Since the inward knowledge issues from the law of life and from the teaching of God’s Spirit as the anointing, and both are in our spirit, this knowledge from within will definitely be made known to us in our spirit. Except for the questions of right and wrong, which are determined by the conscience part of our spirit, this knowing in the spirit can be said to be the responsibility of the intuition part of our spirit. Therefore, if we want to understand the inward knowledge, we must know what the intuition of the spirit is.
Both the body and soul of man have senses. As the body has the sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and the soul has the sense of happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy, etc., so the spirit of man has a sense of the conscience and a sense of the intuition. The sense of the conscience occurs due to questions of right and wrong; the sense of the intuition occurs directly without a cause. Scripture shows us that the spirit can be “willing” (Matt. 26:41), it can “perceive” the reasoning of man’s heart (Mark 2:8), it can “sigh deeply” (Mark 8:12), it can purpose (Acts 19:21), and it can be “provoked,” “fervent,” and “refreshed,” etc. (Acts 17:16; 18:25; 2 Cor. 7:13). All of these are the senses of the intuition of the spirit. We may say that the intuition of the spirit has just as many senses as the soul.
Yet the intuition of the spirit differs from the sense of the soul. The main difference is that the sense of the soul springs from a cause, but the intuition of the spirit is without a cause. The cause of the sense of the soul is but from men, events, and outward things. Whether it be a man, an event or a thing, it can cause us to have a soulish consciousness. If it is delightful, we are happy; if it is sorrowful, we feel sorry. Such senses of the soul which are due to outward influences are senses with a cause. Yet the intuition of the spirit is without a cause, which means it is without a means, but is directly present in the deep part of the spirit. Not only is it not influenced by men, events or things from without; it is also not influenced by the sense of the soul. In fact, it often acts contrary to the sense of the soul.
For example, sometimes we want to do a certain thing. Our reasons are quite sufficient, our heart is also very happy, and we have willed to carry it out. Yet we do not know why we have in our spirit an unspeakable condition. We feel very heavy and depressed, as if the spirit is opposing what our mind thinks, our emotion likes, and our will has determined. Our spirit seems to be saying that we should not carry out what we have planned. Such a consciousness is the forbidding of the intuition of the spirit. Sometimes there is a certain matter which has no reason to support it; it is also contrary to our likes, and we are not willing to carry it out. Yet, though we know not why, we constantly feel in the spirit a kind of urging and moving, desiring us to carry it out. Once we do it, we feel comfortable within. Such consciousness is the urging of the intuition in the spirit.
Such forbidding or urging of the intuition in the spirit occurs without a cause. It is a deeper sense which occurs because of the working of the law of life and the anointing. Because of this, we can directly touch God, know God, and know His will. Such knowing in the intuition of the spirit is what the Scripture speaks of as “revelation.” Thus, revelation is nothing but the Holy Spirit in our spirit showing us the reality of a particular event so that we may comprehend it clearly. Such knowledge can be said to be the deepest knowledge of God within us. It is also the inward knowledge of which we are speaking.
Although the inward knowledge is in the intuition of our spirit, it still must be understood by the mind of our soul. This is because the organ of understanding and comprehension is the mind. Therefore, the inward knowledge needs not only to be known by the spirit, but also to be comprehended by the mind. The knowing of the intuition in the spirit must have added to it the understanding of the mind in order to have comprehension. The understanding of the mind is a kind of interpretation by the mind of the intuition of the spirit. Whenever we have an intuitive consciousness in our spirit, our mind is needed to understand and interpret it. This means that we take the related men, events or things and check them with this intuitive consciousness of the spirit. We check until the spirit echoes. We then know the intention of the Holy Spirit and can take action accordingly.
For example, when we come to the Lord, and feel a burden in the intuition deep within, we know that guidance from God has come to us. This is a knowing in the spirit. Yet we may not be clear whether this guidance from God is for us to preach the Gospel or to visit a brother. If it is to visit a brother, which brother should we visit? All of this requires the mind to understand. We should, in our mind, place before God one by one all the things that we should do and check with the intuition within. If when we come to the matter of visiting the brothers there is a response within, then we understand God wants us to visit some brothers. Then in this fellowship with God we further bring forward, one by one, many brothers who we should visit and check with the intuition of the spirit. When we check concerning the brother who is in need, there may be no response in the spirit. When we check concerning the brother who is sick, there may also be no response in the spirit. But when we consider another brother who has gotten into trouble, the intuition in the spirit responds, and it is as if the inside of our whole being says, “Amen!” If we are afraid we may be wrong, we may take more of the brothers who need to be visited and check them too. If the spirit does not respond to any of them, we understand that the person God wants us to visit is the brother who has gotten into trouble. This is using the mind to understand what is known in the spirit, or using the mind to interpret the consciousness in the spirit.
Another example is that in prayer you may have a burden, feeling that God wants you to say something to the brothers and sisters. This burden is the knowing in the intuition. Yet as to what God wants you to say, you are not clear. This requires that in your mind you take one message after another and check them with the burden in your spirit. When you check the matter of dealing with the flesh, the spirit responds. Then you understand that God wants you to speak on this subject. This understanding is the comprehension of the mind. Thus, the burden of the intuition in the spirit makes known to you that God wants you to do something, and the understanding of the mind in the soul enables you to comprehend what the thing is that God wants you to do.
Perhaps on the Lord’s day, as usual, you want to offer some money. But your spirit has a burden, a feeling that God wants you to give a special offering. But how much God wants you to offer, for what matter, and for which person must be understood in the mind. In this way, not only do you have in the intuition the burden of God, but you also understand in the mind the intention of God. This, then, is the inward knowledge.
Such a way of doing things may seem quite awkward. Yet, when a man is just beginning to learn to interpret the consciousness of the spirit with his mind, he should carry it out in this way. Later, when he has learned to be habitual in so doing and has become proficient, as soon as there is the consciousness or knowing in the spirit, the mind immediately can comprehend and understand.