The Normal Christian Life, by Watchman Nee

This book, “The Normal Christian Life” by Watchman Nee, explores the essence of Christian living, arguing that it’s often misunderstood and lived far below God’s intention. The book systematically unfolds key aspects of the normal Christian life, drawing heavily from the Epistle to the Romans, particularly chapters 1-8, and other New Testament passages.

The core message of the book is encapsulated in Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I, but Christ.” The normal Christian life is not about self-effort or achieving a high level of spirituality, but about Christ living His life in the believer. God’s singular answer to every human need is His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our forgiveness and lives in us for our deliverance. This involves two substitutions: Christ on the Cross for our forgiveness, and Christ within for our victory.

The author highlights a crucial distinction in Romans 1-8: 5

• Sins (plural) and Sin (singular): The first part of Romans (1:1-5:11) emphasizes “sins”—the many acts of disobedience we commit. The second part (5:12-8:39) focuses on “sin” as a principle or nature working within us. Forgiveness is needed for sins, but deliverance is needed from the power of sin.
• The Blood and The Cross: Corresponding to this dual problem, God provides a dual remedy. The Blood of Christ deals with our “sins”—what we have done—securing forgiveness and justification. The Cross of Christ deals with “sin”—what we are—striking at the root of our capacity for sin and securing our deliverance.

The blood is primarily for God, serving as atonement for sins and dealing with our standing before Him. God sees the blood and forgives, not because He overlooks sin, but because His righteousness is satisfied. The Old Testament Day of Atonement and the Passover lamb illustrate that the blood was presented to God, not to man. Our acceptance of the blood’s value must be based on God’s valuation, not on our feelings.

The blood also cleanses our conscience, giving us boldness and access to God. This access is always based on the finished work of Christ, never on our performance or feelings. The efficacy of the blood never diminishes.

Furthermore, the blood operates Satanward, overcoming the accuser. Since the blood cleanses from “every sin” in God’s sight, Satan has no ground for accusation. Our victory over Satan’s accusations comes from trusting in the absolute sufficiency of the precious blood.

While the Blood deals with what we have done, the Cross deals with “what we are.” We are sinners by constitution, not merely because we commit sins. This “Adam-nature” is inherited, and the Cross is God’s remedy for it.

A key concept is being “in Christ.” God has placed us in Christ, so when Christ died, we died with Him. This is not something we achieve, but a divine act. The death of Christ is “inclusive,” meaning it includes us. This is akin to Levi being “in the loins of his father” Abraham when Abraham offered tithes to Melchizedek. Christ, as “the last Adam,” gathered all that was in Adam and brought it to judgment and death, wiping out the old race. ²As “the second Man,” He became the Head of a new race through His resurrection, in whom we are included. The Cross, therefore, translates us from Adam to Christ.

The normal Christian life is lived through four progressive steps:

1. Knowing (Chapter 3): This is a divine revelation, an opening of the eyes of the heart to see our union with Christ. Just as we know our sins are forgiven because God says so, we must know that our old man was crucified with Christ as an accomplished historical fact. This knowledge leads to praise, not further prayer for something already done.
2. Reckoning (Chapter 4): Following “knowing,” we are commanded to “reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin.” Reckoning means accounting for facts; it’s not make-believe or an attempt to become dead. It’s accepting God’s divine fact that we are dead in Christ. Reckoning is essentially faith in God’s accomplished work. Temptations to doubt this fact should be met by believing God’s truth over appearances or feelings. Our death with Christ is not found within ourselves, but “in Christ.” We are to abide in Him, trusting Him to work out His life in us.
3. Presenting Ourselves to God (Chapter 6): Consecration is not offering our “old man” to God, but presenting ourselves “as alive from the dead.” It is the outcome of knowing our old man is crucified and being raised with Christ. This means regarding all our members and faculties as belonging entirely to the Lord, recognizing His ownership over us due to His redemption. Holiness is separation unto God, a definite act of giving ourselves wholly to Him to do His will. God will take seriously our willingness to surrender everything.
4. Walking in the Spirit (Chapter 10): This is the subjective experience that completes the objective position of being “in Christ.” “Walking in the Spirit” means trusting the Holy Spirit to do in us what we cannot do ourselves. It is a life of trusting, not trying; of resting in Him, not struggling. The flesh lusts against the Spirit, but the Spirit deals with the flesh, so we don’t act according to our natural inclinations. The goal is for Christ’s life to be reproduced in us, manifesting His qualities like patience, humility, and love, not as separate gifts but as expressions of Christ Himself, who is our life. This walk is governed by “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” which is stronger than the “law of sin and death,” leading to no condemnation and a life of peace and liberty.

God’s ultimate purpose in creation and redemption is glory: “The glory of God” and “The glory of the children of God.” Sin caused man to fall short of this glory, and redemption restores man to be qualified for it. God desires His Son to be “the firstborn among many brethren,” conforming believers to His image. This is achieved through justification and glorification. The “grain of wheat” (John 12:24) illustrates that Christ’s death led to the emergence of many “grains”—many brethren partaking of His divine life.

The Fall occurred because Adam chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, leading to a self-life independent of God. The Cross directly addresses this by doing away with all that is of Adam. God does not aim to reform our old life but to impart a new, divine life through regeneration.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry is presented in two aspects:

• Spirit Outpoured: This empowers for service and is based on Christ’s exaltation, not human merit. The outpouring of the Spirit proves Jesus is Lord and Christ. Receiving the Spirit, like receiving forgiveness, is by faith in God’s accomplished fact. Conditions for receiving the Spirit are repentance and baptism, which is faith publicly expressed.
• Spirit Indwelling: This is the Holy Spirit residing within our hearts, a blessed reality that means the living God is within us. Many Christians lack the experience of the Spirit’s power due to a lack of reverence and knowledge of His presence. Recognizing God’s ownership over our lives and surrendering to the absolute Lordship of Christ allows the Spirit to operate powerfully.

Romans 7 addresses deliverance from the Law, which is distinct from deliverance from sin. The Law is holy and good, but it reveals our utter inability to please God in the flesh. The Law was given not for us to keep, but to expose our weakness and lead us to Christ. Deliverance from the Law means God no longer requires us to do it, but Himself provides it through Christ living in us. This leads to a cry of despair, “O wretched man that I am!” which then transforms into praise: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord,” acknowledging God as the sole doer.

The various phases of Christian experience (justification, deliverance from sin, indwelling Spirit) culminate in the reality of the Church as “one body in Christ.” This is a corporate sacrifice and service. Individual Christians are members, interdependent on one another, and cannot fulfill God’s purpose in isolation. Individualism hinders God’s work; the Cross deals with this old life of independence. The life of Christ in one believer gravitates to the life of Christ in others, leading to fellowship and unified growth. The Church, as the Body of Christ, is “more than conquerors” against Satan’s accusations.

This chapter delves into the “bearing of the cross,” which is our daily cooperation in the inworking of Christ’s death to deal with the “natural man” or “soul-life.” Adam’s fall resulted in an over-developed soul, leading to independent action apart from God. The Cross brings death to this self-sufficiency and natural energy, not to annihilate the soul’s faculties but to bring them into subjection to the Spirit. This process leads to fruitfulness, as the soul’s confinement allows Christ’s life to be released through us. This is a painful, often prolonged process where our natural strength is weakened so that God alone can use us.

True ministry is founded on the principle of death and resurrection, just as Christ’s ministry began with His baptism (symbolizing death and resurrection). The Lord Jesus Himself refused to act from His own soul-life, always seeking the Father’s will. This is the secret for His servants as well. The Holy Spirit conveys the values of Christ’s death and resurrection, empowering our witness.

Bearing the cross daily means dealing with the affections (Matt. 10:37-39), the desire for self-preservation (Mark 8:34-35), and attachment to earthly things, even legitimate ones (Luke 17:31-33). This involves “losing our soul” in these aspects to gain it for eternal life. The ultimate “losing of the soul” leads to fruitfulness, allowing Christ’s life within to flow out and impart life to others. This is a constant process of the Cross operating, disciplining our natural self until our faculties become servants of the Spirit.

The book concludes with Mary anointing Jesus with costly spikenard (Mark 14:3-9) as a prophetic illustration of the Gospel’s true goal. Judas and the other disciples saw this act as “waste,” valuing usefulness over devotion. However, for the Lord, it was a “good work,” signifying total surrender and pouring out everything upon Him.

The principle of “waste” is the principle of power in divine service. True usefulness comes from ministering to the Lord Himself, not just His work. The primary aim of the Gospel is the Lord’s satisfaction, and our own satisfaction flows from that. Anointing Him “beforehand” (Mark 14:8) with our dearest possessions and our very selves, regardless of perceived “waste,” is what truly pleases Him and releases the fragrance of Christ to impact others and create a hunger for God. This profound self-giving and being “wasted on God” is the ultimate aim of the Gospel.

Feel free to download the book.