Christian Perfection

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect . . . —Philippians 3:12

It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.

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信徒的完全

這不是說，我已經得著了，已經完全了……（腓三12）

以為神要把我們造成一個完全的樣本，好表彰他的能力，這是個陷阱。神的目的是要我們與他合一。強調聖潔的運動，很容易使我們有一種觀念，就是以為神要製造一些聖潔的樣本，放在他的博物館裡。你若一心追求這種個人聖潔的觀念，你生命的指標就不是神。而是你所稱為彰顯神的東西。你說：[神的旨意絕不會叫我生病。 ]若按神的旨意，他的兒子也要受壓傷的話，為什麼他不可以壓傷你？神旨意的彰顯，不再乎你認為聖徒應該怎樣；你與耶穌基督的關係，才是最重要的。不論健康或生病，都要一心一歸依他。

信徒的完全，絕不是人的完全。信徒的完全是與神關係的完全，在人生毫不相干的大小事上顯明出來。當你順服主耶穌的呼召，第一件叫你驚訝的事，就是你所作的都無關痛癢。另一件叫你詫異的事，是別人都似乎過著合情合理的生活。他們的生活很容易使你覺得不需要神。即使單靠人努力與熱心，也能達到神的要求。可是在失落的世界裡，這是絕不可能的。我被召，是要過一個與神有完美關係的生活，以致我的生命能引發別人對神的渴慕，而不是對我本身的欽仰。只顧自己會減低給神使用的效能。神不是要把我塑造到十全十美，好放在陳列室裡；他是要帶領我到一個她可以使用我的地方。讓神喜歡怎樣做就怎樣做。

祈禱◆主啊，今天早上，我察覺自己多麼強烈的需要你；願你照你在基督耶穌裡的豐盛，滿足我的需要，直至我完全被你的供應所改變。