Biblical evidence for becoming God in life & nature?

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Nell

[/B]
Why don’t you ask Him?

He already did his work. He sent His only Son, a man without sin, as a sacrifice to save His people from their sins. Then Jesus said, “it is finished”. Did you ever hear/read a gospel message by Witness Lee?

According to Lee, this is the “low gospel”. The gospel of Jesus Christ wasn’t good enough for Lee. He embellished God’s word with his own spin and put the “Lee” name on it. The problem with “Lee’s ministry” is you have to study Lee, and the Word falls by the wayside.

IMHO we always need to read the Bible with a view of description vs. prescription. Ask yourself “is this passage describing an historic event, or prescribing a commandment to be obeyed or followed today in my walk with the Lord?”

Being the “same as God in life and and nature” is neither a prescription or description.

Trapped is right. Lee’s teachings are a mess. This one in particular is, if not blatant heresy, borderline heresy, or a non-Biblical Christian teaching. It “sounds” Biblical but in fact, it is not.

Nell

So then, what is gods economy since it can be produced?

[aron]

Originally Posted by Trapped

The healthy teaching that produces God's economy is the gospel. That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That Jesus died on the cross for you and for me. That our debt has been paid.

This is what the Bible says about God's economy. Teach the genuine gospel and God's economy, the end of which is love, will be produced.

Originally Posted by Zezima

So then, what is gods economy since it can be produced?

Remember that Paul was a disciple of Jesus, whose central teaching was to give to those who could not repay you in this age. Remember the parable of the Samaritan? They were talking about love to one's neighbour. Jesus gave a demonstration by parable, of a man who gave with no thought of return. He gave because of love. And he gave to a nearby stranger, who would never repay him.

But where do we see Paul echo this? My "crucial verse" (ha-ha) is found in Galatians at the climax of the council in Jerusalem, where the leaders of the mission there invest Paul with the outreach to the nations, "Only they said to remember the poor" (2:10). What did Paul say? Did he clap his hands on his ears and say, "No, that's not God's economy!"? No, he said he was eager to do that very thing! Imagine that! Why? Maybe because it was God's economy.

Furthermore, Paul goes into two whole chapters of 2 Corinthians (8 and 9) telling them, "It's better to give than to receive" and "he who gathered much had no excess, who gathered little had no lack."

We love not in word but in deed. By sharing. In this we fulfill the royal law, to love one another, says James. Which of you, having food or clothes sends your brother away naked and hungry? No, we share. (2:8,15,16). The one "work" James consistently stresses is generosity toward those who lack.

Now of course this is an idea, a theory, a reading, or interpretation. But so is that of WL, and I argue that this is more well-grounded in scripture, and departs less from the text, than WL's version. Where does Paul teach intensification? Nowhere. If so, why did WL say that it was part of God's economy that Paul wanted Timothy to remain behind in Ephesus and produce? Clearly he's straining to put together concepts that are not together in the text.

But "remember the poor" is heavily cited in scriptural text from Proverbs and Psalms and Leviticus right up through the gospels and epistles. And look at Acts: Paul returns to Jerusalem with "alms for my nation" in 24:17. Nothing about mastication or dispensing or enjoyment. (Actually, the RecV translates Paul and Barnabas' alms-giving in Acts 12:25 as 'dispensing'!) Or Zacchaeus - "Behold, the half of my goods I give to the poor". What did Jesus reply? "Now the kingdom of God is come to this house".

It's a fairly consistent line in the scriptural narrative, right up through the gospels. And Paul is remaining firmly in this line.

Hey Zezima, later I will give make a thread I think you will be interested in and write something in a more ideal and professional manner.

As for your question, I am quite surprised you are not the basic principles of how Lee defines "Gods Economy". In truth school did they go in detail in Lee beliefs "God Economy". Also, I would be careful in your thought process. At this point it seems you are even familiar with the basic principles of "Gods Economy" yet you are at the same time convinced at Lee "God Economy" is as you state- " Fills that void". The Lords Recovery has a habit of making members blindly follow their doctrine regardless of if there is a legitimate explanation or backing of their teachings.

Gods Economy in simple terms is- The living expression of God as the body of Christ. Basically, the idea here is that the purpose of believers is to be joined together in unity to live and abide in Christ Jesus and truly be the image God wanted man to be.

Lee would use words like "Corporate body" or "Organic and Intrinsic" but its just lofty language aim to distract you of its lack of substance or expansion of its applications.

This idea or principle of "living" Christ is a fundamental of the Christian faith. Lee would go into hyperbole and saying something along the lines of
"Christians today only think that they are saved and don't value the idea of living and expressing Christ". This is not true and there are numerous people out there who have every intention of living and expressing God. In fact, the word of God is our guide on how to and when we reject it, there are severe consequences, and the fruits start to arise.

Many people have left the LR because they realized either through the storms, schisms, or their experience in their locality; expressing and abiding in God was either at a minimum insufficient or grossly rejected.

I am still waiting for my account to be registered. I also changed my mind; I want my name to be "FigNewtonLove" (beautiful name

Once I have an account, I will properly critique LR doctrine in a suitable manner. Hopefully this post gets through, and my account is made.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by FigNewtonWarrior

As for your question, I am quite surprised you are not aware of the basic principles of how Lee defines "Gods Economy".

Welcome to the forum, FigNewtonWarrior!

There was a song we all sang ad nauseum, which went like this:

"God's eternal economy is to make man the same as He is in life and nature but not in the Godhead, and to make Himself one with man and man one with Him, thus to be enlarged and expanded in His expression that all His divine, that all His divine attributes may be expressed in human virtues."

Is that how you would say Lee defines "God's economy"?

Originally Posted by FigNewtonWarrior

Gods Economy in simple terms is- The living expression of God as the body of Christ. Basically, the idea here is that the purpose of believers is to be joined together in unity to live and abide in Christ Jesus and truly be the image God wanted man to be.

Is this definition what you felt that Lee taught or is it what you have come to conclude about what the Bible really says?

I know tone is hard to read in writing sometimes; I'm not asking these questions in a challenging way....I just wasn't quite clear from what you wrote and just want to make sure I understand.

Thanks,

Trapped

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by FigNewtonLove

The Lords Recovery has a habit of making members blindly follow their doctrine regardless of if there is a legitimate explanation or backing of their teachings. .

Yup, which is why I made this thread to discuss the topic openly.


So in summary, there isn't any explicit prescription in the bible for man becoming God in life & nature, but not the god head. There is no verse that says this. In order to get to this conclusion, you must take verses from different places of the bible, out of context, and apply them to that thought.

Like so many doctrines in the LR, I think people will continue to believe this because Witness Lee is the "ministry of the age" so he must have seen it, even if they don't see it in the bible.


So if someone in the LR asked you.. if God's economy isn't in the bible, what is the purpose of your life then? How would you respond?

[Nell]

Originally Posted by Zezima

...So if someone in the LR asked you.. if God's economy isn't in the bible, what is the purpose of your life then? How would you respond?

Lee's version of God's economy isn't in the Bible.

This hymn says it pretty well for me:


Listen here: The Servant King

Lyrics:
From heaven you came helpless babe
Entered our world, your glory veiled
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live

Chorus:
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King

There in the garden of tears
My heavy load he chose to bear
His heart with sorrow was torn
'Yet not My will but Yours,' He said

Come see His hands and His feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered

So let us learn how to serve
And in our lives enthrone Him
Each other's needs to prefer
For it is Christ we're serving

Nell

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Zezima

Yup, which is why I made this thread to discuss the topic openly.


So in summary, there isn't any explicit prescription in the bible for man becoming God in life & nature, but not the god head. There is no verse that says this. In order to get to this conclusion, you must take verses from different places of the bible, out of context, and apply them to that thought.

Thus creating a new book. One to your liking.

Originally Posted by Zez

Like so many doctrines in the LR, I think people will continue to believe this because Witness Lee is the "ministry of the age" so he must have seen it, even if they don't see it in the bible.

What ministry?

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by awareness

What ministry?

Witness Lee and his ministry is often referred as the ministry of the age, and that Witness Lee is the minster of the age.

Thus this gives him the authority of whatever he says is true.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Zezima

Witness Lee and his ministry is often referred as the ministry of the age, and that Witness Lee is the minster of the age.

Thus this gives him the authority of whatever he says is true.

My question is : other than "the minister of the age" minister of what? Seems to me it was the ministry of Lee, the authority of God. And that's absurd.