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After a saved person has consecrated himself, he should learn to live in the spirit and walk according to the spirit.
“May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23
The above passage points out strongly that man has three distinct parts: spirit, soul, and body.
There are three different realms in the universe: physical, psychological, and spiritual. Because man has three distinct parts, he can contact the things in these three realms.
1. The body: This is our outer part, which has five senses. It is in this part that we have “world-consciousness.”
2. The soul: This is our self, which is the ego, the personality. It is between the body and the spirit, and includes our mind, emotion, and will. It is here that we have “self-consciousness.”
3. The spirit: This is the deepest part of our being, where we have “God-consciousness.” Here we can contact God.
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and reality; for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23
“In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.” Ephesians 2:22
Today our spirit is the dwelling place of God. We must worship Him in this unique place, our spirit.
According to the teaching of the Bible, and based on the believers’ experience, there are three functions of the human spirit:
1. Conscience: This is the discerning faculty. It discerns right and wrong, and consequently condemns or justifies (Rom. 9:1).
2. Intuition: This is the faculty by which we have the direct sense of God and receive knowledge from God (1 Cor. 2:11).
3. Fellowship: This is the faculty by which we worship, contact, and communicate with God (1 Cor. 2:13).
These three parts work constantly together, and their functions are deeply related.
“The last Adam [Christ] became a life-giving Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45b
“And the Lord is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17
The Spirit is the coming of the Triune God to His chosen people. In order to accomplish this divine economy, Christ passed through four major steps: incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Through such a process, the Spirit of God, who formerly possessed only divinity, is now compounded with the elements of Christ’s humanity, His human living, the effectiveness and fragrance of His death, and the power and effectiveness of His resurrection, to become an all-inclusive Spirit.
The holy ointment in Exodus 30:23-25, as a compound of pure olive oil and four kinds of spices, is a full type of the compound Spirit of God.
1. Myrrh: signifies the death of Christ.
2. Cinnamon: signifies the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ’s death.
3. Calamus: signifies the resurrection of Christ.
4. Cassia: signifies the power and effectiveness of Christ’s resurrection.
“But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:39
This means that before the Lord was glorified, the compound Spirit was not yet in existence. It was after His resurrection that the compound Spirit was completed and entered into the believers to become one spirit with them.
“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:17
Christ today is the Spirit. As such a Spirit, He comes with all His riches into our regenerated spirit to join Himself to us to be our life and everything. If we realize this, we should live in the spirit.
1. WALKING ACCORDING TO SPIRIT
The basic rule in the life of a Christian is to be led and regulated by the Spirit.
“As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.” Colossians 2:6
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit is the sphere of our daily living. If we walk in Him, we will enjoy all His riches.
In the New Testament there are many commands, such as “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Being subject to one another,” “Abstain from fleshly lusts,” and “Let us not become vainglorious.” We must realize that these words are not for us to strive to keep by our own effort. It is only when we speak, walk, and behave according to the Spirit that we can live out all these virtues of Christ.
2. SETTING THE MIND ON THE SPIRIT
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
“Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth.” Colossians 3:2
The mind represents the person and is the key to our daily walk. Our mind should not be independent from the spirit. Rather, it should obey the Spirit and mind the things of God.
3. OBEYING THE TEACHING OF THE ANOINTING
“And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things...” 1 John 2:27a
The anointing is the inward moving and working of the indwelling compound Spirit. It guides us in all things, not through the outward teaching of words, but through the inward anointing of the spiritual sense, teaching us inwardly.
Therefore, we should not live in the realm of right and wrong, of do’s and don’ts. Rather, we should just take care of our inward feeling purely and directly. In this way the essence of God will be added to our whole being; we will be saturated with Him and will abide in the fellowship of the divine life.
Since living in the spirit is so crucial to our Christian experience, how then should we practice this in our daily life?
1. BY CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD
“No one can say, Lord Jesus, except in the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3b
When we say, “Lord Jesus,” with a proper spirit, we are in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to call on the Lord Jesus is the simplest way to turn to the spirit to enjoy and experience the Holy Spirit.
2. BY PRAYING
“Unceasingly pray.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
To pray unceasingly does not mean that we continue to pray for many things. It means that we contact God in our spirit so that we live in an atmosphere of prayer all day long. In this way we enjoy His anointing.
3. BY PRAY-READING THE LORD’S WORD
The word of God is spirit; it is also God Himself. When we pray with the Lord’s Word, our minds will be preserved to be set on the spirit.
1. OVERCOMING THE FLESH
“Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16
2. FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW OF GOD
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to flesh, but according to spirit.” Romans 8:4
3. ENJOYING LIFE AND PEACE
“The mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6b
