The Governing and Controlling Vision—the Vision of God's Economy
Scripture Reading: Prov. 29:18a; Acts 26:19; Eph. 1:17-18; Rev. 21:2, 9-10
I. In the Bible vision denotes an extraordinary scene; it refers to a special kind ofseeing—a glorious, inward seeing—and to the spiritual scenery we see from God—Acts 26:19; Matt. 16:17; Ezek. 1:1; 8:3:
A. God's visions are His revelations, which enable us to see divine, spiritual, heavenlythings—Acts 22:14-15; 26:16.
B. In order to have a vision, we need revelation (unveiling), light, and sight—Eph. 1:17-18:1. Without light we cannot see the vision, even if the veil is taken away—2 Cor.4:6; 1 John 1:5, 7. 2. When the divine light shines over the divine revelation in the Word, the divinerevelation becomes the divine vision; when we also have sight, we can see theheavenly vision—Eph. 1:17-18; 3:9. C. We need to pray that the Lord will bring us all up to a high mountain and releaseevery one of us from ourselves, bringing us out of our own experiences, learning, andpast attainments and lifting us up to a new realm, an elevated sphere, that we havenever reached before so that we may have a transcendent view of the glorious visionof God—Rev. 21:9-10; Acts 10:9-16. D. All the churches and all the saints need to see the heavenly vision—Eph. 1:17-18; Rev.1:11a; 22:16a:1. What we present to the children of God should not be mere teaching or doctrine orknowledge gained from reading but a vision that we have seen in spirit under theshining of the divine light—1 Tim. 4:6; 1 John 1:1-3. 2. Every minister of God's word should convey spiritual, heavenly visions to others—2 Tim. 2:2, 15, 25; 1 John 1:1-3; Rev. 1:11a.
II. The governing vision in the Bible is the vision of God's economy—the vision ofthe Triune God working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people in order tosaturate their entire being with the Divine Trinity for the producing and buildingup of the Body of Christ consummating in the New Jerusalem—1 Tim. 1:4; Eph.3:9, 16-17; 4:4-6; Rev. 21:2, 9-10:
A. The economy of God is that God in Christ became flesh, passed through human living,died, resurrected, and became the life-giving Spirit to enter into us as life and to dispenseHimself into us so that we may be transformed for the producing of the church, whichis the Body of Christ, the house of God, the kingdom of God, and the counterpart ofChrist, the ultimate consummation and aggregate of which is the New Jerusalem—John 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Eph. 1:22-23; Rev. 21:2.
B. The entire Bible was written according to the principle of the vision of the Triune Godwrought into His redeemed people—Psa. 36:8-9; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 3:16-17; 4:4-6.
III. If we see the heavenly vision and it is wrought into our being, this vision willhave a powerful and lasting effect on us—Prov. 29:18a; Acts 26:19:
A. When we see this glorious, heavenly vision, we are revolutionized, our entire being ischanged in its concept, attitude, conversation, and thought, and we become thoroughlydifferent; the vision will cause us to be beside ourselves, and our lifestyle will bechanged—9:3-9, 11-12, 20, 22; Phil. 3:4-8.
B. The heavenly vision captures us, reconstitutes us, governs us, directs us, restricts us,controls us, and preserves us—Prov. 29:18a:1. In order for the heavenly vision to govern and direct us, it must be wrought intoour being—Acts 9:3-5; 2 Cor. 4:4, 6. 2. The heavenly vision restricts us to the central line of the divine revelation with itsfocus on God's New Testament economy—1 Tim. 1:4. C. The heavenly vision causes our life to be full of meaning and purpose, and it motivatesus, energizes us, and gives us endurance—2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 12:1-2. D. Under the heavenly vision we are directed toward God's goal, and our life is controlledaccording to God's economy—Phil. 3:3-14; 1 Tim. 1:4. E. The vision we receive from the Lord will cause us to move, and we will move accordingto the vision we have seen; in the book of Acts the divine vision mainly concerns God'smove—10:1-33; 13:2. F. Where there is a vision, there is a way; the glorious vision always leads us onto theway and gives us the boldness to go on—26:18-19. G. The heavenly vision preserves us in the genuine oneness and brings us into one accord—Eph. 1:17-18; 4:3; Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12. H. If we are reconstituted with this vision, we will automatically carry out God's economyand do one work, the work of the Body—Eph. 3:9; 4:16; Acts 13:2. I. The heavenly vision directs us toward God's goal—the building up of the Body of Christto consummate the New Jerusalem—Eph. 4:16; Rev. 21:9-10.
IV. We need to become persons with a vision—Acts 26:19; Gal. 1:15-16:
A. Everyone who serves the Lord must be a person with a vision; the most importantmatter for one who serves the Lord is that he has a vision and serves Him with avision—Acts 26:19; 9:3-5, 10, 12, 15-16, 20, 22.
B. Visions come from God; they do not depend on anything of our self—Matt. 16:17; Gal.1:15-16; cf. Isa. 50:10-11. C. Not every believer receives a direct vision; Paul received a direct vision, but Timothyreceived a vision through Paul—Acts 22:14; 2 Tim. 3:14-15. D. In seeing a vision, we bear responsibility related to our heart, to our willingness to letgo of worthless things, to wait on the Lord, and to be open to the Lord—Matt. 5:8;2 Tim. 2:21; Jer. 15:19; Dan. 10:2-3; 2 Cor. 3:18. E. We need to be centered on Christ and bear witness of the things in which we haveseen Christ—Acts 26:16. F. Like Paul, we should not be disobedient to the heavenly vision—v. 19:1. In order to see more vision, we must obey the visions that we have already seen—22:14-15; John 7:17. 2. We obey the vision by taking Christ as our life, not allowing ourselves to be distractedbut maintaining contact with the Lord—Col. 3:4; 1 Thes. 5:17.