mini-updates (#2 - nee)

The Normal Christian Life (By Watchman Nee)

Karen told me about this book today. She has been slowly reading it, digesting it in little bits and today came upon chapter 3 which dealt with something she and I had been speaking about recently - living in freedom. We know that living in freedom means "believing you are free" in Christ and in doing so walking, living as though you really are free. Ultimately, our discussion ended by deciding (as many have done) that freedom this mysterious word that is oft discussed but not always understood is found in Christ alone and executed through him alone as well. And that we are simply as free as we want to be and believe we are.

So I looked up the book. WOWOWOWOWOWOW. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 (which you can also read on amazon - link above). Enjoy!

Excerpts from Chapter 1 (p.12-14)


God makes it quite clear in his Word that he has only one answer to every human need – his Son, Jesus Christ. In all his dealings with us he works by way of taking us out of the way and substituting Christ in our place. The Son of God dies instead of us for our forgiveness: he lives instead of us for our deliverance. So we can speak of two substitutions – a Substitute on the Cross who secures our forgiveness and a Substitute within who secures our victory. It will help us greatly, and save us from much confusion, if we keep constantly before us this face, that God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only, namely, by showing us more of his Son............

(discussing Romans 1-8): No matter how many sins I commit, it is always the one sin-principle that leads to them. I need forgiveness for my sins, but I need also deliverance from the power of sin. The former touches my conscience, the latter my life. I may receive forgiveness for all my sins, but because of my sin I have, even then, no abiding peace of mind.
When God’s light first shines into my heart my one cry is for forgiveness, for I realize I have committed sins before him; but when once I have received forgiveness of sins I make a new discovery, namely, the discovery of sin, and I realize not only that I have committed sins before God but that there is something wrong within. I discover that I have the nature of a sinner. There is an inward inclination to sin, a power within that draws to sin. When that power breaks out I commit sins. I may seek and receive forgiveness, but then I sin once more. So life goes on in a vicious circle of sinning and being forgiven and then sinning again. I appreciate the blessed fact of God’s forgiveness, but I want something more than that: I want deliverance. I need forgiveness for what I have done, but I need also deliverance from what I am.