God's eternal economy is to ...

What is the difference between a God-man and a good man?

1. Peter is a God-man (Acts 3:6-9; 8:17), a reproduction of Jesus. Simon is not (Acts 8:19-20).

2. Paul is a God-man (Acts 14:9-11; 19:11; 28:3-6), a duplicate of Christ.
The seven sons of a chief priest are not (Acts 19:13-16).

3. No longer I, but Christ (Galatians 2:20). For to me, to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). Let's not become workers of lawlessness in Matthew 7:22-23.

4. He is the first grain and we are many grains (John 12:24). He is the firstborn Son of God and we are many sons of God (Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:18). He is Christ the Head, we are Christ the Body (Acts 9:4; 1 Corinthians 12:12).

5. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). God desires to work Himself into our inner being as His continuation and expansion. God does not want us to work for Him with our own natural strength.

Sing the following hymn and enjoy God's duplicating work in us. Amen!
http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=ns&n=180
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.

Lord, gain my heart

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5) 願主修直你們心中的途徑，引導你們的心，進入神的愛以愛神，並進入基督的忍耐以忍耐。

Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10) 不是我們愛神，乃是神愛我們，差祂的兒子，為我們的罪作了平息的祭物，在此就是愛了。

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/547
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S17PKHt2XbY
1. Something every heart is loving:
If not Jesus, none can rest;
Lord, my heart to Thee is given;
Take it, for it loves Thee best.

2. Thus I cast the world behind me;
Jesus most beloved shall be;
Beauteous more than all things beauteous,
He alone is joy to me.

3. Bright with all eternal radiance
Is the glory of Thy face;
Thou art loving, sweet, and tender,
Full of pity, full of grace.

4. When I hated, Thou didst love me,
Shedd'st for me Thy precious blood;
Still Thou lovest, lovest ever,
Shall I not love Thee, my God?

5. Keep my heart still faithful to Thee,
That my earthly life may be
But a shadow to that glory
of my hidden life in Thee.

I take Thee as my everything

... Christ is all and in all. (Colossians 3:11) 惟有基督是一切，又在一切之內。
In whom (Christ) all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. (Colossians 2:3) 一切智慧和知識的寶藏，都藏在祂裡面。
I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me. (Philippians 4:13) 我在那加我能力者的裡面，凡事都能作。

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/521
1. I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast shown,
And I begin to see,
What Thou canst be to all Thine own,
What they may be to Thee;
If only they will yield Thee all,
And trustingly obey Thy call.

2. How wonderful! I never knew
That I might trust Thee so;
That Thou wouldst be so much to me.
In all the way I go,
That every need Thou wouldst supply.
And all my longings satisfy.

3. I take Thee as my keeper now
And I commit to Thee
My soul, my way, my works, my cause.
In Thy sole charge to be;
And my deposit, Thou, I know
Wilt guard secure from every foe.

4. I take Thee for my peace, O Lord.
My heart to keep and fill
Thine own great calm, amid earth's storms
Shall keep me always still;
And as Thy kingdom doth increase,
So shall Thine ever-deep'ning peace.

5. I take Thee as my wisdom too
For wisdom's sum Thou art;
Thou, who dost choose the foolish things.
Set me henceforth apart,
That I may speak and work for Thee
As Thou shalt work and speak in me.

6. I take Thee, Lord, to be my all.
Since all Thou art is mine;
I nothing have, and nothing am;
That nothing, Lord, is Thine.
Thou shalt be everything to me
In all things my sufficiency.

Our thoughts are becoming His...

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) 天怎樣高過地，照樣我的道路高過你們的道路，我的意念高過你們的意念。

Is it possible that our thoughts would express His, represent His and even become His?

Through our enjoying Christ as our food and drink (John 6:57) and our loving Him with our entire being (Matthew 22:37), it is possible that our thoughts may become His (Philippians 2:4).

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/179
There's nothing that we are
Or have or do well-pleasing;
We need Thee, glorious Christ,
Inwrought into our being.
O Lord, our heart's still vacant now!
Come in and settle down.
Come saturate and permeate
And fill us with Yourself.

Our spirit You have filled
At our regeneration,
But mind, emotion, will
Await Your saturation.
How much of You is built in us
To make our heart Your home?
O Triune God, we welcome You.
Come build, oh, build in us.

I was deaf, dumb and dead

Enjoy the following hymn and praise the Lord because -

He has opened our eyes to see His person and His purpose;
He has opened our ears to hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches;
He has opened our mouths to announce Him and speak words of building-up;
He has become our life that we may supply His life to people around us.
(Matthew 13:16, Acts 26:18, Ephesians 1:18, Revelation 2:7, Ephesians 3:8, Colossians 1:28, 1 Corinthians 14:4b)
http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=3592
http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=5535

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/599
1. Lord, I was blind; I could not see
In Thy marred visage any grace,
But now the beauty of Thy face
In radiant vision dawns on me.

2. Lord, I was deaf; I could not hear
The thrilling music of Thy voice;
But now I hear Thee and rejoice,
And all Thine uttered words are dear!

3. Lord, I was dumb; I could not speak
The grace and glory of Thy name;
But now, as touched with living flame,
My lips Thine eager praises wake.

4. Lord, I was dead; I could not stir
My lifeless soul to come to Thee;
But now, since Thou hast quickened me,
I rise from sin's dark sepulcher.

5. For Thou hast made the blind to see,
The deaf to hear, the dumb to speak,
The dead to live; and, lo, I break
The chains of my captivity.