Quotes from Watchman Nee

 Watchman Nee Quotes

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"People shall never enter the kingdom of God through our encouragement, persuasion, argument, inducement, excitement, or attraction; entrance can be gained only by new birth, by nothing less than the resurrection of the spirit."
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"It is imperative that man receive God's life. The way of salvation cannot be in human reform, for "death" is irreparable. Sin must be judged before there can be rescue out of death. Exactly this is what has been provided by the salvation of the Lord Jesus."
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"'nothing is ever wasted on the Lord."
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"Love flows from the denial of the self life."
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"The nature of God's love is unchangeable."
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"Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves."
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"God does not delight in our cowardice and withdrawal."
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"Actually, only God can satisfy a Christian's heart; man cannot."
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"You and I must be perfectly willing to part with anything at any moment. It matters not whether I leave two thousand dollars or merely two. What matters is whether I can leave what ever I have without a twinge of regret."
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"He does not want our heart to be attached anywhere because He wants us to serve Him freely."
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"Unless self love is abandoned the believer shall forever shrink back when called actually to take up the cross for Christ."
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"Spiritual advancement is measured by faithful obedience."
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"I want nothing for myself; I want everything for the Lord."
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"Never adopt an attitude of indifference, for if you do you will suffer for it."
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"Separation to God, separation from the world, is the first principle of Christian living."
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"One gains by losing self for others and not by hoarding for oneself."
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"By accepting His death as our death we enter into this union with the Lord."
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"the character of the world is morally different from the Spirit-imparted life we have received from God."
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"We may love to say many things, but if these are not uttered in the Holy Spirit it is better to say nothing."
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"The flesh makes self the center and elevates self-will above God's will."
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"Christians should never initiate anything presumptuously on the basis of need, profit, or merit."
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"Fellowship means among other things that we are ready to receive of Christ from others. Other believers minister Christ to me, and I am ready to receive."
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"The greatest negative in the universe is the Cross, for with it God wiped out everything that was not of Himself: the greatest positive in the universe is the resurrection, for through it God brought into being all."
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“How true it is that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit intellect not only is undependable but also extremely dangerous, because it often confuses the issue of right and wrong.”
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“Genuine spiritual knowledge lies not in wonderful and mysterious thoughts but in actual spiritual experience through union of the believer's life with truth.”
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Frequently many children of God turn within themselves, that is, they look into their soul to determine whether they have peace, grace or spiritual progress.  This is most harmful and is not of faith.  It diverts them from gazing upon Christ to looking at themselves.
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Human nerves are rather sensitive and are easily stirred by outside stimuli.  Words, manners, environments and feelings greatly affect us.  Our mind engages in so many thoughts, plans and imaginations that it is a world of confusion... The Lord Jesus implores us: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29).  If we are favorably inclined to yield to the Lord, to take up His yoke, and to follow Him, our soul shall not be aroused inordinately.
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"Soulish Christians generally bend to certain directions. Most of them lean either towards emotion or towards reason."
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The God Who can change a sinner into a Christian by giving him His life can
equally transform the fleshly Christian into a spiritual one by giving him
His life more abundantly.
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"We must have a spirit of power towards the enemy, a spirit of love towards men, and a spirit of self-control towards ourselves."
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"Let us recognize this one thing: burden is the secret of prayer. If a person does not feel within him burden to pray for a particular matter he can hardly succeed in prayer. In a prayer meeting some brothers and sisters may mention a great many subjects for prayer. But if you are not touched inwardly, you cannot pray."
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"But when the cross is working deeply a believer comes to know himself. He realizes how undependable are his ideas, feelings and desires."
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"Revelation is the first step to holiness, and consecration is the second. A day must come in our lives, as definite as the day of our conversion, when we give up all right to ourselves and submit to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ."  
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"For years, maybe, you have tried fruitlessly to exercise control over yourself, and perhaps this is still your experience; but when once you see the truth you will recognize that you are indeed powerless to do anything, but that in setting you aside altogether God has done it all. Such discovery brings human striving and self-effort to an end."
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"It is imperative that believers recognize a spirit exists within them, something extra to thought, knowledge and imagination of the mind, something beyond affection, sensation and pleasure of the emotion, something additional to desire, decision and action of the will."
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In order for the inner man to be strengthened with power through the Holy
Spirit, the children of God must discharge their responsibility.  They need
to yield specifically to the Lord, forsake every doubtful aspect in their
life, be willing to obey fully God's will, and believe through prayer that
He will flood their spirit with His power.
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"That strong self-assertive will of mine must go to the Cross, and I must give myself over wholly to the Lord. We cannot expect a tailor to make us a coat if we do not give him any cloth, nor a builder to build us a house if we let him have no building material; and in just the same way we cannot expect the Lord to live out His life in us if we do not give Him our lives in which to live. Without reservations, without controversy, we must give ourselves to Him to do as He pleases with us. “Present yourselves unto God” (Romans 6:13)."
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