Those who shepherd the flock of God should shepherd according to God; to shepherd according to God is to become the same as God, to be one with God, and do all things in God and according to God.
On one hand, we need to enjoy the Lord’s shepherding ourselves, personally, for He is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
On the other hand, we need to learn from Him to shepherd others according to God.
We are not here to merely enjoy the Lord’s shepherding and feel comfortable and nice in the church life, enjoying the Lord with the saints.
As we enjoy the Lord’s shepherding, as we allow Him to shepherd us and care for us in every part of our soul, we are strengthened within and motivated to shepherd according to god the flock of God which is among us.
It is not only the elders who are entrusted with the Lord’s commission to shepherd the flock of God; we all are both sheep under the Lord’s care and shepherds, those who learn to shepherd others in the Lord and according to the Lord.
We can shepherd others with the shepherding that we have received from the Lord.
We may think we are not qualified, but one of the most unqualified persons to do this is Peter.
He denied the Lord Jesus three times, and he did this publicly, even with swearing.
Yet he still loved the Lord. So the Lord in resurrection came to him and shepherded him, and He commissioned Peter to go and feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep.
The unique condition for doing this was for Peter to love the Lord, which he did.
If we love the Lord, though we may fail miserably and all may know it, we are qualified to shepherd others.
Shepherding comes not from our desire to shepherd or our ability in our natural man to shepherd by caring for others.
Shepherding comes from the inner life, the divine life in our spirit, which is a shepherding life.
The Good Shepherd lives in us. He shepherds us, He cherishes and nourishes us, and He reproduces Himself in us to make us shepherding ones like He is.
The only way we can shepherd others according to God is by first enjoying the Lord’s shepherding ourselves and then just love Him as we care for others.
We may not know what to say and what to do, but as long as we love the Lord, we are qualified to speak something that shepherds others according to God.
Amen, may we be those who learn from our Good Shepherd, the One who is the Chief Shepherd, the Shepherd of our souls, to shepherd according to God the flock of God among whom God has placed us.
For us to Shepherd according to God, we need to become God by being One with God
May we be those who learn to shepherd the flock of God by shepherding according to God (1 Pet. 5:2).
On one hand, the elders have the primary function of shepherding the saints in the church, the flock of God, among whom (and not over whom) God has placed them.
On the other hand, we all are learning to shepherd one another, and our shepherding must be according to God.
In order to shepherd according to God, we need to be one with God; only when we’re one with God can we shepherd others according to God.
We need to be one with God and become God in life and in nature so that we may be God when we shepherd others (1 John 5:11-12; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Pet. 5:2).
This is not a heretical teaching: it is what the Bible says.
Only when we’re one with God and partake of His life and nature can we shepherd others according to God.
All believers in Christ are God-men learning to live the God-man life, and an aspect of this God-man life is that we shepherd according to God because we are one with God.
May we partake of the riches of God’s nature and have His loving heart, His forgiving spirit, and His shepherding and seeking spirit.
What does it mean to shepherd according to God? How can we, human beings, shepherd others according to God?
To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to God’s nature, God’s desire, God’s way, and God’s glory (2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 1:5, 9; 3:21; John 14:6).
To shepherd according to God is not to shepherd according to our preference, our interest, our purpose, and our disposition.
Unfortunately, so many times we behave according to our preferences and interests, we carry out our purpose, and we live according to our disposition; therefore, when we try to shepherd others, we shepherd them according to what we are by nature. Oh Lord!
May the Lord grant us to see that our shepherding must be according to God, and may we give ourselves to enjoy God and be one with God!
All of us have the responsibility to shepherd the saints, and our shepherding must be according to God.
This means that we need to shepherd the saints according to the nature of God, the heart’s desire of God, the way of God and the glory of God.
Our shepherding is not for self-expression but for God’s expression; it is not for us to be appreciated but for God to be glorified.
Our shepherding should not be according to our preference; it shouldn’t have a bias or partiality, form or racism.
We love everyone the same because God loves everyone the same.
We need to be concerned for the needs of the saints the Lord put us with, especially those who are new in the Lord or young in faith.
We need to exercise oversight, look diligently to be aware of the situation and pray much.
Much prayer is needed in order to know how to care for someone, for only when we contact the Lord in prayer concerning the saints’ needs do we have the clear leading what to speak, what the need is, and how to care for them.
We do not exercise oversight over the saints to see what’s wrong with them or to see who is doing well and who is doing poorly; we exercise oversight in order to pray for them and to shepherd according to God.
May we be like parents, eagerly caring for the saints according to God so that we may minister Christ to them in such a human, normal way, for them to be cared for so that they may go on with the Lord.
May we enjoy the Lord’s inner shepherding of our soul, and may we shepherd others according to God in the church life.
Lord Jesus, we want to learn from You, the Shepherd of our souls, to shepherd according to God. Thank You for putting us in Your flock to enjoy Your shepherding according to God. We open to Your shepherding. Infuse Your loving and caring heart into us, and grant us to have Your shepherding and seeking spirit as we learn to care for others. Oh Lord Jesus, we want to shepherd others according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory! We do not want to shepherd others according to our preferences, interests, purpose, and disposition. Amen, Lord Jesus, we give ourselves to You to just enjoy Your life and partake of Your nature so that we may become the same as You are in life, nature, expression and function! Make us the same as You are in the function of shepherding others so that we may shepherd them according to God!
Live God, Become God, and be One with God to Shepherd According to God
“According to God” in 1 Pet. 5:2 means that we live God; only those who live God can shepherd according to God.
The more we become the same as God in life, nature, expression, and function, the more we have a God-man life, the more we will function according to God and we will live God.
For us to shepherd according to God, we must live God. Only those who live God can shepherd others according to God.
The more Christ is gaining ground in us, the more we live God, and the more we shepherd according to God; the more we shepherd according to God, the more we live God.
God’s economy is to work Himself into us so that we may receive Him as our life and life supply in order for us to live Him (John 11:25; 6:48, 57).
We can eat Christ as life and live because of Him; this is to live God, and as we do this, we shepherd others according to God.
We are participating in the divine life and the divine nature so that we can live God in our humanity (Gal. 2:20).
We are children of God, born of God, and we have the right to participate in the life of God and the nature of God.
This means that we have the right to live God by partaking of what He is to live because of Him. We are becoming Jesusly human, those who live God and therefore shepherd others according to God.
In order for us to shepherd according to God, we need to become God in life, nature, expression, and function but not in the Godhead (Col. 3:4; 2 Pet. 1:4).
This is not a theory or a doctrine; this is applied to us in our daily living.
We need to be daily filled to the brim with the divine life, enjoying the Triune God as he fountain, the spring, and the river to become the totality of the divine life, even to become the divine life itself (John 4:14; Col. 3:4).
When we come to the Lord in His Word through the exercise of our spirit, we drink the living water; this living water becomes a fountain and a spring flowing out with living water.
This is the Triune God as life in us right now, and as we flow out God to others, this is shepherding according to God.
It may be that we have a simple hello and how are you to someone, but we flow out God for we have been enjoying Him; this is a shepherding to others.
We may only converse with someone for a couple of minutes, but because we have been partaking of the divine life and nature, something of God flows into them to shepherd them.
What would happen if this were the case again and again in the many meetings of the church and the interactions between the saints for the rest of this year?
The Lord would surely gain much more building if this were the case.
We need to become God in His attributes of love, light, righteousness, and holiness (1 John 4:8; 1:5; Rom. 3:21, 25-26; Eph. 1:4; 5:27; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).
As we partake of the divine life and the divine nature, God’s attributes are wrought into us to become our very constitution, and we become the same as He is.
God is love; we not only love others but we become God in His attribute of love, we become love itself.
We become light; our being and our living shine out to others to express God to them.
We need to be the reproduction of Christ, the expression of God, so that in our shepherding we express God and not the self with its disposition and peculiarities (Rom. 8:19, 29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Matt. 16:24).
We all have our disposition with its peculiarities, and it is easy to behave according to what we are.
In our shepherding others, however, we need to live God and be one with God to the extent that we become the same as God, and we will express God, not ourselves.
Our disposition does not express God; it expresses Satan, for it has been permeated with Satan. Our peculiarities stand out and definitely do not express God.
![He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all [your] manner of life; Because it is written, "You shall be holy because I am holy." 1 Pet. 1:15-16 Whom God set forth as a propitiation place through faith in His blood, for the demonstrating of His righteousness, in that in His forbearance God passed over the sins that had previously occurred, With a view to the demonstrating of His righteousness in the present time, so that He might be righteous and the One who justifies him who is of the faith of Jesus. Rom. 3:25-26](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/He-who-does-not-love-has-not-known-God-because-God-is-love-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all [your] manner of life; Because it is written, \"You shall be holy because I am holy.\" 1 Pet. 1:15-16 Whom God set forth as a propitiation place through faith in His blood, for the demonstrating of His righteousness, in that in His forbearance God passed over the sins that had previously occurred, With a view to the demonstrating of His righteousness in the present time, so that He might be righteous and the One who justifies him who is of the faith of Jesus. Rom. 3:25-26")
But the more we let the Lord shepherd us, the more we will express Him and not ourselves.
We need to become God in His function of shepherding the flock of God according to what He is and according to the goal of His economy (Eph. 1:10).
If we would shepherd according to God, we need to become one with God (John 14:20; 1 Cor. 6:17).
The basic principle of the Bible is that in HIs economy God is making Himself one with man and man one with Him (John 15:4; 1 Cor. 6:17).
We can ask the Lord to make us one with Him; such a simple prayer, Lord, make me one with You, will cause us to be one with the Lord.
It is not by our efforts or by imitation that we can shepherd according to God; it is by being one with God.
Day by day we need to turn our heart to Him and enjoy Him, and we simply need to be one with Him.
We need to exercise our spirit and let the Lord supply us, love us, and shepherd our soul.
God desires that the divine life and the human life be joined together to become one life that has one living (John 6:57; Gal. 2:20).
May we be those who are one with God in our shepherding others.
Lord Jesus, we want to live God today. We come to You in Your word to eat You, partake of Your riches, and be filled with You so that we may live because of You. Amen, Lord, may our living be the living of Christ, not our own living. Work Yourself into us a little more today. Keep us eating You so that we may live because of You. We want to shepherd others according to God by living God and flowing out God. Amen, Lord, we want to participate in Your life and nature so that we may live God and express God and therefore shepherd others according to God! Fill us to the brim with Your divine life so that we may flow out God to others for their supply and growth in life. Amen, Lord, we want to learn to shepherd according to God and not according to our disposition with its peculiarities. Keep us in our spirit, one with You. Amen, we want to be one with God until we are the same as He is in life, nature, expression and function so that we may shepherd the saints according to God! Yes, Lord, may Your life and nature be expressed through us as we shepherd others in the church life!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ron Kangas in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 291-294 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord’s Recovery Before His Appearing (2023 July Semiannual Training), week 6, entitled, Shepherding according to God.
- Similar articles on this topic:
– The Lord Jesus Is Our Shepherd, article via, Bibles for America blog.
– The day-by-day Christian life, article by Ed Marks in, Affirmation and Critique.
– My Positive Experiences Meeting in the Local Churches – testimony via, Living to Him.
– Shepherding and ministering life, a portion from, All Ages for the Lord’s Testimony, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee.
– One Flock, One Shepherd, One City, via, New Jerusalem blog.
– How Psalm 23 Reveals the Organic Shepherding of the Pneumatic Christ, via, Holding to Truth in Love.
– Shepherding the Lord’s flock, a portion from, The Fulfillment of the Tabernacle and the Offerings in the Writings of John, Chapter 62, by Witness Lee.
– The Kind of Person the Lord Can Use to Turn the Age, via, Shepherding Words. - Hymns on this topic:
– Christ is our rest and enjoyment, / Here we have nothing to fear; / Here all the sheep dwell securely, / Kept by His presence so dear. / Glorious church life, / Feasting from such a rich store! / Here where we’re dwelling in oneness / God commands life evermore. (Hymns #1221 stanza 5 and chorus)
– O brother, won’t you gather in the local church? / A fountain here is flowing deep and wide. / The Shepherd now would bring you to the local church, / Where thirsty spirits can be satisfied. / Drinking at the springs of living water, / Happy now am I, / My heart they satisfy; / Drinking at the springs of living water, / O wonderful and bountiful supply! (Hymns #1234 stanza 3 and chorus)
– Deepest springs of life dispensing, / Like the hart I thirst for Thee; / Desp’rate, may I drink Thy fullness, / ’Till Thy river flows through me. / May my self be put to death, Lord, / Under Thy control I’d be, / Transformed to Thy living image, / I’d forever flow out Thee. (Hymns #1360 stanzas 3-4)
About aGodMan
Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” pp. 114-115
1 Pet. 5:2, footnote 2 on “flock of God”, Recovery Version Bible
1 Pet. 5:2, footnote 4 on “according to God”, Recovery Version Bible
This morning I enjoyed that we can shepherd others according to God only by being one with God and by living God, even by being God in life and nature but not in the Godhead.
May we be those who have God not only in our doctrine or understanding but even more in our living.
May we be one with God to live God and express Him so that we may shepherd others according to God.
I enjoyed this verse very much. We need to seek the rhema word! The words which are spirit and life. Lord as we read your word and take in the logos word, we want to experience the rhema, instant word!
Amen brother! May we be those who shepherd according to God by becoming him in life, nature, expression and function
Amennn! Yes may we be mingled more with him that we may shepherd according to him!
Amen brother. Our focus must be on being according to God in nature, desire, way & glory.
Amen! To shepherd is to bring the little flock to a place where they can eat and drink!
Dear brother, our shepherding should be according to God – His life, nature and expression.
Although we are charged to shepherd the “little flock” among us, it should not be out of compulsion, or according to our disposition, peculiarities or preferences but willingly from His life worked into us according to His divine economy, as we live God.
The more we live God the more we will shepherd and care for the church.
Hallelujah! 😃🙋🏽🙏 Amen!
Listen to the audio version of this article via,
https://youtu.be/_467h7edm48
Dear brother, according to 1 Peter 5:2, elders are not rulers; they are shepherds.
Sometimes a shepherd may have to rule the flock, but that is not the ruling of a king. It is a ruling of someone who cares for the flock.
The flock needs to be cared for, protected, and led in the right direction.They need to be brought to a place where they can eat and drink.
Brother, this is shepherding! Hallelujah!
Shepherding at 2 o’clock is not shepherding. Let us be very careful not to make shepherding another list item on our “things to do to prove to God I love Him.”
Yes, the elders are charged with shepherding the flock. Therefore their efforts may be a little more conscious and deliberate. However, real shepherding, to a believer, should be as breathing; spontaneous and constant.
I like that you wrote that first we need God’s shepherding. If we are not shepherded by Him, we can not shepherd. This is for certain.
Imagine a picture of a person petting a cat. Who is comforting whom? On the one hand, the person seems to be doing most of the work. But the cat is purring and warm and soft and the person is happy.
So too, let us follow God’s arrangements… not knowing if we may be the cat or the person but happily enjoying what He, our wonderful Shepherd has arranged.
I enjoyed this portion today very much.
What a shepherd we have who really takes care of our inner being. Amen.
Much grace to you. Hallelujah Jesus Christ is Lord.
We all are called to live a life similar to His life while He was on this earth.
He definitely lived with the highest standard of morality with the people of that time.
But after His resurrection as the first Son of God and life giving Spirit, He breathed into us and regenerated us from God.
In this process, He started living not with us, but in us and becoming many of God’s sons and Jesus’s brothers.
Therefore, we are the same as Him in life and nature, but not the Godhead.
So, we need to Shepherd the flock of God (particularly the new sheep) according to God. Because we have His nature and desire.
Praise the Lord for this wonderful privilege given by Him. Amen.
Ameen!!!
Only God can shepherd the church according to Himself.
Thus to shepherd the church according to God means according to what God is such as love, light, holiness, and righteousness.
For us to shepherd the church according to God means we need to become one with Him even to become Him in life, nature, living, and function.