14在婚配那日，新郎在意他新妇的美丽，远过于她的才干。照样，在召会生活中，对主来说，我们的美丽最终比我们的功用重要得多。召会生活刚开始的时候，我们也许强调能力和功用。但最终我们要更多强调美丽。……不要太注意在功用上成为能干、够资格、有恩赐的人。起先，这也许在召会生活中算得了数，但至终主要给我们看见，祂所在意的不是我们的能力；祂所在意的乃是从我们的人性所彰显出祂自己的美丽。基督的心意，不是要把一个能干的召会献给祂自己；所要献给祂的召会，乃是荣耀的、美丽的，没有斑点和皱纹或任何这类的病。我们若要除去瑕疵和缺陷，就必须更多将基督接受进来。祂不仅为着我们的功用加强我们，祂更使我们美丽，好作祂的新妇。……召会借着有分于基督、消化基督并吸收基督而渐渐变为美丽的！我们越这样经历内住的基督，祂就越要以祂自己的元素顶替我们的斑点和皱纹，并且祂的丰富同祂神圣的属性，也越要成为我们的美丽。这样，我们就预备好献给基督，作祂心爱的新妇。
14On the day of his wedding, a bridegroom cares much more for the beauty of his bride than for her ability. In like manner, in the church life our beauty will eventually be much more important to the Lord than our function. At the beginning of the church life, we may emphasize ability and function. But eventually, we will place more emphasis on beauty…Do not pay that much attention to becoming capable, qualified, and gifted in function. At first, this may count for something in the church life. But eventually, the Lord will show us that what He cares for is not our ability; He cares for the beauty of Himself expressed through our humanity. Christ does not intend to present a capable church to Himself. The church that will be presented to Him will be glorious and beautiful, a church without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. If our blemishes and imperfections are to be removed, we need to take in more and more of Christ. He should not simply energize us for our function but also beautify us that we may be His bride. The church is being beautified by partaking of Christ, by digesting Christ, and by assimilating Christ! The more we experience the indwelling Christ in this way, the more He will replace our spots and wrinkles with His element, and the more His riches with the divine attributes will become our beauty. Then we will be prepared to be presented to Christ as His lovely bride.