Our problem is that it is not easy for us to turn from the outward to the inward, that is, from our soul to our spirit. For example, we may be used to lighting kerosene lamps for light. Thus, even though we have electric lights installed in our homes, we still light the kerosene lamps. Spiritual reality depends not on how many messages we listen to, how much we pray, or how much we meet. Rather, it depends on whether or not we are willing to put our soul aside and exercise our spirit. The key is whether or not we are willing to have our being transferred from our soul to our spirit, and whether or not we are willing to turn our being around, turning it from our soul back to our spirit. Our need is to turn from our soul to our spirit. When we turn from our soul to our spirit, we will touch the Spirit of God in our spirit and will have some feeling within. Once we have this feeling, we should submit to it. In whatever way the Spirit moves in us, we should obey. If we do so, we will be the most blessed people.
When we submit in this way, all the riches of God will fill us inwardly day after day. God’s power, God’s life, God’s virtues, God’s love, God’s light, and all the riches in God will be wrought into our being little by little, filling us within. The main reason we do not always have light within and are often confused, unclear, and darkened is that we do not turn to our spirit. If we are willing to turn to our spirit, our inner being will be enlightened, and our understanding will be opened. We will be able to see revelations every day and know what pleases or displeases the Lord. Then we will deal with the matters that need to be dealt with and follow the feelings that we receive. In this way the life in us will grow, and our Bible reading will be full of light and full of taste.
In the past we may have only known to recite the letter of the Bible with our mind, but we may not have seen the light and revelation in the Bible. However, the more we grow in life, are opened in our understanding, and have the presence of the Holy Spirit with the reality of resurrection, the more we will have the light and revelation in our spirit. Furthermore, we will be able to touch God’s feeling regarding our future, our job, our conduct, and our management of the affairs of the church. Many people say that it is difficult to know God’s will. The more they pray, the more confused they are. This is because they are accustomed to living by their soul in their daily living. They do not pray unless something happens to them. The reason why they become more confused the more they pray is because they are so accustomed to living in their soul. Thus, when things happen to them, they are unable to pray in the spirit. If we always exercise in our daily life to deny our soul and live in our spirit to fellowship with God, then when something happens to us, it will be easy for us to touch God’s desire within.
These four matters—spiritual revelation, spiritual shining, spiritual sight, and spiritual vision—are apparently similar but are actually very different. For example, suppose that there is a certain object hidden in a bag and that we can see the bag but cannot see what is inside the bag. Revelation is the opening of the bag, showing what is within. The Greek word for revelation means “to open the veil.” For instance, in a theater there is a veil that covers the scenery on the stage. When the show begins, the veil is lifted up so that we may see the scenery. This is revelation, an unveiling.
However, we may not be able to see even when there is revelation. If there is no light in the theater and everything is dark, although the veil may be lifted, we still will not see the scenery. Moreover, if a person is blind and his eyes cannot be opened, then there may be revelation and shining, but due to his blindness he will not have the vision either. He may have revelation and shining, but he may not have vision, because he has no sight. When there is revelation, shining, and opened eyes, then there will be vision. A vision is an extraordinary scene. Revelation is the unveiling of a certain thing, shining is what enables the eyes to see, and the result of seeing is a vision.
Many people talk about the Bible, but they do not know that there is revelation in the Bible. As a result, they spend much time talking about the Bible without seeing any revelation or vision. These people are mostly in their soul, not in their spirit. They have no experience of life or inward light and are neither enlightened nor opened in their understanding. Even though they read the Bible again and again, they still cannot see the revelation. Revelation is there, but due to the lack of light and vision, they cannot see. Only a certain kind of people—those who turn from their soul to their spirit and who continually learn to walk according to God in their spirit—will have the light and the sight. These people have the riches of God in their spirit, and when they live in their spirit, they have light and life. Every time they come to read the Bible, the Bible is bright and shining to them. In their daily living, they find it easy to touch the feeling of the spirit. In this way, day by day they are those who live in the spirit, who live in God, and who are filled unto all the fullness of God. This is the goal that God wants to accomplish in us. May we all press on toward this goal.