The Source of Our Work

By Arthur Licursi with some thoughts and some words taken from Watchman Nee

Galatians 1:11-12 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of (from) me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of (from) Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Paul tells us in Galatians that the word that he preached was “according to revelation from Jesus Christ” because it pleased God “to reveal His Son in me”. Through revelation, Paul says he received this genuine spiritual knowledge “of”, meaning “from”, Jesus Christ Himself. As a result, he did not confer with flesh and blood (other men); instead, he preached the Christ whom he personally knew, through revelation, to the Gentiles.

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Paul had personal revelation that became to him, “my gospel”. It was distinctly different from that which any Apostle had received. It had been “kept secret since the world began”. Paul’s was the Gospel of pure (100%) grace in “the dispensation of the grace of God”, which consists of the ultimate grace, which is Christ literally indwelling every man who will receive Him (John 1:12, Col 1:26-27), making them the literal birthed children of God (Rom 8:16); and together making these children of God the members of “the Church, which is His body” (Eph 1:22-23).

Back, to the theme of this writing. We each may share our personal, experiential, knowledge that we have of Christ. The “knowledge”, to which I refer, in Greek is “ginosko”, meaning, knowledge that we came to experientially. It is a powerful and enlivening knowledge; it is of the Spirit’s revelation that we have personally received. This kind of knowledge may have little to do with knowledge gained by Bible study per se’, except if that study has become anointed by the Spirit to be life to us. Experiencing Spirit revelation is crucial. Paul tells us the Bible apart from the Spirit can be deadening; “the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life”(2Cor 3:6). The key element is our personal experience the Spirit of life, who is life and brings us life-giving revelation.

Paul’s’ spiritual knowledge came from Christ via the indwelling Spirit who teaches each of us (1Jn 2:20, 27). In Gal 1:17-18 you will see that Paul did not confer with the other Apostles or disciples and in fact, he did not meet any of them until 3 years later.

Paul was able to work in accord with the Lord because he first allowed God to work in him; God worked the Christ, whom Paul had received into his spirit, into his soul’s mind and will. I recall that Norman Grubb has said “There can be no worthwhile activity until there first is receptivity”. First God revealed His Son through the Spirit in Paul; he came to know Christ according to spiritual reality and not according to flesh (2 Cor. 5:16). Then Paul was able to preach this Christ he had received to others.

Paul did not preach an objective Christ outside of man; he did not preach an intangible Christ dwelling in man (Col 1:27b-28a). He preached a Christ whom he had experienced personally, which became his subjective knowledge of Christ. Christ was as real in him as his very self. Christ was in him, and he was in Christ (Col 1:27, Gal 2:20). Christ was in his thoughts, his words, and his actions. Christ was the Lord (controller) within Paul, and Paul was Christ's outward expression. You may say that Paul was as Christ is in the world today (1John 4:17).

You might say that Christ was seen in him and that he was as Christ to those to whom he spoke, for indeed “he was taken possession of by Christ” (Phil. 3:12, Darby's New Translation). Paul's preaching was based on what he possessed by experiential knowledge. The measure of Christ that he “knew” became the measure of Christ he preached to others.

Therefore, being a fellow worker of God does not mean that we should work for God. Rather, it means that we should first allow God to work Christ into us – into our soul’s mind and will (Philippians 2:13). Only then can we effectually tell others about the Christ we know through revelation. This is why our personal testimony is powerful to the hearers, even if we’ve only been saved for3 hours.

Thus, the work is still the Lord's; we can only there to report on His work and the revelation that has come to our lives. Paul asked the Corinthian saints. 1 Cor. 9:1b have I not seen (truly comprehended) Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? Their being in the Lord was the result of Paul's preaching to them the Christ he knew, for their receiving. <END>