The Church...alive and well
I recently received this article from a friend down in Mexico. It is well said and timely for me. I often struggle with what I see called the church in west.
The church that Nee describes below is not a building, a denomination, or the house church movement but it is very often present in these things.
SEEING THE ACCOMPLISHED FACTby Watchman Nee
"We are His masterpiece." (Ephesians 2:10) The Church is the very best God can produce. It can never be improved upon. We look around and see breakdown everywhere and we wonder, "What is the Church coming to?" I tell you she is not coming to anything; she has arrived! We do not look forward to discover her goal; we look back. God reached His end in Christ before the foundation of the world and we move forward with Him on the basis of what already is. As we move in the light of that eternal fact, we witness its progressive manifestation - you advance spiritually by finding out what you already are, not by trying to become what you hope to be. It is when you see you are dead that you die (i.e. manifest ones death in Christ);It is when you see you are risen that you arise;It is when your see you are holy that you become holy. Seeing the accomplished fact determines the pathway to the realizing of that fact. The end is reached by seeing, not desiring or working. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in us discovering the truth as God sees it; the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ, and the truth concerning the Church, the Body of Christ."
My friend Cody said it well,
"The true church is all those people out there who are following King Jesus, trusting in him, allowing him to wrought changes in them, people becoming transformed, people who begin to reflect his image. These are real Christians which is literally translated as LITTLE CHRISTS, and this is the way of love, if you too are of this way you will know these others because the same spirit that is in you will leap in joyful recognition whenever you meet."
The church that Nee describes below is not a building, a denomination, or the house church movement but it is very often present in these things.
SEEING THE ACCOMPLISHED FACTby Watchman Nee
"We are His masterpiece." (Ephesians 2:10) The Church is the very best God can produce. It can never be improved upon. We look around and see breakdown everywhere and we wonder, "What is the Church coming to?" I tell you she is not coming to anything; she has arrived! We do not look forward to discover her goal; we look back. God reached His end in Christ before the foundation of the world and we move forward with Him on the basis of what already is. As we move in the light of that eternal fact, we witness its progressive manifestation - you advance spiritually by finding out what you already are, not by trying to become what you hope to be. It is when you see you are dead that you die (i.e. manifest ones death in Christ);It is when you see you are risen that you arise;It is when your see you are holy that you become holy. Seeing the accomplished fact determines the pathway to the realizing of that fact. The end is reached by seeing, not desiring or working. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in us discovering the truth as God sees it; the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ, and the truth concerning the Church, the Body of Christ."
My friend Cody said it well,
"The true church is all those people out there who are following King Jesus, trusting in him, allowing him to wrought changes in them, people becoming transformed, people who begin to reflect his image. These are real Christians which is literally translated as LITTLE CHRISTS, and this is the way of love, if you too are of this way you will know these others because the same spirit that is in you will leap in joyful recognition whenever you meet."
posted by Mike Rea at 8:55 AM
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