Section 3
is very little secret life. In other words, there is the lack of a hidden life. You have been a Chris tian for a number of years, have you not? Then let me ask: How much of your life is hidden from view? How much is unknown to others? You stress outward works. Yes, good works are im portant; but apart from that manifest expression of your life, how much of your life remains hid den? If all your spiritual life is exposed, you do not have any root. Are all your virtues before God manifested before man, or is there some thing more that is unknown to man? If all your experiences are manifested, then all your growth is upward; there is no downward growth. If this is the case, you are a person who has only leaves without root, and you are on shallow ground.
In our Christian life it is necessary that we learn the meaning of the Body of Christ; we must learn to have a life of the Body. On the other hand, we must learn that the life given to each member of His Body by the Lord is dis tinctly individual. The measure that has been given to you personally by Him needs to be guarded; otherwise, it will lose its specific char acter and will be of no particular use to God. If that which has been specially committed to you is exposed, it will wither.