Date: November 14, 1935, afternoonPlace: ChuenchowScripture Reading: Luke 18:27; 2 Cor. 12:9; Rom. 8:1
This afternoon we will consider how we can experience Christ as our life. I am not saying that we do not have this life. I am saying that in addition to having this life we can experience Christ as our life. If we have Christ living within us, we will have the same holy life as Christ. He will live a holy life from within us. Only Christ's life is holy, and only He can live the holy life. We are sinners. Our life is the human life; it can only sin and never do good. If our life is not exchanged, it can never be changed. This afternoon we will see how we can experience Christ's life and how we can allow Him to live within us.
Paul said in Galatians 2:20, "It is no longer I...but...Christ." We cannot fool anyone with this word. We cannot just claim this with our mouth, while our conscience condemns us. Paul was able to honestly say, "It is no longer I...but...Christ." This is the overcoming life. The overcoming life is not one which boasts of its own ability or victory. The overcoming life is one which says, "It is no longer I...but...Christ." This afternoon we will concentrate on this subject. Simply put, if a man wants to experience Christ as his life, there are two necessary conditions. The first is letting go, and the second is believing.
What does it mean to let go? In order for a Christian to let go, he must go through certain experiences. There are three steps that he must take. There is no way to skip a step or change them. They are indispensable; one cannot have the overcoming life by any other means. Luke 18:27 says, "The things that are impossible with men are possible with God." This verse is part of a story about a young man who came to Jesus to ask how he could inherit and enjoy eternal life. The Lord said that in order for him to inherit eternal life, he must not commit fornication or murder and must not steal or bear false witness, but must honor his father and mother. Since he had kept all these commandments, the man was happy when he heard the Lord's word. He thought that these commandments were easy to keep. He thought that they were not a problem to him because he had kept all of them from his youth. He was not short in any of them. But then the Lord said that he still lacked one thing. What was the one thing that he lacked? The Lord said, "All that you have, sell and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow Me" (v. 22). After the Lord said this, the man felt helpless. He thought that the price was too great, and he walked away in sorrow.
The Lord turned then to the disciples and said, "How difficult it is for those who have riches to go into the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (vv. 24-25). When the disciples heard this, they asked the Lord, "Then who can be saved?" (v. 26). (Most people today think that they are rich. How many realize that they are poor?) The Lord said, "The things that are impossible with men are possible with God" (v. 27). Why did the Lord say this? The problem with the young man was not that he was rich, nor was it that he was unwilling to sell all. His problem lay in the fact that he only had a view of himself. When he first came to the Lord, he saw himself and thought that he could make it. In effect, he told the Lord that he could make it. The Lord then gave him a new commandment, and he looked at himself again and said that he could not make it. He was only looking at himself. He first looked at what he could do and then at what he could not do. He never saw God's work and power. This is why the Lord said that the things that are impossible with men are possible with God. He meant that even though the young man could not make it, God could make it. The young man could not give his wealth to the poor. Yet God could make him give it to the poor. It was not a matter of being able in himself, but a matter of God being the able One. The young man did not see this and, therefore, went away in sorrow.
The Lord told the young man to sell and distribute all that he had to the poor. A rich man may be alarmed when he hears such a word and may say, "I cannot be a Christian anymore. What should I do if I sell all that I have?" The Lord's intention is not to have our money or all that we have. His intention is to prove to us that we cannot make it. Ananias and Sapphira had money and property. Peter said that while the property remained in their hand, it was their own. Even after it was sold, it was still under their disposal (Acts 5:4). If one does not have the leading of the Spirit, he does not have to sell anything or offer it up. Philemon was also a rich man. Paul did not tell him to sell and distribute all that he had to the poor. The Lord asked the young man to sell all that he had because the young man claimed that he had kept all the commandments. When the Lord gave him the commandment to sell all that he had and follow Him, he had to concede that he could not make it.
The same is true with us. We may not be proud, jealous, or stubborn. We may not have committed fornication and may be loving and patient, having practiced these things for many years. We may feel that we are almost there. Once we feel this way, the Lord will say to us, "Still you lack one thing." Eventually, we find that we cannot make it. We may overcome many sins, but there will be one sin we cannot overcome. Every Christian has one or two particular sins. Everyone has one or two sins which he or she is very familiar with. These sins have a special attachment to certain ones; they come and visit them all the time, following them wherever they go. The Lord said, "Still you lack one thing." This one thing does not refer to the selling of all that we have, but to the one thing that we cannot do. If we think that we are able, God will find one thing to prove to us that we cannot make it.
There was a Western missionary who was a very seeking Christian. Once she came to me and said, "With me there is one sin. Please pray for me." I prayed for her every day. For about two weeks, she kept begging in tears, saying, "God, deliver me from this sin." I thought that she was suffering so much because her sin was very serious. I asked her to tell me about this serious sin. She said, "From my youth I have had a habit of eating snacks. I eat snacks all day long. I can overcome many sins, but I cannot overcome this one sin. Previously, I did not think that this was a sin, but now I know that this is a sin. However, I cannot overcome it." I am always happy to see someone who sins so much that he finds himself unable to stop sinning. It is a joy to see someone unable to overcome his sin. The worst thing for a man is to sin and be able to overcome it. If we sin so much that we cannot stop and find no way to overcome, then God is ready to save us. This sister lacked one thing. She did not know that she had this one sin and did not realize that this was a sin. Once she realized that it was a sin, she found that she could not overcome it. She was willing to see her husband give up a job earning $800 per month and instead take up work for $100. She was willing to suffer many painful things for the Lord. She loved the Lord very much and loved the Chinese, but she was not able to overcome one thing. The thing that the young man lacked was victory over money, and the thing that she lacked was victory over snacks.
Every person has one particular sin which he cannot overcome. Why does the Lord put such a thing before us? It is to prove to us that we cannot make it, that we are helpless, and that we have esteemed ourselves too highly. It is true that we have not committed fornication or murder and that we may not be proud or jealous, but we always fail when we try to get rid of that one thing! We may boast that we are not like this or that person. But the Lord will say to us that we still lack one thing; there is one thing which we cannot overcome. We still lack one thing. The Lord proved to the young man that he could not make it. Eternal life is the life of Christ. In order to have this life, we must realize that we are fully incapable of doing anything. Once we realize this, God's life will manifest His power in us. If we have not been brought to the point where we fully realize our own inability, we will not allow God's life to live out of us.
The worst fear that I have is for a man to sin too little. Such a person is neither good nor bad, and neither Christ nor Satan is particularly fond of him. I love to see a person who finds himself unable to overcome a particular sin no matter how hard he tries. Some may have committed some filthy, base, and deplorable sins. Others may have committed some refined sins. No matter what kind of sin it may be, it is a sin which binds a person. It may only be one or two sins, but one cannot overcome them no matter how hard he tries. When this happens, there is hope for the person. The most difficult thing for a person to realize is that he cannot make it on his own. If a man sees that he cannot make it, he is close to salvation. If anyone this afternoon realizes that he cannot make it, he is close to experiencing the overcoming life. If we still do not realize that we cannot make it or if we only have an overcoming doctrine without an overcoming life, we have to ask God to give us the light and show us that we cannot make it at all.
After we realize that we cannot make it, what should we do? After we realize that we cannot make it, we must not try to make it. I know many brothers and sisters who have come to me and wept before me and before the Lord about their inability to overcome their sins. They are not like others, who let everything go by easily. They are very remorseful about their sins. They feel that they cannot get through if they do not overcome their sin. Over a dozen people have come to me and said that if they cannot overcome their sin, they would rather die. What should we do when we realize that we cannot overcome our sin and are completely powerless? If we want deliverance, the first thing we should do is not to try to make it. We should not try to change ourselves or make any resolutions. We should not waste time in ourselves or make up our minds to do anything. This is the most crucial step. Many people realize that they cannot make it in themselves. They acknowledge that they cannot make it, yet they are constantly trying to make it. They still strive and struggle to overcome. When they do this, God cannot do anything with them.
Last summer I met a Western missionary who had one sin which she could not overcome. At that time she did not realize that Christ is her victory, and she did not know that Christ is in her to live for her. Yet she wanted to experience this life. I asked her, "Do you realize that you cannot make it?" She answered, "I knew that long ago, yet I have one sin which I keep committing. I really cannot overcome it." I asked, "What do you do when that sin comes to you?" She said, "I pray to resist this temptation, I pray for God to deliver me from it, or I pray for God to grant me the strength so that the sin will not prevail over me." I said, "You do not have to go on. I know the rest of your history. After you pray and stand up, you commit the same sin again. As soon as you walk out the door, you do the same thing. Every time after you pray, your sin comes back to you." I then told her, "You have made a great mistake. You know very well that you cannot make it, yet you still try to make it and you strive to make it. When sin comes to you, you still try to fight it. Since you know that you cannot make it, why are you still praying, resisting, and asking God to give you the strength to overcome your temptation? You are praying this way because you think that you are still good and that you can still do something."
I then told her that the way to freedom is first to let go. As soon as she decided to give up on improving, she would be nearer to victory. She said, "If I sin when I resist, would it not be unthinkable to not resist?" I said, "Resisting means that you are still living and working. When this happens, God cannot do anything. If you want God to come into you, you must first let go. You have to realize that God's power is already in you. He can live for you. Now is not the time to consider who you are, but who God is."
One summer I was preaching the gospel in the villages with over twenty brothers. The weather was hot, and we could not take our bath indoors. Therefore, we all went to the river to take our bath. While a few brothers were swimming, one brother had a cramp and began to drown. He kicked his limbs frantically and shouted for help. One of the brothers among us was Wei-san Wang, who was very good at swimming. He had served in the navy. I urged him to quickly jump into the water to save the drowning brother. Yet he stood in the same place and would not move. I was quite desperate and somewhat angry at him for loving his own life so much. When the drowning brother was nearly exhausted and sinking, Brother Wang jumped into the water and swam toward him. With one arm around the drowning one's waist and swimming with the other arm, Brother Wang brought him safely to shore. Later I asked Brother Wang, "Why did you not save him earlier? You could have saved him some suffering, and he would not have taken in so much water." He said, "If I had tried to save him earlier, he would have been struggling for his life and would have grabbed on to anything he could have gotten hold of, and both of us would have drowned. There is a secret to saving a drowning man: Do not save anyone who is living and do not save anyone who is dead; only save those who are half dead. Do not save the dead because it is hopeless to save them. Do not save the living, because they are still kicking with their strength. When you approach them, they will hold on to you and neither they nor you will be able to swim, and both will drown. This is why you should save only those who are half dead, those whom you can grab hold of, but who cannot grab hold of you. In this way, you will be safe, and they will be saved."
We are like the man who was drowning. God will only save us after we have exhausted all of our strength. But the problem is that men often try to make it when they know very well that they cannot make it. We pray, make resolutions, and struggle. This makes it impossible for God to save us. We must be like the drowning man who had exhausted all of his strength in struggling and striving; then God will save us. If we are still kicking with our arms and legs and still making up our minds and struggling, we are still trying to make it and are not yet depleted of our strength. God will wait and not do anything. He will wait until we give up trying to save ourselves, and then He will step forward to save us. Therefore, we must not only be clear that we cannot make it, but must also give up trying to make it. Satan loves to see us stepping forward to fight with him. Once we step forward, he wins the victory. His trick is to induce us to move. As soon as we move, he wins. God has to wait until we drop both of our hands and have completely surrendered. Only then will we overcome. This is the meaning of letting go. Letting go is dropping all of our ability and setting aside our own life completely. By acknowledging that we cannot make it and by saying that we have no intention to try to make it, we will overcome.
Many people are familiar with the first part of 2 Corinthians 12:9, but they forget about the second part of this verse. Today we will pay special attention to the second part of this verse. Paul said that he most gladly boasted in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ might tabernacle over him. Weakness implies that a man is very vulnerable. When Paul was weak, what did he do? Did he cry? No, he boasted. He boasted that weakness to him was a grace and a glory. He boasted and gloried in his weaknesses. He said, "I am indeed weak. But I thank and praise the Lord." This was Paul's attitude. This was his boast and his glory. "I may be weak, but I thank and praise Him. I cannot overcome the temptations, yet I thank God in all things." Have we thanked God in this way? Have we given thanks in everything? We should go to the Lord and say, "I thank You that I cannot remove my filthy thoughts, pride, jealousy, and temper. God, I do not intend to remove my filthy thoughts, pride, jealousy, and temper. I cannot do anything, and I do not intend to do anything. I thank and praise you that I cannot make it. I am weak, and I boast in my weakness."
Last year I met a brother who was a general in the Manchuria Volunteer Army. He fought many battles against the Japanese in Manchuria. During the war, his sense of moral and human decency went completely bankrupt. Later he heard that a brother was preaching the gospel in a certain place. He went and was saved and became a good Christian. Eventually, he also married a sister in the Lord. Because he was fearful of the Japanese, he decided to move to Shantung to practice medicine. There was a meeting in the place where he was, and he went and joined their meetings. When I was there last year, I met him. The first day I met him, I felt that there was something strange about him. He dressed well and was a nice man, but he seemed a little impolite. When he came into the room, he did not take off his hat. I became interested in him and took special notice of him. During those few days, I was conducting a conference on the subject of Christ as our life. One day after a meeting, he told me that he had something very important to discuss with me. I told him that he could come the next day. He asked if he could come at six in the morning. I told him that I was staying at someone else's home and that it might not be convenient for the host to receive him so early. I suggested that he should come at seven instead. The next morning I went downstairs after my morning watch, and he was waiting for me at seven o'clock.
He was a husky and tall man, a typical northern Chinese. Yet he began to cry in front of me and said, "I have one sin which I have not been able to overcome for a long time. When I was in the army, others were smoking opium, but I chose to smoke cigarettes instead. Sometimes I would smoke over twenty cigarettes a day. Later, I became a Christian and married my present wife. I want very much to quit smoking. I have tried many times but failed again and again. I have been quitting and smoking, quitting and smoking, continually. I am very much bothered by this. It became worse when I moved to Shantung. If I smoke on the streets, I worry that some brothers may see me. If I smoke in the hospital, I am afraid that the nurses who are sisters may see and criticize me. If I smoke at home, my wife will bother me. The only way I can smoke is to smoke in secret. As soon as I hear someone coming, I hide my cigarette. This is a great suffering to me, but I can do nothing about it. In the past, I killed my enemies with a gun, but I could not stop my smoking, even if I had a gun. During the past few months, I have been very troubled by this matter. Mr. Nee, what should I do?"
While he was speaking, I looked at him and laughed. I said, "I am so happy to meet people like you." He said, "Mr. Nee, please do not make fun of me. I am desperate, and yet you are laughing." I said, "It does not matter if you smoke, and it does not matter if you cannot quit. All you need to do is one thing." He said, "What is it?" I said, "Suppose I come to your hospital today to be a patient and signed a contract with you to stay in the hospital indefinitely. What would you say?" He said, "If you are not sick, the hospital cannot admit you." I then asked, "What kind of people do you admit?" He answered, "Only those who are sick." I said, "That is right. Now you should go to the Lord and say, `Lord, I thank and praise You because I smoke. I thank and praise You because I cannot quit smoking. I can quit for five days, but then I have to smoke again. I am qualified to come to You. Your Word says that a healthy person does not need a doctor; only those who are sick need a doctor. If I could make it by myself, I would not need You. But I cannot make it; therefore, I need You. I am a patient, Lord. I come to You. I thank and praise You.'" He replied, "I can praise Him for many other things, but I cannot praise Him for this. I have never thanked and praised Him according to your prayer."
I then showed him 2 Corinthians 12:9 and told him how Paul would much rather boast in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ might tabernacle over him. I said, "You weep for your weakness, but Paul boasted in his weaknesses. What a difference there is! You have to boast in your weakness. You have to say to the Lord, `I have sinned, and I cannot overcome my sin. I cannot quit smoking by myself, and I will no longer resolve to quit. I commit myself to You.'" After this the two of us knelt down to pray. He prayed to the Lord saying, "I am a sinner, and I cannot overcome my sin. I will not try to make it, and I will not even think about making it anymore. I commit this matter to you. May Your power be manifested in me. Lord, I thank You. I cannot do it, but You can do it."
After he made such a prayer, he said nothing more, but picked up his hat and was ready to go. I called him back and asked, "Will you smoke after you go home?" He said, "By myself I will smoke and I cannot quit. But God will quit for me. If I quit, it is the Lord who is quitting for me." After he returned home, I was concerned for him and wondered if he was truly released. After two days I did not hear any news from him. Every day he stood up after the meeting and left. I sent men to inquire about his condition, but received no reply. One time after my message I saw him again and asked him, "Are you still smoking?" He answered, "No! But I argued with my wife for a whole day." I thought, "One sin has left and another is coming along the way!" He went on, "I argued with my wife and told her that I had tried quitting without success and that she had been grating on me for over two years without result, but this time God did it for me. I dropped it just like that." I said, "If that is what you were arguing about, it is all right." I stayed there for three more weeks. He testified at the end, "My addiction to cigarettes is completely gone. I have no desire to smoke any longer. Satan tempted me twice, but I did not tell him that I would not smoke anymore. I merely said that by myself I could still smoke, but that God could stop smoking for me. I do not have to be concerned about the matter anymore. It was wonderful. When I did not move, even when temptation came along, I found that I was able to overcome." Today he is still victorious. Some time ago, I received a letter from Shantung saying that this brother has indeed overcome.
Brothers and sisters, you must realize that you cannot make it, and you must not try to make it. Furthermore, you must boast of the fact that you cannot make it. If you do this, nothing will stop God's power from being manifested in you. If you move, you will frustrate God's power. Do not try to make it. Let the temptation come and go. There is no need to resist the temptations. (Of course, resisting Satan is another thing that has to do with spiritual warfare.) There is no need for you to be concerned with anything. You only need to say, "Thank the Lord, I cannot make it. I cannot overcome." Many people like to put their titles on their name cards. We should write on our name cards "Specialist in Sin." We are experts at sinning. We cannot do anything other than committing sins. We have to say to the Lord, "I can only sin. I am weak and can do nothing. You are the One who can make it. Please be the One who makes it for me. I thank You that I have no way to help myself. You have the way. I am powerless, but You have the power to resist for me." If we stand on this ground, we will overcome all the time.
I can give a testimony concerning myself. At one time I had a bad temper. Two classmates of mine can testify concerning this. Many years ago when I was in Shanghai, Satan came to me again and again to tempt me. Sometimes others would say something that was irritating. I did not want to hear it, and I felt uncomfortable inside when I did. Satan would come and tempt me and stir up my temper. I knew that I could not control my temper; I wanted to lose my temper. Before I knew the overcoming truth, I would suppress my temper. Sometimes the temper was not in my mouth, but it would still be inside me. Even when I appeared calm and meek outwardly, I was still fighting the temptation. I was merely suppressing my temper with my own strength. Later Christ showed me a little of what victory is. He showed me that Christ within could overcome my temper. Every time I began to lose my temper, I told the Lord, "I can lose my temper. I enjoy losing my temper. I am about to lose my temper, and I even want to lose my temper. But Lord, You do not lose any temper. You are my victory within. I cannot make it, but You can. I cannot do it, but You can. I believe that You can overcome my temper." By praying this way, I experienced the overcoming life. Our victory is absolutely in Christ, not in ourselves. If we drop ourselves and do not struggle, strive, or come up with our own ways, and instead believe in Christ and trust in Him as our victory, we will experience the overcoming power of Christ continually.
In order to receive and experience the overcoming life, there are four steps we have to take. First, we have to see that we cannot do anything. Second, we have to give up trying to do anything. Third, we have to boast in our weaknesses. Fourth, we have to believe that God is able, that is, we have to believe that God can make it for us. As long as we act according to these four steps, no temptation can stand in our way. I grouped the first three things together under the heading of letting go. The last step is to believe.
Have you come to God once in a definite way and said to Him, "I know that I cannot make it. I cannot change myself and it is impossible for me to change. I do not intend to change anymore. I commit everything to Your hand"? Once you commit everything into the Lord's hand and let go, you have only taken the first step towards victory. The next step is to believe. Letting go is passive, whereas believing is active. In addition to letting go, you must still believe that God is able, that He can overcome for you.
Once I met a Western missionary who often joined us for breakfast when we were having meetings. She heard the teaching on the overcoming life, yet she still did not understand it. I asked her, "Others have overcome in a short time. Why have you not overcome after two weeks? Have you let go yet?" She said, "Yes, I have. I know that I cannot make it, but I still have not overcome." I said, "If you have let go, you should have experienced it. Have you offended anyone?" She said, "I dare not say that I can overcome any sin. I dare not say that I will overcome if I do this or that." I said, "You know sin very well, but you do not know the Lord enough." I opened the Bible and showed her in Romans that we will bear fruit unto sanctification if we offer up ourselves to God as those raised from the dead (6:13, 19). What is consecration? Consecration is presenting ourselves to God. It is offering up ourselves to God and allowing Him to do whatever He wants to do. God says, "You only deserve to die. I have crucified you on the cross. You do not have to do anything. All you have to do is to hand yourself over to Me. I can make you bear fruit."
She told me that she dared not say this. My face immediately became stern. I stood before her and pointed at her face, saying, "Do you know whose word you are doubting? God said that if you hand yourself over to Him and consecrate yourself to Him, He will make you holy. But even though you have consecrated yourself, acknowledged that you are unable to do anything, and have offered up everything to God, you say that God has not done His part. This verse says that man has his part and God has His part. If man has done his part, God will do His part. But even though you say that you have let go and done what you should do, you say that God has not given you the victory. Do you know what your word means? You are saying that God has made a contract with you and that you have done your part, but that God has not done His part. You are saying that God is not righteous, that He is dishonest, and that He is unfaithful." She said, "How can I dare say this!" I said, "If that is not what you mean, then you have to say, `God, I have committed myself into Your hand. I know that I will surely overcome because I have done my part, and You will surely do Your part. You will surely cause me to overcome because I have committed myself to You.'" After one lets go, he has to testify, saying, "Thank the Lord. I believe that He has done what I committed to Him." God will work in you only to the extent that you have committed yourself to Him. Once you believe, the matter passes into Christ's hand, and He will take over.
A Christian was riding a bicycle in a rural countryside. He reached an open deserted place, where there was an old well. He wanted to go to the bottom of the well, and so he tied a rope to the edge of the well and lowered himself down the well. When he reached the end of the rope, he could not feel the bottom of the well. He tried to climb back up, but did not have the strength. Hanging with his hands on the rope, he was unable to go either down or up. He cried for help, but the place was deserted, and no one heeded to his call. He hung on for a while, but the weight of his body became heavier and heavier. For two hours he was helplessly hanging there. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He was a Christian and he thought that he should pray. He said, "God, I am about to fall. Let me fall into eternity." After he prayed, he let go of the rope, thinking that he would certainly die. But he was only a few inches from the ground. After he fell to the bottom of the well, he regretted that he had suffered so much because he had not let go of the rope any sooner. This is the way we are towards Christ. We think that we will fall into Hades unless we struggle, strive, and make resolutions. Actually, if we would let go, we would not fall into Hades. We would fall on Christ the Rock. We have to believe that as we let go, God will take over. He will give us the power. He will make us overcome. We only have to believe in Him.
Friends, once our life runs out, God's life will operate. Once we let go, God will take over, and His life will be lived out of us. Whenever we stop living our own life, God's life will be lived out of us. As soon as we put ourselves aside, God's life will be lived out of us. If we want to experience Christ as our overcoming life, the first thing to do is to let go and see that we cannot make it, to give up trying, and to boast in our weaknesses. After we have completely let go, we have to believe that God is able to make Christ our overcoming life, and that He can manifest Christ's life and power through us.
