The Release of the Spirit.

Book Review.

Nee, Watchman. The Release of the Spirit. Pub. Sure Foundation. 1965.

Comment. Henry.
Knowing that the author is a Chinese pastor who lived in China during a very stressful time, especially for believers, helps to put his writings in context. This is obviously a translation and assumes some understanding of the culture (religious and political) of the time and place. The thrust of the message is probably familiar to church people who are seniors. It is heavily guilt ridden with very little focus on relationship and what would today be described as missional and/or incarnational. Younger readers will certainly find this resource ‘thought provoking’.

Here is how Watchman explains our spiritual being. We are made up of body, soul, and spirit. The spirit he refers to as the “inner man”, the soul is the “outer man”, and the body is the “outermost man”. God’s indwelling takes place in the inner man. Thoughts will, and emotion are part of the outer man. It must become the “organ or vessel for the spirit”. (5) The outermost man must be broken in order for the inner man to become effective in God’s work. “The cross must destroy all that belongs to our outward man- our opinions, our ways, our cleverness, our self-love, our all.” (15) When this has happened we begin to enjoy the presence and peace of God. Our spirit will not be released if our outward man is not broken.

There can be no spiritual discernment of another person’s need until we have experienced brokenness. Brokenness is what is required for us to gain from the reading of the scripture. There can be no effective ministry, powerful preaching through the quickening of the Spirit until there is brokenness. It is through the “discipline of the Holy Spirit” (57) that the outward man is destroyed.

The release of the Spirit happens when the outward man (body) is destroyed. This is the basic lesson of this book.

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