The Normal Christian Life

When I first read the printed version of Watchman Nee's "The Normal Christian Life" I sensed that here is a book revealing the hidden secrets of what really matters, a map pointing to Bali Ha'i (the island of heart's desire). It's a treasure trove of wisdom densely packed - fairly easy to read on the surface, yet needing repeated reading and meditation to fully unlock it. During my teenage years many emotional troubles made concentrating enough to retain its message difficult, so I longed to have an audiobook I could listen to again and again to get an overall grip on the book and anchor it in my mind. In the 1970s, audiobooks (also called "talking books") were virtually unheard of unless you were blind. Thank God sighted people can have them today and there now exists the recording I longed for. There are even two editions; I own both for variety, rotating a copy between my house and my car. The readings are clear and generally rightly nuanced, and the narrators' voices can be listened to repeatedly without becoming annoying (at least to me). They are doing a narration, not preaching a sermon. A slight thing I noticed is that although Nee was Chinese, both he and his editors spoke and wrote in a British style of English. Yet the narrators sound American, like me; to hear them speak of "shillings and sixpence" with an American accent is a little amusing but certainly not distracting. The message is so wonderful that focusing on THAT will be rewarding forever! The audiobooks encouraged me to meditate again on the printed version, which includes helpful footnotes by editor Angus I. Kinnear who prepared the book for its first publication in Mumbai, India in 1957. There's also a study guide by Harry Foster published separately in England in 1976 available on Amazon. Both Kinnear and Foster heard Watchman Nee deliver the original late 1930s spoken addresses on which the book is based. Watchman Nee has been criticized in some circles because of the doctrines and practices of some of his disciples and colleagues - "guilt by association". It is no more legitimate than criticizing the apostle Paul for Hymenaeus, Alexander, Phygellus, Hermogenes, Philetus, Demas and "all who are in Asia" who had been Paul's associates and followers but decided to "distance themselves from him" (I Timothy 1:20; II Timothy 1:15; 2:17; 4:10). Some of them became proto-Gnostic heretics who claimed Paul as their hero while totally perverting what he actually said. Unlike them, Watchman Nee sometimes extrapolates beyond the Scriptures in a few of his other books but not in what we would think of as outright heresy. "The Normal Christian Life" has only one prominent mistake I've noticed: he applies Luke 17:26-37 ("one shall be taken, the other left behind") to the doctrine of the Rapture found in I Thessalonians 4:13-18; but the context of Luke's passage actually refers to the flood of Noah and the judgment on Sodom "taking away" the sinners, not the saved. Nee is not alone in this traditional misapplication. Just ignore his mistake here and don't let it rob you of the wonderful benefits of everything else he has to say. The message of "The Normal Christian Life" is not just for a few Christians who might enjoy it as their own particular interest or emphasis. Rather, it is the core of what it means to be a Christian. This is far different from what the average person thinks, or even the average Christian thinks. Had I read this book when I first believed in Jesus it would have put me on the right track and helped to save me from the will-power moralism of average Christianity. Nee's message may seem radical or strange, but that's only an indication of how far we've drifted from the Gospel of the Grace of God as it was revealed through Paul by the ascended Lord, Christ Jesus. The late Francis L. Patton, godly and able president of Princeton University (as quoted by William R. Newell in "Romans: Verse-By-Verse," 1938) said, "The only hope of Christianity is in the rehabilitating of the Pauline theology. It is back, back, back, to an incarnate Christ and the atoning blood, or it is on, on, on, to atheism and despair". I have found this to be true in my own life. May Watchman Nee's "The Normal Christian Life" help you as it has helped me, to deeply experience faith, hope, and the love of God!

I can't even properly expound upon the greatness of this book.. I meannnn, it was just superb. You received insight from start to finish, it is applicable to the Christian life and makes one adjust from simplicity and move to devoted service

This is an absolute must read for any of Follower of Jesus that wants to know get close to Him

Have read this book over the years and needed to share it with another friend. So bought 2!! Win win!

Book needed for school reading. Very good 👍🏼

As I am sure you have read in many other reviews of this book, Watchman Nee cuts no slack when it comes to the requirements for living the NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE. If you have the desire to really please God with your life and are willing to do whatever it takes to do so, this is the book for you. The first time I tried to read it, I didn't make it past the first chapter before I realized that I was not ready for this. If this is your first time reading this book, and you are not shaken to realize what is required by God to live this kind of life, you did not read it correctly. I never heard this type of Christianity preached in any church I have attended. But then, the churches I have attended were, for the most part, concerned that this preaching would scare most people away. For those who will read and study this book, while searching the scriptures to see if what it teaches agrees with the scriptures. they will be enormously blessed to be able to please God.

Author Watchman Nee not easy to follow due to translation to English from Chinese

There are far too few books on the market that are written by Christians about what an authentic Christian life should be like. This is one "must have book!" I first found this book about 25 years ago and I wondered why I had not been introduced to writing like this before in my life! Oswald Chambers, Jessie Penn Lewis, Watchman Nee, Madame Guyon, and C. S. Lewis are among the giants you need to have in your library if you want to grow in your understanding of a Christian life and how to walk it. Come out of the shallow waters and venture into depths where you must go to experience intimacy with your Lord and Savior. I want to know Him! If your books are not empowering you to suffer for your love of your Lord, but are instead convincing you that being a Christian is about the easy life, getting all you want, prosperity and name it and claim it... you are persueing the wrong Christ. Our Lord and Savior said, no slave is greater than their master. If the world hates me, they will hate you! Do not seek friendship with the world! What profits a man if they gain the whole world and lose their soul. Learn from those who learned what that means. This is an outstanding place to start!

Excellent book, a MUST for every Christian

Dense, excellent sermon series on the topic of Romans 1-8: critical to the understanding of the atonement of Christ Jesus. An excellent resource for proper discernment of these chapters of God's Word.

Dieses Buch gibt sehr tiefe Einblicke in das Christliche Leben von Mr. Nee. Ist ein muss zu haben. Wenn wir alle so leben würden wie unser Heiland und Retter Jesus Christus, die Welt wäre nicht so korrupt und die Göttliche Liebe würde sich so schnell verbreiten und wir würden mit allen Völkern dieser Erde in Frieden leben.

Sorry, I received this book on time. It was the other book o ordered that I did not receive. O got confused.

I like his depth of understanding of the work of the cross. And also his understanding of human nature, and explaining in depth Paul’s teaching in Romans. I could identify with his explanations of human failings and it was refreshing and a relief to know I wasn’t alone in them.