Scripture Reading:
Zech. 12:1b Thus declares Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.
1 Cor. 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
Rom. 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.
RANKED WITH THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
Zechariah 12:1 says that the Lord stretched forth the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. No one can deny that these three items—the heavens, the earth, and the spirit of man—are crucial in God’s creation to fulfill His purpose. The heavens were created for the earth, the earth was created for man, and man was created for God.
Zechariah does not refer to “man,” but to “the spirit of man.” This is because the spirit of man is the very organ that can take in God to enjoy God’s life and God’s Spirit and be one with God’s Spirit. This is why man’s spirit has become so crucial and important, even to the extent that it is ranked with the heavens and the earth.
THE BREATH OF LIFE BECOMING MAN’S SPIRIT
Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah” (ASV). Generally speaking, the word in Hebrew for spirit is ruach, but the Hebrew word for spirit here is neshamah. Neshamah is the same word used in Genesis 2:7 for breath. In Proverbs 20:27 it is translated spirit. By this we can see that the breath of life breathed into man by God at man’s creation was the spirit of man. The spirit of man is something within us that is very close to God’s life and God’s Spirit. This indicates that the spirit of man was created for the purpose of receiving and containing the life of God and the Spirit of God. Eventually, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” Our spirit can become one spirit with the Lord because it was created with the breath of life, which is very close to God’s life and God’s Spirit.
THE FEELING OF THE SPIRIT AFTER WE ARE SAVED
BEING LIFE AND PEACE
In Romans 8 the word “feeling” does not appear. However, the fact is there. The last part of verse 6 says, “But the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Life and peace are feelings of the spirit. We know that there is life and peace within us because we feel them. The first part of verse 6 says, “For the mind set on the flesh is death.” Death includes uneasiness. When death comes, it causes people to feel uneasy. Within each Christian there are these two phenomena—life and peace, and death and uneasiness. What makes a man what he is are the thoughts in his mind. If our mind is set on the spirit, we will surely have life within. When we have life, we feel at ease. To feel at ease is peace. If our thoughts are always on the flesh, we will surely feel uneasy. That is a sign and registration of death. I believe that all of you have had this kind of experience. Before we were saved, when we thought about going to the movies, we were elated. But now, after being saved, when we think of going to the movies, we feel uneasy within. This is a phenomenon of death; it indicates that our spirit is deadened. As a result, we lost the proper feeling. If, at this time, we would turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, forgive me; I want to quiet down before You,” we would then settle down within. This is peace. Peace is a phenomenon of life.
THE FEELING OF THE SPIRIT BEING DELICATE, MEEK, AND CALM
The feeling of the spirit is delicate, meek, and calm. If we want to sense the spirit’s feeling, we have to learn to be calm. If you are of a quick temper, you will not be able to sense the feeling of the spirit. The more delicate, meek, and calm you are, the clearer your feeling of the spirit becomes.
THE FEELING OF THE SPIRIT BEING LIFE AND
PEACE AS OPPOSED TO DEATH AND UNEASINESS
The feeling of the spirit is life and peace as opposed to death and uneasiness. Life includes satisfaction, fulfillment, strength, livingness, and freshness. These are all phenomena of life. Death includes emptiness, dissatisfaction, weakness, depression, and oldness. The general phenomenon of life is peace, and the general phenomenon of death is uneasiness. If you are satisfied, full, strong, living, and fresh, you will surely feel at ease and peaceful. If you are dissatisfied, weak, depressed, and old, you will certainly feel uneasy. These phenomena within us produce a feeling which lets us know whether or not we are in the spirit. If we are in the spirit, we will have life and peace. If we are not in the spirit, but in the flesh, we will have death and uneasiness. (Words of Life from the 1988 Full-Time Training, pp. 18-23)
Further Reading: Basic Lessons on Life, lsn. 16; Words of Life from the 1988 Full-Time Training, msg. 2; Our Human Spirit, msg. 9; CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, “Various Speakings,” ch. 8
