Because of the fall, sin came in, death came in, Satan came in, and the world came in. Even we ourselves became sin because our body became the flesh of sin and our soul became the self. Because of these great negative things, we surely need a Savior. We need salvation. But today most Christians talk only about the need of being saved from the negative things. They do not see the positive aspect of God's salvation. Even if we had not been damaged by sin, death, Satan, and the world, and even if we did not have the flesh and a sinful nature, we would still need God as our sunshine, air, water, and food. We need to see that even if we had never become fallen, we would still need to be regenerated. According to the revelation in Genesis 1 and 2, before Adam fell, he needed the tree of life. Although Adam was sinless and pure before he fell, he still needed God as life, signified by the tree of life.

The first issue of God's move in man in His incarnation is that God became Jesus. He became Jehovah our Savior, Jehovah our salvation. Every day we need Jesus. Every day we need Him as our sunshine, our air, our water, and our food. When we experience Him as our Savior, we become vital believers. The problem with us is that we do not experience and enjoy Him as our Savior in a continual way.

In the morning we may become vital after spending some time with the Lord in prayer and in the Word. But in the afternoon we may become dead. We have to realize that we have a person in us whose name is Jehovah the Savior, Jehovah the salvation, Jesus. He is within us and is one with us. He is in us and we are in Him, but in order to enjoy Him continually, we must learn how to do everything according to the spirit. Romans 8:4 says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk according to the spirit. "To walk" means to have your life and to do everything. In our speaking, our thinking, our attitude, and in everything, we must live and walk not according to our American custom or habit, but according to the spirit. Time after time I have to ask the Lord to forgive me when I do not walk according to the spirit.

Recently I met an old acquaintance and his wife whom I have known for many years. Later the wife wrote a letter to me, in which she apologized for being too loose in her talk with me. Before I received her letter, I also had asked the Lord to forgive me for speaking something to her and her husband that was not according to the spirit. I am sharing this small incident to show how little of our time is spent walking according to the spirit. When we read the newspaper, do we read it according to the spirit? I have to restrict myself strongly whenever I read the newspaper. I need to read the newspaper because I need to know the world situation to take care of the Lord's interests. I need to know about the situation politically, diplomatically, and militarily in Taiwan because we have many churches there. I also need to know what is going on in Russia for the sake of the Lord's move there. I need to be informed about the world situation and then pray accordingly. But when we pick up the newspaper, we are tempted and attracted to look at many other things. When we look at the newspaper, do we look at it according to the spirit? Furthermore, when we buy a tie, do we do it according to the spirit? I am sharing this to show that we need to do everything according to the spirit.

After many years of being a Christian, I feel that the most difficult thing for us to do today on this earth is to walk according to the spirit. The word spirit in Romans 8:4 denotes our regenerated human spirit indwelt by and mingled with the Spirit, who is the processed and consummated God. We all have to admit that we are short of God in our experience and in our inward being. This is why we need to be filled with the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit is to "pick up God," of whom we are short.