Although today’s situation is so pitiful, by the Lord’s mercy we have been recovered. We do not care for ordinances. We care for the new man. Brothers, do you still hold to certain ordinances in your locality? You may say that you have learned the way of Anaheim. But after a few months, Anaheim may change. I have been condemned for constantly changing. Twenty-five years ago, I was forty-seven years of age; today I am seventy-two years of age. Certainly I have changed during the past twenty-five years. I changed because I am growing. But a stone image like those of Mary in front of Catholic cathedrals will not change. During the twenty years I was with Brother Nee, he had four great changes. If necessary, I can prove the fact that he changed by his writings. He told me that it was necessary for us to change. As the years go by, we expect to have further changes. Eleven years ago we did not have pray-reading. In Los Angeles from 1967, we began to have it. Perhaps in the future we shall dig something more out of the deep mine of God’s Word. Then we may have another change. If we would change, our critics would probably condemn us for it. Hallelujah, we are changing! We do not expect to stop changing until we reach eternity. Until then, we are growing and changing. Praise the Lord that we are the new man! As the new man, we do not need ordinances. Rather, we have Christ as our life and as our person.
The human spirit is mentioned in each of the six chapters of Ephesians. Ephesians 1:17 says, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him” (Gk.). The spirit here is not the Holy Spirit, but our human spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22 says, “In whom ye also are being builded together into a habitation of God in spirit” (Gk.). This verse also refers to our human spirit, not to the Holy Spirit, as the habitation of God. God’s habitation is in our spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is the dweller, not the habitation.
Ephesians 3:5 says, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in spirit” (Gk.). The revelation of God’s mystery is given to our spirit. In order to see or touch anything, we must use the proper organ. In order to see the revelation of the mystery, we need a spirit. In this matter our mentality does not work, for the more you think about the mystery, the more you will be in darkness. In order to see spiritual things, we need the spirit.
Ephesians 4:23 says, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Ephesians 4:22 tells us to put off the old man, and verse 24 speaks of putting on the new man. The way to put off the old man and put on the new man is to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. The “spirit of your mind” is a special term. It means that the spirit has spread into our mind, thus becoming the spirit in our mind. It also proves that our mind has been taken over by the spirit. In other words, it reveals that our natural mind has become a spiritual mind, for in our mind there is the spirit. It is by the spirit spreading into our mind that we are renewed. We need to be renewed in our mind. Then we shall put off the old man and put on the new man.
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be filled in spirit” (Gk.). We do not need to be filled with wine; we need to be filled with the Lord in our spirit. We should not have an empty spirit. Rather, our spirit must be filled with God.
According to the Greek text, Ephesians 6:17 and 18 read, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit.” Verse 18 reveals that we must pray at every time in our spirit.
In this book concerning the church there are these six verses regarding the spirit. If we would see the church, we must learn to be in the spirit. Anyone who is dissenting is certainly in the mind. However, if such a one would turn from the mind to the spirit and remain in the spirit, he would be a different person. In the mind you are one kind of person, and in the spirit you are another kind of person. Suppose I begin to think that my wife is not treating me very well, that she is not taking proper care of me. The more I think these thoughts, the angrier I will become. But if, as I am thinking these things concerning my wife, I turn from my mind to my spirit, I shall immediately become another person. In principle, it is the same concerning the church. You may be a rather thoughtful person and think, “Is this the Lord’s recovery? If it is, then why is the number so small? I see very few people among them who have doctoral degrees.” However, if, instead of exercising your mind, you turn to the spirit, you will say, “Praise the Lord!” The church is absolutely in the spirit. It is not in our mind or understanding.
All the saints who come into the church enjoy a church life honeymoon. When they are on their honeymoon, they say, “Praise the Lord! I am in the Lord’s recovery! I am in the church and I am for the church! Hallelujah!” However, no honeymoon lasts very long. Sooner or later, your honeymoon in the church will be over. At that time your mind will be very active, and you will begin to examine the brothers. When you were on your church life honeymoon, everyone was wonderful. It seemed that all the saints were angels. But when the honeymoon is over, everyone becomes a turtle in your eyes. It seems that no one is good. Do not stay in the low valley of the mind filled with rocks, turtles, and snakes. Get yourself to the mountaintop in your spirit. Whenever you turn to the spirit, you find yourself on the top of a mountain where you hear the singing of birds and see the leaping of hinds. However, if you stay in the valley filled with turtles, frogs, and snakes, you will question the Lord’s recovery. You will ask why there are so many turtles and frogs. Then you will say, “If this is not it, then where shall I go?” If you go anywhere, you will go from one valley full of snakes to another. The only place to go is to your spirit. When you call on the name of the Lord Jesus, you will be on the top of the mountain. We need to pray, “O Lord Jesus, give us a spirit of wisdom. Lord, help us to stay in our spirit where Your habitation is. O Lord, fill our spirit.” If we do this, we all will be new. We shall not only be a new church, but also be a new man. Daily the oldness will fall off, and the ordinances will be dropped.
The church is in our spirit. Never be bothered by outward things. The church is all-inclusive, open to all Christians. Do not be troubled by those whose practice is different from yours. Give them liberty. Instead of being bothered, turn to the spirit. The more we turn to our spirit, the more Christ will increase within us. Eventually, the riches of Christ will come out of us to nourish the new ones and to transform them. There is no need to adjust others, for this rich Christ will transform them. Eventually, they will become tired of playing with their toys. I have seen many who spontaneously dropped their toys after receiving the nourishment of Christ. The church life is just Christ filling us, changing us and others, and transforming the whole Body. We do not have regulations, creeds, or ordinances. We have only the living, rich Christ in our spirit. This Christ is growing, increasing, changing us and others, and building the church as the new man. This is the church life.