Sanctification (1)

This is the will of God, your sanctification. . . —1 Thessalonians 4:3

The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Sanctification requires our coming to the place of death, but many of us spend so much time there that we become morbid. There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized— something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ. When the Holy Spirit begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle starts immediately. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . his own life . . . he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification. No wonder Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us falter. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ on this point. We say, “But this is so strict. Surely He does not require that of me.” Our Lord is strict, and He does require that of us.

Am I willing to reduce myself down to simply “me”? Am I determined enough to strip myself of all that my friends think of me, and all that I think of myself? Am I willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God? Once I am, He will immediately sanctify me completely, and my life will be free from being determined and persistent toward anything except God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

When I pray, “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me— it is Himself in me (see 1 Corinthians 1:30).

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成聖

神的旨意就是要你們成為聖潔。 （帖前四3）

死的一面。在成聖的工夫上，神不但在生方面對付我們，也要在死方面對付我們。很多人在死裡停留太久，以致死氣沉沉。成聖之前，必有一場生死站，必有某些東西拖著我們，叫我們厭惡主。當神的靈向我們啟示成聖的意思，爭戰就開始了。 [人到我這裡來……若不恨（原文）自己的性命，就不能作我的門徒。 ]

在成聖的過程中，神的靈把我的外衣脫掉，只剩下我[自己]，就是到了死地。我甘願單做自己嗎？再沒有別的了——沒有朋友、沒有父親、沒有弟兄、沒有自我的籌算，單單準備去死，這就是成聖的條件。怪不得主耶穌說：[我來不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上動刀兵。 ]這就是戰爭所在，許多人就在此仆倒：我們不肯在這點上與主耶穌的死聯合。我們會說：[這個太嚴厲了，他不能冀求我這樣做。 ]我們的主的確是嚴厲的，他的確要求我們如此行。

我願不願意單單做[自己]，脫去一切人對我的看法，以及我自己對自己的看法，然後把這赤裸的[己]交給神？我若這樣行，神就使我全然成聖。從此，在我生命中，除了神以外，一切都變得不重要了。我若求神：[主啊，指示我成聖之道。 ]他就指示我。成聖就是與耶穌合而為一，他不是把一些東西放進我裡面；乃是他自己在我裡面。