My
gleanings from
THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN
CHURCH LIFE
The New Testament Pattern of the
Churches, the Ministry, and the Work
WATCHMAN NEE
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Because of the vastness of the subject and
the importance of its issues, I have not found it easy to write this book. It
is not intended for anyone and everyone. It is for those who bear
responsibility in the Lord’s service. But more than this, it is for such as
honestly and truly mean business with God and whose hearts are open and have no
padlocked mind or prejudices. The book may test one’s sincerity and honesty to
no small degree; but genuine hunger and desire to know the Lord’s full thought
will sustain a careful reading to the end.
In reading this book, the door must not be
closed with a snap of “Impossible!” or “Ideal but not practical!” what is set
forth in these pages is no mere theory or teaching, but something we have
actually tested out.
INTRODUCTION
During the past eighteen years, the Lord has
led us through different experiences in order that we might learn a little of
the principle as well as the fact of the cross and resurrection, and learn
something of the Christ-life, the Lordship of Jesus, the corporate life of the
Body, the ground of the Kingdom of God, and His eternal purpose. It is natural
that these have been the burden of our ministry. But God’s wine must have a
wineskin to contain it. In the divine pattern, nothing is left for man to
decide. God Himself has provided the best wineskin for His wine, which will
contain and preserve it without loss, hindrance or misrepresentation.
We have sought to stress, throughout these
past years, truths which have more direct bearing on the spiritual life of the
believer and the eternal purpose of God. But the practical outworking of these
truths in the Lord’s service is by no means unimportant. Without that,
everything is in the realm of theory, and spiritual development is impossible.
While the book itself may seem to deal with
the technical side of Christianity, let us emphasise here that we are not
aiming at mere technical correctness. It is spiritual reality we are after. But
spirituality is not a matter of theory; it always issues in practice.
It is wearisome to me, if not actually
repulsive, to talk with those who aim at perfect outward correctness, while
they care little for that which is vital and spiritual. In fact, it is a deep
grief to meet children of God who know practically nothing of the hatefulness
of a life lived in the energy of man, and know little of the vital experience
of the headship of Jesus Christ, yet all the while are scrupulously careful to
arrive at absolute correctness of method in God’s service. We hope this book
will not fall into the hands of those who wish to improve their work by improving
their methods, without adjusting their relationship to the Lord.
It is death to have a wineskin without wine,
but it is loss to have wine without a wineskin. The God who inspired the
writing of the letter to the Ephesian church equally inspired the writing of
the letter to the Corinthians. While letters like Romans, Ephesians and Colossians
deal with the spiritual contents of our faith, letters like Corinthians, Titus
and Timothy deal with the practice of it. But why is it that the children of
God have never had any serious contentions over Ephesian truths but always over
Corinthian truths? Because the sphere of Ephesians is the heavenlies, and its
truths are purely spiritual. But Corinthian teachings are practical and touch
the earthly sphere. Yes, Corinthians is very practical and it tests our
obedience more than does Ephesians!
The danger, with those who know little about
life and reality, is to emphasize mere outward correctness; but with those to
whom life and reality are a matter of supreme importance, the temptation is to
throw away the divine pattern of things, thinking it is legal and technical. He
considers that he himself has authority to decide on outward matters and rather
fancies that to ignore God’s commands regarding them is an indication that he
has been delivered from legality an is walking in the liberty of the Spirit.
But God has not revealed the truths that concern our inner life; He has also
revealed truths relating to the outward expression of that life. God prizes the
inner reality, but He does not ignore the outward expression.
But God demands both inward and outward
purity. To have outer without inner is spiritual death, but to have inner
without outer is spiritualised life. And spiritualisation is not spirituality.
======================================================================== TO BE CONTINUED...
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