A PRESENTED BODY, A RENEWED MIND,
AND A LIVING SPIRIT
This transformation requires that our body be presented and that our spirit be burning (Rom. 12:1, 11). Romans 12 refers to the body, the soul, and the spirit. For the Body life, our body must be presented, our soul must be transformed, and our spirit must be set on fire. You may love the church and present your body to the church, but you may not have much transformation in your soul. Your mind may be natural, and your concepts may be old. You need to be transformed and renewed in your soul. It is also possible to have transformation, but yet be cold in your spirit. In order to advance in the Body life, we need our body presented both to the Lord and to the Body. We should present our body to the Lord for the Body. We also need our mind to be renewed so that our soul may be transformed. Finally, our spirit must be set on fire. If we have all these things, we shall have a proper and solid Body life.
Such a Body life is not simply a matter of uplifting the inferior ones, of lowering the superior ones, of tempering the members, adorning the uncomely parts, and of strengthening the more feeble members. This is too superficial. If we care only about the head, the tail, and the proper sequence, we are being too outward. We need a solid church life with much transformation. For this, we need to have our body presented, our soul transformed, and our spirit burning. This means that we need to be transferred from 1 Corinthians 12 to Romans 12. Then we shall not have as many toys, and we shall not care for the miraculous things. This is what the Lord desires in His recovery. I realize that this will not take place overnight and that it cannot be accomplished by a mushrooming development. Nevertheless, I have been burdened to share with you a view of what is to come in the future. We all need to have such a view.
(The Spirit and the Body, Chapter 17, by Witness Lee)
