Search
Date: August 6, 1937Place: SingaporeScripture Reading: Rom. 6:11
Last night we saw the fact concerning God crucifying our old man. What should we do now that the old man has been crucified? Romans 6:11 says, "So also you, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but living to God in Christ Jesus." We should reckon ourselves to be dead in Christ, and also reckon ourselves to be resurrected in Christ. We should reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and living to God in Christ.
What does reckoning mean? We know that men often are not that accurate in the way they speak or write. No one can guarantee that what is recorded as history or in documentaries is one hundred percent accurate. The most that one can say is that the records are very close to the facts. The most accurate human knowledge is mathematics. Mathematics is the only exact knowledge. Two plus two equals four. It is very precise. You cannot discount a little by saying that two plus two equals three, or inflate a little by saying that two plus two equals five. All the kindergartners and university students on the earth alike will say that two plus two equals four. You cannot say that two plus two equals five just because you have a doctorate degree. On this earth nothing is more precise than mathematics.
God wants us to reckon ourselves to be dead because we are truly dead. Four means four. If it is not four, we cannot say it is four. Whatever we have, we can only say what we have. We can reckon ourselves to be dead because we are actually dead. Suppose you are the bookkeeper of a business. If your accounting shows a loss of twenty thousand dollars, you have to report it as such. You cannot change the twenty-thousand-dollar loss into a twenty-thousand-dollar profit. The accounting book must match the income and loss of the business precisely. If God tells us to reckon ourselves to be dead, it means that we are truly dead. Only genuine death can be considered as death. If you have not died, you cannot reckon yourself to be dead.
The reckoning in the Bible is an act of faith. How do we reckon? We reckon by faith. We know that when the Lord was crucified, He took our old man along. The one who was without hope, the one who was full of sins and filth, was crucified on the cross of the Lord. Perhaps you still consider yourself to be alive and not dead. This means that you do not have faith.
I have always felt that the thing which is most lacking among believers today is faith. There is the knowledge of the truth, but the real experience often does not match the knowledge. Because of the lack of living faith (Heb. 4:2), there is always a gap between what one knows and what he experiences. If one has a living faith, everything will be reality to him. But if he does not have faith, the truth will remain the truth. He will remain separate from the truth, and the two will never be joined together. If we have genuine faith, all the truth will become reality to us. God says that we are dead in Christ. If we believe, we will find that we are truly dead.
Two years ago a Western missionary who had several children came to me, saying, "Mr. Nee, I do not know how I can make it. If one of my children cries, I can bear it. But if another one cries, I lose my patience. My patience can only endure one child, not two. If two of them cry at the same time, I lose my temper. Mr. Nee, what can I do? I see that I am still alive; I am not dead at all. This is the reason for my failure. If I were truly dead, everything would be just fine." I smiled at her and said, "When has God ever said that you are dead in yourself? God has never said this. God has said that you are dead in Christ. If your eyes are upon yourself, you will always be very much alive. If you look at Christ, you will find that you are truly dead. Many people know the truth of crucifixion with Christ, but when they look at themselves, they find that they are not yet dead. God has never told us that we can look at ourselves and find ourselves dead simply by listening to a message. This is to live according to feeling, not according to faith. Faith is looking at Christ, not at ourselves. Faith sees ourselves in Christ, not in ourselves. As believers we should never look at ourselves. We should only consider ourselves in Christ."
We can only believe in the facts in Christ. We cannot believe in ourselves. Satan will continue to tempt us. He will tell us that we are alive. We find that we are still alive when we are in ourselves. Satan will cause us to look at ourselves. He will deceive us, saying, "God may say that you are dead, but you are not dead!" If we look at ourselves, we will see that we are not dead indeed. However, should we believe God's word or our feeling? God says that we are dead in Christ, but Satan says that we are not dead. When we look at ourselves, it may seem as if we are not dead. Should we believe God's word, or should we believe our own feelings? This is the difference between having and not having a living faith. We know that God says that we are dead. Should we believe God or should we believe our own feeling? Is God's word true or is our own experience true? We should believe God's word. This is faith. If we have a living faith, even if it seems that we are alive, we can say, "Even though I feel this way, I do not believe that I am alive. I do not believe my own feelings. I believe God's word. God says that I am dead, and I am dead." What is a living faith? It is laying hold of God's word. Only God's word is real. Our feeling and experience will always change. But I believe that all the works of God have been accomplished in Christ already.
Our problem today is that we only see that we are alive. When we only see that we are alive, we have let go of God's word. When our senses are filled with our own feelings, we have put aside God's word. We may feel that we are alive, but these feelings are contrary to God's word; therefore, we should not believe our feelings. Rather, we should only believe God's word. If we do this, we will find deliverance. Tens and thousands of people have heard this truth, but most of them just know the truth; they do not have a living faith, and everything is vain for them.
Our mind cannot render us any help. When temptation comes, our mind wonders what we should do to act dead. But such endeavors only prove that we do not have any faith at all. It is not a matter of whether or not we can believe that we are dead in Christ. We do not have to die; we are dead al- ready. We do not have to do anything; everything is done already. We do not have to inwardly resist temptation; we only need to believe God's word. If a business has gained some profit, the account will surely reflect a profit. God says that I am dead. What should I do? I should reckon myself to be dead. Many people think that once they die, everything will be settled. Actually they died long ago. Everything has been accomplished in Christ. There is no need for me to die, because I am already dead.
If I am not genuinely dead, how can God reckon me to be dead? If the business is losing money, how can the owner ask me to record a profit? Only when I am truly dead can God reckon me to be dead. God would not ask me to cheat in the accounting. Thank God! In Christ I am truly dead. Whether or not I experience it, my old man is dead already. Temptation will not add anything to the work of Christ. The work of Christ is fully accomplished, whether or not we have the experience. We only need to reckon ourselves to be dead. Where there is faith, there is the experience. Without faith there cannot be the real experience. Suppose temptation comes and you are stirred up within. At such times do you believe in the stirring within or do you believe in God's word? You will be tested immediately as to whether you believe in God or in your own feelings.
Believing God does not mean believing in evidence. Faith does not require evidence. Anything real does not need the proof of evidence. Those who are trustworthy have no need of evidence. If I lent money to the president, there would be no need for him to give me a guarantee. If I lent money to a taxi driver, I would require someone to guarantee the loan because the loan might not be repaid. God's word has no need of a guarantee. What He speaks stands because He is the great and most high God. He is real. What He speaks stands forever (Heb. 6:13). Our feelings will tell us that we are not dead and that we are still sinning. When this happens, what will we believe? Will we believe that we are dead in Christ or that we are still alive in our feelings? All those who believe that they are dead in Christ are blessed; all the problems will be resolved.
A living faith believes in God's word rather than in the doctrine. If you only know the doctrine, it will stay in your mind and not have any effect on you. You must believe God's word. You must reject everything that belongs to the self and believe that God has accomplished everything. When temptation comes, you may be stirred up because you realize that you are proud, unclean, anxious, unhappy, and jealous. What should you do? Those who have faith will praise God and say, "Although I cannot rejoice, I am still dead. Although I lose my temper, I am still dead. Although my feelings are contrary to God's word, I will still praise God. God has accomplished everything in Christ." If you believe that you are in Christ and that you are truly joined to Him, you will jump up and shout, "Praise God, I am dead!"
The difficulty today is that we only see "truths"; we do not see God's work. We only see the truth without seeing the real thing behind the truth. This is like studying geography without ever visiting the places. You must have revelation, and God's light must enlighten you before you will see your position in Christ. You do not see it now, and that is why you cannot believe. Suppose I go and hide in a room. You will believe that I am in the room because you saw me go in. Today you cannot see yourself as dead. On the contrary, you see that you have not died at all. Regardless of how you look at yourself, the old man is still alive. But thank God, although you cannot see it, you can believe it because you know that you are one with Him. When He died, you died with Him also. You cannot say that He is dead but you are still alive. Suppose I throw a soft-drink bottle into the sea. Wherever the bottle is, there is the drink within the bottle. You cannot say that the bottle is in the sea yet the drink in the bottle is at the YMCA or at Brother Wong's house. Where the bottle is, there also is the drink. God has put you into Christ. Since Christ has died, you have died also.
First Corinthians 1:30 says, "Of Him you are in Christ Jesus." In other words, you are in Christ because of God's work. I am not capable at all and cannot lift anything heavy, but I can put this bottle in the sea. God can put me into Christ with as much ease as I put the bottle in the sea. He is the almighty God who can do all things. In fact, it is a much easier task for Him to put me in Christ than for me to put the bottle in the sea. It is of God that we are in Christ. This is God's work. Therefore, when Christ died, we died.
Two years ago I held a conference in Kaifeng. Many of the attendants were officials from the government. When I spoke about being in Christ, one of them asked me, "How can I be in Christ? What does it mean that I died when Christ died? What does it mean that I live because Christ lives?" I said, "We can be in Christ because of God's work. God has put us in Christ. All the experiences of Christ have now become ours. All of God's work is in Christ, not in us. This is the difference between Christianity and all the other religions. All the other religions are concerned with works by man. Only Christianity is not concerned with works done by man. Everything about Christianity has to do with Christ. If we have a relationship with Christ, all of Christ's experiences and attainments will become ours. If we do not have a relationship with Christ, we will remain the same, and all that Christ has attained will have no impact on us."
Do you know how a light bulb emits light? When the bulb is connected with wire to the electricity in the power plant, there is light. The power of light is not from the light bulb but from the power plant. Whenever the bulb is joined to the source of electricity, it emits light. If you disconnect the bulb from the wire, nothing in the bulb will emit light. Electricity is generated in the power plant, not in the bulb. This is the way God works. God does not work in man apart from Christ. All that He does is through one person — Christ. Death is in Christ, and resurrection is also in Christ. Everything is accomplished in Christ. If you have a living faith to contact Christ, all of His work will take effect in you. Without a living faith, you will remain unchanged. It all has to do with faith. By faith you can have a relationship with Christ. All you have to do is believe in the things that God has accomplished in Christ.
If you read the Bible, you will see that God has no intention of changing you. God has never said that He will change you. That is why you are exactly the same as you were before. Suppose the light bulb says to itself, "I have been here for quite a while now, and light is still shining out from me. This must mean that there is light within me." If it turns around and looks at itself, it will not find any light. Whenever it detaches itself from the source of electricity, it will cease to shine. If you are not in contact with Christ all the time, you will remain the same as before. If you do not contact the Lord, you may be like one who studies geography but who has never been to the places that have been studied. This kind of studying does not count. You may know the doctrine of crucifixion with Christ, but the real crucifixion is another matter altogether. Without the enlightening of the Spirit, the doctrine will be dead and ineffectual.
Even though I gave the person in Kaifeng an answer, he still could not understand. Then I asked him, "From whom do the Chinese descend?" He said, "We are the descendants of Hwang-ti." I then asked him whether he remembered Hwang-ti's battle with Tzi-you. He said that he did. Then I asked, "What if Tzi-you had shot Hwang-ti instead of the other way around? Would we still be here?" He said, "If that had happened there would not have been any descendants of Hwang-ti." I said, "The death of Hwang-ti was his own business, and our living is our own business. How can you say that if Hwang-ti had died, we would not be here? All the descendants of Hwang-ti were in Hwang-ti. If Hwang-ti had died, all of his descendants would have died as well." Likewise, God has put us in Christ and joined us to Christ. Since Christ died, we have died. Since Christ lives, we also live. We cannot say that Christ was crucified on the cross but we remained alive. When we are in Christ, all the experiences of Christ become ours.
Brothers and sisters, it does not help to understand the doctrine in your mind. I hope that God will grant you light and revelation to see that you are one with Christ. When Christ died, you died. This is not merely a matter of understanding the doctrine of crucifixion; it is a matter of comprehending the reality and seeing that you have become one with Christ. It is a matter of seeing your position in Christ.
Today God's children pay much attention to the doctrine without seeing the very things contained in the doctrine. Let us not be content with hearing doctrines. We should confess that we are only beginners, and confess that we are still seeking the Spirit's enlightening concerning the inward reality. Those who believe find, and those who reckon obtain. When God says we have it, it means we have it. I hope that God will enlighten us to see that we are really in Christ.
Hudson Taylor was a very spiritual person in Christ. Once he wrote to his sister about his constant failure and inability to overcome. One cannot say that he did not know the truth. But the truth remained as truth only; he was not experientially related to it. He continued to seek before God with the hope that he could somehow be joined to the truth. Later, he wrote another letter to his sister saying that the scales had fallen from his eyes. He saw how he had sought to be in Christ, how he had exhausted all of his efforts to get into Him, but that no sooner was he "in" than he found himself "out" again. He could not find a way to be in Christ. But he thanked God now that he understood that he was in Christ. It is no longer a matter of getting in but a matter of remaining there, a matter of not coming out again. The Lord said that He is the true vine and we are the branches (John 15:1, 5). We are in Him. He is in us and we are in Him. We do not need to struggle to become branches, because a branch is a branch by birth.
Suppose a person by the name of Tang Wen-tse prays earnestly on his knees, saying, "O God, please have mercy on me; give me the grace to be Tang Wen-tse." God will say, "What? Are you not Tang Wen-tse?" Suppose that a vase pleads to be a vase. Is this not ridiculous? But this is what we do. As long as we are branches, we do not have to do anything. What God says counts. We do not need to pray; we only need to praise. What is faith? Faith is believing that we are joined to Christ. Thank God that He has put us in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, you know that you are saved, and you have the assurance of it because you believe that the Lord has shed His blood to propitiate your sins. If you have trusted in Him, believed, and received Him, do you still need to plead for God to save you? (Perhaps some still do, but we know that these are the ones who do not believe or understand God's Word). God says that he who believes is saved. When we believe we know that we are saved. We can praise God spontaneously, saying, "I am saved!"
Our union with Christ is exactly the same way. There is no need for us to plead for God to join us to Christ. Those who belong to Christ are joined to Him already. We just need to believe that we are joined; there is no need to ask to be joined. If we believe that we are joined to Christ, we spontaneously will believe that the old man is dead and know that there is no need for the old man to die again. We only need to thank God. If we see that we are dead in Christ, we will see that sin no longer has any effect on us. When God says that we are dead, we are truly dead. We should never pray for God to put us to death, because God has accomplished everything already. Instead, we should say, "I will no longer try to do anything. I will only believe in what God has done. God says that I am dead, and I am dead."
May God open our eyes to see that all of His work has been accomplished. The blood has propitiated our sins, and the cross has crucified the old man. All of the work of remedying Adam's fall has been accomplished. We only have to believe. May God enlighten us to see that all is accomplished.
