«　WEEK 4　DAY 6　»

　　Phil. 4:6-7 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

　　The real married life is when the wife is co-living with her husband, always one with him…. However, this dear wife, Israel, never learned to be habitual in this matter. At Ai they suffered a defeat and learned the lesson to be one with the Lord, but they did not learn it fully….Whereas the people of Ai fought against Israel strongly, [in Joshua 9] the Gibeonites came to them begging to be their servants. The result was that Israel, this independent, individualistic wife, was deceived. She had no protection, no safeguard. From this chapter we need to learn that, as the Lord’s wife, we should be one with Him all the time. This is the intrinsic significance of Joshua 9. (Life-study of Joshua, p. 55)

　　A normal Christian life is a life of fellowship. This means that we cannot be separated from God; we cannot be independent from God. From the day of our salvation…we should no longer be independent.

　　We usually pay attention to whether something is right or wrong or good or bad, but these are moral concepts….Our concept in God’s salvation should not be morality or religion; it should be fellowship…. In doing something,…we must ask whether we did it independently from God or in fellowship with God. Therefore, a life of fellowship means that we have fellowship with God, are connected to Him, and have a mutual flow with Him in everything. We should not focus on doing things that are right, good, or godly. Rather, we should focus on whether we are joined to God, connected to Him, and in a mutual flow with Him when doing things that are right, good, or godly. We should focus on not being separated from God.

　　Before a person is saved, he may be the most independent person on earth…. But once this great and capable person is saved, he becomes a dependent person. Without God he cannot live, make decisions, or have an opinion. Previously, he had his own point of view, method, and insight concerning everything. But from the day he becomes a Christian, he is changed and can no longer decide things on his own or be independent. He feels that he needs to contact and consult God related to every problem he encounters, that is, to bring every matter to the Lord and to consider, examine, and determine things before Him. This believer is the best type of Christian. In this respect, every Christian needs to be weak to the extent that he neither has his own ideas, nor makes his own decisions, nor takes any action related to what he encounters without contacting the Lord and consulting with Him, allowing Him to make the decisions. This is the best and sweetest living of a Christian.

　　We need to realize that every descendant of Adam, every fallen man, is very strong and independent. This applies both to men and women and to the elderly and children. We can all find a way out of any situation and cope with problems on our own….Therefore, one of the consequences of being saved is that strong, independent persons such as ourselves become weak and are no longer strong or independent. We feel that we have no alternative but to fellowship with God in all things, discuss all things with Him, and allow Him to handle all things, speak in all things, and make every decision….We feel that we cannot do anything without Him. Therefore, we depend on Him and rely on Him….Today it is shameful for someone to be referred to as a dependent person; rather, it is considered an honor to be self-supporting and independent. However, for a Christian…it is glorious…to be dependent….We depend on another One—God—at every moment and in every matter. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 3, “Lessons for New Believers,” pp. 282-284)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation,” ch. 4