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Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee (1903 - 1972). Chinese evangelist, author, and church planter born Nee Shu-tsu in Fuzhou, Fujian, to Methodist parents. Converted at 17 in 1920 through Dora Yu’s preaching, he adopted the name Watchman, meaning “sound of a gong,” to reflect his call as a spiritual sentinel. Self-taught, he read over 3,000 books, including works by John Darby and Andrew Murray, and studied Scripture intensely, founding the Little Flock movement in 1922, which grew to 700 assemblies with 70,000 members by 1949. Nee authored over 60 books, including The Normal Christian Life (1957), emphasizing a crucified and resurrected life for believers. Married to Charity Chang in 1934, they had no children; she supported him through frequent illnesses. Despite no formal theological training, he trained thousands of Chinese workers, rejecting denominationalism for simple, Spirit-led churches. Arrested in 1952 under Communist rule, he spent 20 years in prison for his faith, enduring harsh conditions yet remaining steadfast. His writings, translated into 50 languages, shaped global evangelicalism, particularly in Asia and the West. Nee’s focus on spiritual depth over institutional religion continues to inspire millions. His words, “Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good,” reflect his trust in divine purpose amid suffering.
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Sermon Summary
Watchman Nee explores the concept of the soul as the essence of human self-consciousness and personality, emphasizing that our intellect, emotions, and will are all integral parts of the soul. He explains that the Bible often equates the soul with the heart, suggesting that understanding a person's soul is key to understanding their true self. Nee highlights that the soul is not only a reflection of personality but also encompasses the natural life of man, where the terms 'soul' and 'life' are often used interchangeably in Scripture. This interconnectedness of soul and life illustrates the depth of human existence as defined by both spiritual and natural elements. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a deeper understanding of the soul-life as foundational to our identity and relationship with God.
The Soul-Life
The soul is man's self-consciousness. We are conscious of our own existence. This consciousness is the soul. The soul is the organ of our personality. All of our personality is part of the soul. All of the elements that constitute us as human beings, our intellect, mind, ideas, love, sensations, judgments, will, and so forth, are all part of the soul. Everything that man's personality encompasses belongs to the soul. The Bible often uses the word heart when referring to our true self. It may be that in the Bible the heart and the soul mean the same thing. The soul is our heart, our true self. The Bible often calls man a soul, as if man is nothing but a soul. For example, Genesis 12:5 uses the word ``souls,'' and there are numerous other scriptural passages that use soul for man. This means that the soul is the personality, including all the elements of the personality. To understand a man, we have to understand his personality. The existence, characteristics, and life of a man issue from his soul. This is why the Bible calls a man a soul. However, in addition to the intellect, love, will, and sensations in the soul, there is also the life of the soul. This life is man's life, the natural life of man. In the Bible, many places use the word soul interchangeably with the word life; many passages translate soul as life. For example, the word translated life in both Leviticus 17:11 and Revelation 12:11 is soul in the corresponding original languages. This is because in the original languages there is no difference between the words soul and soul-life. Hence, the various elements contained in the soul are the elements contained in the soul-life. This soul-life is man's natural life, which includes the intellect, love, sensations, and so forth.
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Watchman Nee (1903 - 1972). Chinese evangelist, author, and church planter born Nee Shu-tsu in Fuzhou, Fujian, to Methodist parents. Converted at 17 in 1920 through Dora Yu’s preaching, he adopted the name Watchman, meaning “sound of a gong,” to reflect his call as a spiritual sentinel. Self-taught, he read over 3,000 books, including works by John Darby and Andrew Murray, and studied Scripture intensely, founding the Little Flock movement in 1922, which grew to 700 assemblies with 70,000 members by 1949. Nee authored over 60 books, including The Normal Christian Life (1957), emphasizing a crucified and resurrected life for believers. Married to Charity Chang in 1934, they had no children; she supported him through frequent illnesses. Despite no formal theological training, he trained thousands of Chinese workers, rejecting denominationalism for simple, Spirit-led churches. Arrested in 1952 under Communist rule, he spent 20 years in prison for his faith, enduring harsh conditions yet remaining steadfast. His writings, translated into 50 languages, shaped global evangelicalism, particularly in Asia and the West. Nee’s focus on spiritual depth over institutional religion continues to inspire millions. His words, “Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good,” reflect his trust in divine purpose amid suffering.