In the first half of the 20th century the Lord used Watchman Nee (1900-1972) to raise up hundreds of genuine local churches throughout mainland China. Moreover, his writings, which spread to the West after his imprisonment and martyrdom by the Chinese communists, have helped so many Christians throughout the world enter into a deeper experience of Christ, and of the Christian life as it is revealed in the Bible.

In the statement below he reminds us that if we genuinely desire to serve the Lord, we must first allow Him to shine His light into our being, to show us who we really are in ourselves. This will cause us to judge our flesh, and even to “hate” our own soul (c.f. Luke 14:26), so that we depend utterly on the Lord and the working of His Spirit to carry out His purpose through us.

— Watchman Nee —

Enlightened
So We May
Serve the Lord

All who do special works for God are people enlightened by Him. Only the enlightened know how to judge their own flesh. And those who judge their own flesh are alone used by God. It is when the light of God comes that a believer begins to appreciate how holy God is, but how unclean he himself is. Because he sees the righteousness of God, he realizes his own unrighteousness. By seeing the glory of God, he is convicted of his utter depravity. Having obtained such self-knowledge, he, like the truly circumcised, will depend wholly on God’s Spirit and dare not depend at all on himself. Indeed, he will not only distrust himself but will deeply hate himself as well. Such are the workers who are in God’s hand and are used by Him. They have the spiritual insight into God’s plan and purpose.

Spiritual Knowledge, page 69, Part II, Chapter One, “The Way to Self-Knowledge,” in the section, “The Power of this Light.” Christian Fellowship Publishers, Hollis, New York, 1973.

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— 27 January 2026 —