Excerpt From 'The Salvation of the Soul'
Watchman Nee
Chp 3, Its Manifestation: The Kingdom


When the Son of God was on this earth, the cross was the only thing that He had as a possession; all the rest He borrowed. The manger was borrowed, the inn was borrowed, the ass on which He rode to Jerusalem was borrowed, the room in which He ate the Passover feast was borrowed, and finally the tomb in which He was buried was borrowed. Everything in the world except the cross was borrowed by the Lord. Yet how very unlike Him we are!

Being Living Patterns

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Php 4:9)

Many are willing to be consultants with regard to the Christian life because it lack the responsibility (1 Cor 4:15). Godly fathering takes maturity. Desire to mature beyond overcoming the evil one, being strong in the faith and having the abiding Word (1 John 2:13, 14) that is a depth farther than experiencing victory, believing and having our minds transformed (Rom 12:2). It is a depth of relationship with the Father of fathers. A father is called one by virtue of reproduction.

There are spiritual fathers and non spiritual ones (John 8:44) where the former is one where truth of the Word is demonstrated. Truthful in the sense of us being consistent and not living double lives. Natural children can be confused by the double lives parents demonstrate. An inconsistent standard set in morals, values and virtues can lead to disillusionment and many a Christian children have walked out of their faith in Jesus when they grow up.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Php 3:17)

Spiritual fathers live their daily lives by carrying their own crosses and single mindedly following their master daily. Walking is a simple everyday necessity in our conduct with regard to all aspects of the mundane as well as the extraordinary occurrences. Spiritual fathers whose eyes set on one Good Shepherd and not flippant about choosing their heroes or beliefs.  Our confidence of being a good father to both physical and spiritual children does not lie in our ability or experience. It is a relationship yoke with the Savior and walking to the same end (Php 3:21). It is a relationship that continues to yield everything to the Master and laying down of self daily. 

Many Are Called, But Few Chosen
Commentary by Matthew Henry

 

Bible Commentary on Isaiah 62
A.R. Fausset


 

Guidance

For such is God, our God, for ever and ever; He will guide us eternally. (Jewish Publication Society, Psa 48:14)

Can we fathom that God is our Elohim, the Supreme Creator is our portion and we have become His? He even considers details of our being that we are ignorant of (Matt 10:30). He who feeds the fowls of the air yet a sparrow falling to the ground is within His will (Matt 10:29). Knowing His will is not an elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is as real as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. He governs over all and able even to subdue all things unto Himself (Php 3:21).

It is not an issue of whether He is able; it is whether we like children willing to believe Him with regard to all things.  Not reckless and blind by presumptuously thinking that God will shield us from every danger due to our imprudent conduct (Matt 4:7). A faith that is founded on knowledge of the Truth which has led us to reckon our self will dead. It is a calculated death according to the standards of the cross we chose to bear (Luke 9:23). A cross not forced upon, but of our own choosing to take up or not, the laying down our will. Not some form of self imposed religion by inflicting pain in the name of self righteousness.

A laid down will takes us to a position as a meek son of God that can be lovingly led by the Good Shepherd unto eternity. We will find that our life is unlike vapor, but glorious.

Seek to Stop Sinning or Have I stopped Sinning?
Oswald Chambers


"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." (1 John 3:9.) 


Do I seek to stop sinning or have I stopped sinning? To be born of God means that I have the supernatural power of God to stop sinning. In the Bible it is never - Should a Christian sin? The Bible puts it emphatically- A Christian must not sin. The effective working of the new birth life in us is that we do not commit sin, not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have stopped sinning. 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin; it means that if we obey the life of God in us, we need not sin.

Generosity

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.(Mat 6:22)

One of the biggest enslaving idol today is called mammon. Jesus has a lot of things to say about money; He warns of the danger of the love of it (Matt 6:24, 1 Tim 6:10) and provides a solution. No one can be more practical in handling issues as with our Lord.  In this context, Jesus is saying that love of money can cause us to lose focus and not be singular with regard to Him as our Light. We can become blind to people around us in greater financial need and become inward looking. The remedy is stated in the preceding verse ‘herefore when thou doest thine alms’ (Matt 6:2). He did not use the word ‘if’ but ‘when’. God allowed poverty (1 Sam 2:7) to exist along with those who have more than enough (the rich) that His mercy may be manifested through the generosity of His saints (Matt 5:7).

….. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

(Psa 41:1)

The trap of this form of idolatry brings, interestingly is darkness to the body. Show mercy that we will receive mercy, which is how He works (Psa 41:1-3). In our generosity we exemplify our trust in Him ‘who giveth us richly all things to enjoy’ (1 Tim 6:17); in this our getting more than enough (richness) ‘he addeth no sorrow with it’ (Prov 10:22). The problem of inability with regard to the issue of generosity is the issue of contentment (1 Tim 6:8). Poverty is the state of the mind, not the state of being (2 Cor 8:2).

Faithful in What He Givs Us

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Mat 25:21)

Above all, the Lord is looking for faithfulness in our being and faithfulness in our doing with regard to the things that He has given us, not what things we conjure up out of ourselves. Whatever He bestows upon us is not for our safekeeping but to be multiplied and presented back in full to Him. This Multiplication is not for our own kingdom building plans, but dying to ambition of the self and having only His Kingdom in mind. Bearing fruit of which is of Him not that which represent us (Gal 5:22).

Keep good accounts of what He bestows, we mustn’t be careless. Work out what He has put in (Php 2:13), to the degree we have attained, walk by them (Php 3:16). Live in constant urgency, looking for His coming as though it is the next moment. Yet living each day faithfully, in patient endurance in all that life will throw at us though it is ‘after a long time’ (Matt 25:19). Don’t let go of what He gave, but multiply. Add on; faith, to faith virtue, etc (2 Pet 1:5). Faith without working it out is dead.

The Lord will do the accounting, it is faithfulness He desires.  Faithful only in what He gave, anything else extra is not credited. The end of faithfulness is to enter into His Joy and greater rule. Count all else loss, take on what He gives. Rule or take action over the ‘very little’ (Luke 19:17) He gives to us, in that He will multiply it back to us.

Transcendent Life
Watchman Nee


And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Mat 5:41)


Our transcendency is before the Lord for no one demands more than the Lord. The most people can demand is only one mile, but what Lord requires is the second mile.


May the Lord’s hand be on me. If I lose all, I will not be able to lose any more. When I am totally dead, I will not be able to die further. As long as I may yet die, I have not died enough. Since I may still lose, I have not lost enough. I am willing to increase the Lord’s hand on me, rather than to lighten it.


If we are able to stand on the Lord’s side and deal with ourselves, we will never entertain the thought of revenge on others.

Burden or Life

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (Pro 2:1)

The Torah and the Sermon on the Mount can either be viewed as a heavy burden or we see the grace to abundance of life. If the Commandments are considered information on what we ‘should be’ and what to shun, then we have an unbalanced view of a tyrannical God. His commandments are never meant to be grievous (1 John 5:3).


Experiencing abundance of life comes by taking the first few steps of obedience in faith than realization that we can do it because it is by His grace. We should not ask for evidence before we keep what He says, but believe without seeing by doing first, in that we will be blessed (John 20:29); ‘in keeping of them there is great reward’ (Psa 19:11).