CHRIST AS THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT
REGENERATING THE BELIEVERS IN THEIR SPIRIT
As the life-giving Spirit, Christ has regenerated the believers in their spirit (John 3:5-6). Doctrinally, it is difficult to explain how Christ, after entering into us, regenerates us in our spirit. However, in experience it is simple. When a sinner repents, confesses his sins, believes in the Lord Jesus, and calls on His name, at that very moment Christ as the life-giving Spirit enters into his spirit to enliven his dead spirit, that is, to regenerate him in his spirit. Immediately such a person becomes alive, happy, and joyful. He cannot explain what has happened to him, but he is rejoicing. He may continue to repent of his sins for the remainder of the day. A great change has taken place in his life. This sinner has been saved. He has been regenerated, and he is now a Christian. I believe that many of us have had this kind of experience. This is what it means to be saved, to be regenerated, and to be converted.
THE BELIEVERS BEING BROUGHT INTO
AN ORGANIC UNION WITH CHRIST
Through their believing in Christ and their being baptized into Christ, the believers have been brought into an organic union with Christ (John 3:15, 36a; Rom. 6:3, 5). When we believed in Christ and were baptized into Him, an organic union took place in our being. This organic union which took place at our believing in Jesus has united us to Christ. In other words, this union has grafted us into Christ, who is the vine tree. It is by such a transaction that we have been made branches of Christ. Hallelujah, we are believers in Christ, and we are branches grafted into this wonderful, universal vine tree! This is the organic union.
THE BELIEVERS’ REGENERATED SPIRIT
AND CHRIST AS THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT
JOINED TO BE ONE SPIRIT
The believers’ regenerated spirit and Christ who is the life-giving Spirit are joined to be one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). This is wonderful. We, the believers in Christ, all have a regenerated spirit. Our spirit was dead, but through believing in Christ it has been made alive (Eph. 2:1). Now we all have within us our own spirit which has been regenerated and made alive. At the same time Christ as the life-giving Spirit is within our spirit. These two spirits are joined to be one spirit. This is a most mysterious and wonderful thing. Most Christians today have no concept of this mysterious and wonderful reality. But in the Lord’s recovery this is stressed day after day. That our spirit is joined to Christ, the life-giving Spirit, as one spirit is a most crucial and vital matter. This is the ultimate consummation of the organic union which we have with Christ. No union could be more intimate than this union.
The realization that we are one spirit with Christ will cause us to be beside ourselves with joy. Such a realization may cause us to shout, "Hallelujah, we are one spirit with the Lord!" Many times I have been asked how I, as an elderly man, could be so active and so energetic. My secret is that I am one spirit with the Lord. Today, many toys are made to operate by electricity. It is electricity which makes them so active. Because we are one spirit with Christ, we have the heavenly, divine electricity energizing us continually. How we need to realize our organic union with Christ and live in this reality!
(The Secret of Experiencing Christ, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
