Ｄ
We need to experience and enjoy the Spirit of the humanity of Jesus for gospel preaching, for the church service, for our daily walk, and for the Lord's recovery (Gal. 5:22-23; Phil. 2:15; 4:8).
Ⅳ
The move of the apostle Paul and his co-workers for the spread of the gospel was not according to their decision and preference or according to any schedule made by a human council but by the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:6-7):
Ａ
Their work was by the Holy Spirit (v. 6), who was involved with the Lord's incarnation and birth, and by the Spirit of Jesus (v. 7), who was involved with the Lord's humanity, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension; the apostles were moving under the direction and guidance of such an all-inclusive Spirit.
Ｂ
The kind of work we do for the Lord depends on the kind of Spirit by whom we are guided, directed, instructed, and constituted:
１
As a vessel containing the Triune God, Paul was fully constituted with the Holy Spirit, who was involved with the Lord's incarnation and birth, and with the Spirit of Jesus, who was involved with the Lord's humanity, human living, all-inclusive death, life-imparting resurrection, and ascension (vv. 6-7).
２
Paul was a person constituted with this all-inclusive Spirit; thus, he could truly preach Jesus Christ (13:26-39; 17:18; 28:31).
３
If the Spirit becomes our constitution, then our work will be the expression of this Spirit, and we will do a work for Jesus as the incarnated One with humanity, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension.
４
If we are constituted with the Spirit of Jesus, we will do the work of ministering Jesus as the all-inclusive One and convey Him as such a One to others (9:20, 22; 17:18; 28:23, 31).
Morning Nourishment
Acts 28:23 ...Many came to him at his lodging, to whom he expounded these matters, solemnly testifying of the kingdom of God and persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning until evening.31 Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered.
We all must be one with Jesus in whatever we do by taking Him as our humanity. If we cannot take His humanity in any course of action, we had better not do it. I do not mean that we should not be a human being....We need the humanity of Jesus, and this humanity is in the Spirit of Jesus.
We must be proper human beings, not by our humanity but by the Lord's humanity. As a wife, we must be a wife by His humanity; as a husband, we must be a husband by His humanity; as a student, we must be a student by the humanity of Jesus....If we are this kind of person, we will have the flow of life that will satisfy others. I believe that if all the brothers and sisters who are teachers would be this kind of person, there would be a real flow of life in the schools. The other teachers and students would realize that there is something satisfying, living, and flowing within you. They might not be able to explain it, but they would sense it. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 2, "Christ as the Reality," pp. 107-108)
Today's Reading
If you are a brother who is drinking of Jesus by enjoying His humanity, it may seem that you do not have power, yet the flow of life within you will satisfy, convince, attract, and eventually convert others. This is the spreading of the gospel in the church life. This kind of gospel preaching does not depend so much on the power but on the life that enjoys Christ's humanity.The humanity of Jesus not only has much to do with the producing of gifted persons, but it also produces the flowing of the inner life to satisfy others. There is no other way to have such a flow of life but by enjoying the humanity of Jesus by drinking of the Spirit of Jesus all the time. We must have a real change in our concept. Whenever we pray, we must pray with this concept. Whenever we are drinking of the Spirit, we must drink of Him with this concept. We are not drinking of the Spirit for power, might, or miracles, but we are drinking of the Spirit of Jesus for the humanity of Jesus. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 2, "Christ as the Reality," p. 108)
The move of the apostle Paul and his co-workers for the spread of the gospel was not according to their decision and preference, nor according to any schedule made by human council, but by the Holy Spirit according to God's counsel, as in the mission of Philip (Acts 8:29, 39). (Life-study of Acts, p. 377)
The kind of work we do for the Lord depends on the kind of Spirit by whom we are guided, directed, instructed, and constituted. Paul was not constituted of the Spirit of God or of the Spirit of Jehovah but of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus. As a vessel containing the Triune God, Paul was fully constituted of the Holy Spirit, who was involved with the Lord's incarnation and birth, and of the Spirit of Jesus, who was involved with the Lord's humanity, human living, all-inclusive death, life-imparting resurrection, and ascension. Paul was a person constituted of this all-inclusive Spirit. Thus, when he came out to preach, he could truly preach Jesus Christ.
We need to be impressed with the fact that the kind of work we do for the Lord depends on the Spirit by whom we are guided and of whom we are constituted. Actually, this Spirit should become our constitution. Then our work will be the expression of this Spirit, and we will do a work for Jesus as the incarnated One with humanity, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension. If we are constituted of the Spirit of Jesus, we will do the work of ministering Jesus as the all-inclusive One and convey Him as such a One to others. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3002)
Further Reading: Life-study of Acts, msg. 44; CWWL, 1965, vol. 3, "The Spirit in the Epistles," ch. 7