No Denominations in the Underground Church — E.A. Johnston

Western Denominational Influence on the Chinese Church

Well, one of the tragic things that has happened to the Chinese church, and we need to hear this because we go there with good intentions, but one of the things that's harmed them is the Western influence, whereby Christians in the West come to help by giving Bibles and money, but they bring their denominational influences with them.

This has hurt the Chinese. They do not want our denominations. They just want the Holy Spirit. They are offended when a Westerner is allowed to come into a rural church and that person tries to influence them with their denomination.

The Church Built by the Holy Spirit

It's been not good for the Chinese, for they do not want those entanglements. You see, Jesus Christ has built his church in China, and there's no other explanation for it. Unlike America, where we pretty much build our own church through our denominational money and manpower, but in China, God has built his church there by Holy Ghost power.

It is estimated today in China that there are over 20 ,000 new believers every day. Some estimates are as high as 27 ,000, so God has not ceased working in China. He's working more and more as I speak.

Spirit-Dependent Growth in the Underground Church

It's incredible, but God is still expanding his church there. In the rural underground church in China, no one has any seminary training. Their dependence is upon the Holy Spirit to teach them, and because there's no denominations, there's no hierarchy, there's no division between clergy and laity.

All are workers, all are priesthood, members of the priesthood of believers. Listen friends, in the underground church in China, the Holy Spirit has little impediment or obstruction. The Chinese believer counts the cost of being a Christian.

Counting the Cost of Following Christ

There's no easy believism there. It's not uncommon when a person is saved that that person's entire family comes to Christ just because of the new vitality that's seen in that person. The whole family will follow the Lord.

This is especially true in the rural Chinese church. The rural underground church is comprised of believers who have counted the cost of following a crucified Savior. They know that suffering and persecution is part and parcel of following the Lamb.

The Exchange Life and Complete Surrender

We speak of the exchange life here in the West. The Chinese live such an exchange life that they don't keep any part of it. The Holy Spirit teaches them, and they are channels, not a reservoir. They don't keep it selfishly to themselves.

They let it flow out to others all the time. The Holy Spirit has complete freedom to work through the believer. They have lost everything, their homes, their families. They've been in prison. They've been beaten.

They've been starved. All they want is Christ's presence. That's what they long for. This is the key to understanding the indigenous house church in China. All they want is Jesus. They just want Jesus.

They live in an atmosphere of Christ and eternity. They live in a minute-by-minute and moment-by-moment faith that puts us to shame.