THE PROPER LIVING
OF THE BELIEVERS AFTER SALVATION—
ALLOWING GOD TO LIVE HIMSELF OUT
After a person is saved, all his spiritual experiences consist of allowing God to gain the proper ground within him. They consist of allowing God to live Himself out of him. Let me illustrate this in another way. Suppose there is an empty glass here. This depicts the condition of man before he is saved; he is empty within. After he is saved, he is filled within, in the same way that the glass would be filled with water. Do not say that salvation is to bring us into heaven. Salvation is to put God into us. The Lord washes us with His own blood for the purpose of putting Himself into us.
Some of us had bad tempers before we were saved. Now that we are saved, we have a "housekeeper" within us. You will discover that there are now two persons within you, one on the outside, and the other in the inside. This can be compared to putting on our clothes; we are the clothes, and God puts Himself inside of us. When I sit down, my clothes sit down with me. When I come here, my clothes come with me. When I go home, my clothes go home with me. Sometimes, we may be afraid outwardly but not inwardly; we may be confused outwardly, but we are clear inwardly. We may feel pressed outwardly, but we are at ease inwardly. This is because God is living within us. For God to live out of us is true spirituality; this is growth, and this is the true spiritual reality.
THE WAY TO ALLOW GOD
TO LIVE HIMSELF OUT OF US
A. Taking Care of the Inner Feeling
Brothers and sisters, I look to the Lord to gain a group of people in Hong Kong who will answer God’s calling to allow Him to live Himself out of them. How can God gain ground in us? How can we live out God? When God operates in us, He gives us feelings. You need to take care of these feelings. You have to take care of every feeling from God. Brothers and sisters, if you neglect these feelings, you will not grow even if you read your Bible all year round. This is because God does not have any ground within you; He cannot live out from you. God desires to mingle His nature, desires, thoughts, inclinations, and will into man. However, Satan tries to usurp man with his own devices also. Some people are fully occupied in their mind, desires, and emotions with fashions, position, fame, parents, children, or marriage. This is the reason the Lord calls us to deny our children, wife, parents, houses, and lands (Matt. 19:29). You have been attending revival meetings and spiritual conferences for many years. But you are still the same you; you have not changed. No wonder you do not grow. The reason you do not grow is that you have ignored the inner feelings. You have only added to yourselves some outward practices, doctrines, and knowledge. I do not believe that the teaching tonight will help you. Brothers and sisters, if God grants mercy to you, and He touches you or visits you, you will begin to take care of every inner feeling.
B. Giving Oneself to God
How many people here tonight would like to take care of their inner feelings? You need to go to God in a specific way, to set aside a time. It may be midnight tonight, but do not wait until tomorrow. Give yourself to God. I do not say consecrate yourself. I say give yourself to God. Say to God, "Lord, from now on, I would take care of every feeling from You. Mingle Your inclinations, emotions, desires, and thoughts into me." If you would give yourself to God in this way, and if tomorrow morning while you are putting on your clothes, the Lord says to you, "Don’t put on this piece of clothing," what will you do? This is an important matter. We all look very zealous; we are busy running to and fro. But when God puts a demand on us, many times we will not obey it. If you are such a Christian, how can you grow? Not only are you deceiving God; you are deceiving even yourself.
(Messages Given During the Resumption of Watchman Nee's Ministry (2 volume set), Chapter 4, by Watchman Nee/Witness Lee)
