I.　A crucial aspect of the experience of life is dealing with the natural con-stitution—1 Cor. 2:14; Phil. 3:3-9:

A.　We need to realize the impotence, the insufficiency, of our natural being in the things of God—2 Cor. 3:5-6:

1.　We may be sufficient in other things, but in our natural being we do not have any sufficiency, competence, or power in the things of God—Eph. 2:1, 5a; 4:17-18; 1 Cor. 2:14; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 6:6; 7:24; 8:7-8; Matt. 16:24.

2.　We should not have any trust in our natural being in the things of God; rather, we must learn to reject our natural being and exercise our spirit in everything—Phil. 3:3; Rom. 8:4.

3.　In the Lord's recovery there is no place for our natural being; the churches in the Lord's recovery, as parts of the living Body of Christ, will spontaneously reject anything that is natural—1 Cor. 12:12-13.

4.　In the building of the church every natural thing in us must be broken before we can be joined together; we can be built only after we have been broken in our natural being—Hymns, #837, stanzas 6 and 7.

B.　In the expression natural constitution the word constitution denotes the aggre-gate of our physical and mental powers—1 Thes. 5:23:

1.　The natural constitution is an outstanding characteristic of the soulish man and is a prominent expression of the living out of the old man—1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 6:6.

2.　The natural constitution is the expression of the living out of the old man, which has to do with human ability, capability, wisdom, cleverness, schemes, and skills; Jacob is the best representative character of the natural consti-tution—v. 6; Gen. 28:20-22.

3.　God cannot use one who is merely naturally capable; natural ability, unless broken, is a hindrance to God—32:22-32.

C.　We need to understand the process of the experience of dealing with the natu-ral constitution:

1.　We need to see that our old man has been crucified with Christ—Rom. 6:6.

2.　We need to realize that the natural constitution is a very strong expression of the old man.

3.　We should spontaneously receive the crucifixion of Christ upon our natural constitution, applying the cross of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit upon our natural constitution:

a.　When we receive and apply Christ's crucifixion, all our natural ability will be stamped with the mark of death and gradually become withered— Matt. 16:24.

b.　This receiving is a great spiritual crisis in our life; it may become our Penuel, where our natural ability and capability are touched by God— Gen. 32:22-32.

4.　We apply the experience of dealing with our natural constitution in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and by letting the Holy Spirit execute the cru-cifixion of Christ upon every area of our natural life as it is discovered— 2 Cor. 13:14; Rom. 8:13.

II.　The more our natural constitution is dealt with, the more we will be in resurrection—Phil. 3:3-11:

A.　All the aspects of our natural constitution are derived from the natural life and do not spring from the resurrection life of Christ; the opposite of being natural is being in resurrection—v. 11.

B.　Our dealing with the natural constitution is so that our inherent ability, capa-bility, and wisdom may pass through the death of the cross, become resurrected, and thereby become acceptable and useful to God—John 12:24-26.

C.　Our natural ability must be brought into resurrection so that it may become useful to the Lord—Phil. 3:3-11:

1.　Natural ability is selfish, and its schemes and devices are for the sake of self; resurrected ability has been broken and is not for self and has no ele-ment of self.

2.　Natural ability is mixed with the elements of flesh and temper; resur-rected ability is devoid of the flesh.

3.　Natural ability involves craftiness and maneuvering; resurrected ability does not scheme.

4.　Natural ability contains pride and makes oneself feel capable, thereby resulting in boasting and self-glorification; resurrected ability is not proud and does not boast in itself.

5.　Natural ability is not under the control of the Holy Spirit and is extremely daring in doing anything; resurrected ability is controlled by the Spirit and does not dare act according to one's wishes.

6.　Natural ability has no regard for the will of God, acting entirely according to self-will; resurrected ability is for the will of God.

7.　Natural ability does not rely upon God but relies wholly upon self; resur-rected ability relies upon God and does not dare act according to self.

D.　God is working through the cross to terminate us, to bring us to an end, so that we will no longer trust in ourselves but in the God of resurrection—2 Cor. 1:9.

E.　To "attain to the out-resurrection from the dead" indicates that our entire being has been gradually and continually resurrected; this should be the goal and destination of the Christian life—Phil. 3:11.

F.　As we experience Christ in His resurrection, we are transferred mysteriously into the tribe of "Naphtali" and become spiritual "Naphtalites"; a portion of the personal history of every Christian should be mysterious, and in this mys-terious portion we are transferred into the tribe of Naphtali to live by the resurrected Christ—2 Chron. 2:14; 1 Kings 7:14; Gen. 49:21; Psa. 22, title.

G.　If we allow our natural capacity, ability, and virtues to be brought to the cross and die, we will be resurrected—Rom. 8:13; John 12:24:

1.　Then in resurrection our capacity, ability, and virtues will be many times greater than they were in the natural life.

2.　These things are still ours, but having passed through death and burial, they are now in resurrection:

a.　This means that our capacity, ability, and virtues have entered into res-urrection—Phil. 3:11.

b.　We continue to exist, but we with our natural capacity, ability, and virtues have entered into the realm of resurrection—John 12:25-26.

H.　The reality of resurrection is the Spirit, and the Spirit is the consummation of the Triune God; therefore, resurrection is the consummated Triune God—1 Cor. 15:45b; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14:

1.　Our natural capacity, ability, and virtues need to be transferred from our natural life into the Triune God through death and burial.

2.　In ourselves we are natural, but when we are transferred out of ourselves into the Triune God, who is resurrection, we enter into resurrection—John 11:25; 2 Cor. 1:9.

I.　It is never a loss to sow the "seed" of our natural ability into the ground, for when we sow this seed, we lose it temporarily, but eventually there will be a harvest in resurrection—John 12:24-26.