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Date: April 3, 1938Place: PenangScripture Reading: Phil. 2:5-11
The Lord Jesus is God. He existed in the form of God and shared the same place and glory as God. Yet He emptied Himself. The Lord did not empty His Godhead. He emptied God's form, glory, and position. He did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped. Not considering something a treasure to be grasped means not insisting and letting go. He did not have to insist on His equality with God, because He was equal with God already. The Lord was equal with God, yet He emptied Himself of God's form, glory, and position. This is what Paul meant when he told us to have the mind which was in Christ Jesus. Having the mind which was in Christ Jesus means that this mind was once in Christ Jesus, but that today it should be in you and me. The mind of Christ Jesus is this: He was equal with God, yet He emptied Himself of God's form, glory, and position, and took a lower position. He did not insist on what He should have; rather, He took up what He should not have. This is the mind of Christ Jesus.
A Christian's walk has nothing to do with what he deserves or does not deserve. If a man says, "Others should treat me this and that way," he does not have the mind of Christ Jesus. The mind of Christ Jesus is one that readily and happily accepts all unjust treatment.
Christ was God, yet He gave up His deserving honor and position, and He became a man and our Savior. There is no such thing as contention in the divine Godhead.
God's children should walk according to the principle of mercy. God desires mercy and not sacrifice (Matt. 9:13). A Christian should not expect others to treat him fairly, righteously, or justly. When others take advantage of you, give you a hard time, inflict loss on you, or treat you unjustly, you have to check whether or not there is murmuring in your heart. If others treat you unfairly in attitude or in deed, you will grow in life if you can accept this treatment joyfully. You will understand what it means to bear the cross. Often others come to me and say, "So-and-so is such a person....Brother Nee, don't you know this?" I say, "Yes, yes, I know. I fully know." What do I know? I know that their love is short-lived and dead. "Love suffers long. Love...endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4, 7). They have no love and no endurance!
God has not appointed us to be watchmen over our brothers' conduct. He has appointed us to be bearers of the cross. Whenever we do not receive what we deserve and whenever others deal with us unjustly, we will lose our chance of bearing the cross and glorifying God if we resist, murmur, or rebel in our heart. Many Christians are angry when they see others making mistakes. Others may be wrong in their attitude, but these are wrong in their heart as well. Others may be wrong first, but these are equally wrong and will not be approved of in the eyes of the Lord. What is the meaning of bearing the cross? It means not being affected by others' mistakes and making sure that one is not wrong. This is the meaning of bearing the cross.
The Lord Jesus did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross (Phil. 2:6-8). God's children have to have this mind, the mind which was in Christ Jesus. Although there is no distinction of rank in the Godhead, Christ said, "The Father is greater than I" (John 14:28). Christ placed Himself in a smaller, lower, and humbler position. We must not be afraid to allow our brothers to become uplifted, exalted, and honored. We should be contented with being despised and forgotten persons. What is the mind of Christ Jesus? It is willingly losing our position and glory. The psalmist said to the Lord, "You have made men ride over our heads" (Psa. 66:12). This is a person free from jealousy and indignation. If we can rejoice in others' glory, it proves that we are free from jealousy. But if we cannot rejoice, it means that we are for ourselves. The issue is whether or not we can bear seeing our brothers exalted more than we, and whether or not we can stand seeing our brothers excelling over us. Do we dare to be placed in a lower position than our brothers? Those who dare to do this are not only familiar with the cross; they will see God exalting them soon, for he who humbles himself shall be exalted (Luke 18:14).
Romans 12:10 says, "Take the lead in showing honor one to another." J. N. Darby translated this as, "As to honour, each taking the lead in paying it to the other." Those who always try to tread others under their feet do not know the cross. They do not know the mind of Christ Jesus. We should learn before the Lord to dare to allow others to receive honor and glory and to remain despised and forgotten persons ourselves. The greatest lack among us today is that we do not have the mind of Christ Jesus. Many can criticize every Christian in the world. In the end they feel that they are the only Christians who are up to the standard. These ones do not know the meaning of bearing the cross. They do not know what the mind of Christ Jesus is. May the Lord be merciful to us, and may we learn to take a humbler stand, allowing others to be higher than we are and to receive more adoration and exaltation.
Let me mention one more thing. As long as we are righteous in ourselves, we should be contented; it should matter little whether or not others know about our righteousness. Those who are constantly trying to justify their attitude before others do not know the cross. As long as we are right in ourselves, that is good enough; it should matter little whether others say that we are right. As long as we are right in our attitude, that is good enough; it should matter little whether others say that we are good or bad. The principle and standard of the Christian life are not right and wrong. The standard of our living is the bearing of the cross. The bearing of the cross is the unique standard of our living. The whole issue rests on whether or not we are bearing the cross, not on right and wrong. Before the Lord, are we willing to empty ourselves to suffer loss?
The basic principle in managing the church is not in determining right and wrong for others. We should have only one standard: If there is the bearing of the cross, it is right; if there is not the bearing of the cross, it is wrong. Forget about whether or not others are right or wrong. Just ask whether or not they are bearing the cross. The cross is the greatest "wrong" in the whole universe; it is a terrible "wrong." Jesus Christ the Son of God had no sin, yet He was crucified on the cross. Our sins are too deep, yet we do not have to die. We do not have to shed our blood; we are freely forgiven and freely saved. Do we not realize that this is the greatest wrong? If it were a matter of right and wrong, then the most right thing to do would be for us to go to the cross. We have sinned and deserve to die. Hence, bearing the cross means accepting all the wrongs, not complaining, not reasoning, and being filled with joy all the time. The world can endure, but it endures by swallowing its grudges. There is no joy in such endurance. But we can accept unjust treatment with much rejoicing in our heart.
I would like to mention one more thing. The mind of Christ Jesus is one which gives up everything. Those who give up everything have the mind of Christ Jesus. May God be merciful and gracious to us, and may we be those who willingly give up all things, those who gladly suffer losses. A Christian should give ground to others; he should lay the tracks for others to go through. In speaking of the trespass offering, Leviticus 6:5 tells us that one should add one-fifth to what is owed when paying back that which is owed. We should learn to be those who suffer loss. We should put ourselves under the trampling of others. Christ Jesus did not need to be a slave. Yet He put off the form of God and took the form of a slave. He relinquished what He rightfully owned and received what He should not have received. In the days ahead may we learn more to be those who suffer persecution willingly and who remain joyful. If it pleases God to put us in a certain place, we will accept it with joy and gladness, because bearing the cross is more important than all the glory and position the world can afford. What does bearing the cross mean? It is described in the words: "He saved others; Himself He cannot save" (Mark 15:31). A true bearer of the cross does not save himself and his own glory. In particular, he does not save his own feelings. God will bless all those who are willing to go this way.
