Page 51 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

Living under the Direct Rule of God 50

of the growth in life. When we look at the book The Experience of life, we
see the four stages of the experience of life. Dealing with the conscience is
very early, because this is an elementary stage. Nevertheless, it is a necessary
one. Before we can get recovered back to God’s direct rule we have to get
recovered back to the rule of the conscience. We do not belittle the dealing
of the conscience. We teach this and we have to help people know this. This
is the way back. First, do not violate man’s rule. We know what this is – this
is on the first stage of the experience of life. When I became a believer in
Christ, I was a college student. As soon as I became a believer, I became
aware of the number of things in my past where I violated man’s rule. The
Lord touched me that I have to correct certain things. Just like with Zaccheus,
when he became a believer, the first thing he took care of was the problem
with man’s rule. He extorted money so now he needs to give it back. Now
that he has taken care of man’s rule, he needs to deal with his conscience.
This is something finer, something more inward. Then once we learn to deal
with our conscience, we go further to live in the fellowship of life in our spirit
to receive a direct sense from God in our intuition to live under the direct rule
of God.

The Final Goal of Dealing with the Conscience Being Not Merely to
Restore Us to Self-Rule but to Bring Us Back to God’s Rule and to
Recover Us to God Himself and, Thus, to Live in the Presence of God
The final goal of dealing with the conscience is not merely to restore
us to self-rule but to bring us back to God’s rule and to recover us to God
Himself and, thus, to live in the presence of God (Matt. 5:3).
There Being a Great Difference between Self-Rule and God’s Rule

There is a great difference between self-rule and God’s rule.
Self-Rule Meaning That We Live by the Feelings of Our Conscience,
Being Responsible to Our Conscience
Self-rule means that we live by the feelings of our conscience, being
responsible to our conscience (Acts 24:16). In principle, even a non-believer
could live under self-rule but not God’s rule. Paul could testify in Acts 24
that he exercised to have a good conscience. No matter where we are in the
growth and development of the divine life, even if you are the Apostle Paul
you need to exercise yourself to have a good conscience before God and man.