The Holy Spirit renews us inwardly through the operation of the law of life. God’s way of salvation is through renewing us, and this renewing is fully accomplished by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit also enters into our mind through the law of life. Our mind was originally set on the things of the world, but through the operation of the law of life in our mind, our mind is being renewed and can be set on the things of God (Rom. 12:2; 8:6). Furthermore, whenever we set our mind on worldly and sinful things, the law of life within us causes us to feel uneasy because we have violated that law. The confusion in our mind comes from setting our mind on worldly things, sinful things, and fleshly things rather than following the law of life.
Our physical body feels pain and discomfort whenever it acts against the law of the body. If we did not act against the law of our digestive system in our stomach, we would not get a stomachache, nor would we even likely sense the operation of a law in our stomach. If our consumption of food, however, goes against the operating law in our stomach, our stomach will begin to ache. Similarly, our mind often is confused because many of our thoughts are against the law of life. If we would simply set our mind on God, on the spirit, and on spiritual things, our mind would be stable, focused, and submissive.
The law of life begins its operation from our spirit and advances to our mind, regulating our mind and activating our mind to function so that it can be set on the things of God and on spiritual things. If we cooperate with this law and set our mind on God and on spiritual things, our mind will be focused, calm, stable, and sober. However, if we set our mind on worldly and fleshly things, making provision for the flesh, we will be confused, our mind will be perplexed, and our whole being will be unable to remain calm.
According to the same principle, when the renewing Holy Spirit enters into our emotion, the law of life operates in our emotion and causes our emotion to spontaneously love God, incline toward God, and delight in God. If we do not go along with this law to love and incline toward God and instead love and incline toward other things, our emotion will be unsettled and unstable. Someone with an unstable emotion is often occupied with loving other things rather than allowing the law of life to regulate and cause him to love God. A young brother may ignore God because he is inclined toward marriage, even though the law of life is moving him to incline toward God, to love God, and to choose God. When we contact such a brother, we can sense that his emotion is unsteady and unstable. However, if we meet a young person who loves God with a pure heart and allows the law of life to regulate his emotions to love God, meditate on God, and incline toward God, we sense that his emotions are truly stable. When one cooperates with the regulation of the inner law of life, he will love God when the law of life requires him to love God. Since he does not have an opposite reaction or response, his inner being is at peace.
When the law of life regulates our will through the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, there is a law in our will that spontaneously causes us to yield to God, to choose Him, to submit to His authority, and to obey Him. At such a time, our will is quite stable because we have obeyed this law. Sometimes, however, we may act contrary to the regulation of the law within. If we resist and reject it, we will become unpredictable and capricious, acting one way in the morning and another way in the evening. When we come in contact with a saint who acts one way in the morning and another way in the evening, who has one opinion today and a different one tomorrow, we know that such a person is not allowing the law of life to regulate his will.
If a person cooperates with the law of life in his mind, emotion, and will, he will be consistent inwardly and outwardly, harmonious, calm, and sober-minded; otherwise, his mind will be confused, his emotion will fluctuate, and his will will be unstable. We need to allow the law of life to regulate us from our spirit to our mind, emotion, and will. When the law of life reaches one of the inner parts of our being, the function of that part will be manifested. When the law reaches our mind, it causes us to meditate on God. When it reaches our will, it causes us to submit to God. Furthermore, when it reaches our emotion, it causes us to love God.
In like manner, when the law of life enters into our intuition, it causes us to touch the sense of life. When it enters into our fellowship, it causes us to have fellowship with God. When it enters into our conscience, it causes us to have a sense of right and wrong in our conscience. The law of life is exceedingly sensitive. The moment our living is not so proper and not so pleasing to God, there will be a sense within our conscience. The conscience of secular people is dull because the law of life is not manifesting its proper function in them. Similarly, when the law of life reaches the thoughts in our mind, it causes us to meditate on God and on spiritual things. When it reaches our emotion, it causes our emotion to delight in God and love God. Moreover, when it reaches our will, it causes us to yield to God and submit to Him.
The life of God in our spirit works to regulate our mind, emotion, and will. Therefore, the law of life reaches every part of our inner being. The base of the law of life is in our spirit, and subsequently, it moves outward from our spirit to reach every part of our soul.