A Real Difference

A Real Difference

What is the real difference between receiving the truth in the power of the Spirit and receiving it in the power of the mind?

(A) If a person receives some religious truth from a book or from a teacher or even from the Bible itself without the need of prayer, of laying down one’s power or of depending completely on the Holy Spirit, he is receiving that truth in the power of his mind. For the acceptance of truth in the power of the mind means receiving it directly from a book, teacher or the Bible while by-passing the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees knew the Scriptures directly in this way; hence what they ended up possessing was something dead, void of any living experience before God—for the word of God leads people to draw nigh to Him, and God himself is Spirit. But reading God’s word without His Spirit fails to effect any contact between a man and God.

(B) The Galatian believers lapsed into keeping the law after they had first believed in the gospel and had begun walking by faith. So Paul asked them: "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3.2) What the apostle meant was that they had indeed begun with faith but now trusted in works. He further asked them: "Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?" (3.3) What he indicated was that they had indeed begun by depending on the Holy Spirit but now they had commenced depending on the flesh. Through these two questions we discover a most important principle: that whatever is of the Holy Spirit is by faith and whatever is of the flesh is by works. The Spirit and faith are joined in one just as the flesh and works are joined in one.

Hence seeking the truth in the power of the mind and seeking the truth in the power of the Spirit has one vital difference between them—which is, that the first is without faith while the second requires it.

In order to receive the truth in the Holy Spirit one must have faith. To receive in the power of the mind merely gives one some understanding, but to receive in the Holy Spirit gives one faith. Let us illustrate this. The believer’s co-death with Christ is the source of a Christian’s life and power. This is a truth we have put much emphasis on and one we frequently preached about. Today quite a few believers have already understood this truth, and they have even risen up to testify to it. But how many of them have actually received this truth in the Holy Spirit? Their speech betrays the inadequacy of their experience. I know a certain brother, for example, who considers himself as really knowing the truth of co-death. Once he was preaching and said this: You should die; if at times you cannot die, put yourself to death in the power of the cross. Now these words sound very spiritual, but actually they are rather superficial. Why? Because he has no faith, but still hopes to work it out himself. This shows that concerning the truth of co-death he only understands it in his mind but lacks the power in the Holy Spirit.

How can we explain it? If a person wants to actually experience the power of the Holy Spirit he must first have faith, for the Holy Spirit will work only because man has believed in God’s word. Faith comes first, and then the working of the Spirit in man follows. Without faith the truth which one knows is but an idea, for the Holy Spirit has not worked into him what the truth has accomplished.

Let us return to the truth of co-death for a moment. The Holy Spirit teaches us that when Christ died, He had already included us in His death. And just as Christ having died for us is a fact, so we having died with Christ is also a fact. Just as the death of Christ is real, so our death is as real too. Even as we are delivered from the penalty of sin by believing in the death of Christ, so likewise we are delivered from the power of sin by believing that we ourselves have already died with Christ. This is the way God’s word teaches us. Thus it comes down to whether we believe or do not believe. If we believe, the Holy Spirit will bear witness to God’s word and cause us to experience the reality that "sin shall not have dominion over" us (Rom. 6.14). And at this point we may truly say that we have received the truth in the power of the Spirit.

Hence we can now discern the order required for receiving any truth in the Holy Spirit: (1) the teaching of the Bible, (2) the faith of the believer, and (3) the working of the Holy Spirit. None of these three factors can be missing. But the one who receives a truth with his mind does not have faith. By his searching the Scriptures or by his listening to others’ teaching he may come to understand the argument of co-death and he may know that one who is dead is freed from sin. Nevertheless, in all this he lacks faith; and hence he cannot see clearly the position of the old man in the death of Christ nor can he say he is a person already crucified with Christ. So that in his own experience he is continually attempting to put himself to death, and when he advises other people on this matter he cannot help but say: you ought to die (even as the "certain brother" in the earlier illustration advised in his preaching). Even if at times he offers up some prayers and begins to understand the reality of his co-death with Christ which causes him to confess with his mouth that he is a crucified person, he nonetheless in his daily living trusts more in self-crucifixion than in believing in his having already been crucified on the cross with Christ.