We have seen that the first three ingredients of the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment are the only God, the Triune God, and the man Jesus, typified respectively by the one hin of olive oil, the three units of the measure of the four spices, and the four spices of the plant life. In this message we shall continue to consider the ingredients of the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment, and then we shall go on to consider the anointing of the compound Spirit.
The flowing myrrh in 30:23 typifies the precious death of Christ. This precious death is, according to this type, compounded with the anointing Spirit. In Romans 6:3 and 6 Paul says that we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death, and that our old man has been crucified with Christ. The death of Christ into which we have been baptized is actually included in the Spirit. Without the Spirit, the death of Christ is only a historical fact, and it can never become our experience. It is in the Spirit that we share the death of Christ. This is also a part of the anointing of the Spirit.
The fragrant cinnamon in 30:23 typifies the sweetness and the effectiveness of Christ’s death. The effectiveness of the death of Christ can be compared to an antibiotic used to kill germs. If someone is suffering from a disease caused by certain bacteria or germs, he may take a certain medicine to kill those germs. The effectiveness of Christ’s death can be regarded as the spiritual antibiotic to kill the “germs” within us.
Galatians 5:22-24 indicates that the death of Christ functions like a spiritual antibiotic. Verses 22 and 23 speak of the fruit of the Spirit. Then verse 24 says, “But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts.” Physically speaking, no one can crucify himself. A person can commit suicide many different ways, but he cannot commit suicide by crucifying himself. Anyone crucified in ancient times was hung on a cross by others. Since crucifixion is not an action that we can perform on ourselves, why does Paul say in Galatians 5:24 that they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh? If we read the context of this verse with understanding, we shall see that we do not actually crucify ourselves by ourselves alone. Rather, this crucifixion is carried out by the Spirit from whom is the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit who bears fruit within us is the One by whom we crucify ourselves. This corresponds to Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to flesh, you are about to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.” By ourselves we are not able to put to death the practices of the body. Likewise, we are not able to crucify ourselves. We need a crucifier, someone to crucify us. Christ was crucified by Roman soldiers. Today we experience crucifixion through and by the indwelling Spirit.
Do you know where the effectiveness of the death of Christ is? The effectiveness of the death of Christ is in the all-inclusive Spirit. This Spirit includes the element of the effectiveness of the wonderful death of Christ. This means that the death of Christ spoken of in Romans 6 has become an ingredient of the indwelling Spirit spoken of in Romans 8. The “medicine” of the Spirit thus contains the effectiveness of Christ’s death as the element to kill the germs, the harmful bacteria, within us.
Throughout the years many have taught from Romans 6 that our old man has been crucified with Christ. However, few have seen the proper way to experience our death with Christ described in Romans 6. Only when we realize that the effectiveness of the death of Christ has been compounded into the all-inclusive Spirit can we have the proper experience of being crucified with Christ. Once we realize that the death of Christ in Romans 6 has been compounded into the all-inclusive, indwelling Spirit, we should simply walk in this Spirit. This is to take the “medicine” of the Spirit containing the killing element of Christ’s death. There is no need for us to try to kill ourselves or the germs within us. We simply need to take the antibiotic, which will then do an excellent work within us to kill all the germs. Our experience testifies of this. We can testify that when we walk in the Spirit, a killing work is taking place within us.
We can experience this killing work in our daily lives. Suppose a brother does not care for the indwelling Spirit, but instead, rejecting the Spirit, quarrels with his wife and says some very unkind things to her. However, suppose this same brother prays himself into the Spirit, lives in the Spirit, and walks in the Spirit. This will make it extremely difficult for him to argue with his wife. As soon as he opens his mouth to quarrel with her, he will experience the element of Christ’s death operating within him. Then he finds it impossible to argue with her. Many married brothers have had this kind of experience.
I believe that a good number of sisters have experienced the “antibiotic” in the Spirit in relation to their shopping. If a sister does not pray herself into the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, then she may go shopping without any inward restriction. For this reason, I would encourage the sisters to pray thoroughly and properly before they go shopping. A sister may say, “Lord, let us go shopping together. In the matter of shopping, I don’t want to leave You. Rather, I want to stay with You.” If a sister goes shopping in this way, she will experience the Lord’s limitation and restriction. She may pick up a certain item and consider buying it. But then, sensing the restriction of the Spirit, she will put it down. Sometimes she may leave the store without buying anything, because she paid attention to the Spirit within her. This is an experience of the effectiveness of the Lord’s sweet death being applied to us by the all-inclusive Spirit. Many of us can testify that whenever we have this kind of experience, we feel that we are with the Lord in the heavens.