The New Testament clearly reveals that Christ today is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). This means that Christ is the Spirit who is the current of the Triune God for us to apply in our experience. This understanding may differ from traditional theology, but it corresponds to the pure Word of God. The New Testament reveals that Christ, God incarnated as a man, died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected from among the dead, ascended to the heavens, and has been glorified and enthroned as the King, the Head, and the Lord over all. This very Christ is also the life-giving Spirit.
All the objective items of who Christ is and of what Christ is are recognized and taught by fundamental Christians today. However, the matter of Christ as the life-giving Spirit has been grossly neglected. This is due to Satan’s subtlety. A person may talk about what electricity is and what it can do, but he may neglect the current of electricity. What good is it to discuss electricity without applying it? I do not know very much about electricity, but by applying it I enjoy its benefits. In the same principle, our need today is not mainly the objective knowledge of doctrines; it is the subjective experience of the current of the Triune God.
Satan, the subtle enemy of God, may allow people to know that Christ is the Son of God who was incarnated as a man, who died on the cross for our redemption, who was resurrected, and who has ascended to the right hand of God. But the enemy blinds the believers to the vital truth regarding Christ as the life-giving Spirit. Second Corinthians 3:6 says that the letter kills, but that the Spirit gives life. According to 2 Corinthians 3:17, the Lord is this very Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Verse 18 continues, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding and reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit” (Gk.). In this verse we see a compound title—Lord Spirit. Few Christians have paid attention to this title of the Lord. The understanding and experience of Christ as the Lord Spirit need to be recovered. I love to call on the name of the Lord Jesus, but I especially enjoy touching Him as the Lord Spirit. The Lord Jesus today is the wonderful life-giving Spirit.
This very point is also covered in Romans 8. In verse 9 of this chapter Paul speaks of the Spirit of God dwelling in us. Then he says, “But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him.” This clearly indicates that today the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ. Furthermore, the next verse speaks of Christ being in us. The fact that these terms are used interchangeably indicates that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ and that the Spirit of Christ is Christ Himself. The Spirit spoken of in Romans 8 is Christ Himself.
This Christ who is the life-giving Spirit is in our spirit. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit.” This reveals clearly that the Holy Spirit is one with our regenerated human spirit. As the life-giving Spirit, Christ today is the application and realization of the Triune God. Furthermore, this application and realization is in our spirit.
Our being is like a building. In this building Christ as the heavenly electricity has been installed. We praise the Lord that in this building the divine electrician has placed a switch—the human spirit. Our spirit can be compared to a switch by which we apply the heavenly electricity. What a frustration it would be to us if electricity had been installed into this building, but there were no switch. Praise the Lord for the switch of our human spirit! Using this switch is the key to experiencing the Spirit as the application of the Triune God. Time and time again we need to remind ourselves that Christ as the realization of the Triune God is the life-giving Spirit in our spirit.
Many of us have been taught to meditate upon the Lord and upon spiritual things. In such meditation we may recall how the Son of God was incarnated, how He was born in a manger, how He worked as a carpenter, and how He was crucified, resurrected, and ascended. I do not oppose this kind of meditation. I wish to point out, however, that it is too objective. If we only meditate on the Lord, we shall not enjoy the practical, instant application of Him as the life-giving Spirit. A believer may enjoy a continual application of Christ, although he may not know much about Him in a doctrinal way. Consider the illustration of the electricity again. Do you wait until you understand electricity before you apply it? Of course not. Although it may be useful to understand electricity, the important thing is to apply it. Many Christians concentrate on obtaining a doctrinal knowledge of Christ, but they neglect the practical experience of Him. Many believers simply do not know how to apply Him. If we would apply Him, we need to see that today, as the life-giving Spirit, He is the divine electricity in our spirit.