The Staggering Question

He said to me, ’Son of man, can these bones live?’ —Ezekiel 37:3

Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.”

It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience.

“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves . . .” (Ezekiel 37:12). When God wants to show you what human nature is like separated from Himself, He shows it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace. My “grave” has been opened by God and “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God’s Spirit continually reveals to His children what human nature is like apart from His grace.

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驚人的問題

人子啊，這些骸骨能複活麼？ （結三十七3）

哪個罪人能夠轉為聖徒麼？那扭曲的生命能變得正直麼？唯一的回答是：[主啊，你是知道的，我不知道。 ]切勿捧出屬靈的道理輕蔑地說：[那當然，只要多讀點聖經，好好靈修禱告，我看就沒有問題了。 ]

動手做點事總比信靠神來得容易；我們往往把衝動誤認為感動。因此，真正與神同工的人就寥寥無幾，而為神工作的人卻很多。我們寧可為神工作，而不願信靠他。我真相信神能成就我所不能做的麼？我對人絕望到什麼程度，就視乎神為我做了什麼。我是否經歷神奇妙的大能，以致我不再對任何人感到絕望？到底有沒有絲毫屬靈的果效成就在我身上？愈是驚懼，就愈缺乏屬靈的經歷。

[我的民哪，我開你們的墳墓。 ]神要讓你看見人離開神的本相前，就必先讓你看看你自己。神的靈若讓你看見離開神恩典的光景（只有聖靈作工才會這樣），你就會發現任何罪行，只不過是你罪性的一半而已，你也可能犯上同樣的罪。我的墳墓被神[我也知道，在我裡頭，就是在我肉體之中，沒有良善。 ]神的靈不斷地揭開人的本性，就是他離開神恩典時的本相。

祈禱◆主啊，我願意在你面前傾出我的心－－我的靈此刻並沒有卓越的經驗，我的悟性也不靈敏，它們都反應遲緩；然而，我敬拜你，你永不遲緩或疲憊，你最清楚認識我的構造。