In this chapter we will see God’s breaking, that is, God’s breaking of man. Strictly speaking, in order to be useful in the Lord’s hand and according to God’s heart, we must pass through much breaking by God.
Breaking removes what we originally have in our natural being, changing our original appearance and altering our original condition. We may have numerous good and noble things, but God still must tear down and destroy these good and noble things. When a structure is built, it is built according to a logical order; however, when a structure is torn down, there is no logical order, and everything is simply destroyed. Hence, in man’s concept, tearing down or breaking are not positive words. However, everyone who is useful in God’s hand must pass through His breaking.
For a period of time we have been speaking of the exercise of the discipline of the Holy Spirit and the breaking of the cross. Both the discipline of the Holy Spirit and the breaking of the cross are related to God’s work of breaking, but they are not the breaking itself. God’s work of breaking often is deeper and heavier than the discipline of the Holy Spirit and the breaking of the cross. Previously, we spoke of God’s breaking in a fragmentary way; we did not touch it in a thorough way. In this chapter, we will touch the matter of God’s breaking in a fuller way. Before seeing God’s breaking, we must clarify several matters.
First, in His redemptive work God needs man’s cooperation. Every matter related to serving God is based upon God gaining man’s cooperation. A person’s usefulness in the service is based upon his cooperation with God. However, a person who has not been broken by God will not be able to cooperate much with Him. Although this is a shallow illustration, if we want to move into a house, it will need some adjustment and tearing down in order to be suitable for dwelling. Being broken is a prerequisite for God to gain our cooperation and to use us. The extent to which we are broken is the extent to which we can cooperate with God.
Sometimes we stay at a certain place temporarily. Since we are there for just a few days, we bear the situation even though the height of a door or the size of a bed does not fit our height. Outwardly bearing something in this way indicates a lack of breaking. If God does not gain our cooperation, He cannot do anything, and if we want to cooperate with God, everything that we have, according to what we are originally and naturally, must be broken. What we are originally, including our original appearance and taste, does not match God and is not compatible with God. Consequently, God must break us.
A chemical compound must be broken down in order to be combined with another compound to form a new compound. In the same way, we must pass through God’s breaking in order for us to match God and to be useful to Him. We can use another example. If we want to mix cement with gravel, a process of breaking down is required. Likewise, if we want to be mingled with God, we need to pass through a process of breaking. We need to be broken in order to be useful in God’s hand because we will match God only when our natural things have been removed. In order to match God, we must be broken by Him.
Second, all spiritual matters must pass through death and resurrection. Anything that has not passed through death and resurrection is raw and wild. Crude iron must pass through refining and beating in order to become wrought iron and steel. Spiritual matters must pass through death and resurrection in order to be cooked rather than raw or natural. Anything that has not passed through death and resurrection is natural. God’s breaking is the procedure, the process, of death. In terms of experience, it is not sufficient to merely see the death of the cross. Doctrinally, it is sufficient to see the death of the cross, but unless we pass through various breakings from God, we will not know the reality of the death of the cross. Breaking is the process of the death of the cross. One who has not been broken has not passed through death and has not passed through the cross. We may be able to clearly speak of the doctrine of the cross, but unless we are broken, we will not have any trace of the cross in our being.
The first message I spoke in Taiwan in 1949 was on the God who gives life to the dead and who calls the things not being as being (Rom. 4:17). Calls the things not being as being refers to God’s creation, and gives life to the dead refers to God’s resurrection power. Creation does not fulfill God’s purpose; God’s purpose is fulfilled through life being given to the dead. In other words, creation does not fulfill God’s purpose; redemption fulfills God’s purpose. For this reason, we need many breakings. Everything that goes against us is in the principle of God’s breaking.
What God builds up, He also tears down. Whatever is broken by God will enter into death in order to pass through death. Once it passes through death, it will enter into resurrection; once it is resurrected, it can attain to God’s goal. In order to attain to God’s goal, everything that is created by God must pass through His breaking and tearing down so that what is broken and torn down can pass through death and enter into resurrection. Without being broken, it cannot pass through death; without entering into death and passing through death, it cannot enter into resurrection.