There are two aspects of the discipline of the Holy Spirit. The first is to cause us to submit. God arranges our environment and calls us to submission. The second is the discipline of the Holy Spirit in taking over our submission. We do not have any intention of submitting, but the Holy Spirit works on us to the extent that we submit nevertheless.

There was a brother who loved money very much. The Holy Spirit disciplined him many times, but he still loved money. During the past three or four years, many things came across his way which made him very angry. Today, however, unconsciously he no longer loves money. He has asked, "Must my love for money be given up in a spirit of obedience? What if I give it up in a spirit of disobedience?" I have answered that as long as he has given up his love for money, it is all right. Many times we want to submit quickly, and we ask God to give us grace that we might submit. This is very good. This will cause us to go through less chastisement; it can save us some dealings. We can reach the other side more quickly. But even if we are not that cooperative, He will bring us through according to His good timing as long as we give Him the time. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the inward working of the Holy Spirit is precious, and the outward working of the Holy Spirit through our environment is also very precious.

Question:How can we obey more quickly?

Answer:Sometimes God's Holy Spirit works in us inwardly through His operation; sometimes He works on us through the passage of time. When the Holy Spirit of God moves within us, obedience is instant. But God does not only work through His Holy Spirit within men; He also works in men through the outward discipline of the Holy Spirit. This is not immediate. It is a day-by-day process. He continues this work until one day we are both willing and changed. This takes time however. When we ask God to give us submission, there are two kinds of answers to this prayer: inward operation, which is instant, and outward environment, which takes time. Thus, we are able to submit either through enlightenment or through discipline.

The day will come when the church will reach full maturity as depicted in Ephesians 4. Then the church will be without spot or wrinkle or any such things, as mentioned in Ephesians 5. Here are two sides to the work: John wept when he saw that no one was worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5:4). I do not think that we are like John, but readers of the Bible become very worried about Ephesians 4 and 5. It seems as if it is easier to consider stars like figs and hailstones that weigh a talent falling to the earth than it is to think of the church maturing and arriving at the full stature of Christ, no longer having spots or wrinkles or any such things. It worries them to think that the church has to be so holy that it becomes absolutely irreproachable, being able to present itself for open scrutiny and not be found with any flaw or criticism. We see, however, that the Holy Spirit not only works inwardly but also disciplines outwardly to bring us to the point of being irreproachable. How real is the discipline of the Holy Spirit! We struggle to deal with many things, but many things are dealt with unconsciously. Our Lord has arranged all kinds of things for us; He has planned our future. This is truly the Christian gospel! It is marvelous to realize that Christians have the discipline of the Holy Spirit.