Today we come to the last of the three messages in this camp. And I've really been pondering exactly how to present this message because the subject assigned to me was: what is the strategy? Very powerful word here. What is the strategy for implementing this theme that we see here: "To live is Christ"? Well, I presume by strategy is meant, in more simple language, exactly how do we live this life, this life which is Christ. Well, before we can get to the subject of knowing how to live the life, we have first to understand what is the life we're supposed to live. And that's where my problem begins.
Because in order to analyze this theme, "To live is Christ," I discovered that perhaps what I'm about to share in terms of analysis might be more suitable at the level of full-time training than for a message in a camp like this. And I've been pondering: is there some way to simplify this? But to simplify it would mean that I'm really going to beat around the bush and try to escape what this theme is really talking about. But if I'm seriously going to analyze this theme, then I think, as I said, what comes out is likely to be something that might be more suitable for full-time training material. So let me give it a try and try to present this as simply as possible.
Now in connection with this theme, I might begin by saying that in order to talk about this theme, I will talk about nothing. You say, "What?" I say, "Yes, nothing." Because in order to understand this theme, we have to understand something which is nothing. You say, "This is getting philosophical." I told you, we are more into full-time training material. You're asking me, am I serious? I'm completely serious. I'm going to concentrate on the meaning of nothing in the New Testament. You say, "Are we talking about Hinduism and Nirvana?" No, no, I'm not talking about Nirvana. I'm talking about New Testament teaching.
Why do we have to discuss this in this fashion under the subject of nothingness? Well, quite simply, you know that our camp theme comes from Philippians. Philippians where? Philippians chapter 1, verse 21. What does it say there? Very short verse, but very important: "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." Now, you see that these two sentences are like two sides of the same coin. If you want to understand what it is, "to live is Christ" — what does that mean, "to live is Christ"? — then you also have to understand the other side of the coin. What does that mean, which is what? "To die is gain." Now, if the phrase "to die is gain" means nothing to you, then obviously the theme of this camp, "to live is Christ," will also mean nothing to you. And I don't know whether it means anything to you now.
"To die is gain." What does that mean? How can "to die" be gain? When you die, you lose everything. Since when does dying mean gain? For anything, for anyone? To die is to be reduced to — notice — to nothing. I mean nothing, literally nothing. Because if you cease to exist, that is nothing. You are reduced to zero. If you are a manager of a company, when you die, are you still a manager of a company? Of course not. Your place in the company is nil. You are finished. If you are about to take an exam and you die, does that mean you pass your exam? You don't have to be a genius to know: of course not. It's ridiculous to ask the question. If you die, you don't make it to the exam, therefore you don't pass. If you are going to get married and you die, what happens? The whole marriage is annulled. Everything is cancelled. If you are about to inherit a great fortune and you die, do you inherit a fortune? No, you don't get a cent. You are simply wiped off the will. It's gone. "To die is gain." What are we talking about?
To die is to be nothing. As far as this world is concerned, you are out. Finished. Gone. Death is to wipe the board clean as far as you are concerned. Where there once was your name there — "Executive Director, General Director," whatever you are — when you die, your name is taken off. Your name is gone. If you are on the list of candidates for something, when you die, your name is removed. If you are about to inherit something, when you die, your name is taken off the will. To die is to be reduced to nothing. How can "to die" be "gain"?
Now if this is a paradox — which certainly it is — then if we don't understand this paradox, to talk about "to live is Christ"... You see the two halves of the same sentence: "To live — Christ. To die — gain." If this part is not true, then the other part is not true. In a matter of elementary logic: if "to die is gain" is not true, if dying is not gain, if that sentence is not true, then "to live is Christ" is also not true, as far as our experience is concerned. Now there, you can see where our problem is.
I told you that this subject is probably too complicated to handle for a subject of a camp like this. And then I was trying to think, how do I simplify this? Well, I don't really know how I'm supposed to simplify this. Because if I simplify it, in the end you've got no understanding of the passage at all. If I try not to simplify it, I run the risk that you don't understand what I'm talking about. So what do I do? So let's be brave and press on, and carry on talking about the biblical significance of becoming nothing.
Now you all see a zero. A round circle. If I had a chalk here, I would be able to write some of these headings down. But never mind, we're not in a classroom situation. So we're writing — just imagine a circle here. And I'm going to ask you, what does a circle stand for? I'm sure Kenneth can tell us. What does a circle stand for? "Nothing." Great. A circle stands for zero, right? But could it have another meaning? It could stand for zero. Could it stand for something else? As a symbol, now. A number is also a symbol. But a circle could stand for... Hmm? Empty? Yeah, that's why it stands for nothing. Zero.
But let's say, in a wedding, what do you give the other person normally? A ring. A ring is a circle. What do you actually give the person? You pledge in marriage to give the person nothing, right? Wonderful. "I hereby give you a ring, which symbolizes that in this marriage I give you nothing." Oh, that's a new idea. That's what I'm thinking about. You have it there in gold to testify to the fact that you gave nothing to each other. And you promise never to give anything. Is that the meaning of the ring? Maybe in real life it comes to that. You really give each other nothing except headaches probably.
But the problem here is: what does this ring signify? You got married and you didn't even know what the ring signified. It's a symbol of what? Well, it's supposed to be a symbol of perfection, isn't it? Oh, perfect love. The circle which has no beginning and no end is supposed to symbolize perfection. By the time of the wedding, nobody remembers such things. But it's supposed to symbolize perfect love. And in giving oneself, one gives all that one has. Perfect means total commitment. One withholds nothing. One gives oneself, and it's symbolized in that ring of perfect love.
So there we have a remarkable duality where the circle symbolizes nothing, as Kenneth rightly said, and on the other hand it also symbolizes perfection. It's no accident that the saint's halo is also in the form of a ring, symbolizing perfect holiness in this case. So it symbolizes perfection and it symbolizes nothing. Isn't it amazing? Well, that can very well sum up what we have here in scriptural teaching. I'll talk about as briefly and quickly as possible the seven points of nothingness which is also perfection.
The first that we find in Scripture is the statement: "I am nothing." I am nothing. And that we find, for example, in 2 Corinthians 12:11. Let me read to you 2 Corinthians 12:11. A very important verse. What we have here is this: "I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing." Here "nothing" occurs twice: "I am nothing," and "I am not in anything behind the most eminent apostles." Here we find this important statement: I am nothing.
And in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 3, the apostle Paul says, "If anyone thinks he is something, when in fact he is nothing, he is self-deceived." He doesn't understand that he is nothing and he thinks himself to be something. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 2, the apostle Paul says this: that though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and though I do this and that and the other thing, understand all prophecy and all mysteries, and I have not love — I am nothing. Now the reverse side of that statement means that only love makes us anything in the sight of God. You are not something in God's sight because you can speak in tongues or you can prophesy or you know all spiritual mysteries. None of this makes you anything in the sight of God. The only thing that counts for anything in God's sight is love. If you are controlled by love, God's love, then you are something. If that is not the factor in your life, as far as God is concerned, you are nothing.
Now keep bearing this in mind when we are talking about this in relation to Philippians 1:21. There are two types of nothingness. By now you can see there are two types of nothingness in the New Testament. There is nothing in the positive sense and there is nothing in the negative sense. That means there is a good sense and a bad sense of nothing. The good sense here is when Paul says, "I recognize that I am nothing." Without that recognition, you will spiritually be nothing. And put it another way: you only understand that you become something in God's sight when you are ready to be nothing.
Now before I go on, I need to expound a little bit further what this has to do with our understanding of salvation. Many of you have been brought up on the form of Christianity that simply tells you that you are saved by believing in Jesus, without being told a little bit more clearly what believing in Jesus really means. So when somebody says, "Do you believe that Jesus died for you?" you say yes. "Do you believe that Jesus loves you?" "Yes, of course. If he died for me, then he loves me." "So you believe in Jesus, right?" "Yes." "So you are saved. Hallelujah." Well, that was quick. It didn't take a few seconds to get saved.
Now when it comes to the question of discipleship, we run into the further problem. What is the standard teaching of the churches today? Where does discipleship fit into this? Why does the Bible say that you must become a disciple of the Lord before you can be saved? "If any man does not take up the cross and follow me, he cannot be my disciple." Can you be saved without being his disciple? If the answer to that question is yes, then what happens to the previous statement that you are saved by believing in Jesus? If the answer to that question is no, then the same question arises: what happens to the previous statement? Why do we need the statement that believing in Jesus, we are saved? Because we need more than believing in Jesus to be saved. You've got to become a disciple. You've got to take up your cross and follow him. Now you are in a logical jam.
So if you like to play a game with some pastor, ask him the question: "How are we saved?" Look very innocent when you ask the question. Like somebody wanting to get into his church, you see. And he is very anxious for you to become a member of his church. "How are we saved?" "Oh my dear little one, you've got to believe in Jesus." "Oh really? What does 'believe in Jesus' mean?" "Well, it means, you see, my dear little one, that you've got to believe that Jesus died for you." "Do you?" "Oh yes, yes, yes, I do." "Can I get baptized now?" "Oh yes, yes, yes." "Before I get baptized, I have one last little question here." "What's that?" "The little question is: why did Jesus say that in order to become his disciple, I've got to take up my cross and follow him?" "Ah. Um, well, well, it's good to take up the cross and follow him." "But please, excuse me, I'm very dull. What's good about taking up the cross?" "Ah, well — by the way, does it have anything to do with salvation?" "Ah, well, I have to read up a bit more about this." "Well, you just told me that I believe and I can get baptized now, right?" "Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, that's true. But, um, what about this discipleship business?" "Ah, well, maybe, you see, what happens is that there are two levels of Christians." "Oh, really? Two? That's very exciting. Two levels of Christians? Tell me more." "Well, you see, first you believe in Jesus, and then you get saved." "Yes, yes, yes, and then?" "And then you become a disciple." "Why would I want to do that?" "Ah, well, you go to a higher class." "Ah, but pastor, excuse me, suppose I don't want to go to a higher class." "Ah, well, oh — well, you don't have to go to a higher class." "Ah, but Jesus said that if you don't go to a higher class according to you, then I can't be a disciple." "Ah, well, then don't be a disciple." "Ah, but excuse me, I see that all true believers are called disciples." "Oh, yeah, that's true." "Ah, so, do I or do I not have to become a disciple? Will you please tell me before I get baptized? This is getting very tiring for me." "Ah, well, no, you don't need to become a disciple before becoming baptized." "Ah, so I'm going to become a Christian who is not a disciple, right?" "Ah, yes, I guess so." "Then, ah, please excuse me, you haven't answered my previous question. I did ask, why in the book of Acts, the Christians are called disciples? What is the reason for this?" "Ah, I got to think a little bit more about this." "Well, do think fast, my salvation is at stake."
Now, here I'm giving you an imaginary conversation to show you that the conventional church wouldn't have an answer to this question. Now, if we come to this subject, "to live is Christ," we are in trouble, my friend. We are in big trouble. Because here we are talking about a Christianity that is so radical that we can't fit it in anywhere. Not even into discipleship teaching. We don't even know what to do with this teaching. It is mind-boggling.
The question here is: "I am nothing," Paul says. In order for what? For Jesus to be everything. "For me to live is Christ" means what? It means nothing, this sentence, unless it means "I am nothing and Christ is everything." For me to live means nothing unless it means Christ. Isn't that what it means? Can you tell me any different meaning from this? In strict exegesis, expounding the Scripture, this sentence "to live is Christ" means nothing unless it means — I repeat one more time — that Christ becomes everything to me so that for me to live is Christ. And I am nothing. This is powerful teaching. How about a bit of him and a bit of me? I mean, let's be reasonable. Does it mean that becoming a Christian wipes me out? The answer, my friend, is yes. Now you don't want to get baptized. Those who are going to get baptized still have a chance to get out. There is still enough time. Think on it carefully. If there is anything wrong with my exegesis, show me.
"To live is Christ" means Christ is everything in my life. "Is" is an equation. In logic, in any way, "life is Christ" means life equals Christ. Christ equals life. It works back and forth under the equation sign. "Is" is simply an equation. A simple logical, if not mathematical, equation. And that means I am nothing, if life equals Christ. Are you following me? Is it difficult to understand?
Now you take this teaching and go back to our pastor that I was talking about a moment ago. And if discipleship teaching gave him a headache, wait till you talk to him about this. I can almost guarantee you that he doesn't even know what this sentence means. If you don't believe me, don't believe me, ask him. Again with your angelic little smile: "Pastor, I've been reading Philippians chapter 1. And you are a great expositor of the word of God, I believe. And I've been reading this verse. I don't know what it means. Would you be so kind to enlighten me a little bit about this? 'Life is Christ.' What does it mean?" You are going to give him a headache. I am almost certain he hasn't got a clue what it means.
Now what is Paul saying here? Is he saying that Philippians 1:21 is applicable to every Christian, to you and to me? Hopefully not. If it does, I am in trouble. I don't know how to live this way. But if it doesn't apply to you and me, why do we have it in our New Testament anyway? Let's use one of the black marker pens and just mark it off. Maybe it is for some super-Christian. I settle for the level of discipleship. I am already one step ahead of those jokers. Don't ask me more than this. In discipleship, I can have my own definition. What own definition? Well, for me to live is a bit of me and a bit of Christ. Mostly me and a little bit of Christ. With this kind of formula I can settle, right? We are being a little bit reasonable now. Maybe 70% me, 30% Christ. How about that? A formula of concord. Not exactly compromise, but at least we talk about concord.
Alright, if you don't like this, let's go 50-50. 50% me, 50% Christ. This is partnership, alright? And we don't ask for more than this. How about I keep control of the company with 51% and Jesus has 49% and I have the definitive vote. I can settle company policy. If he has 51%, he is going to outvote me. Then I got trouble. Then I might as well go all or nothing.
Exactly how does this thing fit into the Christian life? Maybe Paul is a very radical person. He is an extremist. And he says this kind of extremist stuff: "I am nothing, Christ is everything." This kind of radical stuff. It's not practical to everyday living. Let's be practical. We already in our church talk at a high level. We talk about discipleship. Let's settle for 50-50. We don't even talk about 51% him or me. Never mind.
What do you do with this kind of teaching in the Bible? How does it tie up with the kind of sentence which says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved"? Now logically, we either cancel that sentence out and ask whether this sentence is true. Are these sentences mutually exclusive? Or are we to define one by the other? And if so, which defines which? You see, this is getting very complicated. I told you. We are talking at a very difficult level here. But I am trying to keep it as simple as I can.
What do you mean by "which defines which"? My question simply is this: does the sentence in Acts chapter 16, which says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved" — is that one to be used to define this one, "to live is Christ"? Or is it the converse? To take this sentence and define the other one. In other words, if we use this sentence to define Acts 16, it means: to believe in the Lord Jesus means exactly this — to live is Christ. You cannot say "I believe in Jesus" unless you can honestly say "for me to live is Christ." The definition of believe means "to live is Christ." That's the definition of belief.
What about if we switch the other way around? Can we get a more comfortable result? Unfortunately, the answer is no. You try to use the other sentence and define this one. Let's see if there's any way to water down this sentence, "to live is Christ." Let's try very hard to water it down. How to do it? You tell me. Look at it carefully and see if there's any way to bring it down to the level of just ordinary believing. In other words, whichever way you do, if you link these two verses together, the result is always the same. It has to go for the higher. The higher cannot be brought to the lower.
By this time you're asking, "Boy, what do they do in full-time training?" You got lost in this discussion by now. Yeah, you're quite right. They also got lost in this discussion sometimes. I have to go back and think about it for a long time. But it is absolutely essential. It is absolutely essential if you are to grasp the principle. Because it's our salvation that we are talking about. Your salvation that we are talking about. Because, if you think that being saved has to do with just simply believing in Jesus that he died for you, and it turns out that that definition is wrong, because it's inadequate — it's true but not enough — and your salvation, my friend, is gone. You are basing your hope for salvation on the wrong foundation. You have allowed that foundation to be so diluted to suit your definition that you are into a very dangerous self-deception. As the apostle Paul said, if you think yourself to be something — namely that you think yourself to be saved — and you are not, then you are very pitiful indeed.
How many people today in the churches think that they are saved? And they are not. You know from their lives they are not. You know from their speech they are not. You know from the way they do things they are not. And yet, for some mysterious reason, they still think they are. They think themselves to be something, namely belonging to Christ, when they don't belong to him. On that day, as in Matthew 7, the Lord said, "I will say to them, 'Depart from me. I don't know who you are.'" And they said, "I've been calling you Lord all this time. You know me, you know me." "No, I don't know you." They thought they were something.
Let us continue to think about this carefully as we proceed. How do we reconcile this constant teaching in the churches that we hear, "Believe and be saved," when the definition of "believe" has been defined not by the New Testament, not by Philippians 1:21, but has been defined by themselves, as simply believing that Jesus died for you? Doesn't that sound familiar to you? What if this definition is totally wrong? I ask you again. Your salvation hangs on it. You answer the question. I'm not going to tell you how you should answer it. I just ask you to look at the Scripture.
Unless we are convinced that the answer to this is what the pastor was trying to say in that little story I was telling you — that there are two levels of Christians. One is the basic level, that low-class Christian, the Christian that travels in economy class, or in China it's called "hard-seat class." In China there are two classes: hard-seat and soft-seat. So you go in hard-seat class, and then you're low-class, alright? And you still get there, as long as you sit in hard-seat. It's a bit uncomfortable, but you get there in the end. So the ordinary believer is simply in the hard-seat class, and this discipleship Christian, he is high-class. He goes soft-seat. Would that solve our problem? Of course not. First of all, there is no two classes of Christians in the Bible. I can't find any. If you can find two different classes of Christians, and you show me where it is, I must have missed something in my Bible. The Scripture never approves of two classes. There are weak Christians, there are carnal Christians, but those are never approved of. They are rebuked. And if it were perfectly good to travel in that class, there's no point rebuking them.
Now, if there are no two classes, then our solution — and that, by the way, is the unashamed solution of the churches — when you ask them about disciples, they say, "Oh yeah, there are higher-class Christians." But let me ask you that original question. If I can get from Hong Kong to Beijing on hard class, why should I bother to get there in soft class? Is it because it's more comfortable? If that analogy is to be used, it would be ridiculous in terms of the New Testament. Because everybody knows that the New Testament indicates that the discipleship class of Christians endures a much harder life. But of course, that's the only kind of Christian the New Testament knows. So, soft class is not the comparison. He is going to have a much harder ride. So, if we turn the picture around and said, you can get to Beijing in two classes. One is the hard class, discipleship, and the other is the soft class, just being an easy believer. Who wants to go in the hard class and pay more? There must be a nutcase to go in this kind of class. I'd go any time in the soft class, in easy believing.
You see, you understand when I'm talking to you about this, that the church cannot swallow the teaching of the New Testament. It cannot swallow Philippians 1:21. That this camp dares to face up to this theme shows at least the courage of the brothers and sisters in this church. Whether you have the determination to see it through remains to be seen. But at least the courage to face this particular theme is already something.
Alright, our time is quickly moving on. The first point I have mentioned is: "I am nothing." The second nothingness taught in the New Testament is that the true disciple has nothing. I said the true disciple now. The true disciple has nothing. The untrue disciple has a lot of things. He has, in fact, everything he wants. The true disciple has nothing. Where are we talking about from? Well, let's look at 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 10. Let me read this important verse to you.
# To Live is Christ (Continued)
Contrasting one thing with another. Reading just from verse 9: "As unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and yet not killed." And then in verse 10: "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing, and yet spiritually speaking possessing all things."
Now this paradox — this important dipolar truth. Dipolar means having two poles. You can speak of it as bipolar or you can speak of it as dipolar. As having two poles. When you have spiritually everything, then you can say you are truly rich. But you don't have everything unless you also have nothing. Do you understand that? Paul says here, "poor." Paul was literally poor. And yet always making other people rich. How can you be poor and make people rich? Because of the spiritual riches you have to give. The rich people are spiritually very, very poor. They have nothing to give. But the disciple — the true disciple — he has known through commitment training that he sees himself as possessing nothing. He is simply a steward of everything that he has. He does not see himself as owning anything. Like the disciples in Acts, they did not consider their own possessions as their own. They are simply stewards of what they have. It is only people who have this mentality who are true disciples. And it is people like that who are spiritually rich.
And so we see here, in Scripture, the negative and the positive side. There is the negative side, where a person — let me read to you from Revelation chapter 3. Revelation 3:17. Another important verse, which is so typical of the spiritual condition in which we live nowadays. This is talking about the church in Laodicea. And verse 17 of Revelation 3 reads like this: "Because you say" — these Christians are saying — "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of" — notice the word again — "nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." They thought they need nothing. In fact, they have nothing. That is the tragedy of the whole thing. There are Christians who have nothing, spiritually speaking, and there are Christians who have everything. And it takes only a few minutes to find out what kind of a Christian you are talking to. You talk to one kind of Christian, and you see the riches of their life, the dynamic of their life. You know their life is full. They might not have much money in their pockets — not because they couldn't have it, but because they turned their back on those things. Not because they couldn't have it, but because they see themselves merely as stewards of whatever they have. They don't consider themselves as owning it. It is simply all at God's disposal. The Lord says, "Give it," it's gone. The Lord says, "Use it for this purpose," it's used for that purpose. And yet, though they have nothing, with the spiritual riches they make many people rich.
Does your life enrich anybody, or does it make other people poor? When you share a household with people, does your presence in that household make other people poor? It makes other people tired. It takes the joy away from other people. It irritates other people. It wears them out just to have you in that apartment. Or does your presence in that household enrich other people? You know how to answer that question. And from that you know whether this camp theme means anything to you or not. For somebody who lives in such a way that Christ is his life — that person is always an enriching person. To be with that kind of person, you go away feeling enriched. You spend a little time with that person and you feel you've got so much. But there are other people — you spend a little time with them and you feel so tired. They have drained you. Often I see the co-workers, the leaders in the church, they are so tired. There must be some very spiritually poor people in the church who are draining the good people all the time. They're so worn out. Where are the people for whom to live is Christ? So you know yourself. Are you the kind of person who enriches others, or do you wear them out?
Well, let us press on. We go on to the third thing. The first was: I am nothing. The second is: I have nothing. The third is surprising: I do nothing. What? I do nothing. Well, what does that mean? To understand that we can turn to John chapter 8, verse 28. Let me read this for you. And this is what the Lord Jesus says. Here the Lord Jesus is himself the model for our life. "Then Jesus said to them, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself. But as my Father taught me, I speak these things.'" I do nothing. Certainly nothing of myself. Now that is exceedingly important. That is a fundamental operational principle of the person for whom "to live is Christ." Who then is the operational principle in our life? Who was the operational principle in Jesus' life? The Father. "I do nothing of myself." The controlling dynamic of our life is Christ. That is what it means for me to live as Christ: Christ directs your life in every detail. That doesn't mean you become a robot. You cannot be a robot because you consciously and by your own choice ask him to direct you. In other words, looking for direction is itself an act of your will. It never becomes automatic. Do you do that? Did you ask the Lord what you should do? Or do you do everything? You make your own decisions. You do what you want. Being a Christian at this level — which in fact in the New Testament is basic Christianity — is to live a life directed by the Lord himself. That gives you a freedom. That is the source of your power. He is your life because he directs the way you think, the way you do things, and what it is that you do.
Can you honestly say "I do nothing"? Well, maybe you can say that you do nothing right. Maybe that's all that's right. In the household you step on everybody's toes. You offend everybody in the household. Indeed, you didn't do anything right. Just think of the kind of life — just imagine it. If you don't live it, at least we can exercise our imagination. What kind of a Christian would you be if you lived on this principle alone: I do nothing? Oh, I just wish that some Christians would simply do nothing. I mean do nothing at all. Because every time they do something, they do the wrong thing. And it really gets on people's nerves, the way they keep doing the wrong thing. I'm sure you know the people who share your house. Isn't it incredible how their capacity for doing the wrong thing is quite overwhelming? You sometimes say, "Please, I beg of you, just sit there and do nothing. At least that way you wouldn't get in everybody else's way. You're not going to burn the rice. You're not going to break the furniture. You're not going to drop the dishes. Would you be so kind and just sit there and do nothing? At least this way you don't commit any sins."
But of course being a disciple means a bit more than doing nothing in that sense. But I think I personally would be very satisfied if some Christians were just doing nothing. There would be so much peace after that. Every time they open their mouth they say the wrong thing. Just incredible. And maybe we have done our share of the same thing ourselves. Just imagine in a marriage how much peace there would be sometimes if both parties would just shut up. At least you can't quarrel if both of you shut up, right? The moment you open your mouth, you have a quarrel. But the Lord wants us to take one step further, and that's where our problem begins: "I do nothing except what the Father tells me to do." Oh, that's too high-powered now, right? And yet that is basic Christian life. That's what it means to believe in Jesus: to believe that he can direct you. To say that I believe in Jesus that he died for me is something talking about an event 2,000 years ago. Does Jesus do nothing today? He only did something 2,000 years ago? Does he still do anything today? Yes, he does. What does he do? He directs my life every moment of every day. Can we dare to say that? Your Jesus is really alive then. Some people believe in a dead Jesus who passed away a long time ago. If we do nothing, then he does everything. If he does everything, then he is my life. That's what Philippians 1:21 means.
John chapter 5, verse 30. Let me read this to you too. "I can of myself do nothing." Here it is again. "Of myself I can do nothing." Surely he can. Of course he can. But he will not. "I cannot do it" does not mean that he is not able to do it. He has chosen not to do it. The "cannot" is a cannot of will. A cannot of choice. "I can of myself do nothing. As I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me." To do nothing here is defined very precisely as doing nothing of one's own will. Very clearly. It is the Father's will that he does.
Verse 19, a few verses earlier: "Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.'" Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. That is what it means for me to live is God. God is my life. He defines my life. I can do nothing. I want to do nothing but his will. Can you say that honestly? Is that the kind of Christian life that you live? Or you hope to be saved by some superficial pledge of believing that Jesus died for you? That kind of Christianity doesn't exist in the New Testament. Is this too radical for you? If Jesus is my life, then this is the way I live, or else he is not my life and he is not your life. And if he is not your life, please tell me how you hope to be saved. We are talking about life. Life is salvation. Salvation is life. This is the only kind of salvation. This is the only kind of life I can see in the New Testament.
Let's go on quickly to the fourth. And the fourth point is this: I know nothing. I don't know anything either. Well, it's going from one nothing to another. The Christian life is to know nothing. Let me read to you 1 Corinthians 2, verse 2. Here is the guiding principle of Paul's life. That is the secret by which he lives. What does he know? "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
And then he goes on to say, yes, he has learned the philosophy of this world. Paul was a very learned man. He was so learned that in one of the trials he was placed on, his judge said to him, "Paul, you are mad because of your great learning. You know too much. You are simply too learned and your learning has made you mad." Paul said, "No, I am not mad. I know very clearly what I am talking about." But why did they think he was mad? Look at this. For him, the only knowledge from now on, ever since he came to the Lord, the only thing that mattered to him was Jesus Christ and him crucified. Jesus Christ — one can still handle — and him crucified. A crucified Christ. A dead man? What is this? He is really mad. Ah, he goes on to say, yes, but that is the power of God to salvation. What? A crucified Christ? He goes on to say that is the power of God.
That doesn't mean that you abandon your secular knowledge, that you were trained in computers and then you suddenly went back and said, "I don't know anything about computers anymore." No. What it means is that that kind of knowledge no longer determines your living. Before, that was everything. Your skill, your knowledge, you were proud of it. You considered yourself to be something. Now, your functional principle is none of this. For you, the functional principle of your life, that which determines your knowledge and everything else, is subject to this: Jesus Christ is the center and key. And this Jesus Christ is not seen primarily as king of the universe. He is that. But that is not the point of the New Testament. It is Jesus Christ lowly and meek. That is what "crucified" means. How lowly and how meek? Remember, we are talking about Philippians. In chapter 2, he goes on to say, "He was equal with God, king of kings, Lord of lords. But what did he do? He humbled himself down to the earth." At Christmas time, we talk about him being born in a manger. That's not the lowest he went. He went a lot lower than that. He died as a criminal on the cross. That is how low he went. It is this Jesus — not the king of kings with the crown on his head, multiple crowns on his head — that is not the center of Paul's knowledge, amazingly. What is? The one with no crown on his head except the crown of thorns. Can you understand this? It is easy to glory in the Lord who reigns over the universe. That is not the Lord that Paul was glorying in. He gloried in a God who got crucified on earth. He gloried in a God who humbled himself to become a slave.
Now notice what happens when this kind of thinking dominates your thought. You become a Christian of a different quality. Not the power Christian. Not the glorious Christian that boasts about God as king of kings, although he is that too. But boasts in a God who made himself lower than a slave. For Paul who lives with this kind of thinking as determining his entire thought process, it gives a kind of quality, a kind of humility, a kind of graciousness, a kind of lowliness about a person's life that is indefinable. I am still trying to learn that. I meditate every day on the cross of Christ. I am not meditating about Jesus as king of kings. That is easy to understand. What is so hard for me to understand is Jesus, the one who was lower than the slave, who washed his disciples' feet and then went on to die for his disciples and for all of us who have become his disciples, and who forever will walk about in heaven with the nail prints in his hands, the scars on his brow, and the stab wounds in his heart. It's this Jesus that I am trying to understand, and I am very slow of understanding, but I am trying. And Paul says, that is the Jesus that I want to know. To know him is to understand all mysteries. Everything else I don't even want to know.
The fifth point — because there are many other references but we are out of time, I will move on. The fifth point: when all the foregoing four points are true, the fifth point is: I fear nothing. Ah, now the strength of the spiritual man begins to appear. I fear nothing. This is a striking thing, and here again I have too many references. I'll read just one or two verses. Philippians 1:28 will suffice for the moment. Here we are back in Philippians 1 again. Philippians 1:28: "And in nothing be terrified by your adversaries." The man who functions in this way is a fearless man.
You know, in my teenage days I ran a ball team. A baseball team. And you know what I chose for the name of that team? It was called "Dreadnought." Dreadnought means to fear nothing. "Dread" is fear, "nought" is nothing. Dreadnought. Because I was very interested in military science and you know that there's a famous battleship called the Dreadnought. It's said to be unsinkable. Fear nothing. And so in Chinese our team was called "Afraid of nothing." The true Christian is afraid of nothing for one simple reason: because the only one that he fears is God. When the Lord Jesus was in the storm, the ship was sinking. Did you see any fear in him? He was sound asleep. Fearless. There you see the quality: fear nothing.
You know that John Wesley was so impressed by a bunch of Christians on the boat going over to North America, because at that time he was a Christian but he was an unregenerate Christian like so many. And he saw these Christians — the Pietists, they were called by the Germans — they had such trust. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ means you trust your whole life unconditionally, totally, into his hands so that you have no fear. Belief is taken to the level where fear is written off. Is that your belief in Jesus? Or does your exam make you anxious? Or does your health make you anxious? Or does your marriage or forthcoming marriage make you anxious? Everything makes you anxious. The frightened, anxious Christian. If you live like that, you don't know what it means. To live is Christ means you have no fear because he lives in you. The responsibility is on him.
I can speak of this from my own experience. I lived for nearly three years in China in a state of abject poverty — not a cent. I lost everything with the coming of the communists. Every day I had to trust the Lord to supply my needs. I would get up in the morning and I have not the faintest idea where I would get the next meal. Imagine that — penniless and trying to live nearly three years like that. If you had to rise this morning with not a cent in your pocket, with no lunch ahead of you and no supper, and no supper tomorrow and all the next coming weeks and months, what would your condition be? You would be relaxed, you would be full of peace and joy, only if Christ is your life. I would get up in the morning and I said, "Lord, here is your child. Lord, I'm hungry. I've got nothing to eat. I've also got no money to buy anything with. I'm not fearful. I know that somehow you're going to provide my need for today." Did he ever fail? Never. Why do I preach the gospel with conviction? Because the God who fed those two million people in the wilderness with manna from heaven is the God I know, who fed me every day, and I didn't starve either. That's how practical my God is. Somebody asked me, "Can God feed you when you're hungry?" Sure he can. The God who created heaven and earth cannot make enough food to feed you? No fear.
The sixth point is this: I lack nothing. Whether physical or spiritual, the person who lives in Christ has everything. That is what he said: "As having nothing, and yet possessing all things." He lacks nothing. Let me read just one verse. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 12: "That you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing." Live in such a way that you lack nothing. Now this lacking of nothing can be the Lord's provision directly, or if circumstances permit, then you can also work with your own hands as the apostle Paul did and earn what you need. When there was opportunity for me to earn my own income, I was not so dependent upon the Lord that I would say, "Oh, you can provide me with food so I don't have to work anymore." No. I went out to work. When I first took up the pastorate at the church in Liverpool, the church was so small — I had only a handful of people. They couldn't support me. And I said, "That's alright with me. I'll go out to work." And so I went out to teach. So I taught from Monday to Friday and then I worked in the church from Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday I went back to work. But the Lord in his kindness, after six months, the church grew to sufficient growth where they told me that I needn't continue teaching anymore, that they would from now on be able to give me the same amount that I was receiving through teaching. But whether the Lord provides directly or through our own working, more importantly, we lack nothing on the spiritual level. How is your condition spiritually? Do you feel the emptiness inside? Do you feel that every day you seem to be lacking something in your life and you don't know what that lack is? The answer is quite simple. What you lack is precisely this same theme. You have not yet implemented the truth that Christ is your life. As long as Christ is not your life, believe me, you can try as hard as you like to fill the emptiness in your life — it will never work. You will always be haunted by that nagging emptiness. And after today's message, don't ever say you didn't know how to fill the emptiness. I have told you what the scriptural teaching is. There is no easy way, there is no cheap way, but there is a wonderful way. Christ will fill your life to overflowing, and you will lack nothing at all.
Let me move on to the last point now. The seventh: because you lack nothing, you also need to withhold nothing. There is another nothingness in the New Testament teaching: to withhold nothing. You have so much to give that you don't have to withhold anything. Have you ever met this kind of Christian that seems to have limitless resources? They always have something to give. They are so rich they don't have to withhold anything. They don't have to be stingy. Let me read just one reference: Acts 20, verse 20. "And now I have kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly from house to house." I have kept back nothing. There is this seventh nothing. Have you kept back anything from the Lord? Have you in fact anything to give to the Lord or to each other? Is yours a life of richness? Is yours a life of power?
What kind of a Christian life, let me ask you in closing, do you want to live? Do you just want to be an ordinary, average, not-so-good, not-so-bad Christian? Or do you want to make your life count in this generation, through whom God can work? Through whom God can shake not only Singapore but the world? God is looking for that kind of person. Paul was so abundant that he says, "It is a joy for me to be spent for you." That was the mentality with which he worked. 2 Corinthians 12:15: "I will gladly give you everything, to be spent for you." In Romans chapter 9, verse 3, he says, "I am willing even" — this is to what extent he is willing to withhold nothing. When he says "nothing," he literally means nothing. "I will withhold nothing, not even my salvation." What did you say? Yes, not even his salvation. Romans 9:3. Many people say, "I'll give you everything except my salvation. No, no, that's for me." Paul says no, not even my salvation is precious to me. If through my being lost you can be saved, so be it. Romans 9:3 often brings tears to my eyes, where Paul says if through his being lost, his people the Jews can be saved, he would gladly offer up his salvation for their eternal welfare. What is Paul saying? He is saying that he is willing to go to hell if the Jewish people, his own people, can go to heaven. How many of you dare to say here you are willing to go to hell if the people of Singapore can go to heaven? How many here would dare to say you are willing to go to hell if the people of China can hear the gospel and be saved? Where can God find such a man? But all this is part of the meaning "to live is Christ." It is not some kind of super-Christianity, though to our ears it sounds like super-Christianity, isn't it? But that's simply part of the definition of what it means for me to live is Christ.
Our time is gone. Let us close in prayer.