We have seen that the all-inclusive Christ is our portion and that we have been called into the fellowship of this Christ. But how can the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Christ become our portion for our enjoyment? To understand this we need to consider 6:17. In this verse Paul declares, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” The fellowship into which we have been called is Christ as the life-giving Spirit. To experience this fellowship we must be one spirit with Him. In our spirit we are one with the life-giving Spirit.
When I began the ministry in this country many years ago, I emphasized the fact that we who believe in Christ have a regenerated human spirit, a human spirit indwelt by the divine Spirit, and that we are one spirit with the Lord. Many were surprised to learn that they have a spirit. Of course, they knew that they had a soul and a heart, but they did not know the human spirit. All Christians know of the Holy Spirit, but not all realize that they have a human spirit. It is important that all those who have recently come into the church life realize that they have a human spirit regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in our daily living we must exercise the spirit.
When we face problems in our daily living, we may react with our soul, our body, or our spirit. Suppose a brother comes home from work exhausted by the day’s labor. He finds his wife full of complaints and unhappy with him. The brother can respond in one of three ways. The first way, universally common, is for him to react in the soul, especially from the mind or the emotion. A second possibility is for him to react in a physical way out of anger. The third alternative is for this brother to respond by exercising his regenerated spirit. It is vital for all believers to realize that our spirit has been regenerated and is indwelt by the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. The brother facing difficulty with his wife should exercise his spirit and allow the life-giving Spirit to guide him. Then he will know what to say to his wife and how to behave. Anyone observing a brother living in such a way will realize that he is different from ordinary husbands. Instead of exercising his body to react physically or exercising his soul, he exercises his spirit. We all need to exercise our spirit in our daily living, especially in our married life and family life.
Because we have a regenerated spirit, we can experience Christ as our portion and also experience the fellowship of this Christ. If our spirit were not regenerated by the Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit, Christ could not be our portion, and we could not be in the fellowship of Christ. Just as electrical appliances must have the flow of electricity if they are to function, so we must be in the spirit if we are to experience Christ as our portion and enjoy His fellowship. Only when the electrical current flows into the appliances can we actually have light, heat, or cool air. Likewise, only by being one spirit with the Lord can we experience Him as the all-inclusive One. For this reason, Paul tells us that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. All those who believe in the Lord Jesus and who love Him have been joined to Him. In spirit we are truly one with Him. We have a regenerated spirit, and Christ is now the life-giving Spirit dwelling in our spirit. As a result, we are one spirit with Him. How marvelous! Oh, we all must realize that we are one spirit with the Lord. If we see this, we shall say, “Praise the Lord that I am one spirit with Him! God created me with a human spirit, and my spirit has been regenerated by Him. Today the all-inclusive Christ is the life-giving Spirit dwelling in my spirit. He is one with my spirit, and I am one with Him.”
Often brothers have told me that they cannot understand how I am able to give so many messages in conferences and trainings year after year. Some have asked me where these hundreds and even thousands of messages come from. I can testify that these messages come from Christ, the all-inclusive One, who is the life-giving Spirit mingled with my spirit. Whenever I call on the name of the Lord Jesus, He supplies me. This is the reason I am able to give message upon message. The only limitations are time and physical strength. There is no limitation to the Lord’s supply. Actually, the more I speak, the more I am able to speak. The spiritual reservoir is inexhaustible. The more water flows out, the more there is to flow out. For anyone who is one spirit with the Lord the supply is inexhaustible.
Suppose a brother comes to you with complaints about his wife. The brother may say, “The Lord has given you a wife who is kind, gentle, patient, and loving. But my wife is extremely difficult to live with. If your wife were like mine, you would probably be in a worse situation than I am concerning married life. I simply have no way to go on with my wife. What shall I do?” The best way to help such a brother is not to explain matters to him or argue with him. Neither is the proper way to teach him, to give him more doctrinal concepts. His urgent need is to realize that he is one spirit with the Lord. However, it is difficult to help a brother in such a situation to see that he is one spirit with the Lord and that he should call on the name of the Lord. But if you can help this brother understand that he is one spirit with the life-giving Spirit, and if you can help him call on the Lord, that brother’s living will be revolutionized.
If you are to convince another saint that he is one spirit with the Lord, you yourself must have adequate experience of being one spirit with Him. When you have become such a person, you will testify that even when your wife offends you, you are able to exercise your spirit, call on the name of the Lord Jesus, and receive His supply.
Apart from Christ, it is not possible for any brother to be an adequate husband or for any sister to be a proper wife. There are no exceptions. Apart from Christ, we are all the same. It is extremely difficult for a sister to be a good wife or for a brother to be a good husband. Nevertheless, marriage is ordained by God. Therefore, since marriage is God’s ordination and since it is so difficult to be a proper husband or wife, we have no choice except to experience Christ.
As many of us can testify, when we exercise our spirit and call on the name of the Lord, we enjoy His sweetness. At times we may weep because the Lord touches us in a very tender way. At other times praises may burst forth, and we may thank the Lord for giving us the best and most suitable wife or husband. If we call on the name of the Lord by exercising our spirit, we shall immediately realize that God has given us the best mate. May more and more among us have this kind of experience.
Christ is both theirs and ours, and we have been called into the fellowship of this Christ. This fellowship takes place only in the spirit. Praise the Lord that he who is joined to Him is one spirit! Therefore, we have a source, a fountain, and an inexhaustible reservoir. This source is Christ, the processed Triune God, the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit.