Release of the Spirit • 6 (Brokenness and Discipline)

I think Six is by far the best chapter so far. You can follow the series backward by accessing Chapter Five here. As always you can click on the Release of the Spirit link at the bottom of this post to see the entire series in one place.

In this chapter, Watchman Nee defines consecration as our willingness to be in the hands of God, and though consecration may be accomplished in just a few minutes, that does not mean God has completed the work of breaking the outer person. (57) God must employ whatever means He thinks effective in breaking down any stronghold over which our [inner person] has no control. (58)

Nee reminds us that the events of the last five to ten years have been used by God for our education. We may have whined about the trials because we did not recognize the hand of God. We may have been ignorant of the Spirit’s discipline and just thought we were having a long run of bad luck. The truth is that God has been using the circumstances of our lives to soften and break our outer person. (59) Consecration is submitting to God and saying, Do whatever you need to in order to make me into what and whom you want me to be. (60)

God will do whatever he has to in order to deal with every area of our lives. We may be completely unaware of certain needs, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly where we fall short and what is necessary to fix us. (61) It is easy for us to speak the words, Not my will but Thine be done, but more difficult to fully surrender to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. (62)

One must come to the place where self is no longer trusted. Lord, I am prone to mistakes. Unless [you are] merciful to me, unless [you] support me, unless [you] restrain me with your hand, I will be wrong again. Nee writes: This is the beginning of the destruction of the outer [person]. (63) The Holy Spirit is working to deliver us from everything in life that cannot be brought over into eternity. (64)

In hindsight, are there things you now know (that you didn’t know then) God was using for the breaking of your outer person?