EXCERPTS FROM THE MINISTRY

LIFE-STUDY OF ROMANS

MESSAGE SIXTY

THE DISPENSATION OF THE TRIUNE GOD
FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS PURPOSE

Romans is an all-inclusive book, a summary both of the Christian life and of the church life. It is impossible to exhaust the revelation conveyed and implied in this book. To say that revelation is implied means that it is not conveyed directly and explicitly, but that it is implied by what is directly conveyed. In the divine Word what is implied is often more important than what is directly stated. In this message we shall consider one of the implied revelations in the book of Romans: the dispensation of the Triune God for the fulfillment of His purpose.

GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE

God’s eternal purpose is to have a Body for Christ. This Body is the universal church. The universal church needs to be expressed in various localities in local churches. The dispensation of the Triune God for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose has much to do with the local churches. In order to fulfill His purpose, it is necessary for God to dispense Himself into His chosen people. This is the very thing that God is doing with us today.

TRIUNE FOR DISPENSATION

In order for God to dispense Himself into us, He must be triune. The Triune God is not for doctrine or for theology, but for dispensing Himself into His people in order to have a Body to express Christ.

The word dispense means to distribute. Suppose we have a large container of juice. In order for people to drink the juice, we must find a way to dispense the juice from the container into them. The best way is to pour the juice into cups and then distribute it among the people present. The juice used to be in the container, but now it is in the people into whom it has been dispensed. When we speak of the dispensation of the Triune God, we mean that God distributes Himself to us and then dispenses Himself into our being just as the juice is dispensed from the container into those who drink it. In His dispensation, God actually enters into our being, fills our vessel, and becomes one with us. This is the dispensation of the Triune God for the fulfillment of His purpose.

For God to dispense Himself into His chosen people, He must be triune; that is, He must be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Although our God is triune, we reject tritheism, which is the doctrine that the Three of the Trinity are three distinct Gods. We do not have three Gods—we have the unique Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

We have indicated that the Trinity of the Godhead is not for theology, but for dispensing. God does not desire to exist alone. He longs to dispense Himself into men created, chosen, and called by Him. Hallelujah, we are those men, and God wants to dispense Himself into us! This is implied in the book of Romans. Let us now consider the Triune God as revealed in this book and then consider God’s dispensation.

GOD BLESSED FOREVER

Romans 9:5 speaks of “Christ, Who is over all, God blessed forever.” Many Christians have read the book of Romans without noticing the declaration contained in this verse. This verse says that Christ is God, blessed forever. As God, Christ is over all things: man, angels, the heavens, and the earth. Christ is the very God who has been and will be blessed forever and who is over all. The Christ who is our Savior and our life is God Himself. It is a shame that Christians argue about the deity of Christ and debate whether or not Christ is God. According to this verse, Christ is the God who is over all and blessed forever.

GOD SENDING HIS OWN SON

Romans 8:3 says that God sent His own Son. The God in 8:3 is, of course, the very God in 9:5. Christ is God’s Son. How can we explain, then, that the unique God sent His own Son when Christ is both the Son of God and God Himself? According to 9:5, Christ is God. According to 8:3, God sent His own Son, who is Christ. This indicates that Christ is both God and the Son of God. This reminds us of Isaiah 9:6. This verse says that a child is called the mighty God and that a son is called the eternal Father. Here we see the mystery of the Triune God: God is three, yet He remains one.