The Experience and Enjoyment of Christ in the Local Churches

Enjoying Christ in the Local Church

3. Drinking the River of God's Pleasure and Seeing Light in God's Light

Based on Psalm 36, Witness Lee describes two aspects of our enjoyment of Christ—as our life and our light—in the local church:

In God's house the saints are drinking of the river of God's pleasure: "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures" (36:8). In the local churches we are really drinking of divine pleasures. In God's house the saints partake of the fountain of life: "For with thee is the fountain of life" (36:9). And in God's house the saints see light in God's light: "In thy light shall we see light" (36:9). Here we have the river of pleasures and the fountain of life; and here, where life is, there is always light, for the life is the light of men. All this is in the local churches.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 63)

4. The River Making Glad the City of God

In Psalm 46, Witness Lee points to our enjoyment of God Himself as life typified by the river that gladdens and strengthens the city of God:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble” (v. 1). Where is God our refuge, our strength, and a very ready help in trouble? In the city! God is all this to us in the city. Verses 2 and 3 then tell us something as a background for the city. “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river.” There is a sea in verse 2. The sea is in the earth, but in the city there is a river, “the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.” This river signifies the flowing of God Himself as life to us; it signifies the river of life, which is mentioned in Revelation 22. The river of life is nothing less than God Himself in Christ through the Spirit as our life. The streams of this river make glad the city of God.

Now we know that the city of God is the church strengthened, built up, and enlarged….

We are so very happy because of this river, this flow of the divine life. If we did not have the flow of life, we would be shriveled and withered. Our joy would be gone; there would be no gladness. We are the most joyful people because in the city, in the church, we have a flow of living water—not just a trickle, but a river….

Then verse 5 says, “God is in the midst of her”—in the midst of the enlarged church. “She shall not be moved.” The earth will be moved and the mountains will be carried away, but the city will never be moved. Why? Because the immovable God is within her. God is immovable; so she is immovable. “God shall help her at the dawn of the morning.” If we are in the local church, we are in the morning; if we are outside the local church, we are simply in the night. In the church there is always the dawn of the morning, and when you are in the morning, God is your help. “God shall help her at the dawn of the morning,” after the night of trial.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 83-84)

5. Touching the King

Commenting on Psalm 45, Witness Lee describes a deeper and sweeter enjoyment of Christ as our beloved King in the local churches:

We enjoy the house so much now and we are praising, but after this we enjoy something of Christ in a much deeper way. In Psalm 45, Christ, being known by the saints more deeply, becomes the saints’ sweeter experience in the local churches, and it is realized that His reign will be over all the earth through His believers, and He will be praised by all the peoples….

The Psalmist says, “I speak what I have composed touching the king.” He did not say, “touching justification by faith,” or, “touching eternal security.” He said, “touching the king”—Christ. Christ as the King is the good matter worthy of praising. When we speak of the King, we naturally respond with a sense of reverence. There is reverence here in Psalm 45, but it is a reverence with a sweet and tender feeling, an inner feeling of preciousness. “I speak what I have composed touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” When I speak about the King, my tongue is better than any kind of pen; it is the living pen of a ready writer.

Then the Psalmist goes on to describe the King: “Thou art fairer than the children of men.” First he mentions the fairness of the Lord. He is a man, a fair man, the man who is fairer than all men. He did not say, “He is fairer,” but, “Thou art fairer.” This means that while he was speaking, he was in the sweet presence of the King. “Grace is poured upon thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.” Can you sense the tender and precious feeling? Do you share the feeling of the King being so dear and precious to you? He is fairer than all men, full of grace, blessed by God.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 66-67)

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Described in OT

Revealed in OT

Revealed in NT

Portrayed in NT

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