Lesson Book, Level 3: Two Spirits—Two Spirits - the Divine Spirit and the Human Spirit, by Witness Lee

V. THE EFFECT OF A PURIFIED CONSCIENCE

[After such a confession, you will not want to go back home. You will be afraid you may hear more gossip. It takes a great deal of effort to clean a badly smeared window. Once it is clean, you will try very hard not to let it get dirty again. This is the way to keep a clear entry for Christ to come into you. This entry, your purged conscience, will keep you from gossip....Once your conscience is purged, you can be poor in spirit. You will no longer feel you know so much. You will be humble and hungry for the real experience of the Lord. If you are proud, your spirit is not open to the Lord and He has no way to abide in you. Purging your conscience will issue in an open spirit.]

Furthermore, [your mind will be keen and your discernment clear. No one and nothing can deceive you. This is what the Scripture calls a sound, or sober, mind (2 Tim. 1:7). Whenever you hear a message, your mind will be sharp to grasp and confirm what is being said.

A purified conscience will also affect your emotion. Before you make a thorough confession of your failures and weak points, your emotion is just lukewarm.] If your emotion were cold, you would be going to places of entertainment rather than coming to meetings. [But once you have confessed, your lukewarm emotion will catch on fire. You will declare, "Lord Jesus, I love you! I am on fire for You!"

Your will also will be changed from being stubborn to being submissive. You will enjoy obeying (cf. Phil. 2:12). Whatever it is, big or small, you will be willing to obey.

With such a purified conscience, open spirit, pure heart, sober mind, loving emotion, and submissive will, there will be a flow of the Lord within your whole being. You will surely be abiding in Him and He in you. This is the way to have the Lord added to your being all day long. The key is the thorough confession.]

SUMMARY

The Bible speaks a great deal about the human spirit because our spirit is the key to experiencing the divine Spirit. It is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and the organ by which we continue to receive the Spirit. Our spirit has three parts—the conscience, fellowship, and intuition. Because the conscience is the leading part of the spirit, it must be properly maintained by confession. A purified conscience helps the other parts of our inward being to function properly and keeps the Lord flowing within us.

QUESTIONS

  1. Name three verses from the Old and New Testaments that use the phrase "the spirit of man."
  2. What is so important about knowing the human spirit?
  3. What are the three parts of the spirit? What are the functions of each?
  4. What is the result of a transparent conscience?
  5. Explain what is meant by "dealing with the conscience."

Quoted Portions from (Lee/LSM) Publications

  1. The Economy of God, p. 36.
  2. Our Human Spirit, pp. 20, 34-35.
  3. The Economy of God, pp. 57-58, 78.
  4. Life Messages, pp. 37-40.

(Lesson Book, Level 3: Two Spirits—Two Spirits - the Divine Spirit and the Human Spirit, Chapter 13, by Witness Lee)