Crucified with Christ my Savior

Concerning Thou Become Me, and I Become Thee in Stanza 4 of Hymn #130 in Chinese

In His way of redemption God's desire is that His Son would become us and that we would become His sons in Him. The Bible clearly says that the Lord became flesh (John 1:14). We are flesh. The apostle Paul says, "To me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). When Paul first met the Lord, the Lord asked him, "Why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4). At that time Saul was persecuting the Lord's disciples (v. 1), but the Lord said that Saul was persecuting Him. This is because the disciples and the Lord were one. In the Lord's eyes they were the same as the Lord Himself. The criticizing ones say that it is correct to speak of God becoming a man but that it is wrong to say that "God becomes me." They further assert, "Although Paul said, 'To me, to live is Christ, ' he would not dare say, 'I am Christ. '" I wish to ask: Is not God becoming a man the same as God becoming me or us? Am I not a man? Are we not men? Does "To me, to live is Christ" not mean that I become Christ? If the disciples whom Saul persecuted had not become the Lord, how could the Lord say to him, "Why are you persecuting Me?"

The criticizers say that a dangerous deduction can be made from the phrase "Thou become me, and I become Thee" in hymn #130 in Chinese. Certainly it is always dangerous to make unreasonable deductions from words taken out of context. When we say, "I become Thee," we are not saying that we are Christ in the sense of His Godhead and sovereign Lordship. The criticizers are interpreting these words without regard to context. If we interpret in this way, then the first stanza of hymn #366 in Chinese (Hymns, #477 in English), which says, "The Cross on Golgotha, / Will never save thy soul," could also be considered as "dangerous." According to their plain meaning, the Cross on Golgotha is the cross of the Lord, and it is wrong to say that the cross cannot save us. However, according to the context, the writer is saying that the Lord's cross must become our subjective experience; otherwise, we will not know the subjective experience of salvation. Furthermore, the first stanza of hymn #26 in Chinese (Hymns, #38 in English) says, "E'en heav'n itself no richer knows / Than Jesus and His blood." If one interprets this line without any regard to its context, this line is also wrong, because God is greater than the blood in heaven. However, we know that the writer's intention was to describe the importance of the Lord's blood. If we interpret words without regard to context simply in order to find fault, we will lose the blessing. We should use our best efforts to understand the poetic meaning of the words in order to gain benefit from them.

After the overcomer conference in Hangchow in the autumn of 1934, the attendants of the conference went to Shanghai for a short stay. One day everyone went to Chao Feng Garden in Shanghai to pray. After praying, a few of us sat down with Brother Nee for fellowship. Someone suddenly asked Brother Nee, "The chorus in hymn #362 in Chinese says, 'Always walk on the narrow way of the cross, / Where my Savior died for me. ' This is not quite correct, because the Lord died on Mount Calvary, not on the narrow way of the cross." Brother Nee looked at him but did not say anything. When I heard the way he asked the question, I thought, "This person is interpreting the words according to their literal meaning but without any regard to context. Dying on Mount Calvary is the same as dying on the narrow way of the cross. Mount Calvary is included in the narrow way of the cross. The way that he strictly interprets the meaning of the words could become a problem in the future." Little did I know that what I felt that day would become a reality!

A. B. Simpson's hymns show the influence of Mrs. Penn-Lewis's messages, such as "Crucified with Christ my Savior" (Hymns, #481). Her writings prevailed in 1913 and 1914. Then World War I broke out. In 1915 the Pentecostal movement landed in Massachusetts and also began on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. A. B. Simpson was among them until they decided to make tongue-speaking an evidence of the experience of baptism. Simpson and some others protested and withdrew to form the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and those who stayed formed the Assemblies of God.

This hymn, especially stanza 2 above, is the best that has been written among the spiritual leaders in the United States. However, not very many Christians appreciate it. I was told that the hymnal of the Christian and Missionary Alliance no longer contains this precious hymn written by A. B. Simpson. If you check the index of authors at the back of our Hymns, you will see that we have included more than thirty of A. B. Simpson's hymns.

The wonderful thing is that even fifty years ago in China a young man recognized the treasure in these hymns. Brother Nee took the lead to search out these things and did an excellent job of translating them into Chinese. I would say that the Chinese version of this hymn is more poetic than the English; the end-of-line rhymes in Chinese sound much better.

A. B. Simpson's daughter wrote a good number of the tunes for his hymns. He would write the poem, and she would write an accompanying melody. Even though I am not a good singer, I love this hymn.

Not everyone appreciates the worth of such hymns. Brother Nee translated another of A. B. Simpson's hymns into Chinese, one that I also like very much: "O Lord, breathe Thy Spirit on me" (Hymns, #255). We published it in 1963. One time a brother who had been a preacher among the Brethren for twenty-five years came to me enraged, protesting, "Brother Lee, what kind of hymn is this? Breathing, breathing, breathing. I did not say a word. Less than six years later, this brother said to me, "Brother Lee, the best hymn in our hymnal is that one on breathing!" Why did he have such a change in his taste? It all depends upon our appreciation; this, in turn, depends upon our realization. If you check the various denominational hymn books, you will have a hard time finding a hymn like either of these because there is no appreciation, no interest; they do not live such a life. This is an indication that, when it comes to the Lord Jesus being life to us, today's Christianity is far off the track. Thus, they have no taste for such hymns.

Now the Lord's being life to us is my burden, and I pray that it may become our burden. Without such a life the Lord's recovery has no content; regardless of what we say, it is just an empty formality. What is so precious about the stanza that begins, "'Tis not hard to die with Christ"? As far as we know, A. B. Simpson was probably the first in church history to enter into Philippians 3:10. Who can say that it is not hard to die? Think of all the books you know; who has ever said this? Who could ever say this? Why is it not hard to die? Because His risen life I know. It is not hard to die because I am enjoying, realizing, the resurrection life.

This risen life was in Jesus. When He came forth to minister, the first thing He did was to be baptized. His death on the cross was a baptism. When the mother of the sons of Zebedee came and sought position for them, the Lord asked if they could drink the cup which He was about to drink and be baptized with His baptism (Matt. 20:20-23). That baptism was the Lord's crucifixion. At the beginning of His ministry He entered into a baptism by water; at the very end He had the baptism by crucifixion. He could go through these two baptisms because He had the resurrection life within Him.

A. B. Simpson surely saw something. He may be considered as one of the most spiritual brothers in this country's Christian history

'Tis not hard to share His suff'rings

When our hearts with joy o'erflow.

This joy also comes from the resurrection life. Many teachers point out that the book of Philippians is a book of joy, of rejoicing. Where was Paul when he was rejoicing? He was in prison. Is it not extraordinary that one in prison could write an Epistle saying that he was rejoicing and encouraging the recipients of his letter to rejoice too? He was able to rejoice because of the power of resurrection within him. This hymn is so precious. The chorus states,

All the way to Calvary,
Where my Savior went for me,
Help me, Lord, to go with Thee,
All the way to Calvary.

This is the real experience of Christ, which we all need so much. It first depends upon the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, the revelation with the vision. Then we must respond, we must seek after this, so that we may gain Christ and be found in Him.

Christ's resurrection life brings His death to us and becomes the power for us to experience His death. Hymns, #481 says, "'Tis not hard to die with Christ / When His risen life we know; / 'Tis not hard to share His suff'rings / When our hearts with joy o'erflow. / In His resurrection power / He has come to dwell in me, / And my heart is gladly going / All the way to Calvary." This hymn expresses the meaning of Philippians 3:10. The resurrection life of Christ conforms us to the death of Christ. When we know Christ and the power of His resurrection, we experience His death, live in His death, and are conformed to His death.

Not only was the Lord put into death when He was baptized, but the four Gospels reveal that His living on the earth was also continually under death. In one sense, after being immersed in baptism, the Lord rose up from the death water. Yet in another sense, He remained under death in His living and walk. Jesus was dying to live. For the entire three and a half years of His earthly ministry, He was dying. In other words, He was always being crucified. Eventually, at the end of the three and a half years of His ministry, He walked to the cross to die physically. Hymns, #481 by A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, says, "All the way to Calvary." Jesus was going all the way to Calvary during the entire three and a half years of His ministry on the earth. His way to the cross on Calvary began from His baptism. His baptism was His first step on the way to the cross. He always lived by dying. The Lord was powerful, victorious, and full of life because He was dying all the time.

In Philippians 2 Paul mentions submission many times. To be submissive is to agree with whatever God says. In the chorus of #481 in Hymns, Brother A. B. Simpson wrote "All the way to Calvary." This is the Lord's ordination and commandment for us. Since the Lord died on the cross, we also should take the narrow way of the cross. The Christian life is, on the one hand, to live daily. On the other hand, it is to die daily. The life between a husband and a wife is a "martyr's" life. Daily the wife slaughters the husband, and the husband the wife. If you have been living wholly and proudly without having others slaughter you, you are a defeated Christian. You must be a "martyred" Christian not just before the Roman Caesar, but before your husband or your wife. In other words, let your husband or wife slaughter you and terminate you.

"All the way to Calvary" means remaining in the death of Christ continuously and walking in such a death. This is an extremely profound principle of the Christian life. When we remain in the death of Christ and walk in it, we can enjoy the power of Christ's resurrection within us. Hence, Romans 6:5 says that if we have grown together with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. The likeness of His death here is the baptism mentioned in the previous verse, and the likeness of His resurrection is the newness of life. In baptism, we grew together with Him in the likeness of His death. Now through His death, we have grown into His resurrection, where we walk in newness of life.

A. B. Simpson's hymns on the identification with Christ are of the highest standard. Hymn #481 is a very sweet song on being identified with Christ's death and resurrection. Verse 2 says:

'Tis not hard to die with Christ
When His risen life we know;
'Tis not hard to share His suff'rings
When our hearts with joy o'erflow.
In His resurrection power
He has come to dwell in me,
And my heart is gladly going
All the way to Calvary.

Do you feel that it is hard to die? Here is a word that tells us it is not hard to die. To die with yourself is hard, but to die with Christ is not hard. It is not hard to die with Christ "when His risen life we know." This refers to Philippians 3:10 where Paul says, "To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

Hymn #481 in Hymns is an excellent hymn on being identified with the Lord in His death and resurrection. The first two lines of verse 2 say:

'Tis not hard to die with Christ

When His risen life we know.

This hymn was written by A. B. Simpson. All those who know the inner life love this hymn. The question that was asked is actually a question concerning whether we have death first and then resurrection, or resurrection first and then death. By the illustration of the seed being buried in the earth, we can see the sequence. The seed has life in it; life is resurrection. But without being buried in the earth, the seed will not be glorified. Being buried in the earth is equivalent to denying, rejecting, and renouncing ourselves. The multiplication of life, the glorification of life, as resurrection is by this burial, this renouncing.

The Lord came with life, but He passed through death. Then He entered into resurrection for His multiplication, His increase, His glorification. Today we can receive Him as our life, making us a seed. In order for us as the seed to express the divine life for its multiplication, increase, glorification, we need to go through the death which He has gone through. Going through His death is the conformity to His death.

We can see in Philippians 3 that Paul had Christ as life and that he lived by that life, yet he aspired to know more. He wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, being conformed to His death. We have Christ as life already, yet we need to know Him more. The increased knowing of Christ and of the power of resurrection will strengthen us to pass through His death. By knowing Him more, we can be conformed unto His death. This is clearly portrayed in the book of Philippians, which is a book on the experience of Christ. The conformity to His death is the renouncing of ourselves, the denying of ourselves, the rejecting of ourselves. Rejecting, renouncing, and denying mean the same thing. When we deny ourselves, we live in resurrection.