“shall” be forgiven but a believing that one’s sins have been forgiven. True faith is not a believing that you shall or
will be saved, but a believing you have been saved. Such is the only kind of faith which the Bible gives us.
What, then, is faith? Faith is not believing what shall nor will be done; true faith is believing what has been done. How strange that many know what faith is when they
are saved: they having believed that they had in fact been saved rather than
that they will or shall be saved. But when it comes to this second truth of
truths, they relinquish their former faith. At the time of salvation they knew
they were saved through faith. But in the second stage of truth, they only
believe they shall be delivered. Too
many Christians, having learned the lesson of faith once, have lost their faith
when it comes to the other work of Christ.
Deliverance
through Faith
Let us see how we are to be delivered from sin. Six years
ago someone came to meet with us. He was head of the trustees of a native Christian
gathering. He was quite sick at heart. Nine-tenths of the salary of this
group’s pastor came from him. He was not only one who gave much, he was also very zealous for the Lord. He often came to our Bible study.
One Sunday morning he came to my home. I asked him if
there was anything I could do for him. As I asked, his tears fell down. I asked
him to tell me why. He said the following: “Mr. Nee, you do not really know me.
You think I am zealous and love the Lord. Yet you do not truly know what kind
of person I am. Although I am indeed zealous and love the Lord, I have a
problem—my temper: simply over a little matter I will instantly leap up and angrily
throw things around. I really feel bad afterwards. How can a Christian behave
in such a way? I ask for the Lord’s forgiveness. But when, soon after I pray, I
see my staff do something wrong, I repeat doing the same thing. Even with my
family, I treat them similarly. I am a Christian, but I act in such horrible
manner. Although I know my sin, and even after I confess, my temper flares up
again anyway.”
He continued by saying: “I have a number of employees in
my store; I tell them to work on Sunday and their Sunday work is to attend the
Sunday church service. Yet because of my bad temper which I lose once or twice
every day, they refuse to believe in the Lord. I preach the gospel to them;
secretly, however, they say among themselves: ‘He believes the Lord and is a
Christian, but he is not any better than others; so why should we believe?’
When I hear this, I am deeply troubled, for I shall be the cause of their
eternal death. I ask God for forgiveness and determine not to lose my temper
again. Alas, however, there is no improvement. My temper again goes out of
control. For example, last night I quarreled so loudly that all my neighbors
heard me. Over a tiny matter I threw things around in the store, even breaking
the glass window. For me, to lose money is a small thing; what troubles me most
is the word of my employees, who say: ‘How can a Christian be so bad?’”
He still went on, saying: “I knew my sin and I could not
sleep last night. I do not like losing my temper, but I do it again and again.
Today is the Lord’s day . It happens that this morning
is my turn to speak. I tell myself today that I must not lose my temper, for if
I do, I will not be able to speak. A little while later, my wife brought me a
hot soup. She herself could tolerate the heat, but I could not. So I got angry
and threw the bowl at her. I have quarreled and consequently today’s sermon is
gone.”
“I am a Christian,” he continued, “but my temper is
devilish. What can I do? I come to you today for this reason—please, Mr. Nee,
think of some way to help me. Whatever way, help me to get rid of my temper.”
As he spoke, I could tell he was truly grieved. But as I
listened I began to laugh. He said, “Mr. Nee, you must help me, anyway.” He was
now
will be saved, but a believing you have been saved. Such is the only kind of faith which the Bible gives us.
What, then, is faith? Faith is not believing what shall nor will be done; true faith is believing what has been done. How strange that many know what faith is when they
are saved: they having believed that they had in fact been saved rather than
that they will or shall be saved. But when it comes to this second truth of
truths, they relinquish their former faith. At the time of salvation they knew
they were saved through faith. But in the second stage of truth, they only
believe they shall be delivered. Too
many Christians, having learned the lesson of faith once, have lost their faith
when it comes to the other work of Christ.
Deliverance
through Faith
Let us see how we are to be delivered from sin. Six years
ago someone came to meet with us. He was head of the trustees of a native Christian
gathering. He was quite sick at heart. Nine-tenths of the salary of this
group’s pastor came from him. He was not only one who gave much, he was also very zealous for the Lord. He often came to our Bible study.
One Sunday morning he came to my home. I asked him if
there was anything I could do for him. As I asked, his tears fell down. I asked
him to tell me why. He said the following: “Mr. Nee, you do not really know me.
You think I am zealous and love the Lord. Yet you do not truly know what kind
of person I am. Although I am indeed zealous and love the Lord, I have a
problem—my temper: simply over a little matter I will instantly leap up and angrily
throw things around. I really feel bad afterwards. How can a Christian behave
in such a way? I ask for the Lord’s forgiveness. But when, soon after I pray, I
see my staff do something wrong, I repeat doing the same thing. Even with my
family, I treat them similarly. I am a Christian, but I act in such horrible
manner. Although I know my sin, and even after I confess, my temper flares up
again anyway.”
He continued by saying: “I have a number of employees in
my store; I tell them to work on Sunday and their Sunday work is to attend the
Sunday church service. Yet because of my bad temper which I lose once or twice
every day, they refuse to believe in the Lord. I preach the gospel to them;
secretly, however, they say among themselves: ‘He believes the Lord and is a
Christian, but he is not any better than others; so why should we believe?’
When I hear this, I am deeply troubled, for I shall be the cause of their
eternal death. I ask God for forgiveness and determine not to lose my temper
again. Alas, however, there is no improvement. My temper again goes out of
control. For example, last night I quarreled so loudly that all my neighbors
heard me. Over a tiny matter I threw things around in the store, even breaking
the glass window. For me, to lose money is a small thing; what troubles me most
is the word of my employees, who say: ‘How can a Christian be so bad?’”
He still went on, saying: “I knew my sin and I could not
sleep last night. I do not like losing my temper, but I do it again and again.
Today is the Lord’s day . It happens that this morning
is my turn to speak. I tell myself today that I must not lose my temper, for if
I do, I will not be able to speak. A little while later, my wife brought me a
hot soup. She herself could tolerate the heat, but I could not. So I got angry
and threw the bowl at her. I have quarreled and consequently today’s sermon is
gone.”
“I am a Christian,” he continued, “but my temper is
devilish. What can I do? I come to you today for this reason—please, Mr. Nee,
think of some way to help me. Whatever way, help me to get rid of my temper.”
As he spoke, I could tell he was truly grieved. But as I
listened I began to laugh. He said, “Mr. Nee, you must help me, anyway.” He was
now
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