FEELING FOLLOWS FAITH
One year I was in Chefoo. A brother told me, "I have believed in the Son of God to be my life. But I do not have a glorious sensation about it. Have I really received Him?" I told him a parable: "Three men are walking on a narrow wall. The one walking at the front represents the fact of Christ’s being our life. The one in between signifies our faith. It always follows God’s accomplished facts. The last person represents our feeling of glory. This feeling comes after a man has believed. It is the last of the three items.
When the three walk on the wall, the person in between can only look forward. Our faith comes into being when we look steadfastly at God’s accomplished work. God has already given us His Son to be our life. When we see this fact, we have faith. The second always follows the first.
After faith comes the sense of glory. All that the third man can see is the second one; whereas if the second tries to turn around to look at the third, he will immediately fall from the wall. A faith that is not fixed on facts is a shaking faith. The minute the second man falls, the third has but to follow. All feelings of glory will then be lost. Therefore, do not look back to search for the glorious sensation. Simply follow the facts.
God has accomplished everything in Christ. He died and was resurrected, and He has been transformed into the Holy Spirit. He is now ready to come into you. All you need to do is believe. If God has not done all these works, then even if you feel radiant and glowing, it means nothing at all.
After Christ comes into us to be our life, there will be a marked change in every way. This change can never be actuated by the restriction of law, the education of morality, or the imposition of improvements and discipline. I can immediately call to mind thirty or forty extremely evil sinners who have drastically changed since they accepted Christ as life. But there are hundreds and thousands of other Christians who, since their acceptance of Christ, can testify to this marvelous change, which is initiated not by discipline and mortification, but by this wonderful, powerful life of Christ that is working in us.
(The Normal Christian Faith, Chapter 12, by Watchman Nee)
