Scriptural Truth concerning our Human Spirit

IV. The Regeneration of the Human Spirit

Our Spirit Born of the Spirit

In order to appreciate what transpired at the birth of our human spirit by the Holy Spirit, we must consider the condition of man's spirit after his fall. The ultimate consequence of man's fall was that his spirit was deadened, thus becoming insulated from God and losing its function toward God. Ephesians 2:1 therefore says, “And you, though dead in your offenses and sins,” referring to our fallen, deadened state before we were saved. But in what part were we dead? Since our body and soul were very much alive, this verse must refer to our human spirit. We must make it clear at this point, however, that neither sin nor Satan have ever had any entrance or access into man's spirit at any time — before, during, or after the fall of man. God has preserved the human spirit inviolate for Himself. Rather, it was only the God-contacting function of our spirit that was deadened. (Witness Lee, Life-Study 239)

At the time of our rebirth, our spirit was born of the Spirit. John 3:6 says, “…That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” When we believe in the Lord by repenting and confessing our sins to Him, God's Spirit immediately comes into us, renewing and quickening our deadened spirit (Ezek. 36:26; Eph. 2:1, 5). Furthermore, Christ is added into us as the very essence of the divine life (1 John 5:12). Finally, the all-inclusive Holy Spirit begins to indwell our human spirit (Rom. 8:11,16). Our spirit becomes the residence of this wonderful divine Spirit. Thus, our formerly deadened spirit becomes a spirit renewed and enlivened, regenerated with Christ as the divine life, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (Witness Lee, Economy 68)

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Witness Lee, speaking on this divine birth in his footnote 7 on 1 John 2:29, declares:

It is the greatest wonder in the entire universe that human beings could be begotten of God and sinners could be made children of God! Through such an amazing divine birth we have received the divine life, which is the eternal life (1:2), as the divine seed sown into our being (3:9). (1189)

The Mutual Witness of the Spirit with Our Spirit

Once the Spirit enters into our spirit through regeneration, He begins witnessing with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.” In his footnote 3 on this verse, Witness Lee shares the effect this witness has on our Christian life and living:

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Such a witnessing testifies to us and assures us that we are the children of God, who possess His life; it also limits us and restricts us to a living and walk that are according to this life, in keeping with our being children of God. The Spirit witnesses to our most basic and elementary relationship with God, namely, that we are His children; it does not witness that we are His sons or His heirs. Therefore, this witnessing of the Spirit begins from the time of our spiritual birth, our regeneration. (640)

One Spirit with the Lord

Our human spirit not only is born of the Spirit and bears witness with the Spirit, but ultimately is one spirit with the Lord who is the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17 declares, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” This means that we are mingled with the Lord in life and organically blended with Him. (Witness Lee, Life-Study of Colossians 458)

In The Stream, Witness Lee describes this mingling of our spirit with the Spirit:

Now these two spirits have become one. This is wonderful! Our spirit is one with the Lord, because as the life-giving Spirit He indwells our spirit. But the Lord in our spirit is not like a drop of oil in water, never mingling with the water. He mingles with us in our spirit as tea mingles with water. This is why many times it is difficult to distinguish whether it is we or the Lord doing things. We have some burden, yet it seems the Lord wants to do it. It is because we are one with the Lord in our spirit. After tea is put into water, it is difficult to separate the tea from the water. That is why I call it tea-water. It is both tea and water. The two mingle as one. In the same way, the Lord Jesus as the life-giving Spirit mingles with our spirit as one. He is in us, and we are in Him. (10)

The Old Testament saints walked in the presence of God, but they were still separate from Him. As New Testament believers we are not merely in His presence, but we are one spirit with the Lord. Abraham could never say that God was in Him or that he was in God. But we can confidently affirm both that Christ is in us and we are in Christ. Moreover, during our daily life we must practice being one spirit with the Lord. If we don't practice being one spirit with him we may do many good things, and yet be apart from Him. We may love the Bible, love our fellow believers, and do many kind deeds, yet not be one spirit with the Lord. Thus, the Lord tells us in John 15:4, “Abide in Me and I in you….” By exercising to stay in this mutual abiding, we practice being one spirit with the Lord. (Witness Lee, Completing Ministry 54-55)

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		Main
		Scriptural Basis
		Historical Perspective
		Definition
		Regeneration
		Importance
		Knowing
		Exercising
		Real Christian Life
		Conclusion