1. “The mind set on the spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).
The sense of life in us is also a sense of peace. When we obey it, it gives us a feeling not only of life but also of peace. Therefore, regardless of the situation, as soon as we feel death instead of life and feel unease instead of peace, we should immediately stop what we are doing. We must always care for the sense of life and peace. If we would care for life and peace in this way, we must set our mind on the spirit. Only by setting the mind on the spirit can there be life and peace.
2. “Go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
In Luke 7, after a woman was saved, the Lord told her to go in peace. The Lord’s word indicates that after we are saved, we receive peace. This peace is within us and causes us to have an inward sense. Whenever we want to do something that pleases God, we sense peace inwardly; otherwise, we do not have peace. When we do what is in agreement with the sense of peace, we have peace. When we do what is not in agreement with the sense of peace, we do not have peace. After we are saved, we should go the way of peace. After being saved, our living should be a living of peace. We should go in peace, and we should live in peace. Often we do not have the sense of peace in our walk and living even though we say that we are at peace. Just saying that we are at peace does not mean that we are at peace. In every single matter, we must be inwardly at peace. Sometimes brothers and sisters say that they have an inward peace, but their peace is not spontaneous but rather the product of their rationalization. Some brothers want to do something even though they have no inward peace. Consequently, they convince themselves that they have peace. Peace that comes from this kind of rationalization is not spontaneous. It is a peace that comes from reasoning, not a peace that comes spontaneously. As soon as they stop their reasoning, they are not peaceful. We should not be like this. We must allow the sense of peace to work spontaneously in us.
3. “Who, being past feeling,...but you did not so learn Christ” (Eph. 4:19-20).
The Gentiles have cast away all feeling. They commit sins and do evil without caring for their inner consciousness. But we, having learned Christ, should not be like this. We need to care for the feeling within us. The Gentiles have a conscience that is defiled and on the brink of death; they are darkened in their understanding. The feelings within us, however, are strong. The precious blood has cleansed our conscience, and because we are regenerated, our conscience has been revived. It is fresh and keen. The understanding in our mind has been renewed and is bright and proper. Our spirit has been made alive and has spiritual intuition. Moreover, we have the life of God and the Spirit of God in our spirit strengthening the feelings within us that are of life and consistent with light. Therefore, we have a living, keen, rich, proper, strong, and powerful feeling that enables us to sense whether or not any matter is pleasing to God. As followers of Christ, we should absolutely obey and care for this feeling. We should do what this feeling approves of and wants us to do, and we should refrain from doing whatever it disagrees with and prohibits us from doing.
1. “Obeyed...with fear and trembling; for it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working” (Phil. 2:12-13).
When we sense God’s operation in us, whether it is His willing or His working, we should obey with fear and trembling. Fear is our inward feeling, and trembling is our outward attitude. We should obey because we are afraid of disobeying God, who is operating in us. When we obey the inward sense, we obey God. We should be absolute and obey with fear and trembling.
1. “As His anointing teaches you...abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).
The teaching of the anointing causes us to know the Lord and His life. Therefore, we should abide in the Lord and fellowship with Him according to this teaching. To be according to the teaching of the anointing is to obey the moving of the Holy Spirit within us. This is the only way for us to be in the Lord and to have the fellowship of life with the Lord.
In order for a believer not to lose the sense of life, he must be in fear and trembling as he cares for and obeys every inward feeling of life. Only this will maintain the sense of life within.
The sense of life within a believer becomes dull when he ignores or disobeys it. If a believer begins to obey the small, flickering sense within, the sense of life will revive and recover. Although our sense of life sometimes becomes dull because we ignore or disobey it, it never dies out entirely or disappears completely. Something always remains. If we are willing to care for and obey even our small sense of life, we will immediately recover. In order to recover the sense of life, we must care for and obey it.
The sense of life within a believer becomes keen when he obeys it. If a believer continues to obey everything that he feels, his sense of life will become even stronger and keener. The more a believer obeys the sense of life, the more the sense of life increases. Therefore, our obedience increases the sense of life within us.