crossed the threshold of victory, we may think we have changed and
The Testing of Faith 105
This morning, one brother said to me, "I have let go, I have believed, I have crossed the threshold of victory. But yesterday after the meeting while I was returning home on my bicycle, I was hit by an elderly man and fell from the bicycle. At that time, though I did not say anything outwardly, inwardly my temper had already risen. What about this? I have let go, confessed my inability, believed that Christ is my victory, but my temper heated up even though I was not thinking of losing my temper. What is this?" Quite simply, this is due to two factors:
1. Our Victory Does Not Mean We Have Changed. Having crossed the threshold of victory, we may think we have changed and improved when afterwards we did not sin for a few weeks. We begin to be elated, even to boast of our achievement. Whereupon God decides to test us, allowing us to fail so as to make us realize that we have not changed one iota for the better. The reason for our newlyfound patience is not because we have changed, but because Christ is patient for us. If we consider ourselves changed, we will undoubtedly fall. We ought to know that we can be patient only because Christ is our patience, we can only be gentle because Christ is our gentleness, we can only be holy because He is our holiness. Even after we have overcome for many days, we remain the same, we are forever ourselves, and we have not changed one whit. Watchman Nee is forever Watchman Nee. After fifty years, he will still be Watchman Nee. Take away grace, and Watchman Nee remains Watchman Nee. I thank and praise the Lord! Victory is Christ; it has nothing to do with me. I am still able to sin; I have not changed at all.
In Chefoo some missionaries asked me what change was, and what exchange was. I replied: "Paul plus Peter plus John minus grace is equal to sinners. This is not only true of Paul, Peter and John; it is true with us 'common' people as well. Apart from the grace of God, we are no different from the robbers and prostitutes. If there is grace present, then it is Christ substituting for us and not because we have changed." How true is the word in a hymn, "Whenever my heart is