In Romans 8 there are eleven positive items that may be considered as the components of the spiritual leading. When we experience these eleven items, we are sons of God led by the Spirit of God. Actually, these eleven items may be divided into three groups of three items each plus two other items. The first group is the group of the law, which is composed of the law, the Spirit, and life (v. 2).
The second group is the group of our regenerated and mingled spirit. This group contains the human spirit, the things of the Spirit, and the mind set on the spirit (vv. 4-6).
The third group is the group of the Trinity. The Spirit of God, no doubt, is the Spirit of the Father (v. 9). The Spirit of Christ, of course, is the Spirit of the Son (v. 9). The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead should be the Spirit in the Godhead (v. 11).
So there are three groups: the group of the law, the group of the mingled spirit, and the group of the Trinity. If we live by these three groups, we have a tenth item, peace (v. 6). Peace is a condition we have by living in such a way. There is also a result—the sons of God (v. 14). The condition of such a living is peace, and the result is the sons of God.
Actually, these eleven items do not refer to a very complicated, confused, and mixed-up situation. Rather, they reveal to us a simple life. Life is always simple. When you study it, it seems complicated, but when you live it, it is so simple. To understand our physical body is very complicated, but simply to live in our physical body is so simple. Even little children who do not know very much can live quite well.
Romans 8 is a thorough study of our spiritual life. No other chapter in the New Testament reveals the spiritual life so much in detail as Romans 8. The spiritual life is just a life filled with the Triune God. In Romans 8 the Triune God is referred to repeatedly in different ways and in different manners. Even the law of the Spirit of life implies the Trinity.
In the last group, the group of the Trinity, the title the Father is not mentioned. But the Spirit is used three times: the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead. This threefold mention of the Spirit surely indicates strongly the Trinity of the Triune God. Even in the sequence you can see the Trinity. Why is the Spirit of Christ not mentioned first? Why is it mentioned in the middle of the three? First is the Spirit of God, referring to God the Father; second is the Spirit of Christ, referring to Christ the Son; and third is the Spirit of the One, referring to the Spirit of the Godhead.
Such a life filled with the Triune God is one that is lived through our human spirit. This brings us to the second group. The second group is the group of our mingled spirit. In this group there is our human spirit mingled with the life-giving Spirit. Our spirit is mingled by and with the Spirit. Then there are the things of the Spirit, that is, the mingled spirit. The things of the mingled spirit are the things of God. The mind set on the spirit is a mind that is minding Christ. Even in the Bible you have such a term as the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). By this you could see that the Trinity is wrapped up with our mingled spirit. Our spirit is mingled by and with the Spirit. And the things of such a Spirit are the things of God the Father. The mind set on such a spirit is the mind of Christ.
The spiritual life, or the Christian life, is just one filled with the Triune God, and it is one wrapped up with our human spirit. This kind of teaching is very subjective. It is just the believers and God living together. Romans 8:1-14 does not touch other items, such as holiness or victory or humility or kindness. In a sense these are trivial matters in the spiritual field.
Rather, this chapter reveals to us that a genuine and proper Christian life is just one filled with the Triune God who is wrapped up with our regenerated spirit. If you take care of these two points, you are under the leading by the Spirit. You know you are under the leading by the Spirit because you have peace. When you have a life filled with the Triune God who is wrapped up with your spirit, you have peace. Anytime and anywhere, under any kind of situation, you have peace. By this peace you know that you are living with the Triune God, and you are under the leading by the Spirit.
As such a person, you surely are a son of God. You are no longer merely a son of Adam but a son of God. To become a son of God having a life filled up with the Triune God who is wrapped up with our human spirit is a matter of sanctification or even transformation. By beholding and reflecting with an unveiled face as a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image (2 Cor. 3:18). This means into the image of the glory of the Son of God.
There is one thing I have to make clear: If you say that we could become a part of the Godhead as an object of worship, that is blasphemy. But if you say that we could be made like God in life and in nature, not as an object of people’s worship, this is altogether right. The Bible says that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2) and that we were begotten of Him (John 1:13). That surely means we have His life and His nature (2 Pet. 1:4). How then could you say that we are not the same as God? To say that believers of Christ could not be like God is like saying someone who is born of a man could not be like a man.
In Romans 12:2 Paul uses the word transformed, and in Romans 8:29 he uses the word conformed. God’s goal is to conform us, that is, to make us the same in form as His firstborn Son. His firstborn Son is the mold, like a mold used for making cakes. Christ is our mold, and we are the pieces of dough. We have been put into Christ, and God is molding us. Today you are under God’s molding. God is conforming you to the image of His firstborn Son, making you the same as He is.
The genuine Christian life is one filled with the Triune God. Forget about trying to be victorious or powerful or dynamic or full of impact. Take care of being filled with the Triune God. This Triune God is wrapped up with the believer’s regenerated spirit. If you take care of these two things—of having a life filled with the Triune God wrapped up with your regenerated spirit—this is the genuine and proper Christian life. If you live such a life, you will have peace in every place and with everyone. You will have peace, and you are a son of God. This is a thorough description of the meaning of the leading in Romans 8:14.
There is no need to ask someone what style of haircut you should have or what style of clothing you should wear. The local church code is just the Triune God wrapped up with the regenerated spirit! Our style is according to this code. Our haircut is according to this code. Our clothing is according to this code. Everything we do is according to this code, and we live this code. This is our leading.
In Romans 8 the Triune God is involved as a law, as the Spirit, and as the life. He is also involved with our spirit and with the things of Himself. He is involved with so many things that are of Himself. He is involved even with our transformed, renewed mind, which becomes the mind of Christ. He is also involved with the Spirit in three aspects: the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of the One. The Christian life must be a life altogether and thoroughly involved by and with such a Triune God.
We have to spend so much time on this one thing because in the past we have picked up too many teachings of how to be holy, how to be humble, how to be loving, how to be victorious, and so many other “how tos.” But we have not realized that the genuine “how to” is simply the Triune God wrapped up with our human spirit. This is the real “how to.” This is the way to be holy. This is the way to be victorious. This is the way to be humble and kind. This is the way to love your wife and to submit yourself to your husband. This is the way to take care of your children and to honor your parents.
The Triune God in us, the believers, is the law that works spontaneously. He is the Spirit, and He is the very life. He is one with our spirit. He is the very source and foundation of all the things related to our human spirit. He becomes the very element of our mind. He is the Spirit in three aspects: He is the Spirit as the Father; He is the Spirit as the Son; He is the Spirit as the resurrecting One.
This is the way for everything in our Christian life. You do not need to see some other way. There is only one unique way, the Triune God. This is the Triune God wrapped up with our very inner being. This is the leading by the Spirit of God, and this is also our living. This is the life that we live.
My burden is just to show you and to present you such a life. We all need to look unto Him for His mercy that He would grace us to see such a life. Just a little seeing of this life is adequate for you to live such a life.
By this kind of understanding or apprehension you can surely realize how wonderful the Christian life is. It is not a matter of learning some teachings. It is altogether a matter of the Triune God. Many Christians call God the living and true God. Yes, in the Bible Paul does call God the living and true God (1 Thes. 1:9). But today many believers who call God the living and true God do not realize that this living and true God is involved in Romans 8 as the Triune God wrapped up with our spirit.
We must see that our Christian life is nothing but the Triune God mingled with our regenerated spirit. This is our life, this is our living, and this is our leading. This is a way without any struggle, without any strife. It is a way full of rest. It is without our own endeavor and without our doing. In this kind of life you will praise Him all the day long. You will be filled with praying, with singing, with praising. Even the Bible will be a new book to you. Every page will be new. Romans 8 will be so new to you every day. You will be under the leading by the Spirit. I surely hope that we all would see this.
