THE INNER SENSE BEING THE REGULATING OF THE LAW OF LIFE
Second, we have the law of life in us (Heb. 8:10). Romans 8:2 speaks of the law of the Spirit of life. The law of life and the law of the Spirit of life are one item, that is, the inner regulating. We know we have the inner regulation because we sense it. We realize the inner regulating by the inner sense. Strictly speaking, the inner law is the inner sense, or at least we can say that the inner sense comes from the inner regulating. When the inner law regulates, it gives us the inner sense. Why do we have the inner sense of life? It is because we have the inner law of life. Within us there is not only the light of life shining, but there is the law of life regulating. From the shining of the light we have a sense; from the regulating of the law we also have a sense.
When the law regulates, we sense it; it gives us an inner consciousness. This is especially the case when we are about to do something wrong. When we are going to do something right, we may not sense the regulating, but when we are wrong, we sense it. We may compare this to our stomach; if there is no trouble in our stomach, we do not sense our digestion, but when we are sick in our stomach, we sense it. As Christians, when we walk rightly in the presence of God, we may not have much sense. When we come to a meeting, for example, we may not have any sense. But if we try to go to a movie, the regulating sense comes. When we read the Bible, we do not have the sense we are right, but if we try to read novels or look at the pictures in the newspaper, we do not have peace. Something within us is regulating. The regulating sense is very obvious and clear when we do wrong things. On the one hand, this is the regulating of the inner law, but on the other hand, it is the inner sense of life. The inner sense of life comes from the regulating of the inner law. We have the inner sense because we have the inner law.
THE INNER SENSE COMING FROM THE ANOINTING
Third, we have the anointing (1 John 2:27). Anointing is a gerund, ending in -ing. It is a moving, an action, within us. This moving and action is the working of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit works within us, His working is the anointing. When the anointing works, it anoints; it is the ointment moving and acting. To be sure, this motion gives us a feeling. If a part of our body is alive and proper, it has a feeling when it moves; the feeling comes from the moving. The anointing within us is constantly moving. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, and this work never stops, regardless of what we are or where we are. However, we must be a little quiet to sense it. If I put my hand on a brother when he is arguing with someone, he may not feel it. In the same way, we often do not have the sense of the inner anointing because we are too active. If we would quiet ourselves a little, right away we will sense the inner anointing. If a brother argues that he is right, we should not argue with him. The more he argues, the more he will not sense that he is wrong. We should simply keep quiet and help him to be cool and quiet. When he is silent, he will sense that he is wrong. In quietness we sense the inner anointing, the inner moving of the Holy Spirit.
THE SENSE OF LIFE COMING FROM CHRIST LIVING IN US
The fourth item is that Christ not only is life in us, but He is living in us (Gal. 2:20). Christ is living and acting within us. We cannot say that a chair lives in a room. We only say that a person lives in a room. To live is to act, move, work, and do things. If a person lives in a room but does not do things, he is either sleeping or sick. However, Christ is never sleeping. He is always working, moving, acting, and living within us, and from this living and acting there is a sense. The sense of life comes from the living Christ within us.
THE SENSE OF LIFE COMING FROM GOD OPERATING IN US
Fifth, Philippians 2:13 tells us that God operates in us both the willing and the working for His good pleasure. The word operate is a strong word. In Greek it is the word from which we have energize. For God to operate in us means that God energizes in us. This is to work not in an ordinary way but in an extraordinary way. To be sure, this involves some feeling. It is impossible for a brother to be energized but have no feeling of it.
Verse 12 says, “So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” We have received salvation, which strictly speaking is God and Christ Himself in us. Now we need to work out the salvation that we have already received, which means to live it out, by obedience with fear and trembling. What is it that we obey? Verse 13 continues, “For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.” The word for indicates that verse 13 is an explanation of verse 12. The thing that we obey is the working of God within us. We must be obedient not merely to outward teachings and doctrines but to the working of God within us both to will and to do. Learn to obey the inner working of God. It is by this obedience to the inner working of God that we work out, live out, the salvation that we have received.
(Practical Lessons on the Experience of Life, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
