Covenant Theological Seminary
SG 5163
The Normal Christian Lifeby Watchman Nee
BOOK COURSE
Covenant Theological Seminary
PO Box 1177 Greenville, NC 27835-1177 USA
www.gocovenant.com
COMPLETED WORK IS TO BE PLACED IN A CLEAR REPORT COVER WITH:
1. A cover page which includes:
a. Name of course, author and instructor’s name with title
b. Student’s name, degree working toward, and the date completed
c. Facilitator’s complete title/name (Dr. Max O. Flynn), the seminary’s name and location (Greenville, NC)
d. Associate facilitator’s title/name and location & the instructor’s title & name if additional
2. Separate page & heading for each new section, capitalized at top center of that page QUESTIONS, OUTLINE, SUMMARY, and BOOK REPORT
3. All papers are to be typed with 1” margins using font & size: Times 12 pt. Summaries and book reports are to be double-spaced
4. Grading will be as follows:
a. Questions: 1 point deducted for each incorrect response
b. Proper outline: 1 point deducted for each incorrect outline point/sub-point
c. A grammatically correct paper: 1 point deducted for each misspelled word and each grammatical error
Covenant Theological Seminary
Facilitator information goes here
www.gocovenant.com
COURSE ASSIGNMENT: SG 5163 THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
In this classic book, Watchman Nee teaches us who we are in Christ with the theme scripture, Galatians 2:20. Explaining who Christ is in us, what He is for us, and how to live by His power within us. He instructs us on the power of the blood, the power of the cross, God’s eternal purpose, and the goal of the Gospel.
(ISBN: 978-0875089904 (2009 Edition))
ADDITIONAL BOOK: Changed into His Likeness by Watchmen Nee
This is an exposition of the experiences of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob demonstrating the sufficiency of God in the face of human failure. God gave each of them particular experiences: to Abraham He gave the experience of knowing God as the Father, showing that everything comes from God; to Isaac He gave the experience of knowing the enjoyment of the Son, showing that everything the Son has is from the Father; and to Jacob He gave the experience of the discipline of the Holy Spirit to deal with his natural life and constitute Christ into him. (ISBN: 978-0875088594)
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:
1. TEST: Read book and answer 100 prepared questions from the book (as you read). (The test is based upon the 1977 paperback edition of the book, The Normal Christian Life.
2. OUTLINE:
a. Outline each chapter: using the author’s subheadings with each chapter heading displayed in Roman numerals, i.e., Chapter one, I, chapter two, II. etc., placing the subpoints as A, B, etc., then to 1, 2, etc, but no deeper, unless the book gives enumerated items.
b. Also at the conclusion of each chapter do a PERSONAL SUMMARY of what you saw or learned from that chapter. (See sample on next page.)
3. SUMMARIZE: Write a personal summary on the additional book: Changed Into His Likeness of what the book spoke to you (2-3 pages).
4. BOOK REPORT: Write a book report on the additional book: Changed Into His Likeness. Number of pages based upon degree program -
a. Associate & Bachelor: 3
b. Master: 5
c. Doctorate: 8
THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE, by Watchman Nee
Chapter Outline & Summary Example
I. The Blood of Christ
A. Our Dual Problem: Sins and Sin
B. God’s Dual Remedy: The Blood and the Cross
C. The Problem of our Sins
D. The Blood is Primarily for God
E. God is Satisfied.
F. The Blood and the Believer’s Access
G. Overcoming The Accuser
H. Personal Summary
From this first chapter I have refreshed my mind with the truths of sin versus sins. That the committed acts of humanity against one another and God is not the real problem but the inside nature born in rebellion against all that is holy.
I have again been reminded not only of the importance of the Blood but the Cross of Christ. I know why Paul didn’t want to know anything but “Christ and Him crucified” The preaching of the Cross is foolishness to them that perish but to us who know what it means it is the power of God. Hallelujah!
II. The Cross of Christ
A. Some Further Distinctions
B. Man’s State By Nature
C. As In Adam So In Christ
D. The Divine Way of Deliverance
E. His Death and Resurrection Representative and Inclusive
F. Personal Summary
I have rediscovered in this chapter the precious truth of how we are delivered and made free from not only the committed acts or deeds of the old man but from the nature of sin within us. Jesus’ death on the Cross was not only for the things which man does but that we might die with him to sin. No longer do we have to be bound by the law of sin and death but are free through the Blood and the Cross to live with Him a resurrected life of victory.
ANSWER SHEET
Return the completed form to your facilitator.
Name: / Last 4 SS#:Address: / Phone:
City: / Facilitator:
State: Zip:
COURSE NAME: / The Normal Christian Life (paperback book, 1977 edition)
TEXTBOOK BY: / Watchman Nee / SYLLABUS BY: / Dr. David F. McCoach
DATE REC’D: / GRADE:
SHADE COMPLETELY THE CIRCLE THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER ON YOUR COURSE EXAM
A B C D / A B C D / A B C D / A B C D1. / 26. / 51. / 76.
2. / 27. / 52. / 77.
3. / 28. / 53. / 78.
4. / 29. / 54. / 79.
5. / 30. / 55. / 80.
6. / 31. / 56. / 81.
7. / 32. / 57. / 82.
8. / 33. / 58. / 83.
9. / 34. / 59. / 84.
10. / 35. / 60. / 85.
11. / 36. / 61. / 86.
12. / 37. / 62. / 87.
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TEST QUESTIONS: The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee (paperback book, 1977 edition)
1. The author stated that the object of these studies is to show that the normal Christian life is something very different from the life of the average Christian.
A. True
B. False
2. The Apostle Paul gives us his own definition of the Christian life in Gal. 2:20. “It is no longer I, but Christ.”
A. True
B. False
3. Nee shows that the first eight chapters of Romans are actually divided into 2 sections dealing with our dual problem:
A. Blood and sweat (tears to some extent)
B. Sanctification and glorification
C. Sins we have committed, and a sin principle working within us.
4. God has a dual remedy for our dual problems:
A. A sacrificial animal that sheds blood; Jesus who shed His blood for us.
B. The Blood dealing with what we’ve done; the Cross dealing with what we are.
C. The Agony and the Ecstasy
5. In the Scriptures the Blood of Christ is shown to operate effectually in which way?
A. Godward
B. Manward
C. Satanward
D. All of the above
6. The Blood is for atonement and has to do first with our ______.
A. standing within our own conscience.
B. righteousness deep within our spirit man.
C. standing before others.
D. standing before God.
7. It is God’s holiness, God’s righteousness, which demands that a sinless life should be given for man.
A. True
B. False
8. The Blood has satisfied God; it must satisfy us also. It has therefore a second value that is manward in:
A. the cleansing of our conscience
B. helping us to find true religion
C. walking in spiritual worship of God
9. A clear conscience is never based upon our attainment; it can only be based on the work of the Lord Jesus in the shedding of His blood.
A. True
B. False
10. How then does the Blood operate against Satan? It does so by putting righteous ministers on the side of man against him.
A. True
B. False
11. God is well able to deal with our sins; but He cannot deal with a man under accusation, because such a man is not trusting in the Blood.
A. True
B. False
12. In the Book of Romans, Paul states there is still unrest within, for within me there is something that draws me to ______. There is peace with God, but there is no peace with myself.
A. mammon
B. civil warfare in the heavenlies
C. holy boldness
D. sin
13. How were we constituted sinners?
A. Through Satan’s temptation of Eve first
B. Failing to rebuke the “curse”
C. By Adam’s disobedience
D. By committing sins
14. The Blood procures our pardon for what we have done; the Cross procures our deliverance from what we are.
A. True
B. False
15. In Adam we receive some that is of Adam, but in Christ we receive everything that is of Christ.
A. True
B. False
16. Man’s problem is that we were born sinners, so how can we cut off our sinful heredity? There is only one way. Since we came in by birth we must go out by ______.
A. the blood of the Lamb
B. our own crucifixion
C. true repentance
D. death
17. We were crucified when Christ was crucified, for God put us there in Him. That we have died in Christ is not merely a doctrinal position, but an eternal, indisputable fact.
A. True
B. False
18. The last Adam, Christ, is the sum total of humanity; as the second Man he is the Head of a new race.
A. True
B. False
19. We died in Him as the last Adam; we live in Him as the second Man. The Cross is thus the mighty act of God which translates us from Adam to Christ.
A. True
B. False
20. Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history…
A. begins with the resurrection.
B. is as a new creation in Christ.
C. is that of the Second Man.
D. All of the above
21. The conditions of living the normal Christian life are fourfold. They are knowing, reckoning, …
A. speaking in tongues and intercessory prayer
B. presenting ourselves to God
C. walking in the Spirit
D. Both B & C
22. Our crucifixion can never be made effective by will or by effort, but only by accepting what the Lord Jesus did on the Cross.
A. True
B. False
23. God’s way of delivering us from sin is by making us stronger and stronger, not by making us weaker and weaker.
A. True
B. False
24. God set us free from dominion of sin, not by strengthening our old man but by crucifying him; not by helping him to do anything but by removing him from the scene of action.
A. True
B. False
25. The normal Christian life must begin with a very definite “knowing,” which is not just knowing something about the ______nor understanding some important doctrine. It is not an intellectual knowledge at all, but an opening of the eyes of the ______to see what we have in Christ.
A. truth – soul
B. end – innermost man
C. truth – heart
D. repentance – Holy Spirit
26. When once the light of God dawns upon your heart you see yourself in Christ. You know it because God has revealed it to you by His Spirit.
A. True
B. False
27. Our first step is to seek from God a knowledge that comes by ______.
A. a study of several Bible translations
B. revelation
C. fasting 21 days
28. The finished work of Christ really has gone to the root of our problem and dealt with it. There are no half measures with God. He has made full provision for sin’s rule to be ______.
A. restrained
B. weakened
C. broken
29. When we know that our old man has been crucified with Christ, then the next step is to reckon it so.
A. True
B. False
30. What, then, is the secret of reckoning? In one word, it is revelation – a revelation from God Himself.
A. True
B. False
31. To the question, when do I have faith in regard to my crucifixion? Not when I say God can, or will, or must crucify me, but when with joy I say, “Praise God, in Christ I am crucified.”
A. True
B. False
32. For Christians, the two greatest facts in history are: all our sins are dealt with by the Blood, and we ourselves our dealt with by confession of those sins.
A. True
B. False
33. Sin, the old master, is still about, but the slave who served him has been put to death and so is out of reach and his members are unemployed.
A. True
B. False
34. J. N. Darby’s New Translation says, “Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for,” which is better than the common English translation because it implies the making of them real in ______.
A. thoughts
B. memory
C. scripture
D. experience
35. “Substantiating” means that I have a certain power or faculty that makes that substance to be real to me.
A. True
B. False
36. If we do not believe the facts of the Cross they still remain as real as ever, but they are valueless to us.