How can we differentiate the spirit from the soul? As Christians, the regenerated ones, whenever we are going to do something, we have to learn the lesson to deny the soul and the self. If we read Matthew 16:24 through 26 and Luke 9:23 through 25, we can see that the soul is the very self. These two passages clearly tell us that to deny the self is to deny the soul. When I was young, I asked people what it meant to deny the self. I simply did not know what to deny. Eventually by reading the Word and through experience, we came to know that the self is the soul. Matthew 16:26 says, “For what shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul-life?” whereas Luke 9:25 says, “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?” These passages prove that the soul is the self.
As we have pointed out, the soul is composed of the mind, emotion, and will. Therefore, we now have the answer to the question, “What do I deny?” To deny the self is to deny our own mind, emotion, and will. The mind, emotion, and will added together equal the soul. If we subtract the mind, subtract the emotion, and subtract the will, there is nothing left. We should not speak merely doctrinally but practically. To deny the self is to deny the mind, the emotion, and the will. When we go to do something for God, for a brother, or even for ourselves, as children of God, reborn persons, those who are learning to walk in the presence of the Lord and please the Lord, we have to learn the lesson to deny our self in whatever we do.
Someone may say that after we deny our natural mind, natural emotion, and natural will, nothing will be left. It seems that this is true, but it is not altogether true. There is truly something left, that is, the spirit. We may not be able to place it, but we still have to exercise it. We must deny the mind, emotion, and will and try to exercise something else (not, of course, the body). Put this into practice and try it for two or three days. Eventually, something will come up from the spirit. Even in the ministry of the Word, many times I have denied what I know, what I like, and what I have decided to speak. Sometimes after I did this, I became blank, having nothing within, but I still stood on the ground of denying all these things. Then after a few hours something sprang up from deep within and became clear to me, sometimes right away but sometimes gradually, bit by bit. Then I knew what I had to minister.
When I come to visit a brother, for example, I have to learn the lesson to deny my mind, my emotions, and my will. When I get into his home and begin to speak, there is nothing of the mind, emotions, or will. I have denied them and given them up. At that time I will exercise not my body but the hidden part, the inmost part, silently praying, “Lord, what should I say?” In my mind I may have many things to say, from Genesis through the Psalms to Malachi and then from Matthew through Acts and Romans and on to the book of Revelation. In addition, I may be desirous to talk, especially about international affairs. This is my emotion, so I must take the cross. My mind full of the Bible knowledge must be crossed out, and my emotion which is so willing to talk about Europe, Asia, and Africa must be put on the cross. Then after five minutes I may still have nothing, so I still look to the Lord. Gradually, something comes up from within, that is, from my spirit.
I can tell you a number of real experiences like this. Many times, as I was about to give a message, I denied my mind, my emotion, and will. Then as I was going to the platform, there was nothing within. A responsible brother announced a hymn, and everyone sang it, but I simply looked to the Lord: “Lord, what is Your mind? What must I speak here?” While someone prayed, I was still looking to the Lord, and during more singing and praying I continued to look to Him. Then after the prayer I had to stand up. I simply went to the platform and said, “Let us read,” but I did not know what to read. While I was speaking, “Let us read,” I was still looking to the Lord. Then I said, “the book of John.” Still I did not know what chapter to read. Even as I said, “John,” I was not clear. Then I said, “chapter fourteen.” This illustrates the way to differentiate the spirit from the soul. The way is to deny the natural mind, the natural emotion, and the natural will.
A brother and his wife may quarrel in the morning. Then in the evening the brother may ask someone what he should do about it. What he must do is cross out his mind, his emotion, and his will. Then he will know what to say to his wife, and whatever he says will be from the spirit. Before this time the brother may have had many reasons ready in his mind and emotion with which to reason with his wife. The more he considers his reasons, the stronger he becomes, and he finally makes the decision to go to his wife in that way. This is the self, and this is the soul. The brother should not do this. He should go to the Lord and contact Him. If he goes to the Lord in this way, he will learn the lesson. Something within will cross out his mind with its many reasons, his emotion, and his natural will. He may say, “Lord, if I cross out all these things, I will have nothing left. What shall I do?” The Lord will say, “You will be gone. You will be crossed out, and I will come out.” Then gradually something will come up from his spirit, and he will know what to say to his wife. Whatever he says will be from the spirit.
We should not try to figure out if something is of the spirit or the soul, saying, “This is too shallow, so it must not be of the spirit, but this other is deeper, so it may be of the spirit.” We can never figure out what the spirit is in this way. The way to differentiate the spirit from the soul is to deny the self, to always deny our natural mind, our natural emotion, and our natural will. Then we will see what is left and what will come out.
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