In the spirit of life within us, there is not only the life of God but also a law. This law is the law of the life of God. Every life has its law and is also a law in itself. The life in our body has its law within our body and is also a law in itself within our body. The law of this life, or we may say this life itself as the law, approves and accepts whatever agrees with the nature of this life. Anything which is otherwise, this law or this life as the law opposes and refuses. Likewise, the life of God in our spirit also has its law, and it is also a law in our spirit. It is of the Spirit and rests with the Spirit; therefore, its nature is entirely and absolutely spiritual. If what we are and do agrees with the spiritual nature of God’s life, the law of God’s life in our spirit, or we may say God’s life as the law in our spirit, approves and accepts it. Otherwise, this law or God’s life as the law opposes and refuses it. All that it approves and accepts is definitely from the spirit, because only that which is from the spirit can agree with its spiritual nature. Therefore, all that we are and do must be from the spirit and in the spirit. Then the law of life in our spirit will approve and accept it.
This law of life in our spirit belongs to the order of consciousness and has its own consciousness. All that it approves and accepts or opposes and refuses is made known by what it feels and what it desires us to feel. If what we are and do is in the spirit and is in agreement with the nature of the spirit of life in us, this law will make us feel that it approves and accepts it. Otherwise, this law will cause us to feel that it is opposing and refusing. Thus, by the sense of this law, we can know whether or not we are living in the spirit and walking by the spirit. Since this law is the law of the spirit of life in us, the sense of this law is the sense of the spirit of life in us. Therefore, the sense of this law can cause us to know the spirit within.
Law is a natural thing; therefore, the sense it gives us is also natural. For example, when we drink a glass of fruit juice, we naturally feel that it is sweet. This is because there is a law of the physical life in our body which naturally causes us to feel this. As soon as our lips touch the juice, we immediately taste the sweetness. This natural sense is the law of life of our body. This law naturally causes us to taste the flavor of the juice. The law of life in our spirit is also like this. We do not need others to tell us whether what we are and do as Christians is in the spirit or whether we are mindful of the spirit and pleasing to God. The law of life in our spirit naturally makes known our situation by giving us a certain sense. This natural feeling given to us by this law of life is a natural function of the spirit of life in us. By this we may easily discern whether or not we ourselves are living in the spirit.
The sense that this law of life gives us is natural; not only so, it also causes us to feel natural. The more we live in the spirit and the more what we are and do agrees with the nature of the spirit of life within us, the more this law of life in our spirit will cause us to feel natural. If we as Christians are not natural, it proves we have some problem and that we are not living in the spirit. Since the spirit of life in us is a natural law of the spirit, only when our life and work agree with its spiritual nature can we feel natural within. When we feel natural within, it proves we are living in accordance with the law of life in our spirit. This natural feeling given to us by this law of life in us causes us to know we are living in the spirit and walking according to the spirit. Thus, if we follow the law of life in our spirit, or if we follow the natural consciousness given to us by this law of life, it means we are following the spirit of life within us. To put it simply, following the sense of the law of life in our spirit is following the spirit, because the sense of the law of life in the spirit is the sense of the spirit itself.