Mark 8:34 And He called the crowd to Him with His disciples and said to them, If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
[Part 1 of 2] Those who harbor a feeling of bitterness, who need wine mingled with gall, are those who will not bear the cross. Many children of God apparently seem to be bearing the cross but are not doing so in reality. Bearing the cross requires no consolation and joy outside of God. But when many bear the cross, the ones living next door know all about it. If those upstairs bear the cross, the ones living downstairs know about it. When it comes to many people, their countenance, expression, and voice tell people: "Look! I am here bearing the cross." We should realize that if the news of the existence of a cross leaks out, it is not a cross. Whenever the news leaks out, there is no cross. The news that leaks out is wine mingled with gall. Human beings are prone to seek comfort, love, and sympathy from others upon suffering even a little pain. We do not know how innumerable are those who thirst for these things, but this is not the cross. A great problem among God's children is that God is not their joy. Therefore, they seek joy outside of God. God cannot satisfy their heart, and therefore, they need to seek comfort outside of God. This is wine mingled with gall. This is not something that belongs to the cross. When God's children suffer, there are perhaps three different kinds of feelings. Some react outwardly toward men; some turn inward; and some suppress their feelings. Those who react toward men become angry with others, hate others, and do not forgive them. Those who turn their feelings inward become hurt and pity themselves, supposing that they are following the Lord and that they are suffering very much like the Lord. Those who suppress their feelings become passive. We easily become angry; we easily pity ourselves; and we easily become passive. Some of God's children think that being passive is being victorious. Little do they know that the passive ones, in their feelings, also expect wine mingled with gall. Passivity is another expression of being hurt. Because one is despairing within, he becomes passive; because he expects too much, he becomes passive. Passivity proves that there is no cross; it is only the forcible suppression of one's feelings. (Continued tomorrow)
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, General Messages, Vol. 37, in The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, pp. 98-99 Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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