Renewing is also through our spirit, which is mingled with the Spirit (Eph. 4:23, Rom. 8:6b). This renewing reaches all the inward parts of our being. God, who is Spirit, cannot dwell firstly in our body or in our soul; He has to take our spirit as His dwelling place. John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness.” Also, John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” God is Spirit, and we are born of Him in our spirit. Therefore, our inner spirit and He as the Spirit have become one spirit. After we are saved, however, God wants all the parts of our soul to be transformed. First this is the transformation of the mind; then it is the transformation of the will and the emotion.
Our mind may have two kinds of action. One results in our being in the spirit; the other, in the flesh. If our mind is dependent upon and joined to our regenerated spirit, which has been mingled with the Spirit of God, this will bring us into the mingled spirit for the renewing of our mind, and this renewing will reach all the inward parts of our being. If our mind is joined to our flesh and acts independently of the mingled spirit, this will bring us into the flesh and make us enemies of God, being unable to please God. Thus, we will not be renewed and transformed.
We as saved persons have many situations in which to set our mind on the spirit or on the flesh. If we set our mind on the flesh, then we cannot be transformed. Instead, we will become worse than what we were. We who are saved have God in our spirit, and yet at times we do not follow God in our spirit but rather follow our flesh. Romans 8:6a says that the mind set on the flesh is death. Thus, we will be deadened, depressed, dried up, darkened, and without peace. This is the result of setting our mind on the flesh.
Our spirit is a spirit mingled with God’s Spirit; it is two spirits mingled to be one spirit. This mingled spirit is our spirit and also God’s Spirit; it is God’s Spirit and also our spirit. When we set our mind on this mingled spirit, immediately we are joyful, uplifted, and released; we also feel satisfied, watered, and enlightened. We have the sense of life and peace. Romans 8:6b says, “The mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” If we continually set our mind on the spirit and cooperate with the spirit, then this mingled spirit will be united with our mind, and within us there will be transformation continually. Then the concepts of our mind concerning many matters will be different. Our logic will be changed. We will be transformed and renewed, reaching every inward part of our entire being.
Now our spirit will spread from our innermost part to the mind in our soul, and the mind will surrender to our spirit and cooperate with our spirit. As a result, this spirit will be able to penetrate our will and our emotion. Then we will discover that our own love toward others is not the love of God, and our likes and dislikes toward people, things, or matters are different from God’s likes and dislikes. Previously we thought that we were quite all right, but now we see that our love is just our own love and not God’s love. Our emotion has been changed. We no longer merely love whatever we like and hate whatever we dislike; we are no longer this way. Our emotion is now under God’s control and is being transformed.
Before you were saved, you might have been a person of a strong will. When you decided on something, no one could change your mind. Now it is no longer so. Now you see that your intention is altogether your own; it is not God’s intention. You then allow the spirit within you to direct your intention. When God does not make the decision, you also would not decide. As a result, whatever you decide will be the decision of God. God’s will and your will become one will. In this way your soul is being transformed, part by part. Your mind is being transformed, your emotion is being transformed, and your will also is being transformed.
This work of transformation carried out by God in us is very deep, and it is also very fine. The Lord is so fine and detailed that He interferes even in the matter of how long or how short our hair should be. If we cooperate with the mingled spirit within, then we will be living with God and in God’s life, allowing God’s life to strengthen us into our inner spirit continually. Then our spirit will come forth to conquer our mind, subdue our will, and transform our emotion. Thus, we will be in newness. We then will see things as God sees them. Our view will be God’s view. Our loving and hating of any matter will be the same as God’s. All our decisions will be the same as His.
Christians often say, “Let us pray and see what the Lord’s will is.” This is a common saying, yet most Christians actually do not know what this means. To see what the mind of the Lord is requires us to return to our spirit and follow the Spirit who is life within us. Then from this Spirit we will have a view that knows how to discern matters. We will see whether or not we should love a certain thing and how we should decide on a certain matter. At that time, if we make a decision, it will surely be from God. We must follow the direction of the Spirit within us, letting our mind be set on the spirit, letting our will follow the spirit, and also letting our emotion obey the spirit.
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