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Scripture Reading: Rom. 8:13-14; Gal. 5:16, 24
At a certain point in our Christian life, the Holy Spirit will show us that we have been nailed to the cross, even though we restrict and hinder God as life. In other words, the Holy Spirit will show every pursuer and follower of the Lord a vision, a revelation, that his person has been put to death on the cross of Christ. This is a turning point that every lover and pursuer of the Lord must experience; it is unavoidable.
When we are saved or revived, we always have a certain amount of zeal, a love for the Lord, a desire to pursue Him, an eagerness to follow Him, and a fervency to express our love for Him. However, we soon discover that our very being hinders Him the most, even though we pursue and zealously follow the Lord. Regardless of whether we are good or bad, we are a hindrance to the Lord. At this moment the Holy Spirit will show us that we have been crucified. With such a view, we pass through a gate. From this point forward, we will begin to touch the way of life in our Christian living. We also will realize that we were merely being zealous and excited in our pursuit and love of the Lord and that we have not actually entered the pathway of life. When we are shown this mercy by the Lord, we will realize that our very person hinders and troubles Him the most.
The Holy Spirit will show us that the one thing that hinders the Lord the most in the universe is our person. Then the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to fully show us that our person has been put to death on the cross. At this point we will experience death; we will pass through a gate, and we will enter onto the pathway of the spiritual life. This is the beginning of our taking the way of the spiritual life. From this point forward, the Holy Spirit will bring us into the way of the cross every day, and He will bring us into the life of the cross.
When we speak of the cross, whether it involves the way or the living of the cross, we are not referring to suffering, which is a common thought. The cross actually refers to death. The final result of the cross in us is not suffering but death. For us to live a life of the cross and to walk on the way of the cross mean that we live a daily life of death and take the way of death. To unbelievers, this sounds strange, but to believers, who are pursuing the Lord, it is a sweet and real experience.
In other words, if we have really touched the way of life and if the Holy Spirit has brought us into the way of life, we will live under death and walk in death every day. Although we may love, pursue, and follow the Lord, the Holy Spirit still must open our eyes to show us that we are a hindrance to God. At such a moment the Holy Spirit will also show us that we have been crucified and have died on the cross. Then we will pass through the gate.
However, passing through the gate does not mean that everything is complete and finished. Passing through the gate is only an entrance; after we pass through the gate, we still need to walk on the way. In spiritual matters we do not walk on the way and then enter through the gate; instead, we enter through the gate and then walk on the way. Matthew 7:13-14 speaks of this principle: We enter the narrow gate, and then we walk on the constricted way. In our Christian living the Holy Spirit eventually will bring us through the gate of the cross, and then He will lead us to take the way of the cross. This means that the Holy Spirit will lead us to a point where we see that we have been crucified with Christ on the cross. Thereafter, we will know the cross and the death of the cross, and the Holy Spirit will bring our whole being into the way of the cross. We will enter through the gate and walk on the way of death. It is at this point that we will truly begin to take the way of the cross and live a life of the cross. In other words, we will enter into death, and the effect of death will be in us every day. Christ’s death will target and deal with us, putting us to death and killing our thoughts, opinions, preferences, choices, and emotions; it will deal with all our likes and dislikes. This death, which is carried out in and by the Holy Spirit, is like a sharp razor, a sharp knife, which continuously does a killing work in us. This is the cross.
In spiritual matters we need to go through the gate and then walk on the way. Consider the matter of prayer. Many people do not know how to pray when they first believe in the Lord, so they imitate others’ prayers and even write down prayers before praying. After imitating others for a period of time, the Holy Spirit will bring them to the point of passing through the gate. Once they know the purpose of prayer and touch the secret of prayer, they will know how to pray. This, however, does not mean that they have graduated from prayer or no longer need to pray. On the contrary, touching the secret of prayer is the beginning of prayer; it is an initiation. Thereafter, they need to live a life of prayer, praying daily to advance in the way of prayer.
Our experience of faith is the same. Many saved ones hear the truth of the gospel and sing songs of faith, but they do not live by faith. One day, however, they are enlightened by the Holy Spirit and begin to know the reality of faith, fully believing into God, relying upon God, and touching God’s faithfulness. This does not mean, however, that they have graduated from believing. On the contrary, they are just beginning to enter into a life of faith. It is at this point that they can begin to live a life of faith and walk on the pathway of faith. In spiritual matters we first pass through the gate and then walk on the way. Consequently, in our experience of Christ’s death and of being put to death on the cross, we first pass through the gate and then walk on this way in life.
Many Christians have been saved for five, ten, or even twenty years without passing through the gate of the cross. They are zealous. They love and pursue the Lord, and they preach the gospel. Few, however, have experienced the Lord by passing through the gate of the cross. We meet Christians everywhere who are zealous, love the Lord, pursue the Lord, preach the gospel, save souls, and help the saints. But it is very difficult to meet a saint who has passed through the gate of the cross and who knows the death of the cross.
Some people ask, “How can we tell whether someone has passed through the gate of the cross?” When we contact someone who has passed through the gate of the cross, we immediately sense the imprint of the cross, the dealing of the cross, and the breaking of the cross in him. There is a mark of the cross in him from the work of the cross. Even if he has only passed through the gate of the cross and its work is not very deep or very great in measure, it is still possible to sense that he has passed through the gate of the cross. Since he has passed through the gate, he knows something of the cross and of the meaning of being crucified with Christ. Thus, he spontaneously begins to take the way of the cross and live a life of the cross.
The meaning of the cross is death, and the function of the cross is to put us to death. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He was not just suffering; He was dying. The ultimate significance of the Lord Jesus being on the cross relates to death. The death of the cross is applied to us through the power of the Holy Spirit, and its effect is to put us to death, to kill us. Every day the Holy Spirit operates to work the cross of Christ and the death of the cross into us so that every part of our being can be brought into death.
The truth concerning death is not an easy matter. No one’s death is simple and easy. In our spiritual experience, when the Holy Spirit enlightens us to see that we have been crucified, we rejoice, we are happy, and we praise the Lord. Many saints have this experience. When we first see that we have been crucified with Christ, we praise and rejoice. About twenty years ago, when I saw this light, I was in my study, and I was so joyful and exultant that I was jumping, running, praising, and giving thanks. Even though I was corrupt, full of lawlessness, offensive to God, opposed God, and incurable, I still saw that I was crucified. Even a person such as myself had been dealt with on the cross. The Lord said, “You have died,” and I also said, “I have died.” I believed the Lord’s word. On that day I died. This caused me to rejoice in exultation; I was happier than when I was saved. However, after a short time I realized that I was still alive and had not died. I was the same as before and had not changed at all. Consequently, I became confused. I continued to fail, and my failures were greater, more serious, and more severe than before. Although I saw that I had been crucified with Christ, I realized that I was still alive.
Then the Lord’s Spirit showed me that dying with Christ involved more than just passing through the gate of death. I still needed to be led by the Spirit to walk on the way of death and to live the life of death. From that day forward, the Spirit applied and worked death into me. Death began to operate and have an effect in me. This operation put me to death daily, killing every part of my being. The first day it killed some of my emotions; the next day it put some of my opinions to death; the day after it put some of my thoughts to death; on yet another day it dealt with some of my concepts. Elements of my person were being killed every day. The Holy Spirit used the death of the cross, which I had seen, to do a killing work and to put me to death. The killing of the Spirit gradually became deeper, stronger, and more intense. The Spirit worked in me continually. In terms of my living, I lived under the cross every day; in terms of my walk, I was on the way of the cross every day.
Some people may ask, “What does it mean to apply the death of the cross to kill the natural element in us? What does it mean for the cross to put us to death every day?” As an example, a brother may see the vision that he has died with the Lord and realize that he has been crucified with Christ. He will tell himself that he has seen the matter of his death and termination on the cross. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. However, when he wakes up the next morning, he will have a thought of doing this or that, and he will decide what he is going to do based on his own likes and dislikes. While he is thinking and choosing, however, he marvelously will sense the Holy Spirit working in him, as if the Holy Spirit is speaking and asking, “Is this your thought or Christ’s? Is this your decision or the Lord’s? Are these your likes and dislikes or the Lord’s?” The Holy Spirit will operate in him in this way. If he thinks and chooses according to his own choices and preferences, the Holy Spirit will fight against them strongly, and the Spirit will stop, condemn, or rebuke him. As a consequence, the brother clearly will know his choices are not of the Lord.
As the Holy Spirit operates, shines, and rebukes in this way, and as the brother confesses his sins, a killing work is being carried out invisibly in him, putting a nail into his ideas and opinions. Even though the Holy Spirit condemns him, he still may have a strong will and hold on to his opinion. Nevertheless, even though he insists on his opinion, there is now a hole in his opinion, and his opinion has changed a little. The Holy Spirit has done a little work of killing and breaking in him. As he continues on this way, the Holy Spirit will work in him more intensely to the point that he will be conquered inwardly by the Spirit. Then he will bow and say, “O Lord, I thank and praise You. I am already on the cross, and I have been crucified.” His ideas, opinions, and thoughts will be crucified, and his likes and dislikes also will be on the cross. The cross can penetrate him to a point that his preferences, will, mind, and whole being are affected. This is the Holy Spirit’s operation and application of the death of the cross in him, which produces an effect of putting his thoughts, preferences, and self to death. After this experience there will be a few more holes and cracks in this brother’s being because he has been broken a little more.
Although he still lives and walks, he has seen some light of the cross and has some experience of the cross. However, most of his natural element still exists and is present in his living. His self unconsciously rises up and continues to give opinions, to make decisions, and to choose. However, the process of death also repeats itself in him. Based on his seeing of the cross, the Spirit will shine on him and the light will condemn and question: “Is this you or the Lord? Is this you or Christ?” At a certain point he will be conquered and subdued again, and once again he will bow and say, “O Lord, I thank and praise You. My person is already on the cross.” Thus, his preferences, thoughts, and opinions will be put to death on the cross, and he will receive and experience the cross once again. As the Holy Spirit furthers His work in him, the mark and the breaking of the cross in him will be deepened. There will be a further breaking in him, and more of his own element will be put to death. Consequently, little by little, day after day, and event after event, he will experience the cross in the Holy Spirit.
From his Epistles we can see that Paul speaks of the cross in two different ways. First, he speaks of our having been crucified with Christ; this was accomplished by Christ. When Christ was crucified, He took us with Him so that we died in Him. This is an accomplished fact, and we simply need to believe and receive it. Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him,” and Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ.” Both of these verses speak of Christ’s accomplished fact. Paul speaks of the cross also in 5:24, which says, “They who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts.” Romans 8:13 says, “By the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body.”
Those who teach the truth concerning the cross make a mistake of speaking only about one side of this truth in the Bible. Some people speak only of the eternal accomplishment of Christ by His crucifixion on the cross. They say that we do not need to be crucified, because we need only to receive this accomplished fact. This is true, but this is only one side of the truth. It is not enough simply to have this side of the truth, because there is another side in Paul’s Epistles. Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him,” but Romans 8:13 says, “If by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.” On the one hand, we have been crucified on the cross; on the other hand, we need also to put to death the practices of the body by the Spirit. To put to death the practices of the body by the Spirit involves cooperating with the Spirit to put our flesh to death, which is putting a part of our element to death. This involves putting ourselves to death and also the Spirit putting us to death.
Through the Holy Spirit we are enlightened concerning Christ’s accomplished fact. This enables us to pass through the gate. Then the Spirit executes and works this fact into us inwardly so that we condemn what the Spirit condemns, we criticize what the Spirit criticizes, and we put to death what the Spirit puts to death. In this way we experience the death of the cross.
On the day I saw the light of the cross and the fact that I have died with Christ in Romans 6, I was full of joy, thanks, and praise. Nevertheless, I was only passing through the gate; it was one side of the truth. At that time I did not see the other side of the truth, that I needed to take the way of the cross. I saw only that Christ’s death had terminated and solved everything. Nevertheless, even before I went downstairs the next morning, I saw that I was still alive. I did not realize that I needed to walk on the way after passing through the gate. I was helped by the Holy Spirit to pass through the gate, but I still needed to be led by the Holy Spirit to walk on the way. However, since the Holy Spirit wanted to apply the cross and daily shined the light of the cross in me, the light of the cross questioned, condemned, rebuked, and showed me what was of myself whenever I had a preference or opinion. When I was willing to obey, cooperate, and work with Him, I would bow and say, “Amen, Lord, I will put this matter on the cross.” I would condemn it and crucify it.
As I was daily put to death, enlightened, and led and as I was cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s continuing work of killing and putting me to death, the death of the cross was constituted into me. Thus, the work of killing and of being put to death in the Spirit, according to the Spirit, by the Spirit, and through the Spirit, was accomplished in me every day. This was not about putting others to death but about killing and putting my own inward element to death. This is the way of the cross and the life of the cross; this is the leading of the Holy Spirit in us every day.
A brother who has seen the light of the cross may still quarrel with his wife at home because quarreling is according to his natural being. When he quarrels with his wife, however, the Holy Spirit will shine the light of the cross in him and question, “Is this Christ or you yourself?” When the Spirit shines and questions him in this way, he will be punctured by the cross and be unable to continue to quarrel with his wife. As long as he quarrels, the Holy Spirit will continue to ask, “Are you a crucified person? Are you hanging on the cross? Where is the light of the cross that you have seen?” As the Holy Spirit questions him, he will lose his ability to quarrel. Whenever this situation arises, the Holy Spirit will ask, “Is this from you or from Christ? Are you a crucified person? Is this what it means to see the light of the cross?” Thus, even if he is riding on a bus, he will be able to confess, and when he comes home from work, the Holy Spirit will ask, “Does a crucified person care about his face? Are you going to keep frustrating the Spirit and not apologize?” After such questioning, he will submit to the Lord and apologize to his wife. If a person wants to save his face, he does not have Christ; if he has Christ, he will be able to apologize. When we cooperate with the living Spirit, the Holy Spirit will kill our face and any effort to save our face. This is the experience and living of the cross.
All these Christian experiences are precious and cause us to pass through death. The more we pass through death, the more life will be expressed from us. For example, the same brother who quarrels with his wife also endeavors to express the Lord and to allow the Lord’s life to flow out. However, his natural strength is insufficient to express Christ and to allow His life to flow out. Once he is under the discipline of the Holy Spirit, however, the Spirit will enable him to cooperate with and submit to the Holy Spirit. Then his wife will sense a flavor of Christ coming from him, and she will see a little of Christ’s life in him because the death of the cross has been realized and is being carried out in him. The cross brings in both death and the expression of the resurrection life.
The Spirit will lead us into the death of the cross hour by hour and day by day. This is the leading of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in us wants to bring us into death every moment. The stronger the Holy Spirit’s work in us is, the stronger our experience of the cross will be. Without the death of the cross, there is no work of the Holy Spirit; wherever the Holy Spirit works, there is a putting to death by the Spirit.
From morning until evening and from evening until morning, the Holy Spirit is working in us. He requires that we receive the cross, and He puts us into the death of the cross. When death operates in us, resurrection life can be manifested (2 Cor. 4:11-12). The way of life is death, and death is the way of life. When we walk on the way of life, we walk on the way of the death of the cross. The Christian life is a living of the cross and a living of death. Every day we experience death in the Holy Spirit, and we live and walk under death. Death deals with our person. As we are dealt with and broken, the life of God in us will have a free and smooth way. May the Lord be merciful to us!
