05/06/2025
Obedience to the Truth and the Discipline of the Holy Spirit
I hope that we will understand that there are two aspects to our service to the Lord: First, there is obedience to the truth, and second, there is obedience to the discipline of the Spirit. We should learn more lessons in obedience to the discipline of the Spirit. We should learn to yield to the environment and allow God's breaking hand to operate on us. Some people have strong experiences of obedience to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Others do not experience the same thing. A person with a meek disposition does not need strong discipline from the Spirit, but a person with a stubborn disposition needs strong discipline from the Spirit. With some it is not a matter of difficulty in the work of discipline but a matter of their unwillingness to accept the discipline. If a man refuses to learn the inward lessons, he will never be clear about the way of life.
On the one hand, God grants us the knowledge of Himself through His truth. On the other hand, He arranges the environment around us in such a way that we can become clear of His ways. When these two things combine together, we have a balanced experience. Some submit to the environment, but their obedience to God's commandment in His Word is not that clear. This is not enough. Some have learned some lessons concerning God's commandments in the Bible, but they lack the discipline in the environment. As a result, they also become a problem. Actually, we learn to submit to the outward environment for the sake of taking care of our inward needs. If a man only pays attention to his inward feelings, it is easy for him to become self-confident. When he makes a mistake and others exhort him, he may say, "Let me pray and see how I feel about it." Such a person will have a problem obeying the commandments. If an officer issues an order to his subordinate or if a master tells his servant to do something, it is totally wrong to respond, "Let me consider it a little." He should obey immediately. If I tell my cook to prepare some porridge, and he says he will consider it, his consideration will cost his job.
The same can be said of spiritual things. If you tell a person who has believed in his heart to be baptized, he should not say that he will consider it. The Bible clearly says, "Believe and be baptized." It does not give anyone the ground for consideration. Many people, however, have their own thoughts. Some are quick to obey the truth but short in obeying the inner lessons. Some have their own plans, preferences, and opinions, but when God deals with them, they drop these things. Others cannot drop them and cannot submit. In any case, God will lead you into His will. The truth will make your outward pathway straight, and the discipline of the Spirit will deepen and purify you, encouraging you to go on. The more we are on the way of the truth, the more we will experience the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Naturally, both aspects of God's work are for our edification. These two ways are one, and they work together to produce one kind of riches. In fact, the two ways eventually become one way. In other words, there will be no difference between the inward and the outward. When both lines have done their work, God will have a useful vessel in His hand.
Extracted from CWWN, Set 3 Volume 58 : Spiritual Judgement and Examples of Judgement; Chapter 61 (1); Example 57. A fellowship given by Watchman Nee, 10 September 1948
