Nee/Lee — Hamartology
b4 — Basic Elements of Christian Life, Volume 2
Daily Salvation from Sin and Self
In chapter 2 (“A Simple Way to Touch the Lord”), Witness Lee extends the concept of salvation beyond initial justification to an ongoing, daily experience:
“Every Christian also needs a daily salvation from sin, self, human weakness, and other negative things. On the positive side he also needs a bountiful supply of the Lord to nourish and strengthen him in order that he may grow up into Christ in all things.”
Source: Lee, chap. 2, §“Calling Upon the Lord”
The basis for this is Rom. 10:12b-13: “For the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; for ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.‘” Lee notes that this verse is typically restricted to the initial salvation experience, but it equally applies to the daily dimension of deliverance from sin.
He also cites Rom. 5:10: “much more we will be saved in His life.” Christian salvation is therefore bipolar for Lee: reconciliation through Christ’s death (cross-judgment on sin), and ongoing salvation through His risen life.
Source: Lee, chap. 2, §“Calling Upon the Lord”
Interpretation: Lee understands sin not merely as judicial guilt resolved once for all, but as a continuing negative force from which the believer must be daily delivered through calling upon the living Christ as the life-giving Spirit.
Christ Crucified for Our Sins — Blood as Redemption
In the concluding summary of chapter 2, Lee states the salvation-historical foundation:
“Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth, lived a human life, was crucified for our sins, was buried, rose again, and became the life-giving Spirit.”
Source: Lee, chap. 2, closing summary
This is further systematized in the 9-point confession (point 5):
“Jesus, the Christ anointed by God with His Holy Spirit, died on the cross for our sins and shed His blood for the accomplishing of our redemption.”
Source: Nee/Lee, “About Two Servants of the Lord”, confession point 5; cf. Eph. 1:7
Redemption is here strictly tied to the blood-offering. Eph. 1:7 (“in whom we have redemption through His blood”) anchors the position that the payment for sin lies exclusively in Christ’s sacrifice.
Comparison with b3: In BXL1 (b3) Lee states: “There is only one thing in the entire universe that can take away sins — the precious blood of Christ.” BXL2 (b4) confirms this on a confessional level, but shifts the accent from forensic cleansing (Heb. 9) to the life-giving dimension of the risen Christ as the Spirit.
The Cross as Judgment on the Natural Life
In chapter 3 (“Deep Calls Unto Deep”), Watchman Nee treats the Hezekiah episode (Isa. 39:1-6) as a warning against self-display. His analysis carries a sharp hamartological undertone:
“This means that he had not passed through the dealing of the cross. His natural life was not dealt with. It was apparent that all his roots were exposed.”
Source: Nee, chap. 3, §“Superficial Living”; cf. Isa. 39:5-6
Nee links the undeal-with natural life directly to loss: the measure in which one displays spiritual experiences to others is the measure of one’s own loss. Isa. 39:5-6 is cited as divine judgment: “everything which is in your house…will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left.” The cross-judgment on the flesh is for Nee the only protection against this loss.
Source: Nee, chap. 3, §“Superficial Living”
Interpretation: Nee’s hamartology distinguishes two levels: (1) forgiven sin (addressed by the blood) and (2) the undeal-with, self-oriented life (the natural life that has not yet passed through the cross). Self-display is the symptom of this second level — not so much a moral transgression as evidence that the cross-work has not yet been fully applied.
The Sin of Self-Display — Satan’s Attack
Nee connects the exposure of spiritual treasures to vulnerability to Satan’s attacks:
“Satan’s attack often comes at the time a man is exposed. Any kind of exposure opens us up to loss.”
Source: Nee, chap. 3, §“Testifying Without Exhibiting”
And more concretely:
“God covers those who cover their roots, and God does not protect those who disclose their roots; they will be exposed to attacks.”
Source: Nee, chap. 3, §“Testifying Without Exhibiting”
The parallel with Rev. 12:10-11 (Satan as accuser) from b3 is implicitly present here: Satan’s attack is not random but seeks the points of self-exposure. The blood is the victory over the accusation (b3), but the hiddenness of spiritual experience is the protection against the attack (b4).
Interpretation: Nee distinguishes two dimensions of the conflict with evil: (1) legal victory through the blood (treated in b3), and (2) practical protection through the hiddenness of life — not surrendering spiritual treasures as a form of guarding the fruit of the cross-work.