Intimate Theology

Do you believe this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ . . .” (John 11:27).

Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.

To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.

Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier

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信心歷程

你信這話麽？ （約十一26）

馬大相信耶穌有能力行事；她型心他若在場，就可以醫治她的弟弟。她也相信與神有特別的關係，他求神什麽，神都成就。可是，她需要與耶穌有更親密的個人關係。馬大的信心是在未來才實現的；耶穌領她體驗，直至信心成為她個人的財富，然後形成一個特有的產業- [主啊，是的，我信你是基督……]

主對你是否也一樣？主是否教導你，使你進入與他個人親密的關係裡？讓神的問題追逼你 - [你信這話麽？ ]你懷疑的是什麽？你所遭遇的，有否像馬大的一樣，把你帶到一處，叫你的信仰快要變成個人的信仰？這個地步，非透過難處而產生個人問題，不能達致。

相信就是完全委身。在心智上委身，就是把一切與這委身無關的事擯棄；在信仰上委身，在道德上就絕不與其他信仰妥協；在特殊信仰上委身，就把靈交給耶穌基督，決志只讓主居首位。當我面對主耶穌，他對我說：[你信這話麽？ ]我會發現信心像呼吸一樣自然，而詫異以往為何愚昧地不信靠。

祈禱◆主啊，並非基於任何不配的感覺，或自覺不足，或是任何關乎自己的思想；我來，只因你是你。