mainly points to Christ's redemptive work and anointed identity	• Emphasizes the embodiment of the Triune God and life reality • Son = the second person of the Godhead, having life relationship with the Father • Encompasses the complete revelation of the Triune God - Father, Son, and Spirit
Theological Focus	• Christology (the Savior's work) • Relatively shallow, focusing on the work aspect • Mainly highlights Christ as an individual	• Trinity (God's essence and life) • Deeper, touching God's essence • Necessarily includes the complete revelation of Father and Spirit
Revelation Content	• Identity as Redeemer • Offices of Prophet, Priest, and King • Work of cross and resurrection • Christ's gifts and calling	• Embodiment of the Triune God • Manifestation of the fullness of the Godhead • Oneness of Father, Son, and Spirit • Triune God realized as the all-inclusive Spirit
Revelation Method	• Progressive recognition of Christ's offices • Knowing inner life through outer work	• One-time receiving of Triune God's life • Direct revelation of God's mystery
Practical Experience	• Knowing Christ's salvation and work • External salvation knowledge and experience • Assurance of salvation and growth	• Experiencing the Triune God as life and nature • Internal divine life and nature • Indwelling and transformation of divine life
Spiritual Level	• Practice of Christian life • Imitating Christ's character and behavior  • Pursuing to be like Christ	• Reality of God-man mingling • Living out divine life and nature • Pursuing the reality of God-man mingling
Triune God Relationship	• Relatively independent view of Christ • Less emphasis on relationship with Father and Spirit	• Where the Son is, the Father is also there, and the Spirit is also there • Father embodied in the Son, Son realized as the Spirit • Triune God is three-in-one and one-in-three
Key Scriptures	1 Cor 2:2 "I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" Eph 3:17 "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith" Gal 2:20 "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" Phil 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ"	Gal 1:15-16 "God was pleased to reveal His Son in me" John 14:9-10 "He who has seen Me has seen the Father; I am in the Father and the Father is in Me" 2 Cor 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" Col 2:9 "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
Key Truths	1 Cor 15:45 "The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit" 2 Cor 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit" ohn 1:14 "The Word became flesh"	Col 2:2-3 "The mystery of God, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" John 14:16-18 Father gives another Comforter, the Spirit of reality, who is the Lord Himself John 14:20 "I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you"
Practical Application - Prayer Life	• Praying in Christ's name • Relying on His intercession • Learning Christ's prayer example	• Praying in the fellowship of the Triune God • Experiencing Father's love, Son's grace, Spirit's fellowship • Being blended with God in spirit
Practical Application - Bible Study	• Learning Christ's example and teachings • Knowing Christ from the Four Gospels • Understanding salvation doctrines	• Knowing God's economy from Scripture • Seeing God's eternal plan • Experiencing God's living word
Practical Application - Service	• Serving according to Christ's gifts and calling • Imitating Christ's serving attitude • Bearing witness for Christ	• Coordinating in the flow of the Triune God • Serving by divine life • Building up the Body of Christ
Practical Application - Daily Life	• Imitating Christ's character and behavior • Taking up the cross to follow the Lord • Living out Christ's virtues	• Living out divine life and nature • Expressing the Triune God in life • Becoming God's expression
Spiritual Significance	• Starting point and foundation of salvation • Beginning of knowing God's grace • Core of Christian faith	• Goal and completion of salvation • Realization of God's eternal plan • Reality of God-man mingling
Ultimate Goal	• Being saved and sanctified • Conforming to Christ's image • Preparing to meet the Lord	• God-man mingling • Partaking of divine life and nature • Becoming the New Jerusalem
Relationship Position	• Starting point of knowing God • Relatively basic revelation • Preparing the way for deeper revelation	• Includes and transcends Christ's revelation • Complete divine revelation • Climax of God's revelation
Core Difference Summary	Focuses on Christ's work and offices Emphasis on knowing and experiencing Christ as Redeemer's work, including His death, resurrection, ascension, and His example and leading in our life.	Focuses on the Triune God's essence and life Emphasis on receiving the complete revelation of the Triune God, knowing that God's Son is the embodiment of the Triune God, realized as the all-inclusive Spirit dwelling in us as life.

 

Conclusion:

l   Progressive Relationship: The two are not opposing but have a progressive relationship. Christ's revelation is the starting point; God's Son's revelation is the consummation.

l   Inclusive Relationship: God's Son's revelation includes and transcends Christ's revelation, because whenever God's Son is mentioned, the Father and Spirit are included.

l   Ultimate Goal: Both are for God-man mingling, enabling man to partake of divine life and nature, ultimately becoming the New Jerusalem.

l   Core Truth: God revealing His Son in us means that the embodiment of the Triune God is realized as the all-inclusive Spirit, dwelling in us as our life, which far exceeds merely knowing Christ's work.

 

*Please refer to Life-study of Galatians, Chapter 3, The Son of God versus Human Religion