I was raised in a Christian home attending a denominational church. Though I heard the gospel of Christ and believed at an early age, my real assurance of salvation was clear at 19 years of age. From that time I began to seek the Lord in a more diligent way until more than 20 years later I read a book by Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life. The message of that book was a shining of light into my understanding of what I was experiencing of Christ in a subjective way.
Ultimately, within a year and a half I was introduced to the writings of Witness Lee, through which I learned two things that set my feet firmly in the path of life, the divine life. Those two things were my human spirit and God's eternal purpose (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 3:9-11). That was more than 35 years ago. Since then Christ has been so real to me, and the Bible has been opened to see Christ Himself in every page. What a blessing to be in the local church and to be led in the way of God's eternal purpose, which simply stated is Christ and the church, His Body (Ephesians 5:30-32).
I believe that without the ministry that ministers Christ as life and the church as my living, I would still be deep in the shadow of the shallow experience of knowing Christ only as my Savior, but now I know He is everything to me and is the Head of the church which is His Body and also the very center and circumference of God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:15ff).
I am so thankful for God's eternal economy to make Himself one with man and to make man one with Him (Ephesians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
Francis Ball
(Anaheim, USA)