Since the light of life is the enlightening of the Lord’s life within us, this enlightening causes us to have an inward sense of life. What this life causes us to sense is what the light of life causes us to see. Our sense that a certain matter does not please the Lord is also our inward seeing that this matter does not please the Lord. Therefore, our inward sense is our inward seeing.
God’s law, which has been written on our hearts, and the law of the Spirit of life within us are both spontaneous functions of the Lord’s life within us. When they function, we have an inward sense. This sense is the sense of life that gives us a feeling according to the function of the law of life. It is important to note that we often do not have much sensation when we follow the sense of life; however, when we go against this sense, we have a very clear feeling. When the digestion in our stomach is normal, we do not have much sense of it, but when something upsets our stomach, we have a strong feeling. When we disobey God, we disobey the sense of life in our actions, and the sense of life within us becomes especially strong. When we come to the meetings, we are following the sense of life, so we may not have much feeling related to it. However, when we go to a theater, we have a stronger feeling within because we are going against the sense of life.
Because God’s operation within us is a kind of action, it gives us an inward sense. If my hand touched someone’s forehead, he would certainly feel it. When a person is very busy, he may not feel something touching him. But when he is quiet, he will feel the slightest touch or brush against him. When we are constantly busy, when we are disquieted, or when we are nervous and worried about many matters, we cannot sense God’s operation within us. If we would be willing to quiet ourselves, God’s operation within us would arise in our sensation, and we would feel God operating within us. With respect to God, His operation in us is a kind of work, and with respect to us, it produces a sense of life in us. If our condition is proper, we will feel a sense of life.
Christ in us not only has life and is alive, but He also is living actively in us by His life. As He lives in us, He takes action, so He can be felt by us inwardly. Because this sense comes from the activity of His life within us, it must belong to life and should be considered as a sense of life.
The ointment teaches us inwardly through its anointing. The teaching of the anointing is the Holy Spirit speaking within us; it is the inward light of the revelation of the Holy Spirit. All of these different terms refer to one thing, that is, the operation of the Holy Spirit within us. Since this operation is the moving of the Holy Spirit within our spirit, we certainly have a sense of life in our spirit. This sense of life gives us a feeling in our spirit, which means that it causes us to hear things from the Holy Spirit and see things through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, we not only have life within us, but we also have the sense of life. Within us the light of life enlightens, the law of life manifests its function, God operates in us, Christ lives in us, and the Holy Spirit anoints us. These are all related to the sense of life which is rich and strong.
1. “Walk...according to the spirit...the mind set on the spirit” (Rom. 8:4-6).
Our inner sense of life comes from the Holy Spirit and is in our spirit. Thus, our first responsibility with regard to the sense of life is to walk according to the spirit and to set our mind on the spirit in all things. To walk according to the spirit and to set our mind on the spirit are to walk according to the sense of life, to set our mind on the sense of life, and to obey the sense of life. With respect to the sense of life, the most important thing is obedience. Regardless of the matter, as soon as we have an inner sense of life related to it, we should obey the sense of life immediately. This is the most precious thing about being a Christian. If we want to obey the sense of life, we should walk according to the spirit and set the mind on the spirit.