The Experience and Enjoyment of Christ in the Local Churches

Experiencing Christ in the Local Church

Psalm 73 presents an excellent illustration of the clarity with which we realize God as our all and as our sole enjoyment when we are in our spirit and in the local church.

10. Experiencing Christ as the One Who Provides the Revelation We Need

The revelation of God which becomes the explanation to all our problems is received both within our spirit and in the local church. This is foreshadowed in Psalm 73 as Witness Lee explains:

There is only one way to reconcile Psalms 1 and 73, and it is presented to us in Psalm 73:17, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.” The sanctuary of God is the place where we may obtain the revelation we need. The sanctuary here undoubtedly signifies the dwelling place of God. Our spirit today is God’s dwelling place. And, even more, the local churches are God’s dwelling place. Hence, we must turn to our spirit, and we must turn to the local church; then we will be clear. Our spirit and the local church are the places where we receive divine revelation, where we obtain the explanation to all our problems. When “I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I….”

What did he understand? Verse 25: “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” He realized that God was working to deprive him of all material things that he might enjoy God in such an absolute way. This is the revelation. Why do the wicked prosper and their riches continually increase? It is because God has given them up; He simply lets them go on their own way. They have nothing whatever to do with the enjoyment of God. But God’s intention with the seeking saints is to remove all material blessings and all physical enjoyments that they may find everything in God. Nothing in heaven nor on earth can be their enjoyment but God Himself. It was by the Psalmist’s experience, as recorded in the first part of Psalm 73, that he could eventually assert, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” He received revelation. He learned why God would not allow the seeking saints to prosper as the worldlings do. God intends that nothing should distract us from the absolute enjoyment of Himself….This is Psalm 73. When the Psalmist went into the sanctuary of God, he received this revelation and took God Himself as his all. How may we too have the experience of the Psalmist in these verses? We must be in the spirit and in the local church, the sanctuary of God.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 128-129)

11. Experiencing Christ as the One Whom We Take as Our All

When the Psalmist received this revelation in Psalm 73, he realized that God Himself was to be his complete enjoyment. Concerning this realization, Witness Lee says:

There is only one way to reconcile Psalms 1 and 73, and it is presented to us in Psalm 73:17, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.” The sanctuary of God is the place where we may obtain the revelation we need. The sanctuary here undoubtedly signifies the dwelling place of God. Our spirit today is God’s dwelling place. And, even more, the local churches are God’s dwelling place. Hence, we must turn to our spirit, and we must turn to the local church; then we will be clear. Our spirit and the local church are the places where we receive divine revelation, where we obtain the explanation to all our problems. When “I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I….”

What did he understand? Verse 25: “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” He realized that God was working to deprive him of all material things that he might enjoy God in such an absolute way. This is the revelation. Why do the wicked prosper and their riches continually increase? It is because God has given them up; He simply lets them go on their own way. They have nothing whatever to do with the enjoyment of God. But God’s intention with the seeking saints is to remove all material blessings and all physical enjoyments that they may find everything in God. Nothing in heaven nor on earth can be their enjoyment but God Himself. It was by the Psalmist’s experience, as recorded in the first part of Psalm 73, that he could eventually assert, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” He received revelation. He learned why God would not allow the seeking saints to prosper as the worldlings do. God intends that nothing should distract us from the absolute enjoyment of Himself….This is Psalm 73. When the Psalmist went into the sanctuary of God, he received this revelation and took God Himself as his all. How may we too have the experience of the Psalmist in these verses? We must be in the spirit and in the local church, the sanctuary of God.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 128-129)

Witness Lee's fellowship here on Psalm 73 helps us enter into the depths of God's desire for His seeking saints. Our God is jealous over us; He wants to become our unique enjoyment. He therefore allows all rival pleasures to be gradually removed. Such a clear realization, however, can be apprehended only in God's sanctuary, which today is our spirit within and the local church without.

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Described in OT

Revealed in OT

Revealed in NT

Portrayed in NT

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