Which do you prefer to have—the nature of God or the presence of God which represents His Person? Every Christian regards the presence of God as dear and precious. In Christianity there is much talk about the presence of God. We are told that the presence of God should mean everything to us and that we must do all things in God’s presence. In Christianity, the believers are taught to live and walk in God’s presence, and a number of books have been written about living in the presence of God. But where can you find a book telling you to live according to the nature of God? If we have the revelation, we shall prefer the nature of God to the presence of God. I may live in a certain brother’s presence, loving him and walking with him. Nevertheless, he remains a Caucasian and I remain a Chinese who lives in the presence of a Caucasian. What does this mean? Nothing. Simply to live and walk in the presence of God without having His nature in you means very little. For thousands of years, the angels have been walking in the presence of God, but they have never satisfied Him. Only one thing can touch God’s heart—to have a people who live and walk according to His nature. For a flea to walk in your presence means nothing, but for a flea to live according to your human nature means a great deal. Thus, walking in the presence of God means little, but living in and by His nature has great significance. However, most Christians only know the presence of God; they do not know His nature.
Because most Christians know only the presence of God but not His nature, it is easy for them to grasp the matter of the anointing. However, it is difficult for them to get into God’s nature. Recently, many have testified that formerly they served in the church by organization, but that now they serve by the anointing. For example, some have said that now they come to clean the hall by the anointing. This is wonderful. However, after having been sent by the anointing to clean the meeting hall, with what life do you clean? Perhaps you clean in your old life. While the anointing is for moving, the law of life is for living. Few Christians pay attention to life. When they hear about the things of life, they respond like the Jews in ancient times, saying, “This is a hard word; who can hear it?” (John 6:60, Recovery Version). But whenever a revivalist comes to stir people up, they are excited. Anointing is for activity, but the law of life is for being.
God does not care for what we do; He cares for what we are. The record of Jacob in the book of Genesis illustrates this. Throughout his entire life, Jacob did nothing. Although he performed no outstanding work, he was constantly under the process of God’s transformation. Even when he was in his mother’s womb, God used Esau to deal with him. As we have pointed out in some of the life-study messages on Genesis, his family functioned as a team to transform him. After Jacob had fled his home and had come to the home of his Uncle Laban, Laban’s hand was upon him. Do you think that Jacob’s life was a waste? Should someone have gone to Laban’s home and spoken to Jacob, saying, “Jacob, why are you here wasting your life? Why don’t you go to the mission field or establish a church? Why don’t you have a Bible study in your home? You are wasting your time living here under Laban’s hand.” But those years were not a waste. God does not want your work. He can do anything He wants simply by speaking. He calls things not being as being (Rom. 4:17). If He wants something, He simply needs to say the word and it will come into being. He does not need you to help Him. But God cannot just say, “Jacob, you must be Israel.” In order for Jacob to become Israel requires a long process. This is life.
We all must be delivered from work to life. Actually, it matters little whether you stay home or go to clean the meeting hall. I am not saying that the hall should not be cleaned. I am saying that whether we stay home, come to the meeting hall, or even enter into heaven means nothing. What counts is what we are. If you stay home, you should stay there not only according to the anointing, but also according to the law of life. Some brothers may be guided by the anointing to stay home, but while at home they fight with their wives because they do not live according to the law of life. When they are home, their wives may pray, “Lord, have mercy on me and rescue me. Send my husband to the hall. I don’t want him to stay home because he bothers me so much.” When such a brother is at home, he bothers his wife; and when he comes to clean the meeting hall, he bothers the brothers. Wherever he goes, he troubles someone because he has no change in life. Consider a dog. A dog will bother people wherever it goes. Do not think that if a dog is in an unclean place, it will bother someone, but if it is in your living room, it will not bother anyone. The environment may change, but the dog remains the same. Likewise, whether I stay home or come to clean the meeting hall, I am still what I am. My wife may be afraid of my being home, and the brothers may be afraid of my coming to the hall, saying, “Be careful with this brother. Don’t touch him. He is very fragile. If you touch him, he will break.” This brother may have the anointing, but he does not live according to the law of life. The law of life, not the anointing, is what changes us.