Paul told the saints in Philippi in the second chapter of Philippians, “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be of good cheer, knowing the things concerning you. For I have no one like-souled who will genuinely care for what concerns you; for all seek their own things, not the things of Christ Jesus. But you know his approvedness, that as a child with a father he has served with me in the gospel” (vv. 19-22). Among all of Paul’s co-workers, it seems that only Timothy was like-souled with Paul, being genuinely concerned with what he was concerned with, the things of the churches. The situation was really trying for Paul. He could not rejoice. We know that in the work of serving the Lord, it is not hard to be like-spirited, but to be like-souled is really difficult. If we pray together in spirit, saying, “Amen!” and “Hallelujah!” we are immediately like-spirited. But when we turn to discuss the service or other affairs, we right away have different feelings and views. Do not think that since we are in the Lord’s recovery and have been in the training, we can work together like-souled and fight shoulder to shoulder. I have been in the Lord’s recovery for more than sixty years, and I was with Brother Nee for as long as eighteen years. In those years, from his experience I realized that it was not an easy matter to work together as co-workers. Some entered into this work and later left. In the coordination of the work, some would always come in while others would leave.
Therefore, I would like for you who are present here to be prepared in your heart and to treasure this matter of being like-souled in the Lord’s work. I hope that all of you will stay for a long time in the Lord’s recovery, that no one will leave halfway through, but that all will follow the Lord until the end. I feel joyful for Brother Nee. He was faithful unto death, even death in a prison. To the end he did not forsake his faith. In his whole life he met countless oppositions, attacks, and defamation. Yet none of these moved or changed him. Rather, he became firmer. In the end he was even martyred for the Lord. I speak these things to you to give you an inoculation. The more you follow the Lord, and the more you are used by the Lord, the more the opposition and attacks will come. Even the co-workers may not necessarily be like-souled.
We see from Revelation that not every church overcomes all the way. For instance, the church in Ephesus had fallen and lost the Lord’s testimony because they had left their first love to the Lord (Rev. 2:4-5). In this degraded situation, the Lord called for overcomers (v. 7). By then, what the Lord cared for was not a group, but individuals. Do not consider that everyone in the Lord’s recovery is an overcomer. This is not true. We should not think that all the full-timers, co-workers, or elders are overcomers either. It is not necessarily so.
In the New Testament the Lord paid much attention to the testimony of the church. He also paid much attention to the overcoming of individuals. All overcomers mentioned in the New Testament refer to individuals. Overcoming is something that has no companions. Therefore, we all need to learn not to belittle others nor forsake others. We are members one of another in the Body. Nevertheless, we cannot hope that everyone will be overcoming. For this reason, we must have a spirit that insists on this way even when all others forsake it, a kind of spirit that will not deviate even if situations, all the brothers and sisters, or even the whole church change. We have to be an overcomer. This is not a proud spirit, nor a spirit that rejects others. This is rather the overcoming spirit one should have in the way of the Lord, a spirit like that of Caleb and Joshua’s.