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The proper meaning of being used by God is to be a channel for the life of God to flow into us and then flow out of us. Since we are not lifeless pipes, when the divine life flows through us, it is also mingled with us. Fellowship is to allow God not only to flow through us but also to mingle with us. Some believers teach that a Christian must pursue to arrive at the stage of having nothing of his own life and nature but only having God’s life and nature. This teaching seems to be very spiritual, but it is not accurate. Genuine spirituality does not mean that our human life ceases to exist but that God’s life is mingled with our human life. It is not that we lose our human nature but that God’s nature is mingled with our redeemed humanity.
When Peter wrote his Epistles, he was filled with the life of God. However, it is obvious that Peter did not lose his human life, nor was his human life replaced by the divine life. Rather, the divine life was mingled with his human life. Although Peter expressed the divine life, this expression had the flavor of his humanity. Similarly, Paul was also full of the divine life, but the divine life expressed through Paul also possessed his human flavor. The early believers were filled with the divine life, but what they expressed was distinct. What they expressed contained the element of their life and nature. This is genuine spirituality.
Genuine spirituality does not mean that the human life is exchanged for the divine life. Genuine spirituality means that God is mingled with man, such that the human life does not exist alone nor does the divine life exist alone. Strictly speaking, our fellowship with God, in which He flows into us and flows out of us, is not merely a matter of His flowing through us but of His mingling with us. In this mingling, God is constituted into us. In this mingling, the human element is not annulled or abolished. The human element continues to exist, but it is mingled with God. As a result of this mingling, man becomes a hybrid, possessing two natures and two lives. On the one hand, it is God who lives, but on the other hand, it is man who lives. Do not think that those who fellowship with God and allow Him to flow through them do not have thoughts, emotions, intentions, preferences, or inclinations. They still possess the function of their mind, emotion, and will, but the element of God is mingled with them. The element of God is mingled in their thoughts, feelings, and decisions. As a result, God is manifested through their mind, emotion, and will.
To say that a person gives up his human life in exchange for the divine life is an erroneous concept. On the contrary, every person who fellowships with God becomes living and active. His will becomes strong, his emotion becomes fervent, his mind becomes sober, and he becomes living, energetic, and full of activity. Then not only does he afford God an adequate, sound, and living coordination, but he also has continual fellowship with God. Nevertheless, his thoughts, will, preferences, opinions, and inclinations are not independent. His thoughts are dependent on God and are mingled with God’s thoughts, and his emotions are also mingled with God’s emotions. Everything that he wills and does is the result of God being mingled with him. Therefore, his thinking is God’s thinking, and his speaking is God’s speaking.
According to this view, all the Epistles are God’s words. It does not matter whether they were written by Paul, Peter, or John; they are God’s words. It is difficult for unbelievers to accept the view that the words written by Paul are God’s words. If we understand what it means to fellowship with God, however, we will know why the words of the apostles are God’s words. The apostles had such a deep mingling with God that their speaking was His speaking in them, their preferences were His preferences, and their move was His moving within them. This corresponds to Philippians 1:20-21, which says, “As always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body...For to me, to live is Christ.” These verses mean that it is not only Christ living but Christ living in me. This is also what Galatians 2:20 says: “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh.” The first part of this verse says, “It is no longer I,” but the next part says, “I now live.” This is genuine spiritual living. It is not that we lose our human element but that our human element is mingled with the divine element; our whole being is filled with God’s element. Such a person expresses the flavor of God. When he speaks, others sense that God is speaking. When he gives his view, others sense that it is the mind of God. Even when he is angry, others sense God’s authority.
It is not a matter of being a water pipe through which God as the living water flows, because there is no relationship between a pipe and the water flowing through it. Genuine spirituality means that the human nature is mingled with the divine nature. God was mingled with Paul. As a result, on the one hand, Paul’s Epistles bear Paul’s flavor, but on the other hand, they are the words of God. This situation differs from the way that the prophets spoke in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets spoke because God’s words came to them. Hence, their tone was God’s, not theirs. The prophets in the Old Testament often said, “Jehovah says,” or “Thus says Jehovah.” The situation in the New Testament Epistles is completely different. Apart from the seven epistles in Revelation, the Epistles do not bear the tone of the Lord’s direct speech. On the contrary, Paul charges the believers (1 Cor. 7:10; 11:17), and Peter entreats and exhorts them (1 Pet. 2:11; 5:1). The book of Romans is the Word of God and is inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, in this book Paul says, “I exhort you...through the compassions of God” (12:1), and “I say” (15:8). In his Epistles John says, “We report also to you,” and “These things we write” (1 John 1:3-4). Even though these were John’s words, they were recorded in the New Testament. Even though these words were spoken by the apostles, they are God’s words because God was mingled with the apostles. For this reason, when the apostles spoke, God spoke through them. The apostles were God-men. This is spirituality.
When a person is possessed by a demon, the function of his mind, emotion, and will are annulled. When God mingles with a person, He does not annul the human element. God wants man’s mind, emotion, and will to cooperate with Him. Hence, the more spiritual we become, the richer our mind, emotion, and will become. A spiritual person is more human because his human element is enriched with the divine element. Such a person is moved by the Spirit. Furthermore, God flows through such a person and mingles with him. What that person says or does is according to the proper standard of humanity. His personality is not annulled; rather, it is strengthened.
According to his biography, Andrew Murray’s mind, emotion, and will were enriched, yet he was also firm and resolute. His thoughts touched God’s mind, his affection touched God’s emotion, and his will touched God’s intention. Other spiritual giants were the same. They did not lose their human nature, but they stopped being independent of God. Genuine fellowship does not cause a person to cease to exist. On the contrary, he becomes more active. However, he no longer does things by himself. He depends on God and touches God’s feeling in everything he does.
A lethargic person who sleeps all the time is cowardly and cannot be spiritual. A spiritual person must be sober and sound. He will have rich thoughts, fervent emotions, and a strong, resolute will. He will depend on God, and his revelation, insight, and understanding will not be independent of God. He will be subject to God, depend on God, and let God be mingled with him. Hence, the divine element will be in his mind, emotion, and will. For this reason his speaking, decisions, and wisdom will be God’s speaking, decisions, and wisdom.
Two brothers may be intelligent, but one brother can have the flavor of God while the other does not. Two sisters might lose their temper, but one sister expresses God, while the other expresses her flesh. An elder might speak a harsh word of rebuke, and yet others sense the flavor of God. We can discern the difference in such cases.
We should not think that when we fellowship with God, our person ceases to exist. If a person ceases to exist, it is likely that he is possessed by a demon. When we learn to fellowship with the Lord, we learn to use our mind, emotion, and will properly and to subject them to God. If a thought causes a sister to feel dry, empty, or restless, she should reject it and think of something else. If another thought gives her light and comfort, she should receive it, because it is of life. If a brother who is ready to give a message feels bothered within, that is God’s prohibition. He should seek the Lord until he feels bright and refreshed. This should be our practice even when we select hymns for a meeting.
We do not cease to have thoughts when we fellowship with the Lord. On the contrary, we are full of thoughts. However, we do not depend on our thoughts but on the sense of life in our spirit — the sense given to us by God. When we subject our thoughts to the sense in our spirit, we are subjecting our mind to God and are being mingled with Him. Our love for others should be according to the sense in our spirit. It is not that we are without emotions. We are full of emotions, but our emotions are subject to the sense in our spirit. This also applies to our will. Our spirit should be the dominant part of our being. If our spirit is subject to God, our whole being will also be subject to God. This is the way to touch the presence of God in our walk. This is to live in fellowship. Then what we say and do will have the divine element, express God, and supply life. As those who desire to be used by God, this is the most basic lesson that we should learn.
The proper meaning of fellowship is that God flows into man as life in order for man to be mingled with Him. God is Spirit, and we have a human spirit. The Spirit has entered into us in order to be our life. Before man’s fall the human spirit was his dominant organ; it governed and directed him. His mind, emotion, and will, with their various functions, were under the direction of his spirit. The actions of his body were also under the direction of his spirit. Although he was not indwelt by the Spirit, his human spirit was able to communicate with God. Although God was outside of man, He could direct the spirit within man. Hence, man lived before God and was under God’s control. From the human viewpoint this condition seems to be good enough. For this reason many Christians think that God’s salvation is merely to bring us back to man’s original condition. It has not occurred to them that God’s salvation exceeds bringing man back to his original condition. God’s purpose is to be one with us by entering into our spirit, dwelling in our spirit, and being mingled with us. Thus, God desires to direct and govern our entire being. Not only so, He desires to spread from our spirit into every part of our being.
God in His salvation desires not only to rule over us but also to be mingled with us. This mingling begins with our spirit until it reaches every part of our being. God first enters into our spirit to become one spirit with us. Then from our spirit He spreads into our soul — our mind, emotion, and will. God mingles with our mind, emotion, and will so that our mind expresses His thoughts, our emotion expresses His feelings, and our will expresses His decisions.
To fellowship with God is to let Him operate and work freely in our spirit so that He can reach our mind, emotion, and will. His spreading requires that our mind, emotion, and will be subject to our spirit. God is already mingled with and joined to our spirit as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). Hence, when our mind, emotion, and will are subject to our spirit, they are also subject to God. If we allow our spirit to rule over us, that is, to direct our mind, emotion, and will, the Spirit will flow into every part of our being. This flow is fellowship. When we fellowship with God, we let Him flow from our spirit to every part of our being.
When our mind, emotion, and will make a move that is not under the ruling of our spirit, our fellowship with God is broken. When the flow stops, the fellowship is lost. Once we lose the fellowship, we lose God’s presence. This is serious. We should be in fear and trembling so that we would not allow our mind, emotion, and will to bypass the ruling of our spirit. The Spirit is able to flow freely within our being when our mind, emotion, and will are subject to the ruling of our spirit. As a result, we will remain in fellowship with God and enjoy His presence, and God will be mingled with us and spread to every part of our inner being. Furthermore, He will flow out of our inner being, and the element of God will be seen in our living and walk. At this time the divine element will be mingled with our human element.
The Bible says that God is Spirit (John 4:24), and it also refers to the Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). The Bible also says that God is life (John 5:26; 11:25; 14:6). God, Spirit, and life are one. Spirit is God’s nature, and life is His content. Therefore, it is equally correct to say that God is in us, that the Spirit is in us, and that God’s life is in us. To say that God is in us refers to Him as a person. To say that the Spirit is in us means that He is spiritual, not physical. To say that God’s life is in us means that the content of the Godhead is in us. Our fellowship is in God, in the Spirit, and in life. Fellowship is the means by which we are mingled with God and become one flow with Him. Fellowship makes us spiritual, and through fellowship we are constituted with the content of God. Through fellowship we are mingled with God, and we gain His nature and His life.
Fellowship is the mutual flow of God and man, in which God and man are mingled as one. This can be compared to adding sugar to water to produce sugar-water. It is erroneous to say that only the water remains when the sugar disappears. Rather, the water is in the sugar, and the sugar is in the water. Likewise, in the mingling of God with man, man is not annulled. Rather, God is mingled with man, and man is mingled with God. The two, God and man, become one.
God is mingled with man through His being the Spirit as well as life. God mingles His nature, which is Spirit, with every part of our being. He also mingles His content, which is life, with every part of our being. Prior to His being mingled with our mind, emotion, and will, we did not possess His nature or His content. Through fellowship He mingles His nature and His life with our mind, emotion, and will. Then the nature of our thoughts becomes spiritual, and their content will be life; the nature of our emotions will be spiritual, and their content will be life; and the nature of our decisions will be spiritual, and their content will be life. Others will sense the flavor of God in our mind, emotion, and will, because we are mingled with His spiritual nature and His content of life.
We learn to fellowship by being dependent on God. We do not allow our mind, emotion, or will to be independent of our spirit. When we are not independent from God, we will not be independent from the spirit, and we will not use our mind, emotion, or will apart from our spirit. The thoughts of our mind will be subject to the ruling and supervision of our spirit. Our spirit will examine the feelings of our emotions and the decisions of our will. To exercise in this way is to learn to fellowship with God. Our fellowship with God is broken whenever our mind, emotion, or will is independent from our spirit. Sin is not the only thing that interrupts our fellowship with God. As soon as our mind, emotion, or will is independent from God, we lose the divine fellowship.
The lesson of fellowship involves bringing the activities of our whole being under the constant ruling of our spirit. We should not engage in an activity before it is examined by our spirit. Otherwise, even the best activities, such as giving a message or praying, can cause us to lose the fellowship of the divine life. Anything that is not examined by our spirit is independent of our spirit. The activities that disrupt our fellowship with God also cause our spiritual life to suffer loss. When we learn the lesson of fellowship, our spirit will become strong, healthy, living, and fresh. Furthermore, the Spirit will have the opportunity to spread into our mind, emotion, and will. When our mind is brought under the ruling and examination of our spirit, our spirit becomes strong, and the Spirit will have the opportunity to mingle with our mind. As a result, our mind will have God’s spiritual nature and His life. Similarly, if we bring our emotion and will under the ruling of our spirit, our spirit will be strengthened, and the Spirit will spread into our emotion and will so that they become spiritual.
Initially, as we learn to fellowship, we need to bring our mind, emotion, and will under the ruling of our spirit all the time. After a period of time our inner being will spontaneously turn to our spirit and remain under the ruling of our spirit. At that time we will not wait until we are about to do something to be under the direction of our spirit; rather, our spirit will rule our mind, emotion, and will, telling them what to do. In the initial stage we often will act first and be examined by our spirit later. At a later stage our spirit will take the initiative to direct our mind, emotion, and will. Initially, we must turn to our spirit and inquire of our spirit. Later, we will remain in our spirit, and our spirit will direct us. At this time our entire being is under the control of our spirit, and our spirit becomes our person. Our spirit will be enthroned in our being and will have the first place; we will be directed by our spirit. Then it will be easy to fellowship and to release our spirit. As a result, the life of God will flow out in our daily living.
Here are nine points to help us practically learn the lesson of fellowshipping with God.
Because we are weak, we must set a definite time to fellowship with God. First Kings 18:21 says, “How long will you go hopping between two opinions?” Those who hop between two opinions cannot learn spiritual lessons. We must set a definite time to learn the lesson of fellowship. If we do not learn to enter into fellowship, the messages we have heard will not be useful to us. The Lord’s teachings in Matthew 5—7 cannot be worked out by self-cultivation. They are lived out of a person who is under the rule of the heavens. When we are in fellowship with God, we can obey the heavenly rule, and God is lived out of us. Only in fellowship with God can we receive spiritual light. We must set a definite time to learn the lesson of fellowship.
The real meaning of fellowship is to be mingled with God. However, God must obtain our consent before He can do a work of mingling. Hence, it is necessary for us to begin our fellowship with a thorough consecration by handing everything over to God.
After our consecration the activities of our mind, emotion, and will must first be brought under the examination of our spirit; otherwise, we should not do anything. This point is not easy to learn, because we are independent by nature. Since we desire to be mingled with God, after we consecrate ourselves, we should bring every matter first to our spirit, touch the feeling in our spirit, and wait for the command of our spirit. We should do what our spirit permits and not do what our spirit forbids. Whether a matter is great or small, it should be examined by our spirit.
Learning to fellowship is a serious lesson. A careless and casual person will not learn this lesson properly. Therefore, we should seriously and diligently exercise to learn the lesson of fellowship.
Reasonings are distractions from Satan. Hence, we should learn to ignore the analysis and reasonings in our mind. When we begin to reason, our fellowship will be interrupted. We should not care for being right or wrong in the details of our practice. We should care only for the principle of turning to our spirit and being directed by our spirit. When we focus on right or wrong, our fellowship is interrupted, and we fall into the trap of reasoning and analyzing.
In order to learn the lesson of fellowship, we should not wait passively to be moved by the Spirit. Instead, we need to actively exercise our will. This corresponds to the teaching of the New Testament.
We should learn to have faith and believe that we are in God’s hand and under His leading and keeping. Whether or not we are right or wrong, He bears the responsibility for our fellowship. Without believing, we cannot learn to fellowship.
In every situation we must be able to exercise our spirit. We must be those who turn toward our spirit, not toward the world. Some believers turn toward their spirit when they pray but turn away from their spirit after finishing their prayer. We must practice turning all the time. We should not wander out of our spirit. It is even best not to try to determine if we are in or out of our spirit. We should simply seek the Lord in our spirit.
We should not do anything if we have not touched the sense in our spirit. This means that we should not have any activity that is apart from the sense in our spirit. We should not be passive, nor should we exercise our will apart from our spirit. The exercise of our will must be under the direction of our spirit. We must build up the habit of turning our entire being to the spirit and doing everything in our spirit. If the Spirit does not move, we should not move. We should always be those who are stirring up our spirit.
