The Dangers of Spiritual Life 371
Spirit in a man is inferior to that of his own spirit. The purpose for
understanding this faculty of man is to help us to obey Him more and
to exalt Him more.
This should exert great influence on our guidance. The Holy Spirit
is given primarily for the benefit of the whole body of Christ. He
abides in each individual because He dwells in the whole body of
Christ and each is a member of it. The work of the Spirit is corporate
in nature (1 Cor. 12. 12-13). He guides individuals because He
guides the whole body. He leads each of us for the sake of the body.
The movement of one member involves the whole body. The
guidance of the Holy Spirit in our individual spirits is related to the
other members. Spiritual guidance is the guidance of the body. In
order that our movements may therefore be related to the body, we
need to seek sympathy and agreement from the spirit of “two or
three” other members, even after we personally have received
guidance in our spirit. This principle must not be neglected in
spiritual work. Much of defeat, strife, hatred, division, shame, and
pain has been due to the independent moves of those who mean well
but who follow merely their own spirit. All who follow the spirit
should accordingly test their guidance by its relationship to the
spiritual body to determine whether or not it is of the Holy Spirit. In
every bit of our work, conduct, faith, and teaching we should be
regulated by that relationship of the members one of another”
(Rom.12.5).
In conclusion, then, along the spiritual pathway lurk many snares.
A little carelessness brings in defeat. Yet there is no short cut or
bypass we can take. We are not insured because we have learned
some knowledge; on the contrary, we ourselves must experience
everything. Those who have preceded us can only warn us of the
hazards ahead so that we may not fall prey to them. If we intend to
bypass part of the pathway, we shall be disappointed, but faithful
followers of the Lord can avoid many unnecessary defeats.