Revelation 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; and 21:10 use the term “in spirit.” John the Apostle, on the island of Patmos, said four times he saw something “in spirit.” In spirit John saw the seven golden lampstands. In other words, in spirit he saw the local churches (1:10). In spirit he saw God’s throne (4:2), with all His divine judgment on the world. Also, in spirit he saw Babylon the Great (17:3). Finally, in spirit he saw the holy city, Jerusalem (21:10). The book of Revelation is composed of these four visions. If we are going to see these four visions we have to be in spirit.
If you are in spirit you will see the real situation. You will see what a local church is, what a Babylonian thing is, what the destination, the doom of this world is, and what the New Jerusalem, the Body of Christ is. If you are going to be clear about all these things you need to be in spirit. In spirit you will see the local churches. In spirit you will see the doom, the destination, of today’s world. In spirit you will see that Babylon is fallen (17:3, 5; 18:2). Finally, in spirit you will see that the local church is just an expression of the New Jerusalem. If you are in a local church, you are in an expression of the New Jerusalem. We all need to be in spirit.
First Thessalonians 5:23 shows that the soul and spirit are not the same, but are two separate items. Hebrews 4:12 reveals that the spirit and soul can be divided just like the marrow can be divided from the joints. The joints are the bones and within the bones is the marrow. The marrow is hidden within the bones just like the spirit is hidden within the soul. The spirit is so hidden in the soul that it needs to be divided from the soul by the living and operative word of God which is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12). Sometimes it is really hard to separate the spirit from the soul; so the living Word is needed.
The soul and the spirit can be divided because they are two items, two entities, two kinds of substances. Regardless of how hidden the marrow is within the bone, still they are two things. Regardless of how hidden our spirit is within our soul, still they are two things, two organs, two items. We have to learn how to divide our soul from our spirit.
In Luke 1:46-47 Mary says, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” Firstly, your spirit rejoices in the Lord; then your soul can magnify Him. The tenses of the verbs in these two verses show the order: my soul magnifies (present tense) and my spirit hath rejoiced (perfect tense).
Philippians 1:27 says to “stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together in the faith of the gospel.” To be in one spirit is one thing. To be with one soul is another thing. Firstly, we need to be in one spirit. Then we all need to be with one soul. To stand together for the church life we need to be in one spirit, but if some brothers went to preach the gospel together without being one soul, they would have a lot of trouble. So many young brothers on the campus are really one in the spirit, standing fast for the church life. But when they go to preach the gospel, sometimes they have a different soul. We need to be not only in one spirit, but also with one soul. “In one spirit” is for the standing, and “with one soul” is for the acting, the working, the striving together.
Praise the Lord for 1 Corinthians 6:17: “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” The Lord is within our spirit, so we are one spirit with the Lord. “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). “And the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). “The Lord be with your spirit” (2 Tim. 4:22). “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). I like these four verses, and I could never forget them. The Lord is the life-giving Spirit, and we have such a wonderful spirit. Today we are just one spirit with the Lord because these two spirits are mingled together as one spirit.
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