Contents
Part I
1. An Abiding Antagonism and Clash between God and this World
2. An Abiding Expression of that Antagonism between that which is Spiritually Related to God and this World
3. A New Constitutional Affinity with this World is Seen to be in Man's Nature
4. A Spiritual System of Intelligence
5. Spiritual Death is the Law which Governs that Relationship
6. To Sever that Bond, to Destroy that Affinity, to Introduce a Counter Law of Gravitation, is the Essence of the Work of Christ
7. This Severance, this Introduction of the New Spiritual Law of Heavenly Gravitation, is always Marked by the most Intense Conflict at Every Stage and Point
8. The Method is that of Going into Death in Order to Destroy Death, and being in the World in Order to Overcome the World
Part II
The Effect of Christ's Presence
1. To register in an absolute and pre-eminent way that antagonism between God and this world
2. To rescue an instrument from this world
3. To destroy that law of death
4. To set up in His instrument
5. To gather out from the world spiritually a people for His coming Kingdom
6. The whole course of spiritual experience is progressive detachment from the world and attachment to Christ
7. The death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are the basic factors in this work of Christ
8. The Church is called to be the collective embodiment of all that truth
T. Austin Sparks (1888 – 1971)
He was ordained as a Baptist pastor at the age of 24, and from 1912 to 1926 led three congregations in Greater London. During these years, he was also closely related to Jessie Penn-Lewis and her publication and speaking ministry, the "Overcomer Testimony."Among the many books that he wrote, at least three are regarded as Christian classics: The School of Christ, The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and We Beheld His Glory. The primary theme of Sparks' books is the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. He mentored Watchman Nee for many years and was very influential in his understanding of the Church Life.
Recommends these books by T. Austin Sparks:
Daily Open Windows: Excerpts from the Messages of T. Austin-Sparks
Discipleship in the School of Christ by T. Austin Sparks
More of Christ: From "The Stewardship of the Mystery" by T. Austin Sparks
"Mr Sparks", as he was affectionately known, was born in London, England in 1888. He came to know Christ as a teenager and later became a Baptist pastor. However, his "ecclesiastical" career took a decidedly different direction when a physical crisis brought him to a place of brokenness.
At the same time God also delivered him from his previous prejudice against anything that was related to the "deeper life". As a result, he joined Jessie Penn-Lewis in the ministry of the spiritual growth of believers; a ministry to which he devoted his life and which also cost him his reputation and his career in the denominational circles of England.
He was based in southeast London at Honor Oak Christian Fellowship which is where Watchman Nee met and fellowshipped with him during a visit to England in 1933. Nee's refusal to disavow Austin-Sparks later became the grounds for him being disfellowshipped by the Taylor Brethren. It has been said that Watchman Nee considered Austin-Sparks as his spiritual mentor, and their fellowship appears to have been rich and fruitful.
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