The Two Great Factors That Hinder Us from Experiencing and Enjoying Christ

 

The Two Great Factors That Hinder Us from Experiencing and Enjoying Christ

—“Murmurings” vs. “Reasonings”

According to the Bible and based on the information provided, the burden of Philippians 2:14-16 is not merely that we should correct two bad habits. Rather, we need to be saved from the realm of reason, right and wrong, doubt, and dissatisfaction, and be brought into the realm of life, light, and Christ as the Head, so that we may become luminaries, shining forth Christ.

Philippians 2:14-15: “Do all things without murmurings and reasonings, that you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world.”

An Integrated Table

Spiritual Item	Murmurings	Reasonings	Their Common Spiritual Essence
Basic Meaning	To be dissatisfied and complain secretly or openly; including faultfinding, grumbling, inward disputing, displeasure, and complaining	Disputing and questioning with a tone of unbelief or doubt; including debating, doubting, reasoning, making judgments, and drawing conclusions	The reaction of the natural man toward God, others, or circumstances, leaving life and falling into the realm of reason
Outward Expression	“Why is it like this?” “Why do I have to suffer this?” “Why can others do this but not me?”	“Is this really right?” “I think it should be...” “We must first make this clear.”	Negative words, thoughts, theories, and conclusions issue from within
Inward Source	Dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and unwillingness to accept the Lord's arrangement	Unbelief, doubt, self-confidence, and natural reasoning	The self, the natural life, the natural mind, and the strongholds of thought formed by Satan within man
Primary Realm	Feelings, emotions, the will, and speech	The mind, thoughts, concepts, theories, and speech	The soul-life has not been brought under Christ's headship
Spiritual Direction	From enjoying Christ to focusing on circumstances	From contacting Christ to analyzing matters	Turning from Christ to oneself, circumstances, right and wrong, and reasons
The Problem of “Reasons”	Because the circumstances do not satisfy the self, murmuring arises	Because something does not agree with one's understanding, reasoning begins	Man thinks that he needs a reason, but “I am Jehovah” is itself the highest reason
Biblical Example	The children of Israel murmured in the wilderness and suffered God's judgment	Man questions God's way through his own thoughts, reasonings, and doubts	Israel's history became a warning and example to us—1 Cor. 10:10-11
The Warning in 1 Corinthians 10:10	“Neither murmur, even as some of them murmured and perished by the destroyer.”	Although reasonings are not mentioned directly in this verse, they are likewise forbidden in Phil. 2:14	Both murmurings and reasonings can damage God's people's enjoyment of Christ
Relationship to Life	Murmuring causes us to lose our enjoyment of the Lord	Reasoning causes us to lose our trust in the Lord	Both cause us to leave the realm of life
Relationship to Light	Murmuring causes us to lose inward joy and light	Reasoning brings the mind into darkness, confusion, and doubt	We lose Christ's shining and are unable to function as luminaries
Relationship to Christ	We no longer take Christ as our satisfaction but take favorable circumstances as our satisfaction	We no longer take Christ as the answer but make our own reasoning the answer	The inward operation of Christ in us is hindered
Relationship to Enjoying Christ	“I am dissatisfied; therefore, I cannot enjoy.”	“I do not understand; therefore, I cannot enjoy.”	Christ as our satisfaction replaces satisfaction with circumstances; trusting Christ replaces natural understanding
Relationship to Prayer	Murmuring can cause prayer to become complaining	Reasoning can cause prayer to become arguing with God and demanding explanations	Genuine prayer brings us back to the spirit and into fellowship with the Lord
Relationship to Thanksgiving	Murmuring is the opposite of giving thanks	Reasoning is the opposite of trusting	Joy, prayer, and thanksgiving are life practices that counteract murmurings and reasonings
Relationship to Praise	Murmuring causes us to look at circumstances rather than the Lord	Reasoning causes us to look at problems rather than the Lord	Praise turns us from circumstances and problems to the Lord Himself
Relationship to Living Christ	We live ourselves and therefore have opinions about our circumstances	We live ourselves and therefore insist on our own conclusions	To live Christ is to allow Christ to be our life, content, inward operating power, and answer
Relationship to Philippians 2:13	We ignore that “it is God who operates in you for His good pleasure”	We do not trust God's inward operating but try to deal with matters by our own thoughts	Phil. 2:13 → Phil. 2:14: Because God is operating within us, we do not need to murmur or reason
Relationship to Philippians 2:15	We lose the purity and simplicity of our expression	We lose our shining testimony	Being delivered from both enables us to be children of God and luminaries
Relationship to Satan	Satan uses circumstances to stir up dissatisfaction	Satan uses thoughts, theories, and reasoning to build up strongholds	Murmuring is more related to emotion and the will; reasoning is more related to the mind and theories, but both can be utilized by Satan
Spiritual Warfare	We need to deal with negative feelings, words, and reactions	We need to deal with thoughts, theories, reasonings, and self-made conclusions	“Taking captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ”—2 Cor. 10:5
Expression of Rebellion	Murmuring in speech	Reasoning in thoughts and theories	Rebellion against God may be expressed in our words, thoughts, and theories
What We Need to Be Saved From	Dissatisfaction, faultfinding, grumbling, and complaining	Doubt, natural reasoning, debating, and drawing conclusions	Being saved out of the realm of “reasons”
“A Blessed Blindness”	Not murmuring because of what we see in our circumstances	Not judging the Lord's ways according to natural analysis	Under the authority of the Lord's light, we do not replace Christ with our own judgment but simply live under His headship
The Realm of Life vs. the Realm of Right and Wrong	“Do I like this?”	“Is this right?”	Turning from the realm of right and wrong to the realm of life
Under the Authority of Darkness vs. Under the Authority of Light	Murmuring brings us into negativity and darkness	Reasoning causes us to fall into the darkness of the mind	Col. 1:12-13: We are transferred out of the authority of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God's love
Christ as the Head	Not accepting the Lord's arrangement	Not accepting the Lord's sovereignty	When we live under Christ's headship, we do not need to manufacture reasons for His arrangements
Practical Way of Dealing with It	Bring dissatisfaction to the Lord and turn to Him in the spirit	Give doubts and reasonings to the Lord and stop the self in the spirit	“Stop the self → Return to the spirit → Contact the Lord → Receive the Lord”
Positive Replacement	Replace murmuring with joy, thanksgiving, and praise	Replace reasoning with trust, prayer, and submission	Not suppressing ourselves, but allowing Christ as life to replace our natural reactions
The Way to Enjoy Christ	Accept the circumstances measured out by the Lord	Accept the Lord Himself as the answer	Enjoy Christ as life, the word of life, and the inward operating power
Ultimate Result	We no longer lose Christ because of circumstances	We no longer lose Christ because of problems	Christ can shine within us and through us
The Result in Philippians 2:15	“Shine as luminaries in the world”
Ultimate Goal	That Christ may be expressed, that God may be glorified, and that the Body of Christ may become a shining testimony

 

An Important Spiritual Line

These two matters are not merely two unrelated bad habits. They form a complete spiritual sequence:

Circumstances do not satisfy us
↓
Murmurings
↓
Inward dissatisfaction
↓
Turning to ourselves and our circumstances
↓
The mind begins to analyze
↓
Reasonings
↓
Doubt → Natural reasoning → Theories → Conclusions
↓
Falling into the realm of “right and wrong / reasons”
↓
Losing the enjoyment of Christ
↓
Christ cannot operate freely within us
↓
Unable to shine as luminaries

The opposite way, the way of life, is:

Circumstances / Experiences
↓
Return to the spirit
↓
Contact Christ
↓
Believe that He is operating within us (Phil. 2:13)
↓
Enjoy the word of life
↓
Remain in fellowship through prayer
↓
Joy + Thanksgiving + Praise
↓
Accept Christ as life and accept His headship
↓
Without murmurings and reasonings
↓
Live Christ
↓
Shine as luminaries
↓
Express Christ
↓
Glorify God

“Reasons” Are the Deeper Common Problem

A particularly important point is found in the information concerning Leviticus 18 through 22.

Whenever God commanded His people concerning how they should live and act, He repeatedly inserted the declaration:  “I am Jehovah.”

He did not always give a long explanation or even use the word because.

This reveals a very important spiritual principle:  “I am Jehovah” is greater than “I need a reason.” 

The Realm of the Natural Man	The Realm of Life
Why?	Lord, I trust You.
I do not understand.	Lord, You Yourself are my answer.
Is this reasonable?	Is this from You?
I do not think it should be this way.	I am willing to accept Your sovereignty.
I must first understand everything.	I must first contact You.
I need to judge right and wrong.	I need to live in life.
I need to find a reason.	“I am Jehovah.”
My thoughts are the head.	Christ is the Head.
The realm of right and wrong	The realm of life
The authority of darkness	The kingdom of the Son of God's love
Natural reaction	The operation of Christ

Therefore, “a blessed blindness” does not mean being foolish or abandoning proper discernment. Rather, it means that we do not allow natural reasons, natural analysis, and self-made judgments to replace Christ. Instead, under the authority of light and in the realm of life, we simply submit to Christ as the Head.

The Inward Contrast Between the Two Great Hindrances

These two matters may be summarized in a simple contrast:

Murmurings	Reasonings
Rebellion in emotion	Rebellion in the mind
I do not like it.	I do not agree with it.
I am dissatisfied.	I do not understand.
Complaining	Debating
Grumbling	Developing theories
Faultfinding	Drawing conclusions
Displeasure	Doubting
Having opinions about circumstances	Having opinions about God's way
“Why is it like this?”	“On what basis should it be like this?”
Losing joy	Losing trust
Leaving enjoyment	Leaving fellowship
Turning to circumstances	Turning to the mind
We need to return to the spirit	We need to return to the spirit
Replace it with thanksgiving	Replace it with trust
Replace it with praise	Replace it with prayer
Enjoy Christ	Contact Christ
Live Christ	Let Christ be the Head

 

Four Crucial Turns for Our Deliverance

1. From Circumstances to Christ

The circumstances may not change, but we first change the object of our attention.

Instead of asking: “Why are my circumstances like this?”

we may ask:

“Lord, how much of Yourself do You desire to dispense into me through these circumstances?”

2. From Reasons to Life

We do not first seek explanations; we first contact life.

The natural sequence is:  Reasons → Right and Wrong → Reasonings

But the way of life is:

Christ → Life → Fellowship → Enjoyment

3. From the Self as the Head to Christ as the Head

The real question is not merely: “Who is right and who is wrong?”

The deeper question is: “Who is the head?”

If the self is the head, there will inevitably be reasons, analyses, judgments, and reasonings.

If Christ is the Head, there will be submission, life, light, and rest.

4. From Murmurings and Reasonings to Joy, Thanksgiving, and Praise

Philippians 4 gives us a very practical way:

Rejoice always → Pray → In everything bring your requests to God with thanksgiving → The peace of God guards our hearts and thoughts (Phil. 4:4-7).

Therefore, overcoming murmurings and reasonings is not merely a matter of saying:

“I should not complain.”

Rather, it is a matter of:

Replacing dissatisfaction with the joy of Christ, reasonings with prayer, complaining with thanksgiving, and natural reactions with praise.

Practical Exercise: A Simple Spiritual Formula

Whenever dissatisfaction begins to rise within us or we feel inclined to argue and reason, we can immediately practice:

Stop → Return to the spirit → Call on the Lord → Contact Christ → Enjoy the Lord's word → Pray → Give thanks → Praise → Accept the Lord's sovereignty → Live Christ

In other words:

Murmurings / Reasonings
→ Return to the spirit
→ Contact Christ
→ Enjoy the word of life
→ Remain in fellowship
→ Joy, Thanksgiving, and Praise
→ Christ operates within us
→ Live Christ
→ Shine as luminaries

A Survey of the Related Scriptures

Scripture	Spiritual Emphasis
Philippians 2:13	God is operating in us for His good pleasure
Philippians 2:14	Do all things without murmurings and reasonings
Philippians 2:15	Be children of God without blemish and shine as luminaries
Philippians 2:16	Holding forth the word of life
1 Corinthians 10:10-11	Israel's murmuring is a warning and example to us
1 Timothy 1:3-6	Do not fall into vain talking and disputing but remain in God's economy
1 Timothy 6:3-4	Do not fall into disputes and wranglings about words
2 Corinthians 10:3-5	Cast down reasonings and every high thing, taking every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ
Colossians 1:12-13	We have been delivered from the authority of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of God's love
Romans 9:20-21	The thing formed should not argue with the One who formed it
Romans 11:33-34	God's judgments are unsearchable and His ways are untraceable
Acts 22:10	“What shall I do, Lord?”—turning to the Lord for His leading
Acts 16:25	Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns of praise to God in prison
Philippians 3:10	Knowing Christ and experiencing Christ
Philippians 4:4	Rejoice in the Lord always
Philippians 4:6-7	By prayer, petition, and thanksgiving, bring everything to God
1 Thessalonians 5:16-20	Rejoice always, pray unceasingly, give thanks in everything, and do not quench the Spirit

 

An Integrated Ministry Burden

According to the emphasis of the ministry of concerning the experience of life, the Christian problem is not merely that we speak too negatively or have too many negative thoughts. The deeper problem is this:

When we live in the natural life, we easily murmur; when we live in the natural mind, we easily reason.

Therefore, the genuine deliverance is not the improvement of the natural man but the replacement of the natural man by Christ:

Natural life → Christ as life
Natural mind → The mind of Christ
Natural reasons → God's will
The realm of right and wrong → The realm of life
The self as the head → Christ as the Head
The authority of darkness → The kingdom of the Son of God's love
Murmurings and reasonings → Joy, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise
Unable to enjoy Christ → Living Christ and expressing Christ

Ultimately, the goal of Philippians 2 is not merely to make us people who do not complain. The goal is:

“That you may become blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish... among whom you shine as luminaries in the world.”

Therefore:

Not murmuring and not reasoning are the negative side; living Christ and shining as luminaries are the positive side.

The crucial link between these two sides is Philippians 2:13—allowing God to operate within us.

One-Sentence Prophesying Summary

Murmuring is the heart's dissatisfaction with circumstances, and reasoning is the mind's demand for explanations from God and others; both cause us to leave the realm of life and fall into the realm of right and wrong. The way of deliverance is to return to our spirit, remain in contact and fellowship with Christ, enjoy Him as the word of life, and live a life of joy, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise by the wonderful Spirit of the Triune God, so that we may live Christ, shine as luminaries, and give Christ a glorified expression.

 

*Please refer to the April 2026 Summer Training General Topic: Believers, Chapter Nine: Pillars and the Glowing Body.