We must also see that Christ as the Son of God, even as God Himself, has taken two steps. We all have to say, "Hallelujah for the two steps which Christ has taken!" First, He took a step to become a man (John 1:14). He did not become a man who was outwardly splendid and attractive. He became what we are. We are flesh, and He became flesh. The flesh is ugly. In a sense, Christ became something ugly, not in actuality but in form, in likeness. Christ’s nature, His substance, is marvelous. It is not ugly. But the appearance of Christ while He was in the flesh was ugly. The Bible says that He did not have any form or outward comeliness and that He had no outward beauty (Isa. 53:2; 52:14). Nothing with Him was outwardly attractive.
He was in that form for the purpose of bringing our ugly flesh to the cross. He became flesh to crush the flesh and to destroy Satan in the flesh. Judicially speaking, both Satan and our flesh have been condemned once for all. But God allowed the flesh to remain with us to help us and force us to turn to Christ in our spirit. Christ took the first step to become the flesh in order to crush the flesh.
After this He took a further step. The last Adam, who was in the flesh, resurrected and became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b). A number of Christians oppose this truth. They say that Christ is only the Son in the Triune God. But the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15:45b tells us definitely, "The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit." Also 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "And the Lord is the Spirit." If Christ were not the Spirit, He could not be in us. Even according to our experience, the Christ who is within us is the Spirit. The pure Word tells us that our Christ today is not merely the Lamb of God. Today He is the life-giving Spirit. Before the process of His death and resurrection, He was the Lamb of God, and today in the heavens, He still is the Lamb of God. But through the process of His death and resurrection, He is something more. Our Christ is all-inclusive. He is the life-giving Spirit. Now the Lord is the Spirit.
He is the Spirit so that He can be with us in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22a; Rom. 8:16). The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (Gal. 6:18). He became flesh to crush our flesh. Then He took another step to become the Spirit in order to be with our spirit. First Corinthians 6:17 says, "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." Thank the Lord for our being one spirit with the Lord. This one spirit is a compound spirit, a mingled spirit. It is the divine Spirit mingled with the human spirit.
In verses like Romans 8:4, 9-10, and Galatians 5:25, it is difficult for the translators to make a decision as to whether the spirit mentioned in these verses is the Holy Spirit or the human spirit. It is hard because it is the mingled spirit, the Holy Spirit mingled with the human spirit. We need to walk according to the spirit, that is, the mingled spirit. By this one mingled spirit, we enjoy two spirits. We enjoy the Holy Spirit in our spirit, and we enjoy our spirit with the Holy Spirit. Today we need to take care of one thing—walking according to the spirit.
We have many questions concerning how we should be and what we should do as Christians. Someone may ask, "Should I go to the movies?" Others may wonder what kind of clothes they should wear. Other Christian brothers may consider how long their hair should be. First Corinthians 11 says that it is a shame for a man to have long hair (v. 14). But how long is long? No one can make a decision concerning this. Please do not come to me asking these questions. We have One within us whose name is Counselor (Isa. 9:6). Go to Him and check with Him. Then you will have the answer.
Once a sister asked me how she should deal with her husband. I told her that she did not need to come to me, because she had already received the answer. She asked me what I meant. I told her, "The Lord Jesus was with you last night, and He said something to you. He already told you that you shouldn’t talk to your dear husband in that way." No one told me her story, but I saw the "heavenly television" concerning this sister’s situation. After I told her this, she admitted that the Lord had spoken to her in this way. I told her to take care of what the Lord had told her. I said, "The Lord Jesus is within you, and you have His speaking. Now walk according to the spirit." If we walk according to the spirit, there will be no problems.
(The Flesh and the Spirit, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)