We receive, experience, and enjoy Christ also by setting our mind on the spirit (Rom. 8:5-6). Romans 8:4 tells us to walk according to the spirit, and verse 5 tells us to set our mind on the spirit. We should not do anything that is not according to the spirit, and we should not think anything without our mind being set on the spirit. Every person, even a little child, is controlled by his mind. Whenever we begin to think about something, we as seeking Christians should always check whether or not our mind is set on the spirit. If our mind is not set on the spirit, the source of our thinking is wrong. If our mind is not set on the spirit, it is surely set on the flesh. The flesh is contrary to the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). Because our mind is fallen, whatever we think when our mind is set on the flesh is an offense to God (Rom. 8:7).
The spirit mentioned in Romans 8:4-6 refers to the regenerated spirit, which is indwelt by and mingled with the Holy Spirit. In his New Translation, John Nelson Darby said that in many verses in the New Testament one cannot discern whether the spirit refers to the human spirit or the Holy Spirit. He then said that the spirit in verses such as Romans 8:4-6 refers to both the human spirit and the divine Spirit. In addition to this, I would say that the spirit in these verses refers to the mingled spirit, the divine Spirit mingled with the human spirit.
Today, we no longer have a single, independent spirit; we have a mingled spirit. Such a mingled spirit is troublesome to us. Very often we are troubled by the mingled spirit. At certain times I would like to say something unpleasant to my wife, but as I am about to speak, something bothers me within, and I have to stop without finishing my statement. Instead of saying something unpleasant, I change my tone and begin to praise the Lord. Because of this behavior, I may seem to be mysterious. Actually, I have such behavior because I have a mingled spirit. Every proper Christian is a mystery, and within every proper Christian there is a mystery—the mingled spirit. We must learn to walk according to the spirit and to set our mind on this spirit. When we set our mind on the spirit, we have life and peace (v. 6). These are signs of our enjoyment of Christ.
The way to receive, experience, and enjoy Christ in the book of Romans includes three things: first, walking according to the spirit, second, setting our mind on the spirit, and third, the renewing of our mind. The renewing of our mind is for the transformation of our soul that we may know the will of God concerning the Body life (Rom. 12:2-5). The mind is the leading part of the soul. When the leading part of the soul is renewed, the entire soul will be transformed. The purpose of transformation is that we may know the will of God. The will of God in Romans 12:2 is not His will related to our daily affairs, but His will concerning the Body life, the church life.
The book of Romans, which is the gospel of God (1:1), has four sections. The first section is on justification (chs. 1—4); the second section is on the full realization of being in Christ (chs. 5—8); the third section is on God's selection (chs. 9—11); and the fourth section is on the Body life, issuing in local churches (chs. 12—16). First, we must experience justification, both objectively and subjectively. Then we must have the full realization of being in Christ. Today we are no longer in Adam; we are now in Christ. With this realization, we then need to experience the Body life and live a proper local church life.
Romans 12 is on the Body life. Verse 5 says, "So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." We need to live the Body life. In order to live such a life, all the members must have their minds renewed. This renewing will cause us to be persons who know God's will concerning the Body life, the church life.
The Lord's recovery has stressed the Body life since 1939. In 1934 Brother Nee held a conference concerning Christ as God's centrality and universality. At that time my eyes were opened, and my Christian life took a big turn from doctrines and knowledge to a living person, Christ, who is God's centrality and universality. Five years later, after his return from Europe, Brother Nee called a conference and began to give messages on knowing the Body of Christ. These messages caused me to have another turn. My first turn was to know Christ, and my second turn was to know His Body. To know Christ is only half of what we need. We also must know the Body of Christ. Christ is the Head (Eph. 1:22), and He is also the Body (1 Cor. 12:12).