SOME EXAMPLES
Let us now consider, as examples, some of those who lived and walked in the spirit. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, was such a one. A number of times the book of Acts says that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3, 5; 7:55). He was one who acted, walked, behaved, and worked in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit mingled with his spirit. In him the divine Spirit and the human spirit were mingled together as one. It was the same with Philip, who also was full of the Holy Spirit. According to Acts 6 and 7, Stephen and Philip were people who lived, behaved, and walked in such a wonderful Spirit. This was not a doctrine to them; it was their daily walk. They lived no longer in the soul, in the old being with the old personality. They lived in the new being, in the new personality. This new being, this new personality, was constituted by the Holy Spirit indwelling their human spirit. If we saw this, there would be no need for so many kinds of teachings.
The Apostle Paul and his co-workers were also such people. Paul and Barnabas lived and walked by the spirit. Their soul, their old man with their old being and personality, had been crucified on the cross and buried with Christ. Therefore, they had a new being, the inner man --Christ dwelling in their spirit and making His home in every part of their inner being.
According to Acts 15:28, the Apostles made a decision with the Spirit, saying, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us." This means that they were one with the Holy Spirit and that their action was the action of the Spirit. Their walk, their daily life, and their work were altogether that of the Holy Spirit.
THE HOLY SPIRIT BEING THE CONSTITUENT
This is not simply a matter of power. Many Christians today consider the Holy Spirit either merely as a power or as an instrument. But the Holy Spirit is the constituent of our new being, not simply a power or an instrument. The Spirit is not only a matter of power, but also a matter of constitution, a matter of our make-up. All the Apostles lived according to this new being. Acts 16:6 and 7 reveal that as Paul moved in his ministry, he moved not by his old man, but by the Spirit.
STIRRED IN SPIRIT
Acts 17:16 says that Paul was stirred in his spirit. If you were not regenerated, you could never be stirred in your spirit. You could only be stirred in your soul, because your spirit would only be an organ. Furthermore, one could never say that he is stirred up in his body, because one’s person is not the body. Paul could be stirred up in his spirit because his personality was in his spirit. Thus, this verse is another indication that after regeneration our being, our personality, is in our spirit. However, because many Christians do not have this light or this vision, they are still stirred up in the soul. They may be stirred in the soul by their husbands or wives. How we need to see that our new personality is no longer in our soul! It is in our spirit, which is constituted with Christ as our new man. Whatever we do, we must do it here in this new man.
(The Spirit and the Body, Chapter 10, by Witness Lee)
