The key to putting off the old man (Eph. 4:22) and putting on the new man (v. 24) is being renewed in the spirit of our mind (v. 23).
First, we need to see the vision of the one new man and realize that this is the unique thing that God is after today; then, through our exercise and practice, we need to bring the one new man into practical existence.
The key to putting off the old man and putting on the new man is being renewed in the spirit of our mind. To put off the old man we need to see that our old man has already been crucified with Christ, and through our baptism we acknowledge this fact and admit that our old man is buried in the waters of baptism.
Now day by day, knowing that our old man has been crucified with Christ and buried through baptism, we should no longer live in the old man but put off the old man and put on the new man.
To put off the old man is to put off the community life that the old man had, and to put on the new man is to put on the community life of the one new man. We put off the old man which is being corrupted, and as we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, we put on the new man.
The one new man has been created by Christ on the cross and today, for the bringing forth of the one new man, we all have been baptised in one Spirit into one Body and we were all given to drink of the one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).
According to the fact, the one new man was created on the cross; according to the practical existence and living, we need to be baptised in one Spirit into one Body.
Hallelujah, all believers in Christ were baptised in one Spirit into one Body at the time of our regeneration! The day we believed into the Lord, we were baptised in the Spirit and in the Body.
Furthermore, we all were given to drink of the one Spirit. On the one hand through baptism we were immersed into the Spirit, so the Spirit is all around us. On the other hand, we need to continually drink of the Spirit, and the Spirit will fill us within.
Being baptised in one Spirit and drinking the one Spirit result in our being fully filled outwardly and inwardly by the Spirit. It is by this Spirit, which is the Lord Jesus Christ in His resurrection – the life-giving Spirit – that we are regenerated, and this Spirit spreads from our mingled spirit into our mind.
The mingled spirit spreading from our spirit into our mind is called the spirit of our mind, and the more we drink the Spirit, the more this Spirit spreads into our mind so that we would be renewed in the spirit of our mind.
We need to experience more drinking of the Spirit by exercising our spirit through prayer to drink! The Spirit fills us and enlarges us; the Spirit spreads into our mind, and we experience being renewed in the spirit of our mind.
The Mingled Spirit Spreads into our Mind to become the Spirit of the Mind which Renews us
When we speak of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, we need to know who Christ is, where Christ is, and how can we put on the new man.
Who is Christ today? Christ today is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17). Where is Christ today? Christ as the life-giving Spirit is today with our spirit, even in our spirit, mingled with our spirit as one spirit (see Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22).
When we were regenerated, the divine Spirit came into our spirit, and these two spirits were mingled together as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17); now the Spirit is in our spirit, and we are one spirit with the Lord.
Furthermore, when this mingled spirit spreads into our mind, the spirit becomes the spirit of our mind, in which we are being renewed for the putting on of the new man (Eph. 4:23).
We need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind for the one new man; our mind is being renewed through our realization that Christ as the life-giving Spirit is mingled with our human spirit, and this mingled spirit spreads into our mind.
This truth, however, is very much hidden from many in Christianity today; many have read the Bible and appreciate the book of Ephesians, but who knows what it is to be renewed in the spirit of our mind?
Many believers think that it is sufficient to read the Bible, win souls, and glorify God by our good behavior; however, as see in Eph. 4:22-24, we need to put off the old man and put on the new man by being renewed in the spirit of our mind.
If we allow the mingled spirit to spread into our mind and become the spirit of our mind into which we are being renewed, we will be in reality the one new man. If we learn to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, we will have a deeper perception with which to understand persons, matters, and situations.
Many times we meet people, talk to them, and have no insight into where they are, what is their need, and what do they really speak about when they talk to us.
This is because we lack the perception in the spirit that penetrates barriers, sees through the superficial things, and removes any coverings, because we don’t practice being daily renewed in the spirit of our mind.
When we are renewed in the spirit of our mind by allowing the mingled spirit to seep into, saturate, permeate, and take over our mind, we are revolutionized in our logic, our thought is changed, our concepts are updated, and our philosophy is changed according to God.
The result is that our perception in all things is different; we will have a deeper understanding of the people we meet, and we will know their condition according to the spirit which has spread into our mind.
We will then know how to pray for them and care for them before the Lord, so that they would learn to put off the old man and put on the new man for the renewing of the spirit of their mind.
Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming the life-giving Spirit who came to mingle Himself with our spirit! Hallelujah, we are one spirit with the Lord, and the Lord Himself is the life-giving Spirit with our spirit. Amen! Lord, may the mingled spirit spread into our mind to become the spirit of our mind into which we are being renewed. Amen, Lord, more renewing in the spirit of the mind today, so that we may be revolutionized in our logic, concept, philosophy, thought, and psychology!
The Key to Putting off the Old Man and Putting on the New Man is being Renewed in the Spirit of our Mind
When the life-giving Spirit – who dwells in and is mingled with our regenerated spirit – spreads into our mind, this mingled spirit becomes the spirit of the mind; it is by this mingled spirit that our mind is renewed (Eph. 4:23).
When we speak of “the spirit of our mind”, we don’t speak primarily of our mind, but of the mingled spirit that spreads into our mind. Today we can experience and enjoy Christ as the reality and grace for the living of the new man through the renewing in the spirit of our mind.
The key to putting off the old man and putting on the new man is being renewed in the spirit of our mind. This renewing is for our transformation into the image of Christ (see Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18).
Our regenerated spirit – which is indwelt by and mingled with the life-giving Spirit, the Spirit of God – is now spreading into our mind, thus becoming the spirit of our mind; it is in such a spirit that we are renewed for our transformation.
This renewing implies a process of metabolic transformation; as we inwardly allow the mingled spirit to spread into our mind by setting our mind on the spirit, pray-reading the word of God, and letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, the mingled spirit enters into our mind, takes over our mind, and becomes the spirit of our mind.
When our regenerated spirit is gradually enlightened, motivated, inspired, and occupied by the Spirit of God, the mingled spirit spreads into our mind and becomes the spirit of our mind.
When we were regenerated, at the time we believed into the Lord Jesus, the mingled spirit was only in the realm of our spirit; now through renewing, the mingled spirit progressively moves into the territory of our mind to become the spirit of our mind.
The one new man can live on earth by the mingled spirit spreading into our mind to become the spirit of our mind. Our mind should no longer be filled with vanity but be saturated and permeated with the spirit.
We should put off the old man and put on the new man by being renewed in the spirit of our mind. To be renewed in the spirit of our mind is something intrinsic and inward; the renewing in the spirit of our mind revolutionizes our logic, philosophy, thought, concept, and psychology.
We need to not be fashioned according to this age (that is, put off the old man) but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (that is, the spreading of the mingled spirit into our mind) that we may know what the will of God is – the one new man living practically on earth (Rom. 12:2).
It is only when the spirit becomes the spirit of our mind – the mingled spirit saturating our mind, dominating our mind, and taking over our mind – that our logic, philosophy, concept, thought, and psychology can be revolutionized.
Lord Jesus, may the mingled spirit spread into our mind to renew our mind and become the spirit of our mind. Amen, Lord, we want to be those being renewed in the spirit of our mind for the practical existence of the one new man! May we experience this intrinsic and inward process of being renewed in the spirit of our mind so that we may live in reality in the one new man. May the mingled spirit progressively move into the territory of our mind to become the spirit of our mind taking over, subduing, and saturating our mind!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message given by the brothers for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1977, vol. 3, “The One New Man,” ch. 5, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Goal of the Lord’s Recovery – to Bring Forth the One New Man (2018 ICSC), week 2, Being Renewed in the Spirit of the Mind for the Practical Existence of the One New Man.
- Hymns on this topic:
# Thus we must put off the old man / That we may put on the new; / Thus, renewed in mind and spirit, / We will bear God’s image true. (Hymns #823)
# Spreading outward from our spirit / Doth the Lord transform our soul, / By the inward parts renewing, / Till within His full control. / Lord, transform us to Thine image / In emotion, mind, and will; / Saturate us with Thy Spirit, / All our being wholly fill. (Hymns #750)
# And do not be fashioned according to this age, / But be transformed by the renewing of the mind… / That you may prove what the will of God is, / That which is good and well pleasing and perfect. (Scripture song)
About aGodMan
Revolutionised. Praise the Lord always my dear Brother.
Amen!
Amen Lord renew our mind.
O Lord, we want to be delivered from the fashion of this age. We know that at the time of our regeneration our mingled spirit is only in the realm of our spirit. Lord grace us to enjoy You more for the spreading of the mingled spirit into our mind by enlightening, motivating, inspiring, and occupying us by the Spirit of God to have the spirit in our mind. Lord go on with us for the renewing of our mind to have the mind of Christ!
It is only the mind of Christ that can express the new man!
Last week we saw the Goal of the Lord’s recovery to bring forth the one new man. For this there is the urgent need for us to see the church as the one new man. This week we have the key to bring the one new man into a practical existence! Hallelujah this is marvellous. That we can put off the old man and put on the new man through our being renewed in the spirit of our mind! May we allow the Spirit mingled with our spirit seep out and saturate and permeate our minds! Lord may You keep increasing the vision and grant us to allow You to become the spirit of our mind for the one new man!
Hallelujah!
Amen thank You Lord for the Key to putting on the New Man is to be Renewed in the Spirit of our Mind….
To be renewed in the spirit of our mind is inward and intrinsic. If we learn to be renewed in this way, we will have a deeper perception with which to understand persons and matters. To understand a person requires that we have a deeper sight, a perception that goes farther and deeper. Often our knowing of people is shallow. We lack the perception that penetrates the barriers and coverings because we do not practice being daily renewed in the spirit of our mind. The renewing in the spirit of our mind always revolutionizes our logic, philosophy, thought, concept, and psychology. As a result, our perception in all things is different, and we have a deeper understanding of the people we meet. Even by the way they ask questions, we can know people’s condition. A natural man is a very shallow man, but if we are spiritual, we will be deep. If we are deep, we will know others, even though they will not be able to know us (1 Cor. 2:15). (Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1990, vol. 2, “Messages to the Trainees in Fall 1990,” p. 453)