The Inner Life

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13.

Here we read about sin—conscious sin and unconscious sin—the sin which a person has knowingly agreed to commit, and the sin which a person only becomes aware of afterwards. Romans 7:15.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10.

If this salvation is to succeed a person needs to have victory over conscious sin (Galatians 5:19) and be on the alert for the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13) so they are put to death as they are revealed.

The battle is fought on the level of the soul. Jesus says, “Now My soul is troubled.” John 12:27. Temptations meet the soul through the five senses, but when we consider ourselves dead to sin they lose their power. This is the “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:1-3), from which we are exhorted not to drift away.

“But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Hebrews 9:7-8. As long as the Holy Spirit, through the conscience, has something to point out, we have come no further than the first part, in which case we are not blame­less. 1 Timothy 3:10. Then we know of something against ourselves (1 Corinthians 4:4), and the conscience has to be cleansed so we can serve the living God. Hebrews 9:14. Our goal is not only a cleansed conscience, but perfect sanctification and finishing our course. 2 Corinthians 7:1; Philippians 3:14.

The soul is poured out when we serve God’s law perfectly with the mind (Romans 7:25), see the other law in our members, and put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. If we are satisfied with only having a good conscience, we will remain human in all our conduct—which means that the soul is not poured out—without having given our body as a sacrifice. Hebrews 10:5; Romans 12:1-2. He who finds his life shall lose it. Matthew 10:39. The battle is fought against the soul-life, and the fruit will be a spirit that is made alive. 1 Peter 3:18. We have a good foundation to stand on if our conscience is pure, but the conscience knows nothing of what it means to have the human spirit made alive. This is something that occurs as we put to death the deeds of the body.

Our heavenly High Priest has been taken from among men and is appointed for men in things pertaining to God. Hebrews 5:1. This ministry is precious in God’s eyes. The ministry of reconciliation is only the beginning. The great goal of godliness is the high priestly ministry between God and man on the new and living way into the Holy of Holies.

God is mighty to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are wholly for Him (2 Chronicles 16:9), so we can be found where the hidden manna is for all those who overcome. Revelation 2:17.