The Christian Church is being created as the Body, the fullness of Christ.

The Song of Solomon reveals the Lord's attitude toward His bride. It hardly is one of independence.

Beyond doubt Christ is wondrously free and powerful. But what joy is it to come "leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills," if there is no one to come leaping and skipping to? Why bother to go up to the tops of Shenir and Hermon, to the lions' dens, to the mountains of the leopards, if there is no one with whom to enjoy the view?

Christ is as we are, in this respect. There is no fulfillment as "man" until there is a complement. It is not good for any man to be alone. Christ feeds us with His body and blood in order that we may be "members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones."

Christ has lost His individuality by becoming one with us—one with us for eternity. He must receive a new name, a name that includes us who now are part of His Being.

We shall not lose our uniqueness, our identity, for eternity. But if we are not willing to lose our individuality we will remain in prison forever.

We also are to be given a new name that includes the Lord.

There is no life worth living apart from union with God and with others of our kind. It is fear and mistrust, based on self-love and pride, that prevent our surrendering our individuality, that cause our deepest self to remain unchanged—and alone.

Christ, being without self-love, pride, mistrust, or fear, is free to expand throughout the universe of God's creatures, flowing in the love of God. The Father is a complete Individual but He has chosen to be dependent on us by finding His rest in Christ in us.

As long as we maintain our individuality, attempting to discover "spiritual principles" that will give us power with God and with men, we shall remain bound to our little domain. Our strength soon shall fail.

When we learn to lean in helpless dependence on the Lord, when we wait on Him until He comes and puts His strength in us, it is then we receive eternal strength. We soar into the heavens as an eagle, having had our life renewed in God.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

It is paradoxical (but the way of the Lord) that when we are strong in ourselves we are at our weakest. When we are meekly depending on the Lord, being weak in ourselves, we are strong.

To become one with the elect in Christ in God is the most desirable attainment possible to any human being.

To be continued.