No one can be a true servant of God without knowing the principle of death and the principle of resurrection. — Watchman Nee
Before the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was baptized — that which connotes death and resurrection. Hence, Jesus served on the basis of death and resurrection. He depended solely on the Father in His earthly ministry.
Jesus came in the fashion of a man, meaning He had a will, which is a component of the soul, but he gave up His will for the will of the Father. I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me (John 5:30-47)
Satan tempted Jesus to satisfy his essential need as a man that stems from his soul, but He did not give in.
The Holy Spirit is the Vessel in whom all the values of the death, resurrection and exaltation of the Lord are deposited, that they may be brought to us. He is the one who `contains’ those values and mediates them to men. — Watchman Nee
The budding rod in the account of God’s proof of His choice servant in 17th chapter of Numbers speaks of resurrection. It is death and resurrection that marks God-recognized ministry.
The soul of a man can be only be dealt with by bearing the cross daily and following Him. Matthew 10:34-39; Mark 8:32-25; Luke 17:32-34; and John 12:24-26.
The bearing of the cross is not for doing away with the old man, for our old man has been crucified.
What then is the bearing of the cross daily? It’s something that is before us after our old man was crucified. Watchman Nee calls it “the subjective working of the Cros”. After our old man was crucified, our souls is still present with its natural endowments, but the Cross is brought to bear upon it to bring those natural endowments into death — to put the mark of His death upon them — and thereafter, as God may please, to give them back to us in resurrection.
The words of Paul that shows the mark of the bearing of the cross: Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 2:2,3
Jesus words: Matt. 10:37-39; Mark 8:34,35; Luke 17 (The account of Lot’s wife)
Many a time we have to come to the place where we are willing to let go things we think to be good and precious — yes, and even, it may be, the very things of God themselves — that His will may be done. — Watchman Nee
The question at issue is always, Where is my heart? The cross has to work in us a true spiritual detachment from anything and anyone outside of the Lord Himself. Watchman Nee
I must come back to re-read these sub headings in this chapter:
- The crose and fruitfulness
- A dark night — a resurrection mourn