E
God is recovering the most difficult thing today, which is the fulfillment of Ephesians 4:11-16; God's ultimate work is the recovery of the Body testimony.
F
We need to see that the Body can be damaged by the misuse of "spiritual pursuit" (see Brother Lee's testimony about this in The History and Revelation of the Lord's Recovery, vol. 2, pp. 346-354):
１
In the twentieth century Mrs. Penn-Lewis and T. Austin-Sparks were people with high spiritual attainment who began to work together, but they were divided and could not be spiritual together; this shows that being "spiritual" can result in division.
２
Mrs. Penn-Lewis knew the subjective experience of the Lord's death, and T. Austin-Sparks saw the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection life; but because he had his own spiritual knowledge and felt that his spiritual knowledge was higher than that of Mrs. Penn-Lewis, he left and started his own work; there was even a sense of rivalry between them.
３
Although T. Austin-Sparks was "spiritual, " he was shallow in his understanding of the church; because he did not have a sufficient understanding of the church (the oneness of the church and the ground of the church), during his second and final visit to Taiwan, he expressed dissenting views, and the loss brought about by this was ten times, even fifty times, greater than the help he rendered.
４
Before that time we had the one accord and were in harmony, but those who said that they were "helped" by Brother Austin-Sparks became factors of division.
５
We surely need to be genuine spiritual men, those who are dominated, governed, directed, moved, ruled, controlled, and led by our mingled spirit; a true spiritual man, who lives according to the spirit, will do everything and speak everything not only in his spirit but also in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body; if we are truly spiritual, we will be diligent to "keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace"—Eph. 4:3; 1 Cor. 2:14-15; 3:1, 3.
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:12-13 For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith…3 Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
God is recovering the most difficult thing today…. Ephesians 4 says that the work of the ministry is to arrive at the oneness of the faith. The church is the Body of Christ, and it builds itself up in love. We are not concerned about things like the new heaven, the new earth, and the lake of fire. But when I lie on my bed, I am always apprehensive about the fulfillment of Ephesians 4…. Among God’s children today, there is much confusion, and there are all kinds of divisions. When will we be one? Today there are all kinds of ministries; the situation is very complicated. How can this chapter be recovered?
Yet…we believe that there will be a day when God’s recovery will reach the fulfillment of Ephesians 4. God is doing a recovery work everywhere. The ultimate work among all these works may very well be the recovery of the Body testimony. God’s leading today is to bring us back to the beginning and to recover us to the condition at the beginning. (Messages Given during the Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, 1st ed., vol. 2, pp. 486-487)
Today’s Reading
For two thousand years the church has been severely damaged by so-called “spiritual pursuit.” It may be hard to accept this word, because nothing seems to be wrong with spiritual pursuit. Yes, spiritual pursuit is very good, but it also can damage and ensnare people. In the past two thousand years a few have been helped by spiritual pursuit. However, a great number have been hurt due to spiritual pursuit. This does not mean that spiritual pursuit in itself is wrong, nor does it mean that we should not have spiritual pursuit. Rather, it means that people have misused spiritual pursuit.Around the age of fifty Mrs. Penn-Lewis, [a person with high spiritual attainment], gained a young co-worker named T. Austin-Sparks….They worked together for a short time, and then he left and started his own meeting…because she completely spiritualized the Lord’s table and baptism. Mrs. Penn-Lewis felt that there was no need of actual water in a baptism because as long as a person experienced the Holy Spirit, he was truly baptized. It was the same with the Lord’s table. Mrs. Penn-Lewis and T. Austin-Sparks, who were quite spiritual, were divided and could not be spiritual together. This shows that being “spiritual” can result in division. Mrs. Penn-Lewis knew the subjective experience of the Lord’s death. This was truly precious. T. Austin-Sparks saw the resurrection of Christ, the resurrection life, and the principle of the Body. This seeing was also extremely precious…. Why did T. Austin-Sparks leave after both of them had worked together for a period of time? It was because he had his own spiritual knowledge and felt that his spiritual knowledge was higher than that of Mrs. Penn-Lewis. Thus, he left and started his own work.
T. Austin-Sparks came twice and gave some spiritual messages that rendered us help in some respects. However, because he did not have a sufficient understanding of the church, the oneness of the church, the ground of the church, and the keeping of the oneness on the ground of the church, but instead expressed dissent, the loss brought about by this was ten times, even fifty times, greater than the help he rendered. For a period of ten years we were suffering because he wiped out all our labor from 1949 and damaged many excellent young people. Thankfully, this is not an ordinary Christian work. Otherwise, it would have collapsed a long time ago. Since this is the Lord’s recovery, the roots and the hidden flow of life are still here; hence, we are again seeing fruit being produced. (CWWL, 1981, vol. 2, “The History and Revelation of the Lord’s Recovery,” pp. 328, 331, 335)
Further Reading: Messages Given during the Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, 1st ed., vol. 2, chs. 46-47, 53, 55, 61