The true understanding of the Spirit is lacking among Christians today. Even though many of us have heard messages on the compound Spirit, we may have little more than doctrinal knowledge. We may not apply the Spirit in our situations day by day.
Suppose a brother invites me to his home for lunch. However, he does not notify his wife beforehand that a guest is coming. Not only is she unprepared, but her children are giving her a difficult time. The wife is troubled and offended. How can this situation turn out for the brother’s salvation? He simply needs to apply the compound ointment, the compound Spirit. The compound Spirit is in his regenerated human spirit. Instead of considering the situation with his wife and beholding his difficult environment, he should turn to the spirit, apply the compound Spirit, and behold the Lord with an unveiled face. Then he will reflect the Lord. If this brother applies the compound Spirit and beholds the Lord, the elements of the ointment will be applied to him. Both the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ will operate in him, and he will be anointed with the compound Spirit. In this Spirit is all he needs: the death of Christ and its effectiveness, the resurrection of Christ and its power, and Christ’s divine nature and human nature. By applying this compound Spirit, the brother will experience God’s instant salvation. Then, far from being put to shame, he will magnify Christ. Furthermore, those with him will want to rejoice in the Lord when they see such a glorious magnification of Christ.
The Bible reveals that Christ has passed through the process of incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. As a result, the Spirit of God is now the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit who includes the elements of divinity, humanity, death, and resurrection. This is the all-inclusive Spirit. When we exercise our spirit to call on the name of the Lord Jesus, the indwelling all-inclusive Spirit will be applied to our inner being, touching our being with all the elements of the compound Spirit. Then we shall become those who experience Christ’s divinity, humanity, death, and resurrection. This anointing of the compound Spirit is our salvation. The more we are anointed with this Spirit, the more we are saved. We are saved not by doctrine or teaching; we are saved by the anointing of the compound Spirit.
It is common for pastors to use Paul’s words in Ephesians 5 in giving instructions to a bride and groom during a wedding ceremony. The groom may promise to love his wife, and the bride may promise to submit to her husband. However, in the actual situations of married life, this teaching does not work. But if a brother and his wife both learn how to experience the bountiful supply of the Spirit, they will surely have a proper married life. We all need more experience of the bountiful supply of the Spirit.
According to the type in Exodus 30, the compound ointment was used to anoint the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, as well as all furnishings and utensils used in the service of the tabernacle. Furthermore, the priests were anointed with this compound ointment. This signifies that the compound Spirit is for the Body, the church, God’s house, and also for God’s service. If we are not in the Body or if we do not care for God’s service, it will be very difficult for us to partake of this compound Spirit. To enjoy the Spirit we need to be part of the tabernacle and of the priesthood, part of God’s dwelling and of His service. Then spontaneously we shall be anointed with the ointment and enjoy the bountiful supply of the Spirit.
From our experience we know that if we have a problem with the church or refuse to participate in the service of the church, we do not enjoy the all-inclusive Spirit. Although we may pray very much, our prayer is not effective. Believing in the reality of the compound Spirit, we may cry out to the Lord to have mercy on us, and we tell Him how much we need Him. However, we still do not experience the supply of the Spirit. The reason is that we have severed ourselves from the Body and are not part of the tabernacle in a practical way. Furthermore, we do not partake of the priestly service. According to Exodus 30, the compound ointment was for the anointing of the tabernacle and the priests. It is very important to realize that the compound Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is for the Body, God’s tabernacle, and for God’s service, the priesthood. Because so many Christians today are cut off from the Body and from the priestly service, it is extremely difficult for them to share the bountiful supply of the Spirit.
We have pointed out that Paul lived in the Body. Although he was a wonderful apostle, he still needed the prayers and petitions of the saints. This is a clear indication that Paul had a right relationship with the Body. Furthermore, Paul also shared in the priesthood. Because he was in the Body, the tabernacle, and because he was part of the priesthood, God’s service, he was in a proper position to receive the flow of the ointment which is upon the Body.
Many of us can testify that before we came into the church, we did not have any enjoyment of the bountiful supply of the Spirit. But after we came into the church life in the Lord’s recovery and began to participate in the church service, we had the sense that we were under the flowing of the bountiful supply of the Spirit.
If in the church life we become unhappy with certain saints, especially with the elders, we may cut ourselves off from the Body and withdraw from the priestly service. Although we may still pray individualistically, such prayer is not effective. In fact, the more we pray individualistically, the more dried up we become. We do not experience the anointing of the compound Spirit. But if we are one with the church and stay in the priestly service, we enjoy the rich anointing of the all-inclusive Spirit. Even a little praying or calling on the name of the Lord, perhaps simply saying “amen,” causes us to enjoy this anointing.
Suppose a brother is unhappy with his wife. However, during a meeting he turns to the Lord and begins to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You.” Because he is watered and anointed, his feeling of unhappiness disappears. When he comes home after the meeting, his face is shining. His wife realizes that her husband has experienced a fresh anointing of the Spirit. When she saw him last, his face was sad, and he was unhappy. But now his face is shining, and he is rejoicing in the Lord. This comes from experiencing the anointing of the Spirit.
Again and again we need to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You.” The more we contact the Lord in this way, the more we sense the anointing and the more we become happy and released. In this country people enjoy taking a vacation. I can testify that the best vacation is to call on the name of the Lord Jesus and to enjoy the anointing of the compound Spirit in our spirit.
With the Spirit of Jesus Christ there is a bountiful supply. This supply is an all-inclusive drink containing many ingredients. Everything we need is in this divine beverage. Instant salvation always comes from this bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. When we pray in a genuine way and when we call on the name of the Lord, the compound ointment is applied to us in our situation, and we enjoy the riches of the bountiful supply of the Spirit. Then instead of being put to shame, we experience a glorious salvation. This salvation causes Christ to be magnified in us. By the petitions of the Body and by the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our circumstances turn out to be for our salvation. Then we are not put to shame in anything, but Christ is magnified in us.
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