The Normal Christian Life: Also Including the Overcoming Life

Watchman Nee is an amazing teacher of spiritual truths who uses the most amazing analogies to get his point across. This book, The Normal Christian Life, is an awkward title for the gems of truth that it possesses. After reading this book, my regret is that I didn't read it sooner because it brings to light the understanding that it is "by faith, and not by works",that we receive God's grace. The combination of The Normal Christian Life with The Overcoming Life is absolutely perfect in that it expounds the truths that will rejuvenate and expand your love for your Abba who has wholly provided for your faith journey.

The Overcoming Life is a collection of messages given by Watchman Nee in 1935. The key verse is Galatians 2:20: "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The book concerns how believers can obtain God's full salvation - that is, more than salvation from sin and eternal life, but also salvation from the issues we have in this life, such as temper, pride, and other things we do that are not pleasing to God. Nee explains how we can overcome these things. The main point is that we can't overcome on our own. Even if we are saved, we can't do anything to change by our own strength. Instead, we must have our flesh nature exchanged for Christ's nature. It is an issue of replacement versus improvement. Again, we are crucified with Christ. To overcome with Christ's victory, we must admit that we are not able to change on our own, and we must stop trying to change ourselves. This, I think, is the hardest part. Most of us feel like we have to try, to strive, to be good people, even though every one of us keeps failing. Nee gives this kind of example: say you can pick up 100 pounds. There is a load that weighs 200 pounds. You know you can't pick it up. Why even try? Nee focuses a lot on Luke 18:22, where Jesus tells the rich young ruler who has kept all the commandments "There is still one thing lacking" for salvation. Each person, Nee says, has "one thing lacking", and many more than one. These things that are lacking are the things that we are hung up on, things that God must do for us. Necessary for living the overcoming life is surrender and belief. Nee's is a very hands-off approach to faith - let God do everything! At first, this seems a little too hands-off. But the more one thinks about it, the more one thinks, well, who better to do these things than God? How far has all our striving gotten us. Real victory though Christ isn't about teeth-clenched endurance. When God overcomes, it's amazing, and you know about it. RECOMMENDED

I am a Christian and I enjoy reading Watchman Nee's publications. I just read chapter 3 and it gave me whole new light of overcoming. You see I've been troubled by one thing/person for the last 5 years. Being a Christian for 4 years, I still see this obsticle as an overcome-mission-impossible. I seek the Lord's words and prayed a lot for the sitution. However I came to a conclusion that I could experience the Lord in a lot of aspects except this one. Obviously it is contradictory to what God and His overcoming life should be, so I was troubled and frustrated. After I read chapter 3, I came to the understanding that I have nothing to do with overcoming. No matter what I do or what I make up my mind not to do, overcoming doesn't belong to me. It is God, the Lord, who is THE overcome. Overcome is a "person"!! It is not a built-up effort. Now I have the new life inside me. As long as the new life lives out instead of my old life, it's the overcoming! It is that easy. What a breakthrough!! I have to praise the Lord that He has prepared these spiritual material for us in the world. They are full of life and truth. As a true seekers, we can really benefited by reading them so that we move forward on our Christian lives.

Watchman Nee is very clear and simple in the points he makes in this book. The points he makes are absosutely astounding, they will blow you away. Every Christian needs to read this book!

It is as difficult to know who we are as to know who God is. A man is born to be proud, and this pride hinders him from knowing the living God and keeps him away from God's salvation. The book helps us turn away from our human pride and turn to the living God who is the very creator of the universe and who is also the savior Jesus Christ. The normal Christian faith is based on knowing who God is, and is experienced by dropping our human opinions and giving our hearts to Jesus Christ who is not only the incarnated God but also the salvation to those who need Him and want Him.