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Scripture Reading: Matt. 16:21-26
The words disposition and character are difficult to define even with the best dictionaries. It is also very difficult to illustrate disposition and character. However, several terms used in Matthew 16:21-26 imply the matter of disposition. These terms include mind (v. 23), self (v. 24), and soul-life (vv. 25-26). Though Matthew 16 does not use the word disposition, the matter of disposition is certainly implied here through the use of these terms. In this short portion Peter’s disposition is exposed.
According to Matthew 16:21-26, when the Lord Jesus told the disciples that He was going to be crucified, Peter reacted and took the Lord aside to rebuke Him. The Lord responded by rebuking Peter. Peter was rebuked by the Lord because Satan had used Peter to oppose the things of the Lord. Peter was used by Satan because there was something in his disposition that gave Satan the ground to use him.
Disposition refers to something within us. Disposition is implied in the terms mind, self, and soul-life. Disposition includes all of these elements; thus, to refer only to the self or soul-life is inadequate.
There are four terms mentioned in the New Testament which are closely related to the matter of disposition: old man in Romans 6:6, I in Galatians 2:20, soul-life in Matthew 16:25-26, and self in Matthew 16:24. In addition to these terms, according to our study and experiences of the spiritual things in the New Testament, we have also used the term naturalness in relation to the matter of disposition. The contents of these five terms all imply disposition. A person’s disposition includes all these items.
Our disposition is expressed in many forms. One type is that of the “hero.” Brothers or sisters who have this type of disposition must do everything in an impressive, perfect, and complete way. If they are to speak, they must do it in an outstanding way, or they will not speak. They are also very strong and quick in doing things. Another type of disposition is that of the “non-hero.” The “non-hero” does not do anything in a thorough or complete way. If he or she locks the door, it is only partially locked; if he or she cleans a room, the corners are left undone.
In chapter 21, we pointed out that our disposition is what we are in our makeup by birth and that our character is the outward expression of our disposition. Disposition is what we are within, and character is what we express without. The reason we are silent or talkative is due to our disposition. At the start of our full-time training, some brothers and sisters spoke very often, but after some weeks passed, perhaps due to some word of correction regarding their speaking, they became very silent. Their outspokenness was related to their disposition, but their self-enforced silence is related to their character.
Slowness is a matter of disposition. We may do everything very slowly. If we are rebuked for our slowness, we may become offended and react by doing everything in an extremely fast manner. What we express in this change of our outward behavior is no longer our disposition but our character. Disposition by itself does not directly involve anything of sin. But once our disposition is expressed with a hurtful intention, that is sin. Thus, our disposition has little to do with sin directly, but our character has a great deal to do with sin.
When you live according to your disposition and are corrected by others, your character is expressed in the way you change your behavior. An illustration of this is when little boys are playing a game with a ball. One of the boys may have the ball, dribbling it very slowly, and a friend may rebuke him for being so slow, asking him to pass the ball. When the first boy passes the ball, he may do it in an excessively fast and rough manner, reacting to the rebuke of the other boy. This way of passing the ball expresses the character of the first boy and is something naughty and sinful.
While there are no verses in the New Testament that directly tell how to deal with the disposition, there are a number of verses that can be used. Since the disposition is implied in the “I,” the old man, the soul, and the self, our dealing with these things includes our dealing with the disposition. In Galatians 2:20 the “I” has been crucified. This “I” implies the disposition. In the same way, when we deny the self (Matt. 16:24) and lose the soul-life (vv. 25-26), the disposition is dealt with, because it is implied in these things.
Dealing with our character is seen in Romans 8:13, which says, “If you live according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.” The practices of the body are actually our character. To deal with the practices of the body is to deal with our character.
In order to deal with our disposition, we must realize that we have been crucified (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:6). From morning to evening, throughout the entire day, we must remember that we are people who have already been crucified. Because we have been crucified, we should not live according to our disposition. We should not live, act, or walk according to what we are naturally. To live in such a way is simply to live according to our disposition. The way to deal with our disposition is to realize and remember that we are crucified persons and remain under that realization throughout the day.
Along with the realization that we are crucified, we have to oppose ourselves. To oppose ourselves is to oppose our disposition. If you realize that your disposition is to be quiet, as long as you remain quiet, you are simply living according to your disposition. But if you would oppose your quiet disposition, you must first realize that your natural person has been crucified and then remain under the killing of the cross. Then in the meetings you, opposing yourself, can exercise to speak something of the Lord to the saints.
The thing that most damages our usefulness in the Christian life and church life is our living according to our disposition. I have been in the Lord’s work for many years, and I have found that some brothers and sisters have a strong element in their disposition that hinders them from coordinating and cooperating with others. If certain brothers or sisters are assigned a certain work, no one else can be included with them to help in that work; they must do it exclusively. Such brothers or sisters are usually very capable, and they can also easily stir up trouble in the church life.
The Lord’s work is a work of the Body and by the Body; therefore, coordination is desperately needed. The apostle Paul was very capable, but he also needed a number of others to help him and coordinate with him. Even if you are one of the top ones, there is still the need of coordination. Even the Lord Jesus Himself needed to coordinate with others. Actually, most of us do not like to work with others. If we are lazy, careless persons, we may like others to labor for us. But if we are diligent persons, laboring all the time, we may not like others to work with us, because whatever they do interferes with what we are doing.
In our spiritual life, in our Christian life, in our church life, and in the Lord’s work, we must learn to be people who are always opposing ourselves. As a person with a strong disposition, I can testify that I must constantly realize that my disposition is crucified. In the past my confession was almost completely about my failure to live Christ. Today very often my confession to the Lord is concerning my disposition. We must learn to live a life of opposing ourselves. To oppose ourselves is to oppose our disposition.
Both the good and bad dispositions destroy our usefulness in the spiritual realm. Our usefulness first depends upon our capacity. In Matthew 25:14-15 the master delivered his possessions to his slaves according to their natural ability. Their natural ability equals their capacity. The apostle Paul was a very capable person with perhaps the largest capacity. But if Paul had not opposed his disposition, his disposition would have destroyed his usefulness. How much the Lord can use you depends upon your capacity. But regardless of how much capacity you have, as long as you go along with your disposition, you are finished. Throughout church history there have been many very capable brothers, such as Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, John Nelson Darby, and Watchman Nee. The Lord used these brothers very much. I can testify that Brother Nee was not only a capable person with a large capacity but also a person who learned to always be against himself.
The reason for much of the political turmoil in the world and the present turmoil among us is that there are two factors: ambition together with a lack of capacity. Someone may have the ambition to be the president of a country but not have the capacity to hold such an office. When such a person is frustrated from gaining the office of president, he may then cause trouble. On the other hand, a person may be very capable, but if he has ambition, his ambition will destroy his capacity, his usefulness.
Actually, ambition is a large element of our disposition. If a country is going to be a strong country, it must produce a number of capable persons, who have a large capacity. Yet these persons also must be against their dispositions, that is, against their ambition. A person who is capable and who is also against his or her ambition is the most useful person. If a country can produce twenty such persons in a generation, that country will be one of the top countries.
Capacity without ambition makes a person very useful. On the contrary, capacity with ambition damages a person’s usefulness. Throughout history the persons who have damaged entire countries the most have been people who were very capable but who were too ambitious. Hitler was an example of such a person. He had a very large capacity, but along with his capacity he had a terrible ambition. His capacity with his damaging ambition is the reason that Hitler damaged mankind so much. Capacity is good, but ambition is terrible.
The principle is the same in the Lord’s work. The most fearful thing in the Lord’s work is a capable person with ambition. On the other hand, one who is capable and without ambition is very useful in the Lord’s work. In my whole life, by His mercy, I met a person who was the best example of someone who was very capable but without ambition. That person was Brother Nee. I can testify from my conscience that he was not ambitious at all. His work was of the highest standard. He did such a work, yet he did not keep anything for himself.
In the church in Shanghai another brother who was also very capable was Brother Yu, who was an eye specialist. He translated the mystical books by authors such as Madame Guyon and Brother Lawrence into Chinese. I can testify concerning him that he was also without any ambition. Brother Yu along with a few other brothers took the lead in the church in Shanghai and in the work, but there was never any problem with ambition among these brothers. As a result, the church was built up, and many saints were edified.
Capacity without ambition means capacity plus the cross. Everyone is ambitious. Ambition is the primary element of every fallen person’s disposition. Even the lowest persons with a very low capacity are ambitious. In the church life some are very capable and ambitious, and others are not very capable, but they also are ambitious. Yet both can cause a great deal of trouble in the church life. How marvelous it would be if everyone in the church life was against ambition. If we all could be helped to live a life against our disposition, our ambition would be killed, and there would be no problems in the church life. Once ambition is killed in the church life, the usefulness of everyone, including those of limited capacity, will come out. But when the disposition of the saints is not dealt with, ambition comes out, resulting in turmoil; the usefulness of the saints is annulled; and a great deal of devastation is brought in.
If all the saints, especially those who are being trained to serve the Lord full time, kill their disposition, everything will be very good. Otherwise, each trained one becomes a potential problem to the church. If we pick up the training and practice it with our ambition and capacity, trouble will be the result. If each trainee does not kill his or her disposition, each one is a problem and will be a problem. How useful you will be to the Lord or how much trouble you will make to the church depends upon how much your disposition is killed. Therefore, dealing with the disposition is a crucial matter.
