The Spiritual Man

Great

In 1979 I read this book.I was a new Christian. I found it to be enlightening , and was full of explanations that I carried through my life walk with the Lord. During numerous moves it got lost. I was so excited to find it again. As a mature Christian. I am getting even more out of this book. Don't forget your highlighter !

Watchman Nee exemplifies the believer of whom the Lord Jesus spoke "from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." (Jn. 7:38). He was a man full of the Holy Spirit, and this book overflows with words of life inspired by the Spirit. The book is not Scripture nor a substitute for it, but it is a book written by one to whom the Scripture had come alive, and who was blessed with the words to convey the quickening of his own spirit experienced within. This book will be a wonderful discovery for those who have hoped that the Bible is more than doctrine and dogma, and speaks also of a spiritual reality that can be experienced by faith in such promises as "the Spirit will guide you in all truth" and "teach you about all things." (Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:27.) The book is no less than a manual for those believers who have heard the inward call to the Spirit-led life, and seek to understand what this life is about and how to maintain it. Nee writes that "spiritual service means nothing other than our working by our spirit for the quickening of the spirits of others." By the power of the Holy Spirit, Nee has done a great service with this book. Many in the evangelical camp have criticized Watchman Nee. They are, for the most part, what A.W. Tozer has described as Evangelical Rationalists. The rationalists believe that divine truth is reducible to mere words and creeds. If you hold the right opinion on the stated propositions, then you have the truth. If you can recite the creed, you have the truth. Tozer compared the Evangelical Rationalists to the Pharisees of Jesus' day who searched the Scriptures, thinking that in them they had eternal life, but they did not come to Him of whom the Scriptures bore witness. C.H. Spurgeon similarly wrote, "`Ye must be born again' means a good deal more than you must believe certain dogmas" and to the rationalists he declared, "You stop short at the Scriptures, and therefore short of eternal life." The Scriptures, like the Law, are there to lead us to Jesus, and Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, to all who believed in him. So do not be discouraged by the rationalists. They have stopped short. You must press on to know the Lord!

I first started reading this book with an open, but cautious, mind. As one reviewer wrote, it seemed that this book is based on only one verse, and I was a bit skeptical about it. It wasn't until I delved further into this book to discover that the one verse statement is not correct. The book is very Scriptural. The Bible many times shows the differences between the spirit and the soul, but our English translations are not always clear. 1 Cor. 2:14-15 says: "But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God... but the spiritual man discerns all things..." 1 Cor. 15:44 says: "[Our body] is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a soulish body, there is also a spiritual one." Jude 19 says: "These [mockers] are those who make divisions; they are soulish, having no spirit." Most translations translate the word "soulish" as "natural", but in the Greek it is the adjectival form of the word "soul". There are more passages, but these are just a few to get you started. Those who have warned against this book are right to say that we should always put the Bible first, but they are not right in saying that it is un-Biblical. I recommend reading this book with an open mind, the Bible (and maybe Strong's Concordance) in hand, a prayerful heart, and discernment. This is an excellent book that will really aid you in your walk with God, teaching you to walk by the Spirit and not yield to the flesh, putting your spirit, soul, and body in the proper alignment. One should remember that Mr. Nee wrote this book in his early twenties. For those familiar with his later works, the level of maturity is slightly noticable. As he grew in faith, he refined some of his teachings later. So that should be kept in mind when reading. As with all things, please compare this book's words to Scripture and prayerfully receive God's teaching. For those who want to live by the spirit, this book will definitely get you off to a great start. From the first chapter: "What is the significance of distinguishing the spirit from the soul? There is a great significance. It has much to do with the spiritual life of the believers. If believers do not know the boundary of their spirits, how can they understand the spiritual life? If they do not understand the spiritual life, how can they grow in their spiritual living? Because believers are either negligent or ignorant of the distinction between the spirit and the soul, they never grow in their spiritual life. Moreover, many times they take something soulish as spiritual, constantly remain in a soulish living, and do not seek after spiritual things. If we mix up what God has separated, we are bound to suffer loss."

Jesus teaches that when He judges our service to Him, some of our works will go up in smoke like "wood, hay and stuble"? What if, upon God's examination of your efforts, He determines that our motives are tainted by our own pride, desire for pleasure, attention-seeking, or self-affirmation? And if there is such a danger, how can we identify and avoid it?Brother Nee exposes these perils in unflinching detail and concludes unapologetically that the only solution is for the believer to die - not just once, but daily! He asserts that, while all Christians have been initially freed from sin's penalty at the Cross, many do not experience freedom from sin's power in actual experience. The result is an inconsistent life, ravaged by external temptations and internal uncertainty.Normal spiritual progress, he explains, depends on the believer's willingness to deliver himself to the cross completely and continually. All thoughts, desires, emotions, affections, hopes, dreams, opinions, and decisions that do not proceed from the Spirit of God must be surrendered to the death of the cross. Moreover, he emphasizes that mere reform or improvement are not enough. The functions and works of the "old man" must be completely eradicated and replaced. The "new man in Christ" can not collaborate with the "old man" in God's work.Brother Nee presents a thorough and easily comprehended description of the discrete functions of the spirit, soul and body. His analysis clearly reveals their purpose, operation, and relation both to each other and to the Holy Spirit. His focus is frequently on the "carnal" or "soulish" versus that which is "spiritual". His claims are supported by reference to the appropriate Scriptures.You will frequently find your responses alternating between "Amen!" and "Oh me!". One thing is sure, though. You will quickly realize that your "old man" has got to go. Prayerful reading of this book and the supporting Scriptures will change you. A dangerous book indeed.

This book opened my eyes to a whole world of spiritual reality that I had never seen or even pondered before. Once the truths of the triune nature of man are discovered, you realize where your spiritual power comes from. You understand the mechanics of being tempted and what you must do to become an overcomer. You know what you must do in order to manifest in your outward walk the purity and grace that are communicated to your spirit from God. In short, the book teaches you how to have a victorious walk with God by showing you how your spritual being operates. The knowledge Mr. Nee imparts seems so basic once it is understood, yet without his book, we may never have discovered these profound truths. This book has had a major influence in my thinking.

It's hard to believe that Watchman Nee had only been a Christian for a few years and was in his early twenties when he wrote The Spiritual Man. This is the first and only book of any substantial size that Nee himself ever wrote, and it is the most comprehensive treatment of spirit, soul, and body ever written. With the precision of a surgeon Nee dissects WHO we are in the light of God's Word, WHY we are the way we are, and HOW it all fits together and relates to God. This is not a book for the casual reader. It will require several readings and many years before it's truths can be grasped, but it's well worth the adventure. Must reading for today's discerning Christian in a world full of half-truths and deceptions.