VI. AFTER THE BREAKING OF THE SOUL—
THE DENIAL OF THE MIND, EMOTION, AND WILL—
WHATEVER IS LEFT BEING THE SPIRIT
After the breaking of the soul—the denial of the mind, emotion, and will—whatever is left is the spirit. First, we have to see that the breaking of the soul equals the denial of the mind, emotion, and will. After this breaking, or this denial, surely we still have something left. If the unbelievers denied the mind, emotion, and will, nothing would be left. But the more we deny the mind, emotion, and will, the more our spirit will rise up and stand up. Some saints may ask how they can know the spirit. We need to tell them to let their soul be broken to the uttermost by denying their mind, emotion, and will. Then whatever is left is the spirit. This is the way to discern the spirit. The spirit is what is left over after the breaking and denial of the soul.
VII. SETTING THE MIND ON THE SPIRIT
In Romans 8:6b Paul charged us to set our mind on the spirit. You must have the soul broken first. You must deny the mind, emotion, and will. Then you can set the mind on the spirit. Otherwise, it is impossible for anyone to set the mind on the spirit. The soul must be broken, the self must be denied, including the mind, emotion, and will. Then something is left over. Then we have the clear ground to set our mind on what is left over. That is the spirit.
VIII. WALKING ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT
In Romans 8:4 Paul charged us to walk according to the spirit. If we do not have our soul broken, our mind, emotion, and will denied, and if we do not set our mind upon the spirit as the leftover, we cannot walk according to the spirit. If we walk according to our mind, emotion, and will, this means we walk according to our soul, according to our self, not according to the spirit. It must be after the breaking of the soul, after the denial of the mind, emotion, and will, and after the setting of the mind on the spirit, that we walk according to the spirit.
IX. BEING ONE WITH THE LORD IN THE SPIRIT
At this point, it is easy for us to go on with the Lord in the spirit. Here we need to use 1 Corinthians 6:17—"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit."
If we do not know how to discern the spirit from the soul, this means that we do not allow the soul to be broken and the self to be denied. It is not until we have the soul broken, the self denied, that we have the clear ground to set our mind on the spirit. Then we can walk according to the spirit and we can be one with the Lord in such a spirit, a spirit fully discerned from the soul. Then the spirit is not concealed in the soul, but discerned from the soul, a broken soul.
(Basic Lessons on Life, Chapter 20, by Witness Lee)
