Day: 17

The gospel has exploded in China over the last sixty years. In one sense, this can be attributed to the heritage of its spiritual fathers. The Chinese Church is led by men and women who suffered terribly at the hands of the Communists. I’ve met a number of these leaders and was beyond impressed by them.

These leaders, who paid a heavy price for their faith, are the root system of the Church. They burrowed deep into the soil of God to draw up nutrients to feed the leaves and branches. The roots and the trunk of the Chinese Church are incredibly strong. They continue to feed and support the massive tree that the Chinese Church has become.

One Chinese Christian leader had a huge impact on the modern Chinese Church. His name is Watchman Nee.

If you want to swim in the deep end of the pool of Christianity, you need to dive into Watchman Nee’s story. He was a prolific author of booklets, books, and hymns (he wrote about two hundred hymns).

Appointed a Watchman

His mother, like the Biblical Hannah, presented him to the Lord to do his work. After he was saved at 17, Watchman Nee’s life was dramatically transformed. He changed his name to “Watchman,” because he considered himself to be a watchman raised by God to sound a warning to the darkness of the world.  Any plans he might have had for his life were forgotten when he accepted Christ. He lived the rest of his days for his Savior.

A Life of Suffering

Watchman Nee lived with suffering all his life, stricken with poverty, bad health, and prison. The theme of the spiritual role of suffering shows up in his teachings repeatedly.

In 1949, when communists took over China, Nee sent many of his leaders to Taiwan for safety. Witness Lee, a protégé, urged Nee to come with them to take refuge in Taiwan, but he could not be persuaded.

He told Witness Lee:

“If a mother discovered that her house was on fire, and she herself was outside the house doing the laundry, what would she do? Although she realizes the danger, would she not rush into the house? Although I know that my return is fraught with dangers, I know that many brothers and sisters are still inside. How can I not return?”

Suffering for Christ

In 1952, Watchman Nee began a period of imprisonment that was his greatest source of suffering. He was falsely accused, unfairly judged, and unjustly sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for his faith.  When he was sent to prison, both he and his wife knew he would never be released. But despite his imprisonment, God continued to use him. His ministry didn’t stop just because he was in prison.

The Prison Years

His prison years were shrouded in darkness until the 1970’s, when one of his fellow prisoners, Yo-Chi, brought to light his life in prison.

When they first met in prison Yo-Chi wasn’t a Christian and hated Watchman Nee. He saw him writing continually and assumed he must be reporting to the guards. Later, he was won to Christ through Watchman’s life example and his love and care for him after Yo-Chi’s wife divorced him during his prison sentence.

The Death of the Watchman

The opportunity to leave prison was always available to Watchman. All he had to do was to renounce his faith, but he was never willing to pay such a high price for such a small comfort.

He lived faithfully for Christ from the moment of his conversion up onto his death in prison on May 30, 1972, where he died alone, in solitary confinement. After his death, his niece went to the prison to retrieve the burned ashes of his cremated body and his personal artifacts. She found a letter under his pillow in his prison cell that read:

“Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ.”

The Church Today

It is estimated that the number of Christians was around six million in the early 1980’s. Today, the Chinese Christian population is probably between 100 and 150 million and continues to grow (and thrive). In fact, since 1979, the growth rate of the Church has averaged about 10%.

Numbers don’t tell the story of the Chinese Church, however. The depth of the Church reveals its underlying roots, laid down by Watchman and thousands of others who were tortured and murdered for Jesus. Their ministry continues to this day.

God has truly blessed the faithfulness of these pastors, who sacrificed comfort, position, and even life itself to serve Christ.

I will dive into one of Watchman’s books in another devotional but for now, I want to leave you with one of Watchman’s hymns:

Not by gain our life is measured,
But by what we’ve lost ‘Tis scored;
Tis not how much wine is drunk,
But how much has been outpoured.
For the strength of love never standeth
In the sacrifice we bear;
He who has the greatest suffering
Ever has the most to share

Watchman Nee, From Hymn #635