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Now that we have seen the discipline of the Holy Spirit, we will study dealing with the spirit. We join these two lessons together because they are closely related in our spiritual experience. Many times our spirit is not upright or correct because we have not received the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the discipline of the Holy Spirit usually reveals the condition of our spirit. Moreover, it is only when we have dealt adequately with our spirit that we can accept from deep within the dealing of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 51:10 says, “Renew a steadfast spirit within me.” A steadfast spirit is not what we originally have but is usually the result of God’s visiting and dealing with us.
Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of sobermindedness.” This kind of spirit, which is powerful, loving, and having a sober mind, is given by God.
Galatians 6:1 says, “In a spirit of meekness.” The spirit of meekness, which can restore those overtaken in some offense and which is possessed by the spiritual man, must be the result of man having been dealt with by God.
First Peter 3:4 says, “The incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit.” This kind of spirit is not only meek but also quiet and is therefore a most valuable adornment in the sight of God. This must also be the result of man having been dealt with by God.
Proverbs 16:19 says, “To be of a lowly spirit.” A lowly spirit, a spirit that is not proud, is obtained through having been afflicted and dealt with.
Matthew 5:3 says, “Poor in spirit.” This means that there is neither self-satisfaction nor self-righteousness in the spirit. This kind of spirit is obtained by having passed through severe smiting and discipline.
Second Corinthians 7:1 says, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of...spirit.” This verse speaks of dealing with the spirit and removing all defilement therein so that we may have a clean spirit.
If we desire to deal with the spirit, we must first be clear what the spirit is. Man is of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. The innermost and deepest as well as the loftiest part is the spirit. Furthermore, we must especially point out that the spirit is the most genuine part of man. We may say that the spirit is the genuineness of man, the genuine man.
The spirit is deeper than the heart. Hence, the spirit is more genuine than the heart. Our living and acting must be according to our spirit in order that we may be genuine. Only when we speak from our spirit are we speaking in genuineness. Only when we deal with others in our spirit are we dealing with them in genuineness. Even our spiritual activities, such as praying, fellowshipping, and preaching, must all be done in our spirit in order to be genuine. Any activity without the exercise of our spirit is outward, shallow, and also false. Any activity not originating from the deepest part is not genuine. It is not an intentional pretension but the use of a wrong organ. Therefore, we must learn to exercise our spirit and be a genuine person in the spirit.
Generally, a man is most genuine when he loses his temper, for at that time his spirit is released. When a man is not angry, he always follows a certain set of rules or etiquette outwardly, and his real situation is hidden within. But when he becomes extremely mad, to the point that he can neither bear nor hide his anger anymore, he explodes regardless of everything. What he feels inwardly, he speaks forth outwardly; how angry he feels within, he expresses without; his outward manner depicts his real condition within. At this time his spirit, which is his genuineness, comes forth. Therefore, one who is refined in appearance and who seldom loses his temper is usually a false man, whereas one who often loses his temper is genuine. His genuineness lies in the fact that his spirit is being released. In conclusion, the deepest and most genuine part of man is the spirit, and the spirit is the genuineness of man.
We must learn the lesson concerning the spirit in two aspects: one is to let the spirit come forth, and the other is to let the spirit come forth cleanly.
The purpose of the previous lessons on dealing with the flesh, the self, and the natural constitution is to let the spirit come forth. The result of the dealings is that the spirit may be released.
In God’s original arrangement for man, He placed the spirit of man above his soul and body in order that man might live by the spirit, on one hand exercising the spirit to contact God and be ruled by Him, and on the other hand exercising the spirit to control his whole being. But after the fall the body and the soul usurped the position of the spirit so that man no longer lived by the spirit but by the flesh and the soul. Thereafter, man’s spirit gradually withered and approached deadness. Therefore, all those today who have not experienced salvation are living in the flesh and the soul. The spirit within them seems to exist, yet it is almost without any function. Furthermore, man’s body has become flesh because of sin, while the soul has become self because of self-opinion and has become natural because of natural ability. The flesh, self-opinion, and the natural constitution tightly and securely surround the spirit. When God comes to save man, His Spirit enters into man’s spirit so that it might be revived and strengthened, enabling man to live again by the spirit. Nevertheless, the spirit of man is surrounded by the flesh, self-opinion, and the natural constitution, plus the fact that man is so accustomed to live by these; therefore, God requires that man, through the killing effect of the Lord’s cross, put all these to death, dealing with them and breaking them so that there will be some crack or opening for the spirit to come forth. When man’s spirit comes forth, it brings forth also the Spirit of God. Thus, man can live by the spirit, directing his soul, controlling his body, being a genuine man, living and acting, worshipping, and serving God by the spirit. Therefore, dealing with the flesh, the self, and the natural constitution, which were discussed before, are for the breaking of both the flesh and the soul of man to enable the spirit to come forth. This is the first aspect of the lesson that we should learn with regard to dealing with the spirit.
It is not enough, however, if we simply experience the breaking of the outward surroundings of the spirit so that the spirit can be released, for when it is released, whether its condition is correct, upright, pure, and unmixed is still another aspect of the problem. Our experience proves that some brothers or sisters are truly very faithful in denying the self and dealing with the natural constitution so that their spirit can come forth. However, when their spirit comes forth, it bears with it some improper conditions, such as being rude, haughty, crooked, or unfair. This proves that in their spirit there is much mixture unpleasing to God.
For example, we have said that when a man loses his temper, his spirit comes forth easily. But the spirit that comes forth at such a time is undoubtedly cruel, full of hatred, and rude. This is an improper condition of the spirit. As another example, consider a brother who is going to a certain place to preach. He knows from experience that he cannot rely on his outer man but that he must allow his spirit to be released; hence, he denies the self and rejects the natural constitution. As a result, his spirit as well as the Holy Spirit within his spirit are really released so that many people are touched. However, while he is speaking, there is a desire to exhibit himself and gain the praises of man, as well as a desire to compete with others and surpass them. This improper condition of boasting is manifested along with the release of his spirit. Without a doubt his spirit is released at this time, but the condition of its being released is neither right nor pure.
Strictly speaking, within our spirit there are many impure elements, such as haughtiness, boastfulness, crookedness, unfairness, cunning, subtlety, rebellion, and stiff-neckedness. The condition is complicated and delicate beyond our imagination. Therefore, it is a problem whether or not our spirit is released, but even more a problem whether it is clean when it is released. With regard to our spirit, not only should we allow it to be released without any hindrance, but we should also cause it to be clean, pure, and proper when released. This is the second aspect of the lesson we need to learn with regard to the spirit, the lesson that we call dealing with the spirit. In conclusion, with regard to the spirit, we need on one hand to be broken in order to release the spirit, and we need on the other hand to be dealt with so that the spirit may be clean, the latter being what we call dealing with the spirit.
Though we have said that the spirit must be clean, the spirit itself is not actually filthy. Indeed, 2 Corinthians 7:1 says to “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of...spirit,” but this defilement is not of the spirit itself but a defilement effected by the soul and body.
Our judgment regarding this is based upon the process of the human fall recorded in the Bible. In Genesis 3 we see that at the fall, man received the suggestion of Satan first in his soul; therefore, man’s soul has been corrupted and made filthy. In addition, with his body man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; therefore, man’s body has been contaminated by the mingling of the element of Satan. Yet at this time man’s spirit was not involved. During man’s first committing of sin, the spirit did not participate. Therefore, after the human fall, although man’s spirit was deadened through the defiling influence of soul and body, yet there was no mingling of the element of Satan in the spirit. Hence, the spirit itself is not defiled.
For example, our conscience at times is contaminated and produces the feeling of offense; yet the conscience itself has no problem. This fact still remains until today, and it is proven by the unsaved, who, whenever their spirit is revived or their conscience is touched, always stand on the side of God. They are able to differentiate between good and evil, and, through the fellowship part of their spirit, have the concept of worshipping God. Even the strongest atheist, who denies the existence of God, still has a sense deep within him of God. These remaining functions of the spirit prove that the spirit itself is clean.
If the spirit itself is not filthy, why does it sometimes manifest itself in an unclean and improper manner? It is because the spirit must pass through many of our inward parts when it comes forth. Within the inward parts is filthiness so that when the spirit passes through them, it is defiled, and thus the filthiness is brought forth also. Therefore, when the spirit is released and manifested, it exhibits certain defiled and improper conditions.
For example, the water from a hot spring often bears the odor of sulphur. Actually, the water itself is clean and odorless, but as it flows out, it passes through a sulphur deposit and brings with it the sulphuric element. Since there is the element of sulphur in the water, it becomes sulphur water, and when it flows out, it carries with it the sulphuric odor.
Likewise, the spirit in our innermost part is pure and undefiled. However, surrounding the spirit are the soul and body, both of which have been mixed with the wicked elements of Satan and are thus filthy and corrupt. Therefore, when the spirit comes forth and passes through the soul and body, it becomes contaminated by this filthiness and corruption. Hence, when being manifested, the spirit bears certain filthiness, corruption, impurity, impropriety, and various other undesirable conditions. If a person is proud in his soul, the spirit also manifests itself in pride; if a person is angry in the flesh, his spirit also reveals the anger. We often encounter the spirit of anxiety, the spirit of jealousy, a crooked spirit, or a rude spirit, all of which are not the problem of the spirit itself but the defiling influence of the undesirable elements of the soul and body upon the spirit as it passes through them. We can tell the kind of defilement from the kind of spirit, and the kind of spirit reveals the kind of man.
That man’s spirit carries this filthiness of the soul and body is indeed a dreadful thing. It seems that when the spirit is inert, the filthiness of the soul and body are not so critical, but when the spirit is activated and released, then all the filthiness of the soul and body are brought forth. This is very serious. We may liken this situation to dynamite, which, when kept in the storeroom, is not harmful. But when a fire breaks out in the storeroom, causing an explosion, the condition is serious. Fire itself is not explosive, but when it passes through the dynamite, the two will explode together. Likewise, if a person hates others in the soul, it is not too serious; but if his spirit is being released while he is hating others, it carries with it the hatred of the soul, and thus it becomes a spirit of hatred. This is rather serious.
Therefore, it is not enough for us to simply learn to release the spirit; we must completely deal with all the mixture in our spirit so that when the spirit is released, it will neither be dangerous nor cause trouble to others.
The passage of the spirit can be summed up as the soul and the body, but when studied minutely it can be divided into the purpose of the heart, the motive, the aim, the intention, the heart, the mood of the heart, the will, and the flesh. The purpose of the heart has something to do with the heart, whereas the motive and intention can be either in the heart or in the soul. The flesh has to do with the physical body.
Since all these passages of the spirit surround our spirit, they naturally affect the spirit, which must pass through them in order to be released, and which also brings forth their elements and conditions. Hence, the condition of the spirit reflects the condition of all these passages. If our motive is not pure, the spirit also is not pure when released; if our intention is not clean, the spirit coming forth is also not clean.
We can see this more fully from the illustration we have used concerning preaching when it is used for showing off and for competition. When the brother is preaching, his spirit is released, but with the air of display and competition. This is because there are the elements of display and competition in the purpose of his heart and in his motive. With the purpose of heart for self-glory, the result is a showy and boastful spirit. His competitive motive, moreover, causes others to touch a competing and striving spirit.
Therefore, man’s spirit is indeed the most genuine part of man. No matter what a man’s condition is, it is manifested when his spirit comes forth. When we contact others or help others in spiritual matters, we should touch their spirit and know their intention and motive. Thus, we will know the real condition of man deep within him.
Take for example a brother who comes to see the elders and says, “Brother So-and-so and I engaged in business together, and he has wronged me. I come not to accuse him but simply to have some fellowship with you, the responsible brothers.” Although he declares that he does not come to accuse his brother, his spirit proves otherwise. His motive and intention in fellowshipping are to accuse his brother. Once we touch his spirit, his motive and intention can never escape our discernment.
The purpose of the heart and the motive in man’s spirit are just like a person’s accent — they are very difficult to disguise. For example, suppose a southerner insists on saying that he is a northerner. If he is silent, he might pass as a northerner, but the more he argues, the more his accent reveals that he is a southerner. The day that Peter was in the court of the high priest, the more he defended himself by saying that he was not one of the Nazarenes, the more his Galilean accent betrayed him (Matt. 26:69-73). Likewise, someone may claim that he is humble, yet his spirit reveals his pride. Someone may declare that he is absolutely honest, yet his spirit causes us to sense his crookedness. Another may say that he would be happy to help if there were only an opportunity, yet you touch in him an unwilling spirit. Still another may say that he really wants to obey but that because of a certain difficulty he cannot obey, yet from his spirit we can tell that from the very beginning he has never wanted to obey. The situation in a man’s spirit is much more complicated than the outward expression. Therefore, we must judge according to man’s spirit, not according to his words.
All brothers and sisters desiring to serve the Lord in the church must especially learn this lesson. If we merely observe a man’s outward attitude and listen to his words, we can easily be deceived. However, if we learn to touch his spirit, the purpose of his heart, his motive, his aim, and his intention cannot escape our observation. Since these are the passages of the spirit, and the spirit bears these conditions as it is being released, its condition reflects these exact conditions. There is no exception to this.
Since the defilement of the spirit is due to the passage of the spirit (which includes the purpose of the heart, motive, aim, and intention), then dealing with the spirit is not dealing with the spirit itself but with the passage of the spirit, that is, with the purpose of the heart, motive, aim, and intention. Whenever we are about to act or speak, not only do we need to inquire whether what we are about to do is right or wrong, good or bad, but we must also discern whether or not our inner intention is clean, our motive pure, and our aim wholly for God. Is there any selfish purpose behind our action? Is there any self-inclination? This kind of dealing is dealing with the spirit.
For example, suppose a certain brother has a controversy with you, which causes you to be very angry and disgusted. When you mention him to others, although outwardly you speak lightly as if nothing really matters, nevertheless your words cause others to sense a spirit of condemnation and anger. One day, perhaps during a meeting or while in prayer, you receive mercy from the Lord and realize that since the Lord has forgiven you, you must certainly forgive your brother. At this time, from your deepest being, you deal thoroughly with your unforgiving purpose of heart and intention. Later, when you mention this brother to others, although you touch the controversial matter of the past, your spirit is undisturbed and upright. At this time not only does your spirit come forth, but it comes forth cleanly without any other intention.
In the church those who can really supply others and edify the brothers and sisters are those who have a clean spirit through this kind of dealing. If our spirit has never been dealt with, then even while praising others we cause an uncomfortable feeling in others. This is because our spirit is not clean. It may be that in our praising there is the purpose of flattering or the intention of gaining rewards from others. Contrariwise, one who has had his spirit dealt with may even rebuke others in a firm and straightforward manner, causing those who are rebuked to feel upset in the soul; yet their spirit will receive supply and enlightenment, and will thus feel refreshed and satisfied. This is because his spirit is clean and pure, having no other motive.
For this reason we not only need to have our flesh, self, and natural constitution broken so that the spirit can come forth, but we must go one step further and deal with all the negative purposes of the heart, the undesirable intentions, the impure inclinations, the improper will, and the mixed emotions to the end that not only the spirit can come forth but that it may come forth in an upright, clean, and pure manner. Therefore, we need these two steps of dealing. The first step is the dealing of breaking in order to release the spirit; the second step is dealing with all the elements in the passage of the spirit so that the spirit can come forth in a clean way. This dealing with all the elements is dealing with the passage of the spirit and also dealing with the spirit.
Since the passage of the spirit includes every part of our being, we need to deal with every part of our being when dealing with the spirit. This kind of dealing is deeper and more delicate than the various dealings mentioned before. If we compare dealing with sin and dealing with the world to washing our clothes, dealing with the conscience to taking a bath, dealing with the flesh to shaving, dealing with self to the flaying, and dealing with the natural constitution to cutting, then dealing with the spirit is comparable to taking out all the blood cells in order to examine and clean each one. Beginning with dealing with sin, every step of the dealings becomes deeper and finer as we go on. When we come to dealing with the natural constitution, we are being dealt with completely within and without. The only part remaining is the mixture coming forth with the spirit. When we have the spirit dealt with and cleansed from all mixtures so that not only does the spirit come forth but it comes forth as a clean, pure, and upright spirit, then our whole being is completely and thoroughly dealt with. Therefore, following this, we obtain the filling of the Spirit. When all the elements of our old creation have been completely dealt with, then the Holy Spirit can possess and fill our whole being.
Dealing with the conscience and dealing with the spirit are very delicate dealings within us and are seemingly difficult to distinguish. However, when we compare them carefully, we realize that the objects of their dealings differ. Dealing with the spirit emphasizes dealing with the impure intentions, motives, and other mixtures within us, whereas dealing with the conscience emphasizes dealing with the feeling of the conscience toward all the mixtures.
For example, consider a sister who relates a certain matter to others. While she is speaking, there is a bad motive hidden within her. Afterward, her conscience condemns her, causing her to feel that it was not right to speak with a bad motive. She confesses the matter before God and deals with it before others. At this point she has dealt with the matter of speaking thus to others with a bad motive, and she has peace in her conscience. Yet she has not dealt with the bad motive itself. Hence, that element, that mixture, still remains within her, though it will not be manifested as long as she keeps quiet and does not release her spirit. However, as soon as she mentions the same subject, her spirit being released, that particular motive, that mixture, will automatically be brought forth. Later, when she is enlightened and sees what a base motive she has had and that it should no longer remain within her, she deals with that bad motive through the power of the Holy Spirit. At this time she has not only dealt with her improper, outward behavior but also with the mixture itself within her. In dealing with the outward behavior, as far as the behavior is concerned, it is dealing with sin; as far as the feeling of the conscience toward the behavior is concerned, it is dealing with the conscience; and dealing with the inward mixture is dealing with the spirit.
Consider another example. A brother is very dissatisfied with another brother and has many feelings of criticism and complaint. Although these feelings have not been expressed, yet within his conscience he realizes that this is not right; therefore, he confesses this as sin before God. This is his dealing with his own conscience. Nevertheless, he is not willing to abandon these dissatisfied feelings and deal with these mixtures. Therefore, whenever he is reminded of this brother or mentions the brother, his spirit still contains these mixtures and is still a dissatisfied spirit, full of criticism. Up to this point he has only dealt with the feeling of the conscience but not the mixtures in his spirit. He has only the experience of dealing with the conscience but not the experience of dealing with the spirit. Therefore, he may have peace in his conscience but the mixtures in his spirit have still not been eliminated. Not until he receives mercy again and abandons the dissatisfaction hidden deep within him so that there is no more such mixture in his spirit, will he have once learned the lesson of dealing with the spirit.
In conclusion, dealing with the conscience is only a matter of dealing with the feeling. We need to deal with the spirit in order to deal with the nature within. It is only when the nature is dealt with that the root of the matter is treated. Therefore, dealing with the spirit is deeper and more severe than dealing with the conscience. Dealing with the conscience is but a lesson in the second stage of the spiritual experience of life, whereas dealing with the spirit can only be experienced at the end of the third stage.
The practical way to deal with the spirit is similar to that of the various dealings mentioned before. First, we need to condemn the mixtures, and second, to remove them by the power of the Holy Spirit. For example, if we have a crooked spirit, we must first condemn this crookedness as sin. Second, we must purge out this crookedness from within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Although the condemning and the removal are through the power of the Holy Spirit, yet they are of our own initiative. We must be willing to have such dealings and desire them; then we can draw from the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit requires the cooperation of our will; when He has this, He will supply us with the power for dealing. This is the most basic principle of our dealing in life.
The putting to death mentioned in Romans 8:13 means that we take the initiative to put to death; it does not mean that the Holy Spirit does it for us. The Holy Spirit is the means, but we must take the initiative. The Holy Spirit supplies the strength, but we must take the initiative to put to death the practices of the body by the Holy Spirit. We have spoken before of Galatians 5:24, which says that we who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts. This crucifying is also of our initiating, not of the Lord’s. No doubt the crucifixion was accomplished by the Lord, but that is only an objective basis; our taking the initiative to crucify the flesh is our subjective application. We need to take the initiative to apply the cross and crucify the passages of the spirit, including our flesh, our self, our natural constitution, our purpose of heart, aim, intention, inclination, and motive.
This type of dealing initiated by us differs from human cultivation. Human cultivation is purely the work of man, whereas the dealing that we initiate is based upon the fact of the cross. It is because the Lord has already condemned sin on the cross that we can deal with sin. It is because the Lord has already judged the world on the cross that we can deal with the world. Likewise, it is because the Lord has done away with our old man on the cross, and our flesh, temper, self, natural constitution, and all other mixtures as well, that we can employ this fact as a basis upon which to deal with our flesh, temper, self-will, natural ability, and all the mixtures in the passages of our spirit.
In dealing with the spirit, we have not only the accomplished fact of the Lord on the cross as the basis, but we have moreover the life of the Lord’s death and resurrection as the power. Because this life issues from the death of the cross, it has within it the element of the death of the cross. Therefore, when His life flows into us, it brings us back to the death of the cross in order to unite us with the death of the cross, thereby joining us to the cross. This may be likened to the electric current following through the light bulb: it connects the bulb with the power plant, while at the same time the electricity of the power plant can manifest its function by causing the bulb to give forth light. Likewise, when the resurrection life of the Lord enters into us and moves within us, it produces the effect of death, which enables us to have the various dealings of putting to death. This life within us spontaneously gives us feelings that require us to deal with sin, the world, the feeling of the conscience, the boasting and desires of the flesh, the self-opinion, the ability of the natural life, and all the mixtures in the different parts of our whole being. All these dealings are in the accomplished fact of Christ on the cross and are now being experienced by us in the Holy Spirit.
Once we have the feeling derived from the life of the Lord within us, we need to exercise our will to cooperate with His life and immediately initiate the dealing. If we cooperate in this manner, this feeling of life becomes a killing power, enabling us to have the experience of the killing of the cross. At this time the putting to death of the cross becomes manifest in our living in a very practical way by removing our unrighteousness, unholiness, offense in our conscience, flesh, temper, self-opinion, natural constitution, and all mixtures in the various parts of our being. At this stage our whole being is not only broken so that the spirit can be released but also purified so that the spirit that is released is pure and upright, meek, and normal.
The standard of our dealing with the spirit is still “life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). We only need to deal to the degree of having peace within; this is sufficient. However, concerning the degree of dealing whereby we can obtain peace, the Holy Spirit will be responsible to speak to us and give us a clear feeling. Many times the speaking of the Holy Spirit within us has a higher standard than the outward demand. If our growth in life reaches the degree of dealing with our spirit, then the demand of the Holy Spirit within us will not only be higher than the law of this world but higher and more severe than the regulations in letter in the Bible. Therefore, as long as we feel that there is no problem deep within, that is sufficient. If, however, there is some problem deep within that gives us no peace, we should not listen to outward reasonings. We must take heed to the inner demand of the Holy Spirit and thereby attain to the standard required by the Holy Spirit deep within.
