Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - The God-Men: An Inquiry into Witness Lee & the Local Church

NeitherFirstnorLast · 12-03-2012, 06:17 PM

Chapter Three: Unique Theology - Lee on Salvation

I continue here reading from page 57 of The God-Men. May the Lord grant us wisdom to discern His Truth.

"(In Witness Lee's theology of Salvation) It could be said that people are not so much redeemed as they are replaced. The crux of Local Church teaching seems to be that God is working Himself into people and at times even replacing them with Himself...

The function of salvation is primarily to effect (or permit) that mingling, not to atone for sin. Although Witness Lee acknowledges the redemptive aspect of salvation, he explicitly labels it the "lower aspect". The "higher aspect" of salvation is the mingling of God's essence with the essence of humankind: Lee literally devotes volumes to its explication....

...For Lee, atonement deals primarily with the corrupted body, the flesh, in which Satan is incarnated. The soul, according to Lee, does not need to be redeemed except insofar as it is wedded to the flesh.

************************

A short but not insignificant passage. This thought of Lee's puts much of my personal experience with the Local Church to mind.

The "church in Winnipeg" meets in a building just outside of the city limits. This building once used to be a denominational church, and had windows on the east side that were in the shape of a large cross. Apparently, when the Local Church moved in, one of the earliest orders of business was to sheet over that cross with brown aluminum siding.

1st Corinthians 1:8 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

That one act (the covering of the 'shameful' cross) spoke volumes to me, and I repent, Oh Lord, that I did not react to this. The cross was never preached in the Local Church - although Nee wrote on it. It really was considered the "lesser aspect" of salvation - and what a wicked thought that is... Christ, when He prayed in Gethsemane, surely did not think it a 'lesser aspect'; and His suffering for our rightful punishment was not in anyways small! This is an insult to Him; a demeaning of what He did in favor of a theology that promotes us as His equals.

I must confess, and have since repented, that there was a time around Christmas - perhaps the very service that in other churches would have been called a Christmas service - when a family came in that we did not know. They were not of the Local Church persuasion, and were undoubtedly perplexed by the layout of the chairs and the lack of a minister. While they sat, after the hymns, one leading brother stood to 'share'. Do you know what he 'shared' that day? He shared on the "weak and pathetic Gospel of the virgin birth" he shared on the "pathetic baby in the manger". As this leading one 'shared', this family say in silence.... And then, respectfully and with a courage I am ashamed to say I did not have, the father of that family stood and spoke for Christ. He told us what the real significance of Christ's birth was, and what it meant to his family, to his children, to him. He spoke at some length, with a tremor in his voice, and then he sat back down. There was not a single look of remorse or repentance on the elders faces... only smug silence. Lord Jesus, how hardened were their hearts.

That man and his family left fifteen minutes later, his testimony met with no Amens or Hallelujahs, and was completely ignored. Forgive me Lord, what a coward I was.

12-03-2012, 06:17 PM	#235
NeitherFirstnorLast Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 348	Our Reading Continues *Chapter Three: Unique Theology - Lee on Salvation* I continue here reading from page 57 of The God-Men. May the Lord grant us wisdom to discern His Truth. "(In Witness Lee's theology of Salvation) It could be said that people are not so much redeemed as they are replaced. The crux of Local Church teaching seems to be that God is working Himself into people and at times even replacing them with Himself... The function of salvation is primarily to effect (or permit) that mingling, not to atone for sin. Although Witness Lee acknowledges the redemptive aspect of salvation, he explicitly labels it the "lower aspect". The "higher aspect" of salvation is the mingling of God's essence with the essence of humankind: Lee literally devotes volumes to its explication.... ...For Lee, atonement deals primarily with the corrupted body, the flesh, in which Satan is incarnated. The soul, according to Lee, does not need to be redeemed except insofar as it is wedded to the flesh. ************************ A short but not insignificant passage. This thought of Lee's puts much of my personal experience with the Local Church to mind. The "church in Winnipeg" meets in a building just outside of the city limits. This building once used to be a denominational church, and had windows on the east side that were in the shape of a large cross. Apparently, when the Local Church moved in, one of the earliest orders of business was to sheet over that cross with brown aluminum siding. 1st Corinthians 1:8 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." That one act (the covering of the 'shameful' cross) spoke volumes to me, and I repent, Oh Lord, that I did not react to this. The cross was never preached in the Local Church - although Nee wrote on it. It really was considered the "lesser aspect" of salvation - and what a wicked thought that is... Christ, when He prayed in Gethsemane, surely did not think it a 'lesser aspect'; and His suffering for our rightful punishment was not in anyways small! This is an insult to Him; a demeaning of what He did in favor of a theology that promotes us as His equals. I must confess, and have since repented, that there was a time around Christmas - perhaps the very service that in other churches would have been called a Christmas service - when a family came in that we did not know. They were not of the Local Church persuasion, and were undoubtedly perplexed by the layout of the chairs and the lack of a minister. While they sat, after the hymns, one leading brother stood to 'share'. Do you know what he 'shared' that day? He shared on the "weak and pathetic Gospel of the virgin birth" he shared on the "pathetic baby in the manger". As this leading one 'shared', this family say in silence.... And then, respectfully and with a courage I am ashamed to say I did not have, the father of that family stood and spoke for Christ. He told us what the real significance of Christ's birth was, and what it meant to his family, to his children, to him. He spoke at some length, with a tremor in his voice, and then he sat back down. There was not a single look of remorse or repentance on the elders faces... only smug silence. Lord Jesus, how hardened were their hearts. That man and his family left fifteen minutes later, his testimony met with no Amens or Hallelujahs, and was completely ignored. Forgive me Lord, what a coward I was.