Recently, again, I have had occasion to be questioned by believers who no longer “feel” like God is real. Watchman Nee points out that faith rests on trusting God for what God has done, not for how we feel today about life.

Watchman Nee (1903-72) – Courtesy of Wikipedia

Below are snippets from Watchman Nee’s book. [Someday someone will publish a new edition and change the title to something like “Spiritual Maturity”, but that I can do nothing about that.]

 

“Soulish(**) Christians are inordinately curious…Unlike spiritual Christians, who seek not so much the explanation as the experience of being one with God, these believers look diligently for an understanding in their mind…They conjecture that knowing mentally is possessing experientially…They hold tenaciously to their minute opinions…Carnal believers are moved easily…Over-sensitivity is another trait…usually thrive on sensation…Carnal believers bear a common stamp – talkativeness…Their acquisition of knowledge has merely propelled them to judge someone else and not to help themselves. This propensity to criticize is a common practice among the soulish…they make self the centre…They boast in their humility!” Watchman Nee, “The Spiritual Man”, Vol I, 1927, pp. 153-58.

 

**”Soulish” is the term Watchman Nee uses to refer to believers who live from their own knowledge and energy instead of absolute surrender to God. It is, therefore, related to what Paul calls “carnal” believers  (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).