I. THE MOVE OF GOD IN MAN
BEING UNPRECEDENTED IN HISTORY
The move of God in man was unprecedented in history. Before the time of God’s incarnation in Matthew 1, there was not such a thing in history as God’s move in man.
A. Before Incarnation God Moving
Only with Men and among Men
Before His incarnation, God moved only with men and among men in the Old Testament. The Old Testament has thirty-nine books. Most of these books are very long with many stories of God’s move. What a move God had with men and among men in the Old Testament! When He created all the things in the heavens and on the earth, what a move that was! What a move it was when He created man! Then from Genesis 3 to Malachi there are many stories of God’s move. But whatever God did in the Old Testament was just with men and among men. He never did anything by being in man. He never moved in man in the Old Testament.
B. From Incarnation
God Moving Mainly in Man
Beginning from His incarnation, God moved mainly in man. In the New Testament whatever God did was mainly in man. The small preposition in may be considered as the greatest word in the New Testament. If you take this preposition away, the New Testament becomes empty. This is like taking the switch away from an electrical appliance. Without the switch, it will not work, because the electricity cannot flow into it. The phrase in Christ is repeated frequently in the New Testament. If we were not in Christ and Christ were not in us, there would be no Christian life or church life.
II. GOD’S MOVE WITH MEN AND AMONG MEN
A. Being Not the Direct Move to Carry Out
His Eternal Economy for Christ and the Church
God moved in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with Moses. Then God moved in the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel. Then He moved to a certain extent with all the kings of Israel and the prophets. But that was not God’s direct move to carry out His eternal economy for Christ and the church.
(The Move of God in Man, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)
