Thank the Lord that since the publication of this book in the fall of 1928, believers from various places have put in orders for it. Within a short time, we sold out of the first edition. Many have undauntedly told us how they have experienced deliverance through the truth recorded in this book. This makes us realize that God’s commission to us has not been in vain. We really have to thank the Lord for the way this book has been received by God’s children.
Since then, for about two years, we have not been able to offer this book in its complete three-volume set. Originally, I had no intention to print the second edition, thinking that two thousand copies in circulation would be enough. At the same time, I was reluctant to hastily make another edition because I wanted to see how much result the outworking of the truth of this book would produce. But during the past two years, there have been more than a few hundred requests for this book. We have also seen from many testimonies that the truth of this book can be put into practice, that it can liberate men, and that it is what God’s children need. Hence, we feel that we cannot delay reprinting it.
This edition is not much different from the first edition in teaching and in truth. However, because of the new light and new awareness I received, which were not yet clear at the time I wrote the first edition, I have undertaken, with much effort, to make many changes and additions in this edition. In such an editing work, I have asked the Lord’s help and tried my best to match the terms used in the book with those used in the Scripture.
We know that the terms that we use are often different from those used in the Bible. For example, we use the word “redemption” with reference to the whole of the Lord Jesus’ work on the cross. But the biblical meaning of the word “redemption” is only limited to the covering of sin.
Hence, there are many terms which sound right to us but are not accurate if judged by the Bible. For example, we all know the expressions “the overcoming of sins,” “the crucifying of the self on the cross,” and “the crucifixion of the soul-life” and what they refer to. But these expressions are not found in the Bible. The Bible does not have these things. The Bible does not speak of “the overcoming of sins,” but “the deliverance from sin” and “being freed from sin.” God’s way of salvation is not for us to overcome sin, but to crucify our old man so that we are delivered from sin and the power of sin. (When this book uses the expression “overcoming sins,” it is merely making reference to one’s experience.) Again, the Bible does not say that we should “die to the self,” but that we should “deny the self.” One does not “crucify the self”; the self is dealt with by “taking up the cross.” This is because the self is our own personality and can never be crucified. Once the self dies, our own person dies. The self is the person. Hence, we can only deny the self and take up the cross to deal with it. The meaning of bearing the cross is not to die, but to be willing to die. In the same way, the Bible never says to “crucify the soul-life”; it only says to “lose the soul-life,” for if our natural life is crucified, our physical life will be gone as well.
This does not mean that we were not aware of these distinctions in the first edition. However, we thought that if we were right in the spiritual facts and principles, outward terminology would not matter much. While we were making changes even at this time, we did not try to correct these errors altogether. It was during the past few days that the Lord reminded us to specifically take care of this matter. He has shown us how an inaccurate term can lead to inaccurate truths, and how accuracy in terminology is equally important. Of course, we would rather have spiritual reality than accurate terminology. But when we do have the spiritual reality, it is also valuable that we have the accurate terminology, not to mention that accurate terminology will afford us new light. Hence, we have changed our terms in many places. I hope that we can do the same in our other publications.
I would like the readers to pay attention to the subjective result of the truth in us. For this reason, I have not mentioned many of the objective truths. This is the nature of this book. It was because I have felt that subjective truths are too few that I began to write this book. Therefore, the readers should know that the various truths mentioned in this book are not meant to be all that can be said about them. They are merely an exposition of these truths in their subjective aspects.
Soon this book will go out again to do the work that the Lord has allotted it to do. At this juncture, I can only feel the inadequacy of my writing. God’s truth always suffers loss at the hand of man. I can only say that all the glory should be to God and all the shame to me. May God bless what He can bless.