so then death operates in us, but life in you – ministering life by dying

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Cor. 4:12, So then death operates in us, but life in you. Just like the apostles, we also need to minister life to others by dying. In order for life to work and operate in the saints, some need to allow death to operate in them. This is the work of the new covenant ministry – death operating in us so that life may operate in other believers (see 2 Cor. 3:6; 4:10-12).

Just like the priests who bore the ark of the covenant in Joshua took the lead to step into the Jordan, and they stayed in the river Jordan until all the people passed through, so today the Lord is looking for some overcomers who are willing to stay in death so that life may be ministered to the others!

Death operates in us, but life in you

If there’s no death, there’s no life; when we are under the killing of the Lord’s death, His life is imparted to others through us. This is the issue of the suffering of the killing of the cross – the others get life!

The apostles had the response of death in themselves (1 Cor. 1:9), and they experienced Christ in His death – and the ones they preached the gospel to experienced and enjoyed life! This was the work of the apostles – death operating in them so that life may operate in the believers. Whenever we are under the killing of the cross we should remember that, as death operates in us, life is being ministered to others.

This is the kind of ministry that is needed today in the Lord’s recovery and in the Body of Christ. We need to take the lead to die so that life may work in others. Just as in nature, a grain of wheat has to fall into the ground and die so that more grains would be produced – so in the Body of Christ some need to be under the killing of the Lord’s death so that the Lord’s resurrection life may be imparted through them into others (see Phil. 3:10).

When life is being imparted in such a way, those who go through death don’t even feel the cost – they rejoice and are exceedingly glad for the life which is ministered to the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ!

The Lord does not need you to accomplish a work for Him. He needs you to die. If you die, life will work in others. You will minister life to others by dying. Therefore, our work is to be put to death. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 295)

The pioneers of God “step into the water”

In the Old Testament, we have the story of the people of Israel crossing the river Jordan (see Joshua 3:17-4:17). The priests bearing the ark of the Covenant entered into the Jordan river first, and the waters dried up in their way as they walked. They went to the middle of the river Jordan and stood there firmly until all Israel crossed over on dry ground (see Josh. 3:17).

God put the priests in the place of death so that all Israel would have a way into the land of life. The priests were the first ones to go into the water (before the people), and they were the last ones to come up out of the water (after everyone has crossed over).

Today the Lord is looking for such overcomers – those who “step into the water” by remaining in the death of Christ so that others may receive life and enjoy life. The Lord is looking for some who are willing to be dealt with by the cross first, some who stand in the place of death so that the church may find the way of life and may receive life.

We need to aspire to be these pioneers of God, those who allow the cross to operate in us so that life may operate in others. We need the Lord’s mercy to see this and we need to be strengthened into our inner man to pay the price to be dealt by the cross first so that others may enjoy life and find more life!

Bearing the ark and staying in death

What does it mean to bear the ark today? We need to take Christ as our center and our everything and at the same time we need to go down to the water. We lift up Christ as the testimony of God (the ark of the testimony) while we remain in death. What others see in us is not suffering and death, but they see Christ being testified.

If we take the lead in submitting to God – and we die to ourselves as we do this – life will work in others to make them also submit to God. Someone has to take the lead to minister life by entering into and staying in the death of Christ. Without death, there’s no life; if no death, no life!

My words are inadequate – this sharing is inspired from brother Nee’s collected works, volume 11, and I warmly recommend you would read it. This portion may not be for every believer to enter into, but the Lord is sounding out a call for some who see this and are willing to pay the price. They don’t come out of death until the Lord as our real Joshua says so, which is at the beginning of the kingdom age.

The Lord needs such overcomers who pay the price of dying to themselves, allowing the cross of Christ to operate in them, and staying in death – while at the same time lifting up Christ – so that others, many others, would experience and enjoy life!

Lord, gain some who pay the price to remain in death so that others may enjoy life! Lord, make us these pioneers – those who take the lead today to allow the death of Christ to operate in us! Lord, may we enjoy You and experience You to such an extent that even in our sufferings and in our being in death Christ is being manifested! Lord, we step forward into the river while bearing the ark – so that others may enter into life!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from, the Life-study of 2 Corinthians (by Witness Lee, msgs. 10-11), and, The Collected Works of Watchman Nee (vol. 11, pp. 763-766), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Taking the Lead as Elders and Responsible Ones, week 3.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # I for greater power pray not, / Deeper death is what I need; / All the meaning of the Cross, Lord, / Work in me – for this I plead.
  # If no death, no life; / If no death, no life; / Life from death alone arises;
  # Hallelujah! In the body we / Bear the death of Christ continually: / Thus His life comes forth for all to see
• Picture source: Joshua 3:17.