Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
Excerpt from: The Parts of Man - by Witness Lee
Since Christ, as the life-giving Spirit, dwells in our spirit, we need to discern our spirit from our soul that we may contact and experience Him. We may know that man is composed of the spirit, soul, and body, but to discern the difference between the spirit and the soul is a real problem. To know the difference between the body and the soul is easy, but to discern the spirit from the soul is rather difficult. The following illustration is most helpful. Suppose we find something that we would like to purchase. The more we consider it, the more we feel that we would like to have it. Eventually, we make the decision to buy it. The emotion is exercised, since we like it; the mind is exercised, because we have considered it; and the will is exercised, because we have made the decision to buy it. Therefore, the whole soul is exercised. But when we proceed to buy it, something very deep within us protests. Our emotion likes it, our mind considers it, and our will chooses it; but something deeper than all these protests. This is the spirit. The spirit is the deepest part within us, the very inmost part of our whole being. It is absolutely different from our soul.
We must first realize that Christ is the Spirit in our spirit. Then we need to discern the difference between the spirit and the soul that we may deny the soul and live by the spirit. When we live by the spirit, Christ will have the first place in everything. Then we will experience Christ in the spirit, and we will learn how to apply Him in our daily life.
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Don't see much wrong with that - what am I missing? Paul repeatedly exhorts us to "walk in spirit." How do we do that? I've had many experience where there was something deeper within that is just not lining up with something I want to do. When I go against it, the life and peace drains away, and when I listen and obey, the life and peace returns. The Lord speaks to us both through scripture and "The Spirit of Jesus Christ." For example, Paul experienced this and said, "The Holy Spirit prevented them . . . the Spirit of Jesus did not permit us to go . . ." (Acts 16:6-7) Did Paul find this in scripture? No. Did Jesus come in bodily form and tell them this? No, it was His Spirit, speaking within them.
Scripture tells us Spirit begets spirit. So how do the sheep hear His voice? It's not just the written word. (of course, many times His inner voice speaks using scripture)