The Normal Christian Life

This coming Sunday, our pastor will be preaching on John 11:45-57, where we read about the Jewish leaders' resolve to have Jesus arrested and tried (and ultimately killed) for blasphemy after he raised Lazarus from the dead. Our preparatory reading for the morning is from modern day Chinese Christian martyr Watchman Nee:

The death of the Lord Jesus is representative and inclusive. In his death we all died. None of us can progress spiritually without seeing this. Just as we cannot have justification if we have not seen him bearing our sins on the cross, so we cannot have sanctification if we have not seen him bearing us on the cross. Not only have our sins been laid on him, but we ourselves have been put into him…

God’s means of delivering us from sin is not by making us stronger and stronger, but by making us weaker and weaker. That is surely rather a peculiar way of victory, you say; but it is the divine way. God sets us free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening our old man [= old nature] but by crucifying him; not by helping him to do anything but by removing him from the scene of action. (Watchman Nee in The Normal Christian Life)

I'm currently planning the songs for this service. So if any come to your mind after reading this post, feel free to comment your thoughts.