Loving the Lord and Surrendering to Him, Wendy Yun

When I was born, my parents were in the local church, so I grew up in the local church, and it was there that I received the Lord. If you asked me why I meet with this group of Christians, in the past I would have answered that it was because my parents met there, and that also because I enjoyed the church life, so I meet in the church in Hong Kong. But now I would answer that it is because I feel that the Lord is moving through the local church to gain His testimony.

Recently (Spring 1999) I attended a retreat for the college-age in the local church. There, I was personally touched by a message regarding the Lord desiring to gain His testimony through His building up of the church on the ground of oneness. The Christian brothers giving the messages at this retreat shared Ephesians 4:4-6 with us: “One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism; One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” I saw that if additional qualifications apart from these seven “ones” are imposed by a church on a person, then the ground of oneness is compromised.

Philippians 2:21 says, “For all seek their own things, not the things of Christ Jesus.” I do not want to be one who is seeking my own things, my own preferences. I want to seek the things of Christ and be one with His desire to build up His Body. I love the Lord and surrender to Him. I am willing to let the Lord come into my life and deal with my personal preferences for His sake.

No Longer I But Christ

Since I grew up in a Christian family, at a very young age I knew that the Lord Jesus loved me and that He died on the cross for me. I repented for my sins and received Christ's redemption. But what do I do after I receive Christ? Do I live my Christian life by reading the Bible and praying? What kind of living is actually the Christian living?

Through the messages given by brothers Witness Lee and Watchman Nee, I truly realized that the Christian living is a living of “no longer I, but Christ.” Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me,....” I used to think that after being saved I should be a good person, don't lie anymore, don't lose my temper, etc. Unfortunately, I did not know myself. Romans 7:18 says, “...for to will is present with me, but to work out the good is not.” Relying on my own human strength, I could never succeed. But thank and praise the Lord! The difference between being a Christian and not being a Christian is that Christians have Christ. Christ is our life. I do not need to rely on my own effort to do good, rather, I need to put aside my effort, and let Him be my life. Then, spontaneously, I can do good. I am not the one who can be good; it is Christ.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “...for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is...” What does it mean for me to believe that God is? To believe that God is means that I believe that I am not, that I cannot; only God is and God can. He is the great “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). In this universe only He IS.

I am so happy to have learned that my Christian living is not my own living, it is Christ living in me.