In the last message we saw that our opinion is a big eater within us, hindering the growth of life, hindering our functioning, and frustrating the building up of the church. We also saw that the source and development of opinion are just ourselves apart from God and away from God. Finally, we saw that the medicine for this disease is just the one spirit. Just to say, however, that the medicine to cure this big disease is the one spirit is not so adequate. We need to spend more time to consider this matter. Opinion is a very serious disease in the church life and even in the work. For almost fifty years I have been observing that in the church life and in the work there are all the time some problems, some troubles, and some dissensions. For all these years this one thing has been bothering me very much. It is very apparent and so evident, yet it has been only recently that I discovered this big disease. Only recently did I discover such a big eater which has been eating up the church life and the work. The Lord showed me that the name of this big eater must be opinion. We should not give him a better name such as idea, concept, or way of thinking. These terms are too good and too nice; you have to call this big eater a cancer. Opinion is a cancer. I hope that all the saints would go to the Lord and spend some time to pray for a clear vision concerning opinion.
Although I have been with you for quite a number of years, I have never given you a message saying that opinion is just ourselves, our person, apart from God. When a person is apart from God, that person’s name is opinion. Don’t say that opinion is simply different concepts, different ideas, and different ways of thinking. Opinion is just you apart from God. How good you are or how bad you are makes little difference; as long as you are apart from God, you are just the embodiment of opinion. It is not a small thing to have such a definition of opinion. Opinion is just us apart from the Lord. I expect that all of you would bring this matter to the Lord, considering it in a serious way. To consider such a thing in a serious way is to accept the perfecting. If you would just take this definition—that opinion is just you apart from God—and bring it to the Lord and stay with the Lord for some time, praying about this matter, you will sense the practical perfecting. You will have a practical dealing with opinion. You will see that opinion is just yourself. Nothing kills our spiritual germs as much as the spiritual light. When the spiritual enlightenment comes upon us, that is almost equal to the healing. The enlightenment is nearly the healing. Light heals by killing. Light kills our germs, so it heals.
I am concerned that you may hear this definition of opinion and yet not go to the Lord with it. You need to take this definition of opinion and stay with the Lord, dwelling upon it for a period of time. If you would do this, you will get the healing. More light will come to you. The light will expose you to the uttermost and will help you to understand fully that apart from God you are nothing but opinion. Under the light you will see this. The Bible says, “In thy light shall we see light” (Psa. 36:9). When you bring this matter to the Lord and stay with Him, in His light you will see light. It is not that you simply accept the word in this Perfecting Meeting, but that you will have a kind of enlightenment that kills the germs and even kills you. It kills you as the source of opinion.
Even concerning the matter of the development of opinion, you still need a time with the Lord. Whatever is covered in this Perfecting Meeting as a kind of point, you need to bring to the Lord and stay with Him. Otherwise, you may make all the points of this Perfecting Meeting simply points of doctrines, teachings, and not practical dealings. If you want the practical dealings instead of doctrinal points, you surely must bring all these points to the Lord. Don’t pray so much for other things. You should pray, “Lord, confine me within this one point. Lord, imprison me in this point. I want to fellowship with You and look unto You about my opinion. I want to talk to You, and I want You to converse with me.” You need to stay and dwell with the Lord upon that point. Eventually, that will become further light. You will receive more enlightenment. That will kill you, and actually that will be the practical healing. Then you will have the practical perfecting which will transform you. This kind of light and enlightenment will transform you. It will make you very much different just to stay there with the Lord for half an hour, not distracted by anything else, but dwelling on this one point. This will transform you.