LESSON TWO – THE ALL-INCLUSIVE CHRIST

Col. 2:6 — As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him,  having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

CHRIST THE REALITY OF ALL

According to the Scriptures all physical things, all the material things that we see, touch, and enjoy, are not the real things. They are but a shadow, a figure, of the true. Day by day we are contacting so many material objects: we are eating food, drinking water, putting on clothes; we are living in our houses and driving in our cars. I would ask you to realize and remember well that all these things are not real. They are but shadows, figures. The food we take every day is not the real food but a figure of the real. The water we drink is not the real water. The light before our eyes is not the real light but a figure pointing to something else.

Then what are the real things? Brothers and sisters, I would by the grace of God tell you in truth that the real things are nothing but Christ Himself. Christ is the real food to us. Christ is the real water to us. Christ is the real light to us. Christ is the reality of everything to us. Even our physical life is not a real life. It is but a figure pointing to Christ. Christ is the real life to us. If you do not have Christ, you do not have life. You will say, “I am living; I have life in my body.” But you must realize that this is not the real life. It is merely a shadow pointing to the real life, which is Christ Himself.

THE MEASURE OF OUR EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST

What is [the good land of Canaan]? Never forget that this land is the all inclusive Christ. It is not just Christ but the all-inclusive Christ. If I were to ask you if you have Christ, you would answer, “Praise the Lord, I have Him; I have Christ.” But I would ask you what kind of Christ you have. I am afraid that in your experience you have just a little Christ, a poor Christ, not an all-inclusive Christ.

Let me tell you a story, a real story. Not long after I was saved, I studied the Scriptures, and I was taught that the passover lamb is the type of Christ. When I learned this, how I praised the Lord. I exclaimed, “Lord, I praise You. You are the lamb; You are the lamb for me.” But I would ask you to compare the lamb with the land. What kind of comparison can you make between a little lamb and a great land? What is the lamb? You must say that it is Christ. But I would tell you that it is a little Christ. That was not the goal of God for His people. God never told them, “All right, as long as you have the lamb, that is sufficient.” No. God told them in effect that the reason He gave them the lamb was to bring them into the land. The passover was for the land.

Do you have Christ? Yes, you have Christ. But what kind of Christ do you have, a lamb or a land? All the people of Israel had the lamb on that passover day in Egypt, but very few, I am sorry to say, got into the land. Very few took possession of that piece of land. After I was saved for one or two years, I was taught that the manna, which the children of Israel enjoyed in the wilderness, is also a type of Christ. I was so joyful. I said, “Lord, You are my food; You are not only the lamb to me but also my daily manna.” But I would ask you, is the manna the purpose, the goal, of God? Did God deliver His people from Egypt to enjoy the manna in the wilderness? No. The land is the purpose; the land is the goal. Do you enjoy Christ as the land? I doubt it, and I venture to say that even you doubt it. You can say that you enjoy the lamb as your passover and the Lord as your daily manna, but very few can really say that they enjoy the all-inclusive Christ as the land.

CHRIST BEING THE EARTH, CHRIST BEING THE SOIL, AND OUR HAVING BEEN ROOTED IN CHRIST

The Word tells us in Colossians 2 that we have been rooted in Christ (v. 7). Now I would ask you to consider: If we have been rooted in Christ, then what is Christ to us? Yes, Christ is the earth; Christ is the soil. A plant or a tree is rooted in the soil, in the land. Even so, we have been rooted in Christ. I am afraid you have never realized that Christ is the very soil, the very land to you. You are a little plant rooted in this land, which is Christ Himself. I must confess that five or six years ago I never had such a thought. I read the Scriptures and spent much time in the book of Colossians. I read it over and over but never obtained this light. I never knew that Christ is the soil, my very earth. It was not until the last few years that my eyes were opened.

CHRIST BEING A LAND WITHIN WHICH WE CAN WALK

I deeply feel that most of the Lord’s children are still remaining in Egypt. They have experienced only the passover; they have just taken the Lord as the lamb. They have been saved by the lamb, but they have not been delivered out of the world. Yes, some have come out of Egypt, some have been delivered from the world, but they are still wandering in the wilderness. They enjoy Christ a little more; they enjoy Him as their daily manna. They can boast that they enjoy Christ as their food and they are so satisfied. But, brothers and sisters, is this good enough? I think when we meet those who enjoy Christ as their daily manna, we are very happy. We say, “Praise the Lord, here are some brothers and sisters who really enjoy the Lord as their manna day by day.” But we must realize that this falls far short of God’s purpose. God’s purpose is not just that we enjoy Christ a little but that He should be the all-inclusive One to us. Look at this verse: “As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him” (v. 6). He is a sphere, a realm for us to walk in. He is not just some food or water but a realm, a land within which we can walk. We must walk in Him. He is our land; He is our earth; He is our kingdom. Walk in Him. (CWWL, 1961–1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” 195-196, 200-202)

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE TYPE OF CHRIST

This land is the full type, the all-inclusive type, of Christ. We know that there are many types in the Old Testament. We know that the passover lamb is a type of Christ, and we know that the manna is a type of Christ. The tabernacle with all its furniture, utensils, and various offerings is also a type of Christ. But I wish to point out to you that without this piece of land, there is no all-inclusive type of Christ. The passover lamb is not the all-inclusive type, and neither is the manna or even the tabernacle with all the things related to it. Many different kinds of offerings were ordained by the Lord, but they only depict various aspects of Christ. Only the land of Canaan is the full type, the all-inclusive type, of Christ. We have all accepted Christ as our Redeemer. That is quite wonderful. But we must realize that Christ as the Redeemer is not the allinclusive One. We are told in the Scriptures that Christ is all and in all, that Christ is the all-inclusive One. Everything is in Him, and He is in everything. There is no other type in the Old Testament except the land of Canaan that shows Him as such. (CWWL, 1961–1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,”205)

References:    The    All-inclusive   Christ, chs. 1, 2; Life-study of Deuteronomy, msg. 5

O THE RICHES OF MY SAVIOR

Experience of Christ— His Riches – 542

• O the riches of my Savior,
  So unsearchable, immense;
  All the fulness of the Godhead
  I may now experience.

O the riches, O the riches,
Christ my Savior has for me!
How unsearchable their measure,
Yet my full reality!

• O the riches of my Savior,
  All-embracing: life and light,
  Wisdom, power, healing, comfort,
  Treasures rich of God’s delight;

• God’s redemption, full salvation,
  And His resurrection pow’r,
  Sanctifying, glorifying,
  All transcending every hour!

• O the riches of my Savior-
  Nothing less than God as all!
  All His person and possessions,
  Now my spirit doth enthrall.

• O the riches of my Savior!
  Who can know their breadth and length,
  Or their depth and height unmeasured,
  Yet they are my joy and strength.

• May I know these boundless riches,
  Christ experienced in full;
  And with others may I share them
  In their content bountiful.