We must all practice this fellowship and learn to apply Christ. When you first learned to drive, you were instructed concerning many things. After learning, you needed to practice what you had learned. When you first began to practice, perhaps what you learned did not seem to work. Yet despite your failure, you continued to believe the instructions and went on to practice driving. After perhaps one week, you became quite accustomed to driving. To learn to drive, you simply had to practice driving. It is the same with practicing to stop our natural soul.
We must realize that it is not a small thing that Christ came into our spirit when we were regenerated. Since Christ is in our spirit, all we must do is apply Him. It is here in the application that we encounter a problem. To continue the illustration given above, we may have a car with a full tank of gasoline, and the car may run; but we must still operate the car correctly. Pushing the car is not the right way to operate the car, and to do so is to act foolishly. Rather than pushing the car, we must learn to drive by practicing. In our practicing to stop and apply Christ, I am afraid that many of us ask the Lord to help us to “push the car.” We may pray, “Lord, help me in this matter. It is so easy for me to lose my temper and very difficult for me to overcome this weakness. But, Lord, You are almighty and You can help me.” If we pray in this way, the Lord will not help us. The more we pray in such a way, the more we will realize that the Lord does not hear this kind of prayer. In fact, the more we pray, “Lord, help me not to lose my temper,” the more we will lose it. To pray in this way is to “push the car.” If we pray in this way, it is an indication that we have forgotten that we have Christ within us and are not applying Him. We have Christ within us; let us simply exercise to apply Christ.
Exercising to apply Christ is like learning to apply the gasoline that is in our car. It is so easy. Just as there is gasoline in our car, there is power within our spirit. I know this because I have learned how to practice this. For the first ten years after I was saved by the Lord, I did not know this. Then one day, the Lord opened my eyes to see that there was something powerful in me. Moreover, I realized that I had to use and apply that supply of power. This power within me and within all of us is nothing less than Christ Himself (2 Cor. 13:3). Christ is in our spirit; all we must do is learn to apply Him. We should no longer cry, “Lord, help me.” If we do, the Lord will answer, “No. I am not going to help you in this way. I am dwelling in you. Practice to apply Me.”
Before we can learn how to apply Christ, we must realize that Christ is in us. Then we must always deny our self, that is, our natural man and natural character. Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” This means that we should put ourselves to death and put ourselves under the death of the cross. Always deny your natural mind, your natural emotion, and your natural will. Learn to always put yourself to death. Give the Lord a chance within you. Whether you are a person who is too fast or too slow in your nature, you must put yourself under the death of the cross. If you do this, the Lord will honor you and will resurrect you. After you are resurrected, your mind, emotion, and will—your entire soul—will be in the spirit. Then you will be transformed into Christ’s image.
In many situations in our daily life, we must put ourselves to death. We must tell the Lord, “Lord, in this matter, I deny myself. In thinking, in loving, and in choosing, I deny myself. I commit myself into Your hands. I wish to have Your mind as my mind, Your emotion as my emotion, and Your will as my will.” We must remember to put ourselves to death and let the Lord raise us up in His resurrection power. Then our whole being will be filled with the Spirit of Christ.
These things are not mere doctrine or teaching; they are instructions on how to apply Christ. If you take these instructions, this experience will be real to you. Applying Christ is very simple, as simple as driving a car. You may not believe me when I say this. Nevertheless, to practice this is even more simple than what I have described. You have Christ within you. Forget about your old way of praying to the Lord. Do not pray any longer that He would help you to do anything. The Lord will not answer that kind of prayer. If we have a car with gasoline and we ask the Lord to help us push the car, the Lord will respond, “Do not be so foolish. Stop! Start to use the gasoline, and the car will move easily.” We must believe the Lord. When we finally stop and learn to apply Christ in this way, we will experience the Lord’s deliverance.
When I was young, because there were not many cars in my country, we commonly used bicycles for transportation. One day I decided that I needed a bicycle and bought one. Then I went to a brother and asked him how to ride it. He simply answered, “Go and ride it.” I protested, saying, “Please tell me how to ride.” Again, he answered “Go and ride it.” I took his word and went out to practice. After only two or three hours, I was riding the bicycle effortlessly. I learned by practicing.
We need to accept this simple word. After having served the Lord and having contacted the Lord’s children for many years, I have learned something. Messages and doctrines are very good, but they only present to us a very beautiful “building” while giving us no “entrance” into it. Without a “door,” we will never be able to enter into the reality of those teachings. I am not giving you mere teachings. You may see that the Lord is life to you. The problem is that you have no entrance into what you have seen. Now I am giving you instructions on how to enter. You have believed in the Lord Jesus. You have received Him. Now He is within you.
The problem is that we do not practice applying Christ in our daily life. By practicing, we will enter into the experience of transformation. Christ is life, light, and power, but is Christ real to us in these aspects? We must learn to apply Christ. The way to apply Him is first by denying our self—our mind, emotion, and will—and simply stopping. We must simply come to the Lord who is within us and contact Him. Then we will learn to apply Him. After many years of experience, I can testify that no matter what happens to me, it is so easy for me to apply Christ. It is as easy as switching on a light.
I would ask you to take my simple instructions to practice to apply Christ. If you do, you will experience Christ more and more every day. He will never be exhausted by your experience. You will realize how rich He is. Whatever you need, He will be. All you must do is learn to deny the self. Then your soul—your mind, emotion, and will—will be renewed. By this kind of renewing, you will be transformed. If you deny your self, the Spirit of the Lord within you will honor you. He will strengthen you and cause you to experience His resurrection power and life. Then day by day you will taste Him and enjoy Him.