Some of Watchman Nee's writings on Grace in his book: Sit, Walk, Stand.

Image via WikipediaI am rereading some of Watchman Nee's writings: I am totally amazed! He is a Radical Grace Writer.

The following are just some of his words in his book "Sit, Walk, Stand". I bought a copy of this book on 19th June 1980, and i still have not stopped re-reading it.

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Do you think that if you cease trying to please God your good behavior will cease? It is when we seek to do it ourselves that we place ourselves back again under the Law. But the works of the Law, even our best efforts are "dead works", hateful to God because ineffectual.


How can I receive the power of the Spirit for service? Must I labour for it? Must I plead with God for it? Must I afflict my soul by fastings and self-denials to merit it? NEVER! That is not the teaching of Scripture. Paul tells us that it was "according to the riches of His Grace" and that this was "freely bestowed on ...us in the Beloved".


God brings His Son's Finished Work and presents it to us, and then He says to us, "Please sit" (Mandarin: ch'eng tso).


And here is the Gospel: that God has completed the work of redemption, and that we need do nothing whatever to merit it, but can enter by faith directly into the values of His Finished Work.


The Christian life from start to finish is based upon this principle of utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. There is no limit to the Grace God is willing to bestow upon us. He will give us everything, but we can receive none of it except as we rest in Him.


I received everything not by walking but by sitting down, not by doing but by resting in the Lord.


Christ Experience has now become my spiritual history, and God can speak of me as already having everything "with Him".


But how can I be sure that I am "in Christ"?
I can be sure because the Bible affirms that it is so, and that it was God who put me there.


Our deliverance from sin is based, not on what we can do, nor even on what God is going to do for us, but on what He has already done for us in Christ. When that fact dawns upon us and  we rest back upon it, then we have found the secret of a holy life.


"But what can I do?"
God is waiting till you cease to do. When you cease doing, then God will begin.



 

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Watchman Nee (倪柝聲  pinyin: Ní Tuòshēng;, 1903–1972) was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th Century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China.