The law of life is the natural ability and function of life (Rom. 8:2; Heb. 8:10) and is another item of the source of life. Because this life-law functions within us, it surely gives us a certain kind of sensation, so it is an aspect of the source of life. Romans 8:2 speaks of the law of the Spirit of life, and Hebrews 8:10 says that this law is inscribed on our hearts.
The Holy Spirit—the anointing ointment—is also an aspect of the source of the sense of life (Rom. 8:11; 1 John 2:27). Exodus 30 speaks of the anointing ointment, the compound ointment for the tabernacle and the priesthood. In ancient times, the tabernacle with all its utensils and the priests were anointed with the ointment. Today the Holy Spirit is the ointment to the whole church with all the saints. The Spirit anoints us continuously, and His anointing is a kind of inner working and moving which gives us the sense of life. This anointing Spirit is also the source of the sense of life.
Christ abiding in us is another aspect of the source of the sense of life (John 15:4-5). Actually, His abiding in us is the function of life and gives us the sense of life.
God is operating in us all the time (Phil. 2:13). His inner operation gives us the sense of life. Thus, it is a source of the sense of life.
Regardless of how moral the unbelievers are, they have only the human conscience to go by, and this has been greatly damaged by the fall of man. Even today with many unbelievers, their conscience has been damaged and even seared by their daily sinfulness. Their damaged conscience does not work very well. Even if the unbelievers' conscience did work well, it is the only thing that they have.
The teaching of Confucius is altogether centered on the developing of the conscience, which is referred to by him as the "bright virtue." His ethical teachings and the positive teachings of the good philosophers are focused on the development of the human conscience. The development of the goodness within a person is the development of his conscience, which was created by God.
The unbelievers have the human conscience, but we believers have not only a created conscience but also a renewed conscience. Our conscience, as a part of our spirit (Rom. 9:1; cf. 8:16), has been renewed through the regeneration of our spirit. In addition to this renewed conscience we have these five great things: the divine life, the law of the divine life, the Holy Spirit, Christ, and God. Thus, there is no comparison between the created conscience of the unbelievers and the renewed conscience of the believers who are indwelt by the Triune God as the divine life.
We Christians should be persons full of feeling all the time. We should not be dull or numb. We must be very sensitive, full of sensations because we are living and rich in life. This is because we have a regenerated spirit with our conscience renewed. We also have the divine life, the law of this divine life, the Holy Spirit, Christ, and God. Therefore the sense of life is high, rich, strong, and keen within us.