The central and crucial line in the Bible is that Christ is everything to us. The Lord Jesus today is the all-inclusive Spirit in our spirit. Our only need is to give ourselves to Him, to love Him, to live by Him, and to take Him as our life, our person, and our everything. We need to practice this. If you are a husband and are about to speak to your wife, you must be sure that in your speaking you take Christ as life. If not, you should not say anything to her, even if it is something good. The Bible says that we do not need anyone to teach us (1 John 2:27). We have Christ’s life with His nature in us as the regulating law, and we also have His person, the life-giving Spirit, indwelling us as the anointing. If we would forget religion and dead teachings and care for this all-inclusive Spirit, living by Him, taking Him as our life and person, and giving ourselves to Him for His dwelling, we would truly be one with Him.
However, because of religion, people have selected various points found in the Bible and have passed them on as doctrines in their books. I have read many books about overcoming sin, but in my experience none of the methods advocated in those books ever worked. Eventually, after more than fifty years of experience, I have concluded that nothing works except the all-inclusive Christ as the life-giving Spirit. As long as I live by Him and take Him as my life, my person, and my everything, I have no need to overcome sin. He is the way. I do not need to seek holiness. Holiness is mine because Christ is mine. If the married sisters try to submit to their husbands, it will never work. The only thing that works is Christ as the life-giving Spirit. There is no need to retreat into your private room and pray. No, as you are about to do anything, stop and examine whether you are taking Christ as your life, whether you are living by Christ at that very moment and are taking Him as your person. You should say, “Lord, be one with me. I take You, Lord, as my life, my person, and my everything.” If you practice this, there will be a great difference in your daily living. You will have victory, holiness, and life.
We in the Lord’s recovery today must experience Christ in such a living and practical way all the time. This should not be a doctrine. It is a shame to be in the Lord’s recovery and yet not live by Christ. If some in the recovery do not live by Christ, we must pray for them that they might be brought into the real, living, daily, and even momentary experience of taking Christ as their life and person. What a shame to simply have knowledge and doctrine and not to live by Christ! How wonderful and glorious it would be if we did not know so much, yet we all lived by Christ. Are you about to argue with the brothers? Stop and ask, “Lord, am I living by You and taking You as my person?”
There is only one place where we can experience Christ— in our spirit. The mind, the emotion, and the will do not avail in this matter; only the spirit avails. We must constantly turn to our spirit. Some may ask how we can know whether or not we have turned to our spirit. Although it is difficult to say what the spirit is, you do know quite well what your mind, emotion, and will are. As long as you are not in the mind, emotion, and will, then you must be in the spirit. If you are a married brother and are about to talk with your wife, examine whether or not you are in the mind, emotion, or will. If you are in none of these places, then you must be in your spirit and you can freely converse with your wife. There are only four chambers of your being in which you can dwell: the chambers of the mind, emotion, will, and the inner chamber of the spirit. If you are in your spirit, then you may say to your wife, “Dear, I’m not in my mind, emotion, or will. Therefore, because I know that I’m in the spirit, I have the confidence to talk to you.” I’m certain that you could never attend a movie in your spirit. Try to lose your temper in your spirit. I doubt if you can do it. Whenever we get into our spirit, all the bugs and pests are exterminated. The most effective pesticide is our spirit, the unique place to experience Christ.
Young people, you need to experience Christ and to practice living by Christ. If you do a work among other young people without living by Christ, it will be a shame. To talk to people without taking Christ as your life is a disgrace. We all must learn to live by Christ. I do not care whether or not you are able to preach the gospel. I only care for one thing— whether or not you are living by Christ. As long as we live by Christ, our preaching of Christ will be prevailing. But if you attempt to carry on a work without taking Christ as your life, as your person, and as your everything, it will be a shame to the Lord’s recovery.