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Date: Saturday evening, February 11, 1950Place: Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
God wants us to consecrate ourselves. What a joy this is to us! Paul told the Corinthians that the Lord died in order that we who live would no longer live to ourselves but to Him who died and was raised for us (2 Cor. 5:15). If the Lord died and resurrected for us but did not give us a chance to live for Him, it would indeed be a suffering and a pain to live the Christian life.
Once I was moving my home. I was the only person doing the work and could not move the heavy furniture. Two brothers came to my rescue and helped me move. When they were finished, they were all covered with dirt. I asked whether they were hungry and thirsty. They said no and returned home immediately. That night I did not sleep well. I thought of the two brothers who helped me move. They were covered with sweat and dirt and returned home late at night. Yet I did not repay them anything. I felt bad, and the whole night I could not rest my head or sleep well. The Lord has accomplished a great redemption for us. His work is many times greater than moving a house. If we asked the Lord, "What do You want me to do?", He could answer, "Everything is done. You do not have to do anything." If He said this, we would feel terrible. I often have felt that it is a great grace of the Lord that we are redeemed. It is also a great grace to be allowed to consecrate ourselves to Him. If a man receives the matchless grace of the Lord's redemption yet has no intention of living for Him, either he is not saved at all or he must not have a clear idea about his salvation and the greatness of God's grace.
If a Christian does not serve the Lord, he will feel that he owes the Lord something. He will feel queasy. Even though the Lord has everything and even though the cattle and sheep on a thousand hills are His, He wants our consecration. Man is created by God. All men belong to Him, but He wants our consecration. We often think that if God commissioned the angels to preach the gospel, they would probably do a better job than us. Their emotions are not finicky as ours are. We preach according to our feelings. The angels could preach eight hours a day without being affected by their emotions. They would also preach better. Our preaching is flawed, but the angels would not have this problem. Yet if the angels were given the responsibility of preaching the gospel, they could only preach about a sinless Savior; they could only preach a sinless salvation. However, we can speak as sinners saved by the Lord from our sins. Our preaching is so much richer than the preaching of the angels. For the same reason God also sees our consecration as being so much richer. We all love money, but if we see how much the Lord has done for us, we will gladly offer up everything for Him. I hope all the brothers and sisters will see that it is a great grace to be allowed to serve Him. It is also our greatest joy and peace. I hope all the brothers and sisters will strive to enter into this supreme peace and joy. If our consecration falls short of giving our all and if our standard is anything less than absolute, we will know the difference; the difference will be great, and the gap will be wide.
We have many young people here with us. We have to be prepared to give away all our things. When we come to God we should not come empty-handed. We should pick out our possessions, pack them up, and send them to other cities. We can also send them to the poor in our own city. In order to please the Lord, we often have to learn to wound ourselves. A man's spiritual future depends on how much he is willing to hurt himself for the Lord's sake. This will build up our Christian character.
Sometimes we have to pay a great price to please the Lord. There is nothing precious and valuable about giving up our excess. This will not touch the Lord's heart. Only by giving all that we have will we please the Lord. Many rich people dropped their gifts into the offering box, but the Lord was not touched. When the poor widow dropped two lepta into the box, the Lord considered that greater than what the others had given, because out of her lack she cast in all the living that she had (Luke 21:1-4). The two lepta that she cast in equaled less than a cent. It was not a matter of how much, but of giving everything. Some brothers and sisters wrote on their consecration slip that they did not have anything extra to give. Let me say a solemn word: We do not give what extra we have to the Lord; we must give all that we have to Him. This is a good thing in the eyes of the Lord (cf. Mark 14:6, 8).
Do you remember the story of the widow from Zarephath and how she treated Elijah? She only had a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a jar, but Elijah asked her to make a little cake for him (1 Kings 17:8-16). Humanly speaking, Elijah's word was cruel. While the widow was making the cake for Elijah, how her heart must have ached because she knew not what was to become of her living. The little cake, however, was not the last but the first. In the days of Elijah, there were many widows, but only one was remembered (Luke 4:25-26). She was remembered because she offered all she had in an absolute way to God's prophet.
An absolute consecration is not something we do on the spur of the moment or by accident. It has to be done again and again. It may hurt us, but it will also cheer us. A joy that hurts is the greatest kind of joy. This joy brings tears. We rejoice so much that we praise in tears. This kind of joy is very particular; it is something that the world and worldly Christians do not have.
Some may consider that offering something to God is a favor to Him or an honor "bestowed" on Him, but God considers it as His way of saving us and building up our Christian character. Many brothers and sisters hand over their possessions because they do not want to tear down these things themselves. They want to hand them over to the church and let God tear them down, but neither God nor His church will do this. We have to sell all our gardens, houses, and properties ourselves. We do not have many opportunities during our lifetime to learn such a lesson. It is very good for building up our Christian character.
The brothers and sisters who are in business and who have not terminated their past must deal with this matter as soon as possible. We have to deal with all the improper objects in our house, all the things that we owe others, and all our worldly attachments.
If we have any land, we should sell it as quickly as possible. Brothers and sisters throughout China from the north to the south have lost over ten thousand mu (a Chinese measure) of land. Several thousand mu were consecrated but not yet sold when they were confiscated. This is because some were not willing to take up their own knife to "kill their own son." Some in Shanghai offered up fourteen hundred mu, some eight hundred mu, and others two hundred mu. Over three thousand mu were offered up, but the church did not receive anything. Neither were the brothers and sisters able to enjoy a single mu. This is because they did not sell immediately. In addition to losing all their land, they have brought many problems upon themselves.
Why were they unwilling to sell the land? One brother spent ten years to collect eight hundred mu of contiguous land. He bought two or three parcels at a time. Although he offered them up, he handed them over two or three parcels at a time. When the church saw his hesitation, it returned the land to him and asked him to sell it himself. He was too lenient on himself and eventually kept it all. Eventually, all eight hundred mu were confiscated. This is happening to many brothers and sisters. When Nebuchadnezzar beheld the city of Babylon, he boasted, "Is this not Babylon the great, which I have built up as a royal house by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:29-30). Many brothers and sisters have bought land and built houses for the glory of their own majesty and power. The Lord wants us to destroy what we have built with our own hands just like Abraham did when he prepared to kill his son Isaac with his own knife.
If any brothers or sisters have entered into a joint investment of land with unbelievers or family members or jointly own shares with Gentiles, the joint assets should be divided up as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will face difficulties when they try to serve the Lord or consecrate their assets to Him. Never hold on to joint assets or joint shares for too long.
After one hands something over, he has to select a few experienced and respected brothers with spiritual wisdom and discernment to make suitable arrangements for him. We want every penny that the brothers and sisters have handed over to be put to proper and good use.
Housewives must not offer up their husband's belongings. Neither should they offer up what belongs to their children. They should not be criticized for acting unrighteously. We have to know that God is the master of all things. He does not need anyone to steal or rob. We can only offer up everything that we have a right to dispose of. Before we offer up anything, we have to ask, "Do I own this? Will I cause a problem in my family by offering this?" God does not want us to steal; neither does He want us to rob. Unless our husbands and children are being unreasonable, we should not violate their rights.
Not many people in this world have consecrated themselves, and not many riches have been consecrated. This is the reason every consecrated person is precious and treasured by God. Not only is such a one precious; even his children are precious, and every hoof that he owns is precious. The money he consecrates to God is precious. When the Israelites left Egypt, God told them to not go empty-handed, but to take all their belongings with them. They did not leave one hoof behind (Exo. 10:26). A believer should learn to preserve his wealth so that he can offer it to God. God treasures the children of the believers, and He treasures every hoof that belongs to the believers. On the one hand, we should not take anything that does not belong to us, even if it is but a thread or a shoelace. On the other hand, as much as possible we should offer God everything that belongs to us.
Whatever we do, we have to stand firm on our ground. Brother Witness said that in the denominations, the number of men falls short of the money offered, but with us the money does not match the number of men. We have the people, but not the money. We do not want there to be any unnecessary disputes in the family because of our consecration. We do not want the Lord's name to be shamed. We should only consecrate by acting on the ground of righteousness.
Concerning the jewelry offered up by sisters, we have to pay special attention to the teaching in Peter's Epistles. He said that it is always wrong for Christian women to have any kind of adornments (1 Pet. 3:3-5). Both male and female alike in the world consider gold more attractive than brass, and pearls and gems more precious than plastic goods in the streets. In the past some of us collected jewelry ourselves, or it was given to us by husbands or relatives. Now we have to sell all the items that are under our disposal. We spent time and money to acquire these objects. Now we have to spend time and effort to dispose of them. In particular, we should deal with our most cherished objects by disposing of them personally. We do not want another sister to buy them. Objects that have been consecrated to God should be sold to unbelievers, not to other Christians. We should be lenient and not criticize others, but we should be strict with ourselves. These things are dragging us down; they are sinking us. How can we place them on other sisters and burden them?
The money that we have offered up can be used to print gospel tracts or can be given away to needy saints or the poor. If we do not know how to give it away, the church can prescribe certain instructions on a slip of paper and you can send the money accordingly. It is all right to ask others to forward money for you, but the church will not do this for you. This makes it clear where your money has gone. All jewelry should be disposed of as soon as possible.
Anything that you do not have complete ownership of does not necessarily have to be handed over. These items are the property of your husband or your family members. Household decorations and ornaments can be retained as long as they are tasteful and not too extravagant. Follow the principle of keeping what is practical. It is all right to keep things that are reasonable and tasteful, but it is wrong to go beyond this principle. Objects like ivory antiques should not be kept for display in the house. These things do not have any practical value. We have to carefully consider what we want to buy. It may be better to use the money to print or purchase gospel tracts instead. A certain brother loved to collect ivory antiques before he was saved. He loved them so much that he would sleep with them. Others talk to their wives before going to bed; this brother looked at his antiques before going to bed. He loved his wife, but that love could not match his love for his antiques. Every night he looked at his antiques until midnight. When he woke up he fondled them for another two or three hours. But thank God, the Lord saved him. After he was delivered from these things, he declared, "The Lord has taken away my love for ivory antiques. These objects are beautiful, but the Lord has saved me. What a release it is to be delivered from these antiques!" I hope that no useless, valuable objects would be found in a Christian's home. If we have the financial means, we can buy something practical and tasteful, but a Christian should not collect expensive antiques in his home.
A sister consecrated her piano, and two other sisters consecrated their sewing machines. The piano can be stored in the meeting hall; we can use it at a later date. The sewing machines can also be stored in the meeting hall. In the future we can make them available to the saints. I am not saying that it is wrong to have items such as a piano or sewing machine in the house. But if others do not have them, it is not good for us to have them just for ourselves. When everyone has them, it is quite all right for us to have them. Christians do not practice asceticism; they practice the denial of the self. When all the brothers and sisters have these things, I will have them, but I should not be so impatient that I must have them immediately.
The greatest temptation facing housewives is shopping or the habit of shopping. Some objects are acquired only because the eyes need them. They are good to look at, but the husband and family have no need of them, even though the eyes have need of them. The more she buys, the more closet and drawer space she needs. Eventually, she runs out of space for the things she needs; all the spaces are filled with objects that only satisfy the lust of the eyes. One sister bought a bed sheet which she did not use for four or five years. She bought a dozen stockings which she kept unused in her closet for a year. This puts money in a dead place. A housewife must overcome the lust of shopping. Otherwise, she will want to buy what she likes when there is some money in her pocket. This is a buying lust. She buys something only for the purpose of looking at it. This is the lust of the eyes. She has to overcome this. When she stands in front of a department store with money in her pocket, she should ask, "Am I about to buy something practical and useful, or is it only for display?" A Christian should always reject the lust of buying. Except for meeting some immediate need, we should not buy anything too quickly.
The housewives should discuss with their husbands how much they should spend a month and how much pocket money should be set aside. After taking care of the normal expenses, all excess should be saved and offered up. This does not mean that a housewife has to lower the quality of the food. It means that she should save what can be saved in order to offer it to the Lord. She should not neglect proper nutrition for her husband and children.
If she has too many garments, she should sell some. Any dress that is too nice should be sold. She should not live in rags, but neither should she be overly adorned. A housewife always should have a seasonal clean-up. She should consider how much can be saved and how much can be given away. It is best to designate a specific amount of offering for the gospel each month.
I hope that in handing ourselves over and in our consecration, we will not fail in any area this time. Consecration cannot fail. Once it fails, the gospel stops. In order to maintain the impact and power of the gospel, our consecration cannot stop. Today all Christians admire the power of the early church and the early apostles, but they have forgotten the consecration of these people. The power of the gospel comes from consecration. I hope that we will all remember this. May the gospel never lose its power in us.
The assembly in Hankow has had problems for a long time because the brothers and sisters were not thorough in their consecration. During the past two months there has been a revival, and ninety people have been baptized. The underlying reason for this change is that some saints have begun to hand themselves over. If a man does not hand himself over, he cannot love the Lord or the brothers and sisters, much less sinners. Under such circumstances, the gospel surely will not go out. Many people cannot love the Lord and cannot love sinners because their love is for their treasure. Where our treasure is, there is our love as well. The greatest secret to loving the Lord is storing up one's treasure in heaven. Spontaneously, we will love the Lord. I hope that we will wrap our heart around our treasure and send both to the Lord.
During the past three years, we practiced a particular principle in Chefoo, Shanghai, Nanking, Foochow, Hangchow, and Tsingtao in regards to the things handed over to the church. The brothers who bear special responsibility before the Lord should first let the brothers and sisters know that they should not hand themselves over foolishly. We should let them know where the consecrated items are being sent. From the first day we practiced handing over in China until this very moment, none of the co-workers has had the right to touch any of the consecrated goods of the brothers and sisters. We cannot use one penny of this money. The co-workers must, as Paul said, exercise foresight for what is honorable (2 Cor. 8:21). The money from the brothers' and sisters' consecration should be given to poor saints, local or otherwise, or it can be used for the propagation of the gospel.
Let us make this solemn declaration again: No co-worker has permission to touch a penny of this money. This word should be unnecessary in the first place. If a person is truly consecrated, he has no problem in this area. But I want to clarify this matter for the sake of helping some brothers and sisters understand our practice.
In handing themselves over, the brothers and sisters have to learn to do it in an absolute way. If we keep back anything or if we are not absolute in any way, we will not have the joy. Handing oneself over releases the burden that is upon us. If we only hand over half of what we have, we will still have half the burden on us. Even if we hand over ninety percent, we will still have ten percent of the burden on us. We will only be happy when we hand over everything.
Preaching the gospel is the basic and primary occupation of the church. This is the reason the Lord requires His church to forsake everything for the gospel (cf. Mark 8:34-35; 10:29). Our primary occupation is preaching the gospel; we do not preach the gospel "on the side." Perhaps some among us had great ambitions to be prominent, to be famous industrialists, musicians, engineers, or doctors before they were saved and before they handed themselves over. Now that they have handed themselves over, their ambition has to change. From now on they have to strive to please the Lord (2 Cor. 5:9). This does not mean that they can no longer be a doctor, engineer, or musician, but it does mean that they should be satisfied with just food, clothing, and a dwelling. The gospel is our proper occupation. All other works are sidelines. We do not seek promotions in this world as far as our position or profession is concerned. We are here to promote the gospel. We should have an occupation on the side because both the Bible and the government say that we should work.
Nevertheless, the gospel should always remain our primary occupation. Everything should be for the gospel. The first thing we should consider when we interview for a job is not how much it pays, but whether or not this work will profit the gospel. If it does, we should take it even if it means accepting a lower position. If we work in a place and can only make a hundred dollars a month, other families will make up any lack. The gospel is not an individual enterprise. We must work in coordination. In the future the responsible brothers have to take the initiative to fellowship with the brothers and sisters about their schools and occupations. In the past we paid attention to what profited the individual the most. We paid attention to remuneration; now we must pay attention to coordination. The brothers and sisters have to fellowship with the church about all their moves. We should make the gospel our primary occupation. We should not preach the gospel haphazardly. Instead, we should preach resolutely, systematically, and deliberately. Wherever we are, we have to make the gospel our top priority.
I must repeat that consecration is not a matter of handing over some material possessions. We expect all the brothers and sisters to put their occupation, time, future, schooling, and place of residence under the direction of the gospel. We should pay any price to do what is profitable for the gospel.
Presently, Shanghai is preparing to send a hundred brothers to Nanchang. About two hundred families have already moved to Yi-Yang. This is like moving a whole church to a new place for the gospel. It is easy to speak of, but once one gets into the matter, he will discover all the difficulties that must be faced. How many people should be moved? How much do they need? How many dwellings should be prepared? All of these require careful consideration. This is not a work that eight or ten people can accomplish. In Yi-Yang the gospel has spread to over ten counties. If some can migrate to Nanchang, I believe God will greatly bless us and will add groups of people to us.
We have been in Hong Kong for decades. What is our condition compared to Yi-Yang? The brothers and sisters in Hong Kong may be more eloquent in preaching, but the brothers and sisters in Yi-Yang have the increase; they know what they are doing. All who have migrated to Yi-Yang have uprooted themselves from their background; they have handed over everything and have relocated in an absolute way. I hope that none will misunderstand us. When we say that we should hand our possessions over, we are only touching the negative side of the matter. This is just a basic and fundamental requirement. Our real goal is to coordinate with others. If we have no heart to hand ourselves over for the coordination, we can continue to be rich while others remain poor. May the Lord grant the church in Hong Kong the grace to give itself to the gospel in an absolute way. This is the meaning of Philippians 1:27, which speaks of striving together with one soul with the faith of the gospel. This is what many other places have done. If we are desperate every day, a great part of China will be evangelized within a year. In a few years, we can spread the gospel to other parts of the world.
The situation in Nanking is very good at present. The opportunity for the gospel is unprecedented. Although many people have left, many others have been added. Not only have the original ones handed themselves over; even the new ones have handed themselves over. They are asking for the regions outside and around Nanking be given to them as well. I know you receive news here: The number of attendants in every locality is increasing in multiples, not simply percentages. When some move away, more are added.
I hope that Hong Kong can be absolute in this matter this time. Once it becomes absolute, it can spread the gospel to the southern part of China and move out to southeast Asia. We hope that everyone would be for the gospel, including those who have a job, who are in school, and who are working at home as housewives. No brother or sister should be a spectator or a bystander. Everyone should jump off the diving board. If the more mature and advanced ones take the absolute way, the ones who have a heart to serve will follow. The deeper we prepare the channel, the more the water will flow. The more violent, absolute, and strict we are, the more others will want to serve the Lord in sincerity. The more convenience we give others, the less they will come. Either we should not do this at all, or we should do it in an absolute way. The most foolish thing to be is a halfhearted Christian. The Lord's intention is different from our thoughts. We care for our money; our eyes are always on our money. This is the reason we cannot be happy Christians.
May the Lord make us clear concerning the truth that is being released here. May this burden increase more and more. The Lord came to cast a fire upon the earth. At that time He could not say that the fire was cast. I hope that He can say that the fire has been cast today. This is the only way to have an unhindered and unimpeded future. This is the only way to take the fire to the uttermost part of the earth. Today many places have caught fire. I hope that Hong Kong will catch fire as well.
The Lord will gain His way only when we have handed ourselves over in an absolute way. I hope that we will offer ourselves to God in an absolute way. We should consecrate ourselves to Him and offer up everything for the gospel's sake. If the church does not exist for the gospel, what is it here for? Is it wrong for the whole Body to offer itself up to the Lord? The Lord will have a way only when the whole Body has offered itself up. Only then will the gospel have a way, and only then will the church have a way to go on.
