Second Corinthians 3:17 says, “And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Our heart needs to turn to the Lord, and the Lord is the Spirit. Thus, our heart must turn to the Spirit. The Spirit is within us today. We have to turn to the Lord, the Spirit, within us. This is wonderful. We have to learn to turn within to our spirit to fellowship with the Lord so that we can be mingled with the Spirit. We are always facing the outside and are turned away from the Lord. Thus, we have to learn to turn within where the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit, so when we turn to the Lord we are turning to the Spirit. In addition, the Spirit is within us. Thus, in order to turn to the Lord, we have to turn to our spirit within. When we turn back to our spirit within, we sense the presence of the Lord. However, whenever we turn to the outside, to the soul, there is no presence of the Lord.
The Lord is the Spirit within us, our person is on the outside, and our heart is in between the Lord and us. When the heart turns outward, it turns away from the Lord. This is the veil. When the heart turns inward, it turns to the Lord, and the veil is taken away. How do we know if we are turning to the Lord or turning away from the Lord? In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul says the Lord is the Spirit and that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom is the big proof. Where the Lord is, there is freedom. When the Lord is in our mind, our mind is freed. When the Lord is in our emotion, our emotion is freed. And when Lord is in our will, our will is freed.
Many people testify that after they are saved, as long as they do not sin, their life is quite peaceful. But after they hear about turning to the spirit within, their life is no longer as peaceful and as free. They cannot buy clothes, go to the movies, or go to dancing parties as they wish. Now there seems to be many limitations. In the past they could do whatever they wanted to do. As long as they did not sin, did not hurt anyone, and went to the meeting on the Lord’s Day, they seemed to have peace within. But now, there is no peace. When they turn to their deepest part, to the spirit, they cannot do this or do that.
Some young Christians complain, saying, “The elderly saints saw many movies and enjoyed life to the full when they were young, and now they speak to us about spirituality. However, we have not seen enough movies and have not enjoyed life enough. We do not want to lose our freedom so early. Can we not wait until we are fifty years old before we start to love the Lord?” We must realize that we can dance, but we will not have freedom in our mind. We can watch movies, but we will not have freedom in our emotion. We can choose to drink, but we will not have freedom in our will. Our entire being is completely restricted and bound and has no freedom. A person who loves the Lord and allows the Spirit to pass through him may not seem to have any freedom outwardly—he cannot go to the movie theater, attend parties, or dance. But within him there is freedom—his mind is freed, his emotion is freed, and his will is freed. Moreover, his conscience is also freed.
No Christian has freedom in his conscience when he is at a dancing party. No Christian has peace in his conscience when he is in a movie theater. His conscience accuses and condemns him because his heart is turned away from the Lord. However, whenever his heart turns to the Lord, the Lord as the Spirit enters into him, and when the Spirit enters, freedom also enters. The Spirit is freedom. When you dance, enjoy life, go shopping in shopping centers, do you have freedom in your spirit? Do you have freedom in your emotion? Do you have freedom in your will? Do you have freedom in your mind? You yourself know that this is a painful experience. An unbeliever can dance as much as he likes and still be happy. But if you have been saved, not only do you not have peace within when you are dancing, but you feel bad even after you go home. Your conscience condemns you, your emotion is not at peace, your will is not at ease, and your mind is bothered. This is a painful experience. This is the situation of a Christian who loves the world.
If a Christian loves the world, his heart cannot love the Lord. The heart comprises the conscience, mind, emotion, and will. A Christian who loves the world and does not love the Lord does not have peace in any of these parts. He has no freedom within. However, whenever his heart turns to the Lord and says to Him, “Lord, I love You. Even though movies are lovable, I love You. Even though dancing is lovable, I love You. Even though entertainment, friends, and fashion are all lovable, I love You and my heart turns to You.” Then the veil within him is removed, he touches the Spirit, and wherever the Lord is, there is freedom. His mind follows him to love the Lord, so his mind has freedom. His emotion follows him to love the Lord, so his emotion has freedom. His will follows him to love the Lord—his decisions are according to the Lord’s decisions, and his opinions are according to the Lord’s opinions—so his will also has freedom.
If this is not the case, his mind, emotion, and will are under bondage, and his conscience condemns him. But when his mind thinks about the Lord, his emotion loves the Lord, and his will chooses the Lord, his conscience will approve of him. The center of his whole being is at ease and free. At this time the freedom that he experiences is real freedom—an inward freedom, a freedom full of joy and peace. Then God’s glory and image will be lived out of this person.