The Holy Spirit — Stephen Kaung

The Spirit of Life in Romans 8

Will you please turn to the book of Romans, just one verse, Romans chapter 8, verse 2. Romans chapter 8, verse 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death.

Let's have a word of prayer. Dear Lord, as we continue in thy presence, we wait to hear from thyself. May thy Spirit open thy word into us and lead us into all truth. We commit ourselves to thee for this morning, allowing thee by thy Spirit to enlighten us, to transform us, and to bring us to Christ.

We give thee all the glory in thy precious name, Amen. Our brother Kenny, two weeks ago, spoke to us on this matter of the Holy Spirit. This will be the lesson for our exercise during this whole month.

I feel that this subject is so tremendously important that we cannot just let it go. So we would like to continue on this morning on this subject of the Holy Spirit. I would like to ask a few questions.

The Holy Spirit as a Divine Person

Number one, what is your concept or understanding of the Holy Spirit? Is he a power to you or is he a person? We do remember that there is the promise of the Father. And that promise is that we will receive clothes with power from on high.

But is the Holy Spirit just a power, a force, an influence in your life, powerful but impersonal? Or is the Holy Spirit a person, a divine person, one of the three in the Godhead, equal honor, equal glory?

Now, what is your understanding? The reason why I ask this question is because our concept determines our attitude. If you think the Holy Spirit is just a power, a wonderful power for you to use, then you are in charge.

You use the Holy Spirit. Or if your concept is the Holy Spirit is a person, living, divine, God, then he is to use you. So you find the great difference. It is a difference of heaven and earth. What you think of the Holy Spirit decides how you treat the Holy Spirit.

It is true that the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is the power of God. But he is more than just an impersonal power. He is one of the Trinity. We remember at the end of 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gave a benediction.

And in that benediction, he says, the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit. God bless us with the love of the Father. God bless us with the grace of our Lord Jesus.

And God bless us with the communion of the Holy Spirit. The Father's love plans everything. The Son's grace prepares, makes ready everything. But it is the Holy Spirit who communicates, who brings the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus to us.

If you only have the love of God, without the grace of our Lord Jesus, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, God's love is there, but we have no part in it. If we have the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus, then everything is prepared.

But who is to enjoy it? It is the communion, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who brings the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus to each and every one of us. Salvation will not be complete without the communion of the Holy Spirit.

Strangely, we have some idea of God as the Father, because we have the mirror image. We have our earthly father. So somehow it makes it easier for us to understand God the Father is a person. And also, it seems as if it is easier for us to believe the Lord Jesus as a person.

Because He has become a man. But the Holy Spirit seems to us a little bit abstract. We do not have a mirror image of Him. And that's the reason why oftentimes we treat the Holy Spirit as a mere power.

We want His power, but we do not want Him. If God is a person, and our Lord Jesus is a person, then surely the Holy Spirit is also a person. Three in one, what is a person? A person is one that has personality.

He's able to express himself. As we read the Bible, you will find that the Holy Spirit speaks. He commands. He is to be obeyed. He can be grieved. A power cannot grieve. He can be worshipped. So if we search the Bible, I believe it is very clear to us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person.

Do you remember our Lord Jesus? During His last feast with His disciples, He was leaving them. And the disciples were sorrowful. So our Lord Jesus comforted them and said, I'm going, but if I go, I will send another comforter.

Comforter. Just like me. It is not another of a different kind. It is another of the same kind. In other words, as Christ Jesus was to the disciples, so is the Holy Spirit with us. The only difference is, our Lord Jesus said, He can be with them, but He will leave them.

But the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in them, and will never leave them, nor forsake them. A comforter. That term, in the old English, it means strengthen. He is one who strengthens us. He is one who comes alongside with us.

Even inside of us. And He is one who is responsible for our Lord Jesus to bring us to His fullness. So dear brothers and sisters, I think first of all, we have to settle this question in our hearts. Do you consider the Holy Spirit just a power?

You want His power. And if you have His power, you become powerful. You use Him. And that's what you find among Christianity today. People are seeking from power on high. And if they have the power, they become powerful.

Instead of obeying the Holy Spirit, it is as if the Holy Spirit, as a power, obeys them. And what a mess He has created in Christianity. If we really believe that the Holy Spirit is the another comforter, if we really believe that He is the divine person that dwells in us, then what respect we should give to Him.

We should give Him the same respect as we gave to God the Father. God the Son. But are we doing it? If we feel it is our duty to obey the Father, then we must obey the Son. Then how about the Holy Spirit?

Do we really obey Him because He is none other but God? So I think this is the first question that I would like to ask. And I do look to the Lord that every one of us will have the right understanding.

Because this is extremely important to us. You know, the Holy Spirit is the custodian of the life of Christ in us. He is called the Spirit of Life. Thank God, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, He has given us life.

A new life. This is the life of our Lord Jesus Himself. A divine life. But who is to take care of this divine life? Who is responsible to see that this divine life grows into maturity? Not you or me. Not anybody else.

Nobody can. Nobody is fit. Only the Holy Spirit. He is the only one who is fit and is able to take care of Christ's life in us. Without the Holy Spirit, there can be no spiritual life. We are talking about spiritual life.

But what is spiritual life? It is not because of the Holy Spirit. Because of His working in us. Because of His bringing Christ to us. Teaching Christ. Glorifying Christ. How can we have any spiritual life to talk about?

So do you see the importance of it? But somehow, sadly, our understanding, our concept, our attitude towards the Holy Spirit is so inadequate. Hopefully, the Lord will really impress upon each and every one of us.

But of course, the reason why we do not give the Holy Spirit His right place in our lives, it is because we do not understand Him. We do not really know Him. We have little or, I hope not, no experience of Him.

So it is not enough. Just know that according to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is the another comforter in charge of the life of Christ in us. We need to know Him personally. So my second question is, how can we know the Holy Spirit?

The Fivefold Law of the Spirit of Life

Because He is Spirit. How can we know Him? We know Him by His operation. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us is living and operating. He is not there within our spirit just as a dormant spirit. He who dwells in our spirit is very living, very active.

It is not only that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but on the contrary, you'll find He is the most diligent teacher, the most diligent operator. He never ceases continuously working in us. But remember, He is in our spirit.

So He's working in our spirit. And there in our spirit, we are able to know Him. One day, as I was meditating, suddenly that phrase came to me, the law of the Spirit of Life. How do we know the Spirit of Life?

We know the Spirit of Life by its law. Now, the law here doesn't mean in contrast with grace. It doesn't mean the Ten Commandments. The law here simply means principle. The Holy Spirit, He operates with His own law, His own principle.

Now, of course, we know that He is God. He can do anything He wants. But do you remember the Bible said, He cannot deny Himself. In other words, all His operations are according to His own nature. He will never do anything against His own nature.

He cannot deny Himself. He will do everything according to what He is. And that is His law, His principle of operation. Now, if we can know the principle, the law of the Spirit of Life, then we have the key to know Him.

Now, this morning, I'm not going to elaborate on the various aspects of the law. Of the Spirit of Life. Rather, I want to leave this to all of you. For you're examining the Bible and for your meditating upon it.

But I will give you five different aspects. Or the fivefold law of the Spirit of Life. Number one, the ground or base of the operation of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit operates, He has a ground.

He has a certain base. He has a certain realm, sphere that He works in. And what is it? Well, Romans 8, 2 said, the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ. In other words, the Holy Spirit works only in Christ Jesus.

Outside of Christ Jesus, He does not work. His work is all based upon the finished work of Christ. He is working Christ into us. He is bringing us into Christ. He is bringing Christ into us. So all His work is in Christ Jesus.

If it is not Christ Jesus, that is not His operation. That is man's work. If the result of His work is not exalting Christ, but exalting man, exalting self, then you know this is not the work of the Holy Spirit.

Because He would never do that. Now, there is much to meditate upon and I want to leave it. Number two, the means or strategy of the Holy Spirit. What is the means that He used when He is trying to work Christ into us?

Very clearly, the cross. Where there is no cross, there is no Christ. Where there is no cross, there is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Certainly in Christianity today, there are lots of works, lots of activities.

But there is no sign, mark of the cross. If the cross is missing, you know this is not the work. Think about it. I think there is much that we need to meditate upon. Number three, the condition or limitation of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit only works under certain definite condition. Even though He is God, we would think God as limitless. He is, but He is limited. He is limited in His working by us. If we do not limit Him, He will do much more.

But many of His works are limited because of us. He cannot do because we don't believe. So you find there is a condition for the working of the Holy Spirit. And that condition is consecration. Our consecration, our presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, our giving over to Him the right of our lives.

Because the Holy Spirit will never force us. He always respects our will. He has created us with a free will, and He respects it. If you will not, He cannot. He is almighty, but you can limit Him. That is His condition.

And that is the reason why we find the Holy Spirit is so limited in His work. That's our responsibility. Think about that. Meditate on that. Much repentance is needed here. Number four, the agreement or confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit works, it must agree with the Holy Scripture. The Holy Scripture is God breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit. And He cannot contradict Himself. So that's the safeguard. How do we know that it is the working of the Holy Spirit?

Search the Scripture. If it agrees, thank God for that. If it's not there, or even contradictory to the Word of God, then it is a sure sign that it's not the work of the Holy Spirit. Number five, the objective or purpose of the Holy Spirit.

Our brother has already mentioned this. Personally, the objective of the operation of the Holy Spirit is to bring each and every one of us to be conformed to the image of Christ. Anything short of that is short of the work of the Holy Spirit.

And conversely, He is to build up the church as the body of Christ, to become the bride of Christ. And the Holy Spirit always has that objective in His work. So anything that is out of that, you know it is outside of the work of the Holy Spirit.

So I will just leave these five points before you, dear brothers and sisters. I hope you will not just let it go, but you will really search the Scripture, meditate upon it, and learn this law of the Spirit of Life.

Now if you do, it will help you greatly in your knowledge, living knowledge of the Holy Spirit. Number three, that's what I want you to do. How do we experience the Holy Spirit? Do you have any experience of the Holy Spirit?

Experiencing the Holy Spirit’s Inner Conviction

If you have no experience of the Holy Spirit, are you saved? I do believe that everyone who is born by the Spirit will experience something of the working of the Holy Spirit in your life. I have heard people say to me, why is it that people say, I hear the Holy Spirit, but I've never heard it?

What's the trouble? What's the problem? Well, if you are thinking of hearing the Holy Spirit, just like you hear from your friend audibly with your naked ear, well, you may not hear it. Now it is true in the Old Testament time, the Holy Spirit, when He spoke, people can hear, because the Holy Spirit has not yet come.

He is not dwelling in our spirit. So where can you hear the Holy Spirit? In your spirit, not with your body, with your naked ear. Sometimes your speaking can be so loud that you even hear it as if someone is really talking to you.

Now, have you such experience? But most of the time it is still small. You remember Elijah? He retreated to Mount Sinai and the Lord came. He was waiting to hear from the Lord. Mighty wind, great fire.

Nothing, just still, small. Why are you here? That's the way the Holy Spirit will speak. Whenever the Holy Spirit speaks in your spirit, usually His voice is still, small, clear, persistent, but tender.

When the evil spirit speaks, it's usually overwhelming, oppressing, never clear. You do not really know what it is speaking, but you feel so oppressed, as if you are under such a mental force, urging you to do this immediately.

But that's not the way the Holy Spirit speaks. Why is it we do not hear Him speak? We are not quiet enough. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit speaks every day in your spirit, but you don't hear it because you are too busily involved.

You are not quiet. You hear too many voices and you are listening to the voices outside instead of learning to listen to the speaking of the Holy Spirit in your spirit. Brothers and sisters, we have to train ourselves.

We have to be in a position to hear Him. Is it not true that after we are saved, thank God, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, all our sins were cleansed? Forgiven. It's gone. But that doesn't mean that this sin machine is out of order.

We have still many darkness, many sins that we are not aware of. And because of that, we may continue sinning without knowing. In other words, we have some old habits that need to be changed, but we still cling on our old habits.

We have no idea that as a born again child of God, this is so unlike our Lord Jesus. It is sinful in the sight of God and need to be dealt with. We don't know about that. Brothers and sisters, the only way to experience the Holy Spirit is through dealing.

He will deal with us and we will deal with Him. And this is a daily matter. All throughout our life, this will be going on. Because He is trying to transform us and conform us to the image of Christ. So maybe first of all, you will find after you believe in the Lord Jesus, He will deal with this whole realm of sin.

He will bring you into righteousness because God is righteous. You may have the habit of exaggerating things, but after you believe in the Lord Jesus, does it occur to you that when you are exaggerating, someone within you is checking?

Are you exaggerating? Is it the truth? Now, do you have such experience? If you do, that's the Holy Spirit. He is delivering you, enlightening you. He is bringing you into practical righteousness, looking to your life experience, seeing your daily life.

How the Holy Spirit, untiringly, constantly, in small things in the beginning of your life, trying to correct you, adjust you, bring you out. What is your reaction? If you ignore Him, you can. If you grieve Him, you can.

If you quench Him, you can. But where will be your spiritual life? It is in these small things of our daily life that we may be able to walk before God by listening, obeying, cooperating with the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit’s Dealings with Sin, the World, and Self

Now, I think everyone, anyone who has read The Normal Christian Life knows the story. Brother Nee talked of a story. It's a true one. I know the person. There was an electrician in Kooling Mountain. Brother Yu.

And he got saved. Now, in the winter, he still stayed in the mountain. People, missionaries and people have all left. And he had a habit. When it was cold, he wanted to drink wine. And not only drink wine, but it was his also habit.

Every time he drank, he was drunk. So the weather was cold. And he asked his wife to warm up the wine. In China, you know, that's what they usually do. Warm up the wine. So the wife warmed up the wine and set it on the table.

And then Brother Nee said, Well, I have been saved, so we have to thank the Lord for it. So they bowed their heads, but he couldn't pray. And this happened a few times. So his wife said, Well, he said, should a Christian drink?

So he told his wife, get the book. Because God, because Brother Nee gave him a Bible. But they were half illiterate. And the book is so thick. Where can you find it? Hopefully, they didn't find that verse.

That Paul told Timothy. So the wife said, Well, the wine is getting cold. Drink it. And when the preacher came up next year, we were asking. That's reasonable. So he started to pray, but he couldn't. So he told his wife.

And the next year, when our brother went to the mountain, he asked Brother Nee, could a Christian? And Brother Nee said, Why do you ask this question? Well, he said, what's happening to him? And not knowing the Bible very well.

He doesn't know the term, the Holy Spirit. He said, my resident boss will not allow me. Thank God, you have a resident boss. Not just eight hours, 24 hours. Not just in the office, everywhere. And he is bringing you into right.

All these old habits, these old sins must go. Well, that's the beginning. And then you begin to see that he begins to deal with you. On this matter of the world. Do not tell me that you do not love the world.

And you'll find that the Holy Spirit begins to point his finger. On the things, the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes and the pride. Sisters, does the Holy Spirit ever point his finger on your dress?

Brothers, does the Holy Spirit ever point his finger on your dress? On your relationship with the world? Love not the world, but the things of the world. For if you love the world, the love of the Father is not.

Have you been dealt with in this fashion? I want to tell you this. Before I was saved, one thing I love, movie. The first thing I look at newspaper is movie news. I spend my Saturdays, oftentimes, in the theaters.

I was a preacher's son. I dare not go to theater on Sunday. So far as I can remember, only once. The temptation was so great. After I believe in the Lord Jesus, I still love movie. I still continue to go to cinemas.

But then, a still small voice began to say, Do you think you should do it? I said, Lord, good movies, religious movies. That should be all right. But still, my conscience bothered. So I said, Lord, all right.

I'll try, I'll try. I tried for a few months. That was quite a feat. Then a religious movie came. And I was given a ticket. You know, I can go to theater without paying anything. Because I have friends who own the theater.

And I debated. It's a religious movie, should be all right. So I went. For two hours, I was sitting there under deep conviction. But I wouldn't leave. I still sit there. But that's the end of it. The Lord delivered.

Now, you may not have such experience. But in this area, the world, what is your relationship? With the world. Do you love the world? If you do, the love of the Father. Then you find the Holy Spirit will turn to deal with yourself.

Now, the world is in connection with sanctification, holiness, separate. But then you find the Holy Spirit will deal with you in the matter of yourself. Your flesh is getting deeper now. And this is for glorification.

What is glorification? Only Christ. Only God is glory. To be glorified simply means to be like Christ. And this I, this flesh, is the opposite of Christ. Even your good flesh is opposite to Christ. And the Holy Spirit has to patiently deal with you.

In this area, daily, incessantly to deliver us from our self is the last thing to go. And also, He will deal with us according to His principle. In other words, He will deal with our relationship with the brothers and sisters.

He will search our heart. I heard someone tell me, when is the last time that you say it? That is a measurement of your spiritual condition. Do you think you're so perfect that in your relationship with your brothers and sisters, or in your relationship in the family, with people, you never need to say, I'm wrong.

There's only one person, our Lord Jesus, who has no need to say, where is, where is yourself? Is it dead? Or is it very much alive? The Lord will begin to deal with our relationship with one another. Especially when we work closely together.

If you're ignored, if you're misunderstood, if you're rejected, what's yours? No wonder some people say Christians are like butterflies. They are flying here and there, not like these big two. Dear brothers and sisters, it is through these dealings in our daily life.

Do not think that people are dealing with you. All our circumstances are arranged by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who is dealing with you, trying to conform you to it. Do not misunderstand and blame your brothers and sisters.

They do not just happen. The Lord allows it. The Holy Spirit arranges it. And if only we can learn how holy He is. That's the way that we come to experience it. And dear brothers and sisters, the experience of the Holy Spirit never graduates.

So when we are learning this lesson of the Holy Spirit, hopefully that we just do not fill our mind with the knowledge, but that we will learn daily to learn to know Him. The more you learn, you realize that He is divine.

His standard is so much higher. But be encouraged because He is to bring us into it. We can depend upon it. Cast out and He will bear us and bring us. Dear Lord, we want to thank Thee that Thou has not only brought the Father to us, Thou has also sent us the Holy Spirit.

That through Him we may know Thee and know the Father. Lord, it is the deep prayer of our heart. We want, and through Him, to know Thee in our preciousness.