The Manifestation of God and the Restriction of God

God has committed Himself to the church in our day. The church is where He works and exerts His power. Similar to how all of God's work was given to the Son in the Gospels, all of God's work today has been given to the church, and He will not act independently. God has used the church to accomplish his will ever since the Day of Pentecost. Consider the enormous duty the church has. God's commitment to the church is unconditional, just like His earlier commitment to one Man, Christ. But God's work or appearance may be limited by the church.

God, Himself is Jesus of Nazareth. His entire being; from the inside out reveals God. His feelings are a reflection of God's feelings, and his thoughts show God's ideas. The Son can do nothing of Himself except what He sees the Father doing, and while He was on earth, He could declare, "Not that I should do My will, but the will of Him who has sent Me. The Son can do nothing of Himself except what He sees the Father doing. For I have not spoken from Myself, but the Father who sent Me has Himself gave Me commandment what I should say and what I should speak" (John 6:38; 5:19; 12:49). This man is one to whom God has made a commitment. He is the Word who took on human form. He is God in the human form. He is faultless. That Man could say: "The grain of wheat falling into the ground if it dies bears many fruits" when the time came when God desired to give His life to humans (John 12:24). As a result, God decided to use the church as His current vehicle for speaking, working, and manifesting His might.

The core message of the Gospels is that God dwells in one Man, whereas the central message of the Epistles is that God dwells in the church. May God opens our eyes to the magnificent truth that on earth, God once dwelled in the Person of Jesus Christ alone, but now God dwells in the church and nothing else. We shall naturally lift our eyes to the heavens as this light dawns on us, saying, "O, God! We have hindered You so much!" The Almighty God was still almighty in Christ, unaffected by any constraints or limitations. God desires that this same power continue to exist now as He continues to dwell in the church. He should exercise the same level of self-expression in the church as He did in Christ. Every limitation or disability in the church eventually restricts God. This is a very serious matter; it should not be treated lightly. Each of our limitations acts as an obstacle to God.

Why is the Holy Spirit's discipline so crucial? Why is it so important to separate the spirit from the soul? It's because God needs a route to get to us. This is not a concern about individual spiritual experiences, Our emphasis is on God's plan and purpose. Is God free to use our lives for His purposes? We will limit God if we are not dealt with and shattered through discipline. The church cannot serve as a conduit for God if the external man is not broken.

Author: Watchman Nee

Compiled and edited by: Peter O. Olutoyese