Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61
Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
[好的－－但！ ]
主，我要跟從你，但……（路九61）
假如神叫你做一件與常理大相徑庭的事，你會怎樣呢？退縮？在肉身上養成的習慣，須以堅定的決心去改變，否則就會一直做下去。在屬靈上，也是如此。你屢次遵主的話起來，但到了某一關頭，就會裹足不前，甚至毅然放棄。 [好的，但－－假定我在這事上順服神，……又怎樣？ ][好了，我心順服神，只要他讓我用自己的智慧，不踏足在黑暗中。 ]耶穌基督要求倚靠他的人，有天然的那種冒險精神。若有人要做一件有價值的事，他有時必須孤注一擲。屬靈的領域裡，主也要求你用理智所堅持的一切撇下，投入他的話語裡去。你這樣做，就會發現他所說的合符理智。在常理下，耶穌基督的話似乎是瘋狂的；可是，在信心跟前，你就會驚訝地發現這正是神的話。要全心信靠神，當他領你去探險，要立刻接受。我們在危機之中，往往表現得像不信的人。所以千萬人中也許只有一個，肯將信心寄放在神身上。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠著你的恩典，我的思想能夠明白那麼多，所說的話也能那麼多－－求你使我的心靈和行為不單與思想踏著同一步伐，更能夠超越它。
Showing posts with label Relating To God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Relating To God. Show all posts
May 30, 2014
May 30, 2013
“Yes— But . . .!”
Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61
Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
[好的－－但！ ]
主，我要跟從你，但……（路九61）
假如神叫你做一件與常理大相徑庭的事，你會怎樣呢？退縮？在肉身上養成的習慣，須以堅定的決心去改變，否則就會一直做下去。在屬靈上，也是如此。你屢次遵主的話起來，但到了某一關頭，就會裹足不前，甚至毅然放棄。 [好的，但－－假定我在這事上順服神，……又怎樣？ ][好了，我心順服神，只要他讓我用自己的智慧，不踏足在黑暗中。 ]耶穌基督要求倚靠他的人，有天然的那種冒險精神。若有人要做一件有價值的事，他有時必須孤注一擲。屬靈的領域裡，主也要求你用理智所堅持的一切撇下，投入他的話語裡去。你這樣做，就會發現他所說的合符理智。在常理下，耶穌基督的話似乎是瘋狂的；可是，在信心跟前，你就會驚訝地發現這正是神的話。要全心信靠神，當他領你去探險，要立刻接受。我們在危機之中，往往表現得像不信的人。所以千萬人中也許只有一個，肯將信心寄放在神身上。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠著你的恩典，我的思想能夠明白那麼多，所說的話也能那麼多－－求你使我的心靈和行為不單與思想踏著同一步伐，更能夠超越它。
Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
[好的－－但！ ]
主，我要跟從你，但……（路九61）
假如神叫你做一件與常理大相徑庭的事，你會怎樣呢？退縮？在肉身上養成的習慣，須以堅定的決心去改變，否則就會一直做下去。在屬靈上，也是如此。你屢次遵主的話起來，但到了某一關頭，就會裹足不前，甚至毅然放棄。 [好的，但－－假定我在這事上順服神，……又怎樣？ ][好了，我心順服神，只要他讓我用自己的智慧，不踏足在黑暗中。 ]耶穌基督要求倚靠他的人，有天然的那種冒險精神。若有人要做一件有價值的事，他有時必須孤注一擲。屬靈的領域裡，主也要求你用理智所堅持的一切撇下，投入他的話語裡去。你這樣做，就會發現他所說的合符理智。在常理下，耶穌基督的話似乎是瘋狂的；可是，在信心跟前，你就會驚訝地發現這正是神的話。要全心信靠神，當他領你去探險，要立刻接受。我們在危機之中，往往表現得像不信的人。所以千萬人中也許只有一個，肯將信心寄放在神身上。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠著你的恩典，我的思想能夠明白那麼多，所說的話也能那麼多－－求你使我的心靈和行為不單與思想踏著同一步伐，更能夠超越它。
December 30, 2012
“And Every Virtue We Possess”
. . . All my springs are in you —Psalm 87:7
Our Lord never “patches up” our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. He completely remakes a person on the inside— “. . . put on the new man . . .” (Ephesians 4:24). In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ. Once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying-up experience!
The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.
And every virtue we possess
Is His alone.
我們一切的美德
我的泉源都在你裡面。 （詩八十七7）
我們的主從不修補天然美德，他乃是從裡面重新再造。 [穿上新人]，意思是你要給肉體的生命穿上與新生命相配的衣服。神種在我們裡頭的生命，會萌發本身的美德，不是亞當的，乃是主耶穌的。你成聖以後，會叫你對天然美德，並個人一切力量的信心枯萎，直至你學會怎樣從主耶穌復活的泉源中支取生命。你若正經歷那乾涸的階段，就得感謝神。
神在我們裡面作工的徵象，就是敗壞我們對天然德行的信念，因為那些本不是神應許的，不過是他初造人時所剩餘的品質。我們總是抓住天然品德，而神卻不住要我接駁到主耶穌的生命去，他的美德是無法用天然德行來比較的。最可悲的是事奉神的人，一味仗賴從遺傳而得的品質，這些並不是神恩典所賜下的。神不會建立並改變天然的德行，因為天然德行不能達到耶穌萬分之一的心意。任何天然的愛、忍耐、清潔，都不可能達到他的要求。只有把肉體生命的每一部分配合神放在我們裡頭的生命，他才能透過我們彰顯主耶穌的美德。而我們所有的一切美德也只是他的。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你是永遠的活井，我所有清新的泉源都在你裡面。我來到你面前；願你大能的生命在我裡面湧現，真正地流入我的身體和心靈中。
Our Lord never “patches up” our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. He completely remakes a person on the inside— “. . . put on the new man . . .” (Ephesians 4:24). In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ. Once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying-up experience!
The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.
And every virtue we possess
Is His alone.
我們一切的美德
我的泉源都在你裡面。 （詩八十七7）
我們的主從不修補天然美德，他乃是從裡面重新再造。 [穿上新人]，意思是你要給肉體的生命穿上與新生命相配的衣服。神種在我們裡頭的生命，會萌發本身的美德，不是亞當的，乃是主耶穌的。你成聖以後，會叫你對天然美德，並個人一切力量的信心枯萎，直至你學會怎樣從主耶穌復活的泉源中支取生命。你若正經歷那乾涸的階段，就得感謝神。
神在我們裡面作工的徵象，就是敗壞我們對天然德行的信念，因為那些本不是神應許的，不過是他初造人時所剩餘的品質。我們總是抓住天然品德，而神卻不住要我接駁到主耶穌的生命去，他的美德是無法用天然德行來比較的。最可悲的是事奉神的人，一味仗賴從遺傳而得的品質，這些並不是神恩典所賜下的。神不會建立並改變天然的德行，因為天然德行不能達到耶穌萬分之一的心意。任何天然的愛、忍耐、清潔，都不可能達到他的要求。只有把肉體生命的每一部分配合神放在我們裡頭的生命，他才能透過我們彰顯主耶穌的美德。而我們所有的一切美德也只是他的。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你是永遠的活井，我所有清新的泉源都在你裡面。我來到你面前；願你大能的生命在我裡面湧現，真正地流入我的身體和心靈中。
December 27, 2012
Where the Battle is Won or Lost
’If you will return, O Israel,’ says the Lord . . . —Jeremiah 4:1
Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.
I should never say, “I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test.” Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.
In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory.
勝敗所在
耶和華說，以色列啊，你若回來歸向我……（耶四1）
爭戰的勝敗決定於在神面前意志的隱秘處，而不是外在的世界。神的靈提醒我，催促我獨自見神，在他面前作戰。若不這樣行，我每次必敗。爭戰是一分鐘還是一年，是在於我的決定，而不是神；但必須在神面前自己摔跤，斷然棄絕主權。沒有什麼能推倒一個在神面前爭戰勝利的人。
我若說：[還是等到事情來到，再試試神吧！ ]我必發覺自己辦不到。我要在神面前，自己在心靈的隱秘處，沒有他人騷擾的地方，好好解決；然後放膽地出去，因為知道仗已經打贏了。若在那裡打敗，災禍難處必然不絕臨到，就如神的命令一樣堅定。仗打不贏的道理，是我想先從外在世界去打。其實應該獨自見神，在那裡先打勝了，才可一次過解決問題。對得其他人也是如此，要把他們推到意志的邊緣－－完全歸服的起點。有時候，神帶我們來到一個頂點，就是生命的大分水線；從那一點，我們可以逐漸退隱過一種無大用處的信徒生活；或從那一點，我們為神的榮耀燒旺－－竭誠為主。
祈禱◆噢，我的神，請你現在感動我。在其中一次改變生命的觸動中，你確實從所有事物中清楚而具體地啟示你自己；在那些燦爛的時刻中，我看見你、敬拜你，並讚歎你.
Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.
I should never say, “I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test.” Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.
In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory.
勝敗所在
耶和華說，以色列啊，你若回來歸向我……（耶四1）
爭戰的勝敗決定於在神面前意志的隱秘處，而不是外在的世界。神的靈提醒我，催促我獨自見神，在他面前作戰。若不這樣行，我每次必敗。爭戰是一分鐘還是一年，是在於我的決定，而不是神；但必須在神面前自己摔跤，斷然棄絕主權。沒有什麼能推倒一個在神面前爭戰勝利的人。
我若說：[還是等到事情來到，再試試神吧！ ]我必發覺自己辦不到。我要在神面前，自己在心靈的隱秘處，沒有他人騷擾的地方，好好解決；然後放膽地出去，因為知道仗已經打贏了。若在那裡打敗，災禍難處必然不絕臨到，就如神的命令一樣堅定。仗打不贏的道理，是我想先從外在世界去打。其實應該獨自見神，在那裡先打勝了，才可一次過解決問題。對得其他人也是如此，要把他們推到意志的邊緣－－完全歸服的起點。有時候，神帶我們來到一個頂點，就是生命的大分水線；從那一點，我們可以逐漸退隱過一種無大用處的信徒生活；或從那一點，我們為神的榮耀燒旺－－竭誠為主。
祈禱◆噢，我的神，請你現在感動我。在其中一次改變生命的觸動中，你確實從所有事物中清楚而具體地啟示你自己；在那些燦爛的時刻中，我看見你、敬拜你，並讚歎你.
December 24, 2012
The Hidden Life
. . . your life is hidden with Christ in God —Colossians 3:3
The Spirit of God testifies to and confirms the simple, but almighty, security of the life that “is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul continually brought this out in his New Testament letters. We talk as if living a sanctified life were the most uncertain and insecure thing we could do. Yet it is the most secure thing possible, because it has Almighty God in and behind it. The most dangerous and unsure thing is to try to live without God. For one who is born again, it is easier to live in a right-standing relationship with God than it is to go wrong, provided we heed God’s warnings and “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).
When we think of being delivered from sin, being “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), and “walk[ing] in the light,” we picture the peak of a great mountain. We see it as very high and wonderful, but we say, “Oh, I could never live up there!” However, when we do get there through God’s grace, we find it is not a mountain peak at all, but a plateau with plenty of room to live and to grow. “You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip” (Psalm 18:36).
When you really see Jesus, I defy you to doubt Him. If you see Him when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” (John 14:27), I defy you to worry. It is virtually impossible to doubt when He is there. Every time you are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to you. “My peace I give to you . . .” (John 14:27)— a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “. . . your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you.
隱藏的生命
你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面。 （西三3）
我與基督一同藏在神裡面的生命有大能安穩，這事實是神的靈見證的，並且也不斷見諸新約的各書信中。我往往視成聖生活中最不穩定的東西，其實這是最有保障的，因為全能的神在裡面在後面支援著。最不穩固的，是不靠神而活。我們若已重生，只要肯聽神的警告，行在光中，最容易的是與神有正確的關係，而最難的是走差路。有時想脫離罪惡，被聖靈充滿，行在光明中，好像高山的頂崇高峻妙，我們就會說：[可惜，我怎麼也攀不上去！ ]但一旦靠神恩典上去了，卻發現這原來不是一個山頂，而是一片高原，有足夠的地方生長。 [你使我的道路寬廣。 ]
你若真看見耶穌，我保證你不會對他疑惑。當他說[你心裡不要憂愁]，你若真看見他，必然不會憂愁，因為他在這裡，根本不用疑惑。每次你單獨與他相交，他的話都活現出來。 [我將我的平安賜給你們。 ]這平安要從頭頂滲透至腳踵，是無可抗拒的可靠。 [你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面]，主無比的平安就臨到你。
祈禱◆[與基督一同藏在神裡面]的生命，是何等喜樂的生命！可是，我的神，儘管有著你一切的恩典和忍耐，我仍然不敢有一刻想到我離開這生命有多遠。然而，我是你所造的，我要感謝你。
The Spirit of God testifies to and confirms the simple, but almighty, security of the life that “is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul continually brought this out in his New Testament letters. We talk as if living a sanctified life were the most uncertain and insecure thing we could do. Yet it is the most secure thing possible, because it has Almighty God in and behind it. The most dangerous and unsure thing is to try to live without God. For one who is born again, it is easier to live in a right-standing relationship with God than it is to go wrong, provided we heed God’s warnings and “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).
When we think of being delivered from sin, being “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), and “walk[ing] in the light,” we picture the peak of a great mountain. We see it as very high and wonderful, but we say, “Oh, I could never live up there!” However, when we do get there through God’s grace, we find it is not a mountain peak at all, but a plateau with plenty of room to live and to grow. “You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip” (Psalm 18:36).
When you really see Jesus, I defy you to doubt Him. If you see Him when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” (John 14:27), I defy you to worry. It is virtually impossible to doubt when He is there. Every time you are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to you. “My peace I give to you . . .” (John 14:27)— a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “. . . your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you.
隱藏的生命
你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面。 （西三3）
我與基督一同藏在神裡面的生命有大能安穩，這事實是神的靈見證的，並且也不斷見諸新約的各書信中。我往往視成聖生活中最不穩定的東西，其實這是最有保障的，因為全能的神在裡面在後面支援著。最不穩固的，是不靠神而活。我們若已重生，只要肯聽神的警告，行在光中，最容易的是與神有正確的關係，而最難的是走差路。有時想脫離罪惡，被聖靈充滿，行在光明中，好像高山的頂崇高峻妙，我們就會說：[可惜，我怎麼也攀不上去！ ]但一旦靠神恩典上去了，卻發現這原來不是一個山頂，而是一片高原，有足夠的地方生長。 [你使我的道路寬廣。 ]
你若真看見耶穌，我保證你不會對他疑惑。當他說[你心裡不要憂愁]，你若真看見他，必然不會憂愁，因為他在這裡，根本不用疑惑。每次你單獨與他相交，他的話都活現出來。 [我將我的平安賜給你們。 ]這平安要從頭頂滲透至腳踵，是無可抗拒的可靠。 [你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面]，主無比的平安就臨到你。
祈禱◆[與基督一同藏在神裡面]的生命，是何等喜樂的生命！可是，我的神，儘管有著你一切的恩典和忍耐，我仍然不敢有一刻想到我離開這生命有多遠。然而，我是你所造的，我要感謝你。
December 23, 2012
Sharing in the Atonement
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14
The gospel of Jesus Christ always forces a decision of our will. Have I accepted God’s verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ? Do I have even the slightest interest in the death of Jesus? Do I want to be identified with His death— to be completely dead to all interest in sin, worldliness, and self? Do I long to be so closely identified with Jesus that I am of no value for anything except Him and His purposes? The great privilege of discipleship is that I can commit myself under the banner of His Cross, and that means death to sin. You must get alone with Jesus and either decide to tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you, or that at any cost you want to be identified with His death. When you act in confident faith in what our Lord did on the cross, a supernatural identification with His death takes place immediately. And you will come to know through a higher knowledge that your old life was “crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6). The proof that your old life is dead, having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you now enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ.
Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “. . . without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means.
個人怎樣有分於救贖？
但我斷不以別的誇口，只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架。 （加六14）
耶穌基督的福音總牽涉到意志的問題。我接受神在基督十字架上對罪的宣判麼？我對耶穌的死，有絲毫興趣麼？我願意與他的死連合，對罪、對世界、對自己的興趣完全殺滅；以致除了他，一概看為有損麼？作門徒的最大權利，就是在十字架上籤上名字，表示對罪死了。你要單獨來到耶穌面前，對他說你不願意罪從你身上除淨，或對他說你願意不計代價，與他的死聯合。只要你超乎知識的知識，告訴你是神在你裡面的生命，叫你順服主的聲音，這是出奇的輕省容易。
有時候，主會讓我們看看沒有了他我們會怎樣，要證明他說：[離了我，你們就不能作什麼。 ]因此，基督徒的基石是個人對主耶穌全心全意的愛慕效忠。我們往往以為初信主進入天國時那種驚喜之情，就是神的目的。其實他給我們這經歷，目的是要我們體會什麼是與主耶穌合一。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你自己，和靠著你那無所不能的恩典，我學習進入你的同在中；我讚美你。願你的恩典，亮光和智慧觸摸我的身體和心靈；願你的觸摸帶來光明和生氣。
The gospel of Jesus Christ always forces a decision of our will. Have I accepted God’s verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ? Do I have even the slightest interest in the death of Jesus? Do I want to be identified with His death— to be completely dead to all interest in sin, worldliness, and self? Do I long to be so closely identified with Jesus that I am of no value for anything except Him and His purposes? The great privilege of discipleship is that I can commit myself under the banner of His Cross, and that means death to sin. You must get alone with Jesus and either decide to tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you, or that at any cost you want to be identified with His death. When you act in confident faith in what our Lord did on the cross, a supernatural identification with His death takes place immediately. And you will come to know through a higher knowledge that your old life was “crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6). The proof that your old life is dead, having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you now enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ.
Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “. . . without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means.
個人怎樣有分於救贖？
但我斷不以別的誇口，只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架。 （加六14）
耶穌基督的福音總牽涉到意志的問題。我接受神在基督十字架上對罪的宣判麼？我對耶穌的死，有絲毫興趣麼？我願意與他的死連合，對罪、對世界、對自己的興趣完全殺滅；以致除了他，一概看為有損麼？作門徒的最大權利，就是在十字架上籤上名字，表示對罪死了。你要單獨來到耶穌面前，對他說你不願意罪從你身上除淨，或對他說你願意不計代價，與他的死聯合。只要你超乎知識的知識，告訴你是神在你裡面的生命，叫你順服主的聲音，這是出奇的輕省容易。
有時候，主會讓我們看看沒有了他我們會怎樣，要證明他說：[離了我，你們就不能作什麼。 ]因此，基督徒的基石是個人對主耶穌全心全意的愛慕效忠。我們往往以為初信主進入天國時那種驚喜之情，就是神的目的。其實他給我們這經歷，目的是要我們體會什麼是與主耶穌合一。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你自己，和靠著你那無所不能的恩典，我學習進入你的同在中；我讚美你。願你的恩典，亮光和智慧觸摸我的身體和心靈；願你的觸摸帶來光明和生氣。
December 22, 2012
The Drawing of the Father
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him . . . —John 6:44
When God begins to draw me to Himself, the problem of my will comes in immediately. Will I react positively to the truth that God has revealed? Will I come to Him? To discuss or deliberate over spiritual matters when God calls is inappropriate and disrespectful to Him. When God speaks, never discuss it with anyone as if to decide what your response may be (see Galatians 1:15-16). Belief is not the result of an intellectual act, but the result of an act of my will whereby I deliberately commit myself. But will I commit, placing myself completely and absolutely on God, and be willing to act solely on what He says? If I will, I will find that I am grounded on reality as certain as God’s throne.
In preaching the gospel, always focus on the matter of the will. Belief must come from the will to believe. There must be a surrender of the will, not a surrender to a persuasive or powerful argument. I must deliberately step out, placing my faith in God and in His truth. And I must place no confidence in my own works, but only in God. Trusting in my own mental understanding becomes a hindrance to complete trust in God. I must be willing to ignore and leave my feelings behind. I must will to believe. But this can never be accomplished without my forceful, determined effort to separate myself from my old ways of looking at things. I must surrender myself completely to God.
Everyone has been created with the ability to reach out beyond his own grasp. But it is God who draws me, and my relationship to Him in the first place is an inner, personal one, not an intellectual one. I come into the relationship through the miracle of God and through my own will to believe. Then I begin to get an intelligent appreciation and understanding of the wonder of the transformation in my life.
父吸引人
若不是差我的父吸引人，就沒有能到我這裡來的。 （約六44）
神吸引我的時候，就是要運用意志的時候－－我對神賜的啟示有反應嗎？我肯到他那裡去麼？把屬靈的事拿來議論，是不合體統的；神說話的時候，不要人討論。信心不是一項智力上的舉動，乃是一種道德的反應，特意要把自己投上去。我願否絕無保留地把自己投上，照神所說的去做？若肯，就會發現自己紮根於安穩如神寶座的實體上。
傳福音的時候，記得要提出意志的問題。信仰必須出於意志。意志必須順服，而不是屈服在說服力之下，乃是立誌全部投向神和他所說的話，直至不再把信心建在自己所作的事上，而是惟獨信神。其中的攔阻在於我不肯信神，只信自己頭腦的理解。以感覺上來說，我必須不顧一切的投注，必須憑意志相信；這樣，我必須盡很大的努力，把以往對事物的看法丟棄，只對準神自己，否則便無法做到。
人有一種向自己以外去尋索的本能。是神先吸引我，我與他的首要關係，是個人的，不是理智上的。我因著神的吸引，和我決意的相信，便進入與神的關係中，然後，開始在理智上體會並明白這相交的奇妙。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你大能的同在，今天如帳棚般四面環繞我，願你的榮耀就在其中。
When God begins to draw me to Himself, the problem of my will comes in immediately. Will I react positively to the truth that God has revealed? Will I come to Him? To discuss or deliberate over spiritual matters when God calls is inappropriate and disrespectful to Him. When God speaks, never discuss it with anyone as if to decide what your response may be (see Galatians 1:15-16). Belief is not the result of an intellectual act, but the result of an act of my will whereby I deliberately commit myself. But will I commit, placing myself completely and absolutely on God, and be willing to act solely on what He says? If I will, I will find that I am grounded on reality as certain as God’s throne.
In preaching the gospel, always focus on the matter of the will. Belief must come from the will to believe. There must be a surrender of the will, not a surrender to a persuasive or powerful argument. I must deliberately step out, placing my faith in God and in His truth. And I must place no confidence in my own works, but only in God. Trusting in my own mental understanding becomes a hindrance to complete trust in God. I must be willing to ignore and leave my feelings behind. I must will to believe. But this can never be accomplished without my forceful, determined effort to separate myself from my old ways of looking at things. I must surrender myself completely to God.
Everyone has been created with the ability to reach out beyond his own grasp. But it is God who draws me, and my relationship to Him in the first place is an inner, personal one, not an intellectual one. I come into the relationship through the miracle of God and through my own will to believe. Then I begin to get an intelligent appreciation and understanding of the wonder of the transformation in my life.
父吸引人
若不是差我的父吸引人，就沒有能到我這裡來的。 （約六44）
神吸引我的時候，就是要運用意志的時候－－我對神賜的啟示有反應嗎？我肯到他那裡去麼？把屬靈的事拿來議論，是不合體統的；神說話的時候，不要人討論。信心不是一項智力上的舉動，乃是一種道德的反應，特意要把自己投上去。我願否絕無保留地把自己投上，照神所說的去做？若肯，就會發現自己紮根於安穩如神寶座的實體上。
傳福音的時候，記得要提出意志的問題。信仰必須出於意志。意志必須順服，而不是屈服在說服力之下，乃是立誌全部投向神和他所說的話，直至不再把信心建在自己所作的事上，而是惟獨信神。其中的攔阻在於我不肯信神，只信自己頭腦的理解。以感覺上來說，我必須不顧一切的投注，必須憑意志相信；這樣，我必須盡很大的努力，把以往對事物的看法丟棄，只對準神自己，否則便無法做到。
人有一種向自己以外去尋索的本能。是神先吸引我，我與他的首要關係，是個人的，不是理智上的。我因著神的吸引，和我決意的相信，便進入與神的關係中，然後，開始在理智上體會並明白這相交的奇妙。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你大能的同在，今天如帳棚般四面環繞我，願你的榮耀就在其中。
December 21, 2012
Experience or God’s Revealed Truth?
We have received . . . the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God —1 Corinthians 2:12
My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.
If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”
Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.
經歷還是啟示？
我們所領受的……乃是從神來的靈，叫我們能知道神開恩賜給我們的事。 （林前二12）
救贖本身是[真實]的，而不是我對救恩的經歷；不過若不是用我能體會的語言傳遞出來，救恩對我就毫無意義。重生之後，神的靈就立即把我從自己和自己的經歷中領出來，使我與耶穌基督連合。若我仍留在自己的經歷中，那些經歷必然不是從救恩而來。那經歷若是由救恩產生的，最好的明證是我脫離自己，不再以自己的經歷作為[真實]的基礎，而只專注於帶來這些經歷的實體。我的經歷若不叫我對準源頭－－主耶穌，就一文不值。
你若堵住聖靈，要為自己製造一些主觀的經歷，你會發覺他會爆溢而出，把你帶回曆史的基督面前。經歷若不植根於神，也不叫你對神產生信心，就不當培育。若然，不管你所見的異像是什麼，你的經歷與基督敵對的，主耶穌是你經歷中的主？還是你要經歷作他的主？有沒有經歷是比主更寶貴的？他要作你的主，你對那些不以他為主的經歷，不應重視。你會來到一個地步，神叫你對自己的經歷不耐煩－－[不管我的經歷是什麼，我只求持定神。 ]你若有很多機會談及自己的經歷，就得對自己無情一點。肯定自信的信心，不是信心；對神有把握的信心，才是唯一的信心。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你除去這思想上的枷鎖，為我帶來平安、純潔和能力。願今天你以溫柔、憐憫和恩典來充滿我。
My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.
If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”
Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.
經歷還是啟示？
我們所領受的……乃是從神來的靈，叫我們能知道神開恩賜給我們的事。 （林前二12）
救贖本身是[真實]的，而不是我對救恩的經歷；不過若不是用我能體會的語言傳遞出來，救恩對我就毫無意義。重生之後，神的靈就立即把我從自己和自己的經歷中領出來，使我與耶穌基督連合。若我仍留在自己的經歷中，那些經歷必然不是從救恩而來。那經歷若是由救恩產生的，最好的明證是我脫離自己，不再以自己的經歷作為[真實]的基礎，而只專注於帶來這些經歷的實體。我的經歷若不叫我對準源頭－－主耶穌，就一文不值。
你若堵住聖靈，要為自己製造一些主觀的經歷，你會發覺他會爆溢而出，把你帶回曆史的基督面前。經歷若不植根於神，也不叫你對神產生信心，就不當培育。若然，不管你所見的異像是什麼，你的經歷與基督敵對的，主耶穌是你經歷中的主？還是你要經歷作他的主？有沒有經歷是比主更寶貴的？他要作你的主，你對那些不以他為主的經歷，不應重視。你會來到一個地步，神叫你對自己的經歷不耐煩－－[不管我的經歷是什麼，我只求持定神。 ]你若有很多機會談及自己的經歷，就得對自己無情一點。肯定自信的信心，不是信心；對神有把握的信心，才是唯一的信心。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你除去這思想上的枷鎖，為我帶來平安、純潔和能力。願今天你以溫柔、憐憫和恩典來充滿我。
December 17, 2012
Redemption— Creating the Need it Satisfies
The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . . —1 Corinthians 2:14
The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe . . .” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7). But God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He wants to withhold something from us, but that is the plan He has established for the way of redemption. Through our asking, God puts His process in motion, creating something in us that was nonexistent until we asked. The inner reality of redemption is that it creates all the time. And as redemption creates the life of God in us, it also creates the things which belong to that life. The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need. This is the meaning of redemption— it creates and it satisfies.
Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is “lifted up,” the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
救贖創造需要，也滿足需要
然而屬血氣的人不領會神聖靈的事，反倒以為愚拙。 （林前二14）
神的福音能叫人產生對福音的需要。保羅說：[如果我們的福音蒙蔽。 ]是對那些惡人蒙蔽嗎？不是的。 [蒙蔽在滅亡的人身上，此等不信之人，被這世界的神弄瞎了心眼。 ]大多數人都有自己持守的道德觀念，覺得不需要福音。神於是造出這個需要來；他若不彰顯自己，根本沒有人覺得有此需要。耶穌說：[祈求，就給你們。 ]但人未祈求，神就不能給。不是他保留不給，但這是他根據救贖所定下的原則。正因我們求，神就作工，為我們創造那些未求之前不存在的東西。救贖的精義，就是不斷的創造。救贖既在我們裡面創造了神的生命，也創造屬於那生命的東西。惟有叫人產生這需要的，才能滿足這需要。這就是救贖的意思－－它創造，它也滿足。
[人子若從地上被舉起來，就必吸引萬人來歸我。 ]我們傳講自己的經歷，別人雖感興趣，可是卻不喚起他的需要。若耶穌基督被舉起來，神的靈便叫人覺得需要基督。在傳揚福音的背後，是神不斷創造的救贖大工在人心裡動工。個人見證絕對不能拯救人。 [我對你們說的話，就是靈，就是生命。 ]
祈禱◆主啊，我何其渴望看見你、聽見你、默想你和愈來愈像你！你曾經說過：[又要以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裡所求的賜給你。 ]
The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe . . .” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7). But God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He wants to withhold something from us, but that is the plan He has established for the way of redemption. Through our asking, God puts His process in motion, creating something in us that was nonexistent until we asked. The inner reality of redemption is that it creates all the time. And as redemption creates the life of God in us, it also creates the things which belong to that life. The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need. This is the meaning of redemption— it creates and it satisfies.
Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is “lifted up,” the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
救贖創造需要，也滿足需要
然而屬血氣的人不領會神聖靈的事，反倒以為愚拙。 （林前二14）
神的福音能叫人產生對福音的需要。保羅說：[如果我們的福音蒙蔽。 ]是對那些惡人蒙蔽嗎？不是的。 [蒙蔽在滅亡的人身上，此等不信之人，被這世界的神弄瞎了心眼。 ]大多數人都有自己持守的道德觀念，覺得不需要福音。神於是造出這個需要來；他若不彰顯自己，根本沒有人覺得有此需要。耶穌說：[祈求，就給你們。 ]但人未祈求，神就不能給。不是他保留不給，但這是他根據救贖所定下的原則。正因我們求，神就作工，為我們創造那些未求之前不存在的東西。救贖的精義，就是不斷的創造。救贖既在我們裡面創造了神的生命，也創造屬於那生命的東西。惟有叫人產生這需要的，才能滿足這需要。這就是救贖的意思－－它創造，它也滿足。
[人子若從地上被舉起來，就必吸引萬人來歸我。 ]我們傳講自己的經歷，別人雖感興趣，可是卻不喚起他的需要。若耶穌基督被舉起來，神的靈便叫人覺得需要基督。在傳揚福音的背後，是神不斷創造的救贖大工在人心裡動工。個人見證絕對不能拯救人。 [我對你們說的話，就是靈，就是生命。 ]
祈禱◆主啊，我何其渴望看見你、聽見你、默想你和愈來愈像你！你曾經說過：[又要以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裡所求的賜給你。 ]
December 16, 2012
Wrestling Before God
Take up the whole armor of God . . . praying always . . . —Ephesians 6:13,18
You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him . . .” (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God . . .”
Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . .” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.
在神面前摔跤
所以要拿起神所賜的全副軍裝……隨時多方禱告祈求……（弗六13-18）
你要與攔阻你親近神的東西摔跤，為別人禱告時也要摔跤；但千萬不要在禱告中與神摔跤，那是不合聖經真理的。你若真與神摔跤，勢必一生瘸腿。若神給你一些你不想要的東西，就像雅各一樣抓住神，與他摔跤，你就逼使神折斷你的腿骨。不要做阻擋神路的人，要在神面前摔跤，必在他國度裡見功效。若要我為你代求，而我在基督裡並不完全的話，禱告就無功效；但若我在基督裡完全，禱告就隨時生效。惟有在完全裡禱告才有功效，[所以要拿起神所賜的全副軍裝。 ]
總要分辨什麼是神的命令，什麼是他的旨意，就是他在我們身上的計劃。我們不能更改神的命令，但必須在他面前與他的旨意摔跤。對神旨意的反應，能幫助我們遵守他的命令。 [萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處]－－就是忠於神的吩咐和主耶穌恩召人。神的旨意是神兒女顯露出來的途徑。我們不必像水母般軟綿綿地說：[這是神的旨意。 ]我們不是再神面前爭鬥，也不是與神摔跤，乃是與事物摔跤。當心不可在神面前怠惰地閒坐，應光榮而戰，直到抓住了他的能力。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，倘若我有任何剛強的一面，那隻是在你裡面得著的剛強。今天早上，我因想起這話而滿心歡喜－－[你們要靠著主，倚賴他的大能大力作剛強的人。 ]
You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him . . .” (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God . . .”
Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . .” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.
在神面前摔跤
所以要拿起神所賜的全副軍裝……隨時多方禱告祈求……（弗六13-18）
你要與攔阻你親近神的東西摔跤，為別人禱告時也要摔跤；但千萬不要在禱告中與神摔跤，那是不合聖經真理的。你若真與神摔跤，勢必一生瘸腿。若神給你一些你不想要的東西，就像雅各一樣抓住神，與他摔跤，你就逼使神折斷你的腿骨。不要做阻擋神路的人，要在神面前摔跤，必在他國度裡見功效。若要我為你代求，而我在基督裡並不完全的話，禱告就無功效；但若我在基督裡完全，禱告就隨時生效。惟有在完全裡禱告才有功效，[所以要拿起神所賜的全副軍裝。 ]
總要分辨什麼是神的命令，什麼是他的旨意，就是他在我們身上的計劃。我們不能更改神的命令，但必須在他面前與他的旨意摔跤。對神旨意的反應，能幫助我們遵守他的命令。 [萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處]－－就是忠於神的吩咐和主耶穌恩召人。神的旨意是神兒女顯露出來的途徑。我們不必像水母般軟綿綿地說：[這是神的旨意。 ]我們不是再神面前爭鬥，也不是與神摔跤，乃是與事物摔跤。當心不可在神面前怠惰地閒坐，應光榮而戰，直到抓住了他的能力。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，倘若我有任何剛強的一面，那隻是在你裡面得著的剛強。今天早上，我因想起這話而滿心歡喜－－[你們要靠著主，倚賴他的大能大力作剛強的人。 ]
December 13, 2012
Intercessory Prayer
. . . men always ought to pray and not lose heart —Luke 18:1
You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to “fill up . . . [with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, “It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.” That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.
As an intercessor, be careful not to seek too much information from God regarding the situation you are praying about, because you may be overwhelmed. If you know too much, more than God has ordained for you to know, you can’t pray; the circumstances of the people become so overpowering that you are no longer able to get to the underlying truth.
Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding. And yet intercession is the only thing that has no drawbacks, because it keeps our relationship completely open with God.
What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.
求什麼？
常常禱告，不可灰心。 （路十八1）
你若不深信救贖的實在，就無法代求；因為你只會把代求變成對人類無可奈何的同情，徒增人的自滿自足與神隔絕。代求，是把激動你心的那個人或事，帶到神面前，知道你被神對那人那事的態度所推動。代求是[補滿基督患難的缺欠]，無怪乎代求的人那麼少。很多人說代求是[設身處地的為那人著想]，不！代求其實是把自己放在神的位置上，從他的角度看事物。
作為一個神的工人，你所知道的實情是神要你知道的，否則便會重壓難當。知得過多，過於神要你知道的，你就無法禱告；因人的景況把你壓下去，以致你不能進入現實去。
我們的工作是在凡事上與神聯繫，可是我們卻因做個活躍不已的工人，而推卸這個職責。我們拼命做一些可統計的工作，但不做代求的工作。代求是完全沒有纏繞網羅的，因為可使我們與神的關係完全敝開。
代求時要當心的，就是不要草草了事。心靈必須著實地接觸神的生命。試想神在我們生命的路途上，叫我們遇見多少的人，而我們卻輕易的讓他們溜走，若我們踏穩在救贖的根基上禱告，神就會創造除代求以外無法成就的新事。
祈禱◆主啊，願你高舉我，使我靠近你，以致你那完美的閃耀著喜樂的救恩，能為著你的榮耀而臨到我和照亮我。求你保守我，讓我向你的代求通行無阻。
You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to “fill up . . . [with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, “It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.” That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.
As an intercessor, be careful not to seek too much information from God regarding the situation you are praying about, because you may be overwhelmed. If you know too much, more than God has ordained for you to know, you can’t pray; the circumstances of the people become so overpowering that you are no longer able to get to the underlying truth.
Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding. And yet intercession is the only thing that has no drawbacks, because it keeps our relationship completely open with God.
What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.
求什麼？
常常禱告，不可灰心。 （路十八1）
你若不深信救贖的實在，就無法代求；因為你只會把代求變成對人類無可奈何的同情，徒增人的自滿自足與神隔絕。代求，是把激動你心的那個人或事，帶到神面前，知道你被神對那人那事的態度所推動。代求是[補滿基督患難的缺欠]，無怪乎代求的人那麼少。很多人說代求是[設身處地的為那人著想]，不！代求其實是把自己放在神的位置上，從他的角度看事物。
作為一個神的工人，你所知道的實情是神要你知道的，否則便會重壓難當。知得過多，過於神要你知道的，你就無法禱告；因人的景況把你壓下去，以致你不能進入現實去。
我們的工作是在凡事上與神聯繫，可是我們卻因做個活躍不已的工人，而推卸這個職責。我們拼命做一些可統計的工作，但不做代求的工作。代求是完全沒有纏繞網羅的，因為可使我們與神的關係完全敝開。
代求時要當心的，就是不要草草了事。心靈必須著實地接觸神的生命。試想神在我們生命的路途上，叫我們遇見多少的人，而我們卻輕易的讓他們溜走，若我們踏穩在救贖的根基上禱告，神就會創造除代求以外無法成就的新事。
祈禱◆主啊，願你高舉我，使我靠近你，以致你那完美的閃耀著喜樂的救恩，能為著你的榮耀而臨到我和照亮我。求你保守我，讓我向你的代求通行無阻。
December 11, 2012
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, ’If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .’ —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “. . . let him deny himself . . .”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
個性
若有人要跟從我，就當捨己。 （太十六24）
個性是個人生命的外殼，會拒人千里之外，又會把人隔離。不錯，個性是每個人的特質，但若錯把個性當作個人生命的話，我們只會一直與人隔絕。個性是神創造的天然保障，為覆庇生命的外衣。但是若要生命與神相交，則必須放下我們的個性。個性會冒充性格，正如情慾冒充愛情。神造人的天性，是為他自己；而個性卻把人的天性低貶成只為自己。
個性的特徵，就是獨立自主，自我表現。最攔阻屬靈生命的，是個性不斷湧流。你若說[我不相信]，是因為個性的攔阻。個性永不會相信。反之，性格卻不能不信。聖靈在你身上作工時，會把你推到個性的盡頭處，這時你只能說[我不願]；或降服神，打破個性的外殼，讓個人生命流出來。聖靈每次往往集中在一件事上（參太五23-24）。叫你不肯與弟兄和好的，就是你的個性。神要你與他聯合，可是你若不肯放下自己的主權，就無法實現。 [就當捨己]－－捨棄自己獨立的主權，這樣，真正的生命才有生長的機會。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的主人，願我今天自覺地屬於你，以致我與你在一起。因著你擁有了我而充滿了童真的喜悅。
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “. . . let him deny himself . . .”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
個性
若有人要跟從我，就當捨己。 （太十六24）
個性是個人生命的外殼，會拒人千里之外，又會把人隔離。不錯，個性是每個人的特質，但若錯把個性當作個人生命的話，我們只會一直與人隔絕。個性是神創造的天然保障，為覆庇生命的外衣。但是若要生命與神相交，則必須放下我們的個性。個性會冒充性格，正如情慾冒充愛情。神造人的天性，是為他自己；而個性卻把人的天性低貶成只為自己。
個性的特徵，就是獨立自主，自我表現。最攔阻屬靈生命的，是個性不斷湧流。你若說[我不相信]，是因為個性的攔阻。個性永不會相信。反之，性格卻不能不信。聖靈在你身上作工時，會把你推到個性的盡頭處，這時你只能說[我不願]；或降服神，打破個性的外殼，讓個人生命流出來。聖靈每次往往集中在一件事上（參太五23-24）。叫你不肯與弟兄和好的，就是你的個性。神要你與他聯合，可是你若不肯放下自己的主權，就無法實現。 [就當捨己]－－捨棄自己獨立的主權，這樣，真正的生命才有生長的機會。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的主人，願我今天自覺地屬於你，以致我與你在一起。因著你擁有了我而充滿了童真的喜悅。
December 10, 2012
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . .” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
獻上天然生命
亞伯拉罕有兩個兒子，一個是使女生的，一個是自主之婦人生的。 （加四22）
保羅在加拉太書這一章中，不是討論罪的問題，而是討論天然與屬靈二者的關係。天然的必須獻上，成為屬靈，否則在實際生活上，會產生很大的分歧。為什麼神要命定天然生命必須被釘死？神並沒有如此命定。這並不是神的命令，而是他許可的旨意。神的命令是要肉體的生命藉順服成為屬靈；因為罪，肉體的生命才必須成為祭品。
亞伯拉罕必須先獻上以實瑪利，才能獻上以撒。不少人想在未治死肉體之先，就獻屬靈的祭給神。向神獻屬靈的祭唯一的途徑，就是把身體當作活祭獻上。成聖不只是脫離罪惡，乃是立志把神所救贖出來的這個自己交付神，是不惜任何代價的。
若不把天然生命獻給屬靈生命，那肉體生命會嘲弄神兒子在我們裡面的生命，而產生一種延續的拉鋸戰。這是一個不受約束的屬靈品性必然的後果。我們走差路，是因為執意不肯在身體、道德及心誌上操練管治自己[作孩子的時候，不受約束]。如今你必須約束自己。否則，你會毀掉整個為神而活的生命。
我們若放任肉體的生命，神就不與它同在；但當我們肯把它放逐出去，決意制服它，神就與它同在，啟開活井綠洲，成就對肉體生命的一切應許。
祈禱◆願你使這一整天，成為甘甜和喜樂的日子。願你那隨心所欲的大能，恩慈地臨到我的身心靈，讓我們藉此承擔今天的一切事情。
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . .” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
獻上天然生命
亞伯拉罕有兩個兒子，一個是使女生的，一個是自主之婦人生的。 （加四22）
保羅在加拉太書這一章中，不是討論罪的問題，而是討論天然與屬靈二者的關係。天然的必須獻上，成為屬靈，否則在實際生活上，會產生很大的分歧。為什麼神要命定天然生命必須被釘死？神並沒有如此命定。這並不是神的命令，而是他許可的旨意。神的命令是要肉體的生命藉順服成為屬靈；因為罪，肉體的生命才必須成為祭品。
亞伯拉罕必須先獻上以實瑪利，才能獻上以撒。不少人想在未治死肉體之先，就獻屬靈的祭給神。向神獻屬靈的祭唯一的途徑，就是把身體當作活祭獻上。成聖不只是脫離罪惡，乃是立志把神所救贖出來的這個自己交付神，是不惜任何代價的。
若不把天然生命獻給屬靈生命，那肉體生命會嘲弄神兒子在我們裡面的生命，而產生一種延續的拉鋸戰。這是一個不受約束的屬靈品性必然的後果。我們走差路，是因為執意不肯在身體、道德及心誌上操練管治自己[作孩子的時候，不受約束]。如今你必須約束自己。否則，你會毀掉整個為神而活的生命。
我們若放任肉體的生命，神就不與它同在；但當我們肯把它放逐出去，決意制服它，神就與它同在，啟開活井綠洲，成就對肉體生命的一切應許。
祈禱◆願你使這一整天，成為甘甜和喜樂的日子。願你那隨心所欲的大能，恩慈地臨到我的身心靈，讓我們藉此承擔今天的一切事情。
December 09, 2012
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
天然生命的叛逆
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。 （加五24）
天然生命不是罪惡的，我們必須脫離罪，不再與罪有任何膠葛。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼；我，神的兒女，屬於天堂和神。問題不是要放棄罪，而是放棄自己的主權，我天然的獨斷與自恃，是爭戰之所在地。天然觀點看來善美正確的東西，往往使我們得不著神最好的。天然善行往往是降服神的攔阻。洞悉這一點，就到了心靈大戰的核心。少有人為錯失、卑污、邪惡爭辯，但卻會為善德爭辯。善事是至善的對頭，天然善行愈高，與耶穌基督的敵對就愈勁。 [在基督裡的人是把肉體釘在十字架上了。 ]你要付出天然生命的一切，不是一部分。耶穌說：[人若要作我的門徒，就當捨己。 ]就是放下自己的主權；人先要認識耶穌基督是誰，才能這樣放下。當心，不要拒絕參加你自主權的喪禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有獻上，才成為屬靈。若不徹底把天然生命當祭物獻上，超然的生命就無法在我們裡面成為天然的。這條不是康莊大道，各人必須下定決心。這也不是祈禱的問題，而是行動的問題。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等肯定自己需要對你有一個更崇高的觀念。在這個祈求中，我願放下所有次要的東西，為了叫自己配去榮耀你。
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
天然生命的叛逆
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。 （加五24）
天然生命不是罪惡的，我們必須脫離罪，不再與罪有任何膠葛。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼；我，神的兒女，屬於天堂和神。問題不是要放棄罪，而是放棄自己的主權，我天然的獨斷與自恃，是爭戰之所在地。天然觀點看來善美正確的東西，往往使我們得不著神最好的。天然善行往往是降服神的攔阻。洞悉這一點，就到了心靈大戰的核心。少有人為錯失、卑污、邪惡爭辯，但卻會為善德爭辯。善事是至善的對頭，天然善行愈高，與耶穌基督的敵對就愈勁。 [在基督裡的人是把肉體釘在十字架上了。 ]你要付出天然生命的一切，不是一部分。耶穌說：[人若要作我的門徒，就當捨己。 ]就是放下自己的主權；人先要認識耶穌基督是誰，才能這樣放下。當心，不要拒絕參加你自主權的喪禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有獻上，才成為屬靈。若不徹底把天然生命當祭物獻上，超然的生命就無法在我們裡面成為天然的。這條不是康莊大道，各人必須下定決心。這也不是祈禱的問題，而是行動的問題。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等肯定自己需要對你有一個更崇高的觀念。在這個祈求中，我願放下所有次要的東西，為了叫自己配去榮耀你。
December 06, 2012
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
雲中彩虹
我把虹放在雲彩中，這就可作我與地立約的記號了。 （創九13）
神的旨意是要人類與他有道德上的關係，而他的約就是為此。 [為什麼神不救我？ ]他已經救了我，只是我還沒有與他建立關係。 [為什麼神不作這個？又不作那個？ ]他已經做了，問題是我是否肯踏進這個約的關係裡？神一切大恩已經作成，不過我要先因他的約，與他建立關係，這一切才成為我的。
等待神是不信的化身，表示我對他不信任；我等待神在我裡面作事，好叫我可以信得過他。神不會這樣做，因為這不是神與人關係的基礎。在人與神的約中，人要離開自己，正如神在他與人的約中付出自己一樣。問題是在於我們對神的信心－－一樣非常難得的東西。我們往往只信自己的感覺；要神把東西放進我們手裡，知道實在有了，否則就不肯信。得著了，就說[如今我信了。 ]這並不是信。 [仰望我的，必然得救。 ]
我若當真與神立約，完全交託，不再自覺有功，不再有人的成分在內，只意識到完全與神合一，那時一切都會變得平安喜樂。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天以充沛的能力，與及甜蜜的恩慈和美善，來感動我們每個人的生命；讓它有機會彰顯你的面容和能力。
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
雲中彩虹
我把虹放在雲彩中，這就可作我與地立約的記號了。 （創九13）
神的旨意是要人類與他有道德上的關係，而他的約就是為此。 [為什麼神不救我？ ]他已經救了我，只是我還沒有與他建立關係。 [為什麼神不作這個？又不作那個？ ]他已經做了，問題是我是否肯踏進這個約的關係裡？神一切大恩已經作成，不過我要先因他的約，與他建立關係，這一切才成為我的。
等待神是不信的化身，表示我對他不信任；我等待神在我裡面作事，好叫我可以信得過他。神不會這樣做，因為這不是神與人關係的基礎。在人與神的約中，人要離開自己，正如神在他與人的約中付出自己一樣。問題是在於我們對神的信心－－一樣非常難得的東西。我們往往只信自己的感覺；要神把東西放進我們手裡，知道實在有了，否則就不肯信。得著了，就說[如今我信了。 ]這並不是信。 [仰望我的，必然得救。 ]
我若當真與神立約，完全交託，不再自覺有功，不再有人的成分在內，只意識到完全與神合一，那時一切都會變得平安喜樂。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天以充沛的能力，與及甜蜜的恩慈和美善，來感動我們每個人的生命；讓它有機會彰顯你的面容和能力。
December 04, 2012
The Law of Opposition
To him who overcomes . . . —Revelation 2:7
Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “. . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
敵對的律
得勝的……（啟二7）
不管天然生命或是在恩典中的生命，都不可能沒有爭戰。物質、精神、道德、與及屬靈生命的基礎，在於敵對。這是生命中顯而易見的事實。健康就是物質生命與外在自然界之間的平衡。人必須內在有足夠的活力，對抗外界的東西，才能維持健康。外在的東西，可以危害肉體的生命，置我於死地。在我生時養活我的東西，在我死後把我分化。我若有足夠的戰鬥力，就有健康的平衡。精神生活也是如此，若要保持強健的智力，必須鬥爭，然後心智的平衡－－思想－－才能產生。
在道德方面，都是我裡面德行的敵人。我能否得勝，生髮善行，就視乎我道德的力量如何了。只要我一爭戰，在那一事上，我就有了道德。沒有人的德行是自然而然的；德行是要經後天的奮鬥而取得的。
靈性方面，亦是如此。耶穌說：[在世上你們有苦難。 ]任何不屬靈的東西，都是於我有害。但[你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。 ]我要學習勝過那些敵對我的，這樣就可以產生聖潔的平衡；而面對敵擋，也成了興奮的事。聖潔就是我的性情與神藉耶穌基督所表現的律，二者之間的平衡。
祈禱◆主耶穌啊，你在兩千年前曾[道成肉身]，來到這世上。願你今天再次臨到這裡，藉著我的肉身彰顯你自己－－[基督在你裡面，成為榮耀的盼望]。
Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “. . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
敵對的律
得勝的……（啟二7）
不管天然生命或是在恩典中的生命，都不可能沒有爭戰。物質、精神、道德、與及屬靈生命的基礎，在於敵對。這是生命中顯而易見的事實。健康就是物質生命與外在自然界之間的平衡。人必須內在有足夠的活力，對抗外界的東西，才能維持健康。外在的東西，可以危害肉體的生命，置我於死地。在我生時養活我的東西，在我死後把我分化。我若有足夠的戰鬥力，就有健康的平衡。精神生活也是如此，若要保持強健的智力，必須鬥爭，然後心智的平衡－－思想－－才能產生。
在道德方面，都是我裡面德行的敵人。我能否得勝，生髮善行，就視乎我道德的力量如何了。只要我一爭戰，在那一事上，我就有了道德。沒有人的德行是自然而然的；德行是要經後天的奮鬥而取得的。
靈性方面，亦是如此。耶穌說：[在世上你們有苦難。 ]任何不屬靈的東西，都是於我有害。但[你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。 ]我要學習勝過那些敵對我的，這樣就可以產生聖潔的平衡；而面對敵擋，也成了興奮的事。聖潔就是我的性情與神藉耶穌基督所表現的律，二者之間的平衡。
祈禱◆主耶穌啊，你在兩千年前曾[道成肉身]，來到這世上。願你今天再次臨到這裡，藉著我的肉身彰顯你自己－－[基督在你裡面，成為榮耀的盼望]。
December 03, 2012
“Not by Might nor by Power”
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
December 02, 2012
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.
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。
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.
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。
December 01, 2012
The Law and the Gospel
Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all —James 2:10
The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.
律法與福音
因為凡遵守金法律的，只在一條上跌倒，他就是犯了眾條。 （雅二10)
律法並不因我們是軟弱的人而稍徇情面，它不理會我們有什麼遺傳因素和缺陷，只要求我們絕對道德。律法從不更改，不管你是最高尚還是最軟弱的，它永遠都不改變。神所定的律法，並不遷就人的軟弱，也不因人的缺點而修改，它是永遠絕對的。我們若不領會這一點，是因為我們並未真正活著；一旦活著，生命就成了一個悲劇。 [我以前沒有律法是活著的，但是誡命來到，罪又活了，我就死了。 ]若明白這點，神的靈就叫我們自知有罪。除非人到了自知絕望的地步，否則耶穌基督的十字架不過是一場鬧劇。自覺有罪，叫人對捆綁人的律法產生恐懼，又叫人絕望，因為[被賣給罪]。我，一個污穢的罪人，永無法與神和好，是絕無可能的。只有一個方法可以與神和好，就是藉耶穌基督的死。我必須除掉那潛伏的思想，以為可以因順服得與神和好－－有誰能絕對完全順服神哩！
當律法帶著[假若]而來，我們才體會它勢力之大。神從不勉強我們。我們有時想神逼我們去做，但心情變了時，又想神不要管我們。當神的旨意得勢，就不會有被逼的感覺了。我們若是定志順服他，他就會以無窮的大能，召喚最遠的星，乃最後的一粒沙來幫助我們。
祈禱◆主啊，我完全投向你。願這樣的氣氛充滿我們環繞我們，好叫我們成為湧流活水江河的人。
The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.
律法與福音
因為凡遵守金法律的，只在一條上跌倒，他就是犯了眾條。 （雅二10)
律法並不因我們是軟弱的人而稍徇情面，它不理會我們有什麼遺傳因素和缺陷，只要求我們絕對道德。律法從不更改，不管你是最高尚還是最軟弱的，它永遠都不改變。神所定的律法，並不遷就人的軟弱，也不因人的缺點而修改，它是永遠絕對的。我們若不領會這一點，是因為我們並未真正活著；一旦活著，生命就成了一個悲劇。 [我以前沒有律法是活著的，但是誡命來到，罪又活了，我就死了。 ]若明白這點，神的靈就叫我們自知有罪。除非人到了自知絕望的地步，否則耶穌基督的十字架不過是一場鬧劇。自覺有罪，叫人對捆綁人的律法產生恐懼，又叫人絕望，因為[被賣給罪]。我，一個污穢的罪人，永無法與神和好，是絕無可能的。只有一個方法可以與神和好，就是藉耶穌基督的死。我必須除掉那潛伏的思想，以為可以因順服得與神和好－－有誰能絕對完全順服神哩！
當律法帶著[假若]而來，我們才體會它勢力之大。神從不勉強我們。我們有時想神逼我們去做，但心情變了時，又想神不要管我們。當神的旨意得勢，就不會有被逼的感覺了。我們若是定志順服他，他就會以無窮的大能，召喚最遠的星，乃最後的一粒沙來幫助我們。
祈禱◆主啊，我完全投向你。願這樣的氣氛充滿我們環繞我們，好叫我們成為湧流活水江河的人。
November 27, 2012
The Consecration of Spiritual Power
. . . by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world —Galatians 6:14
If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord was not a recluse nor a fanatical holy man practicing self-denial. He did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power.
It is not genuine consecration to think that we can refuse to be used of God now in order to store up our spiritual power for later use. That is a hopeless mistake. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16).
We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. The way to make that determination, when faced with a perplexing problem, is to ask yourself, “Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested, or is it something in which the spirit that is diametrically opposed to Jesus is interested?”
If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord was not a recluse nor a fanatical holy man practicing self-denial. He did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power.
It is not genuine consecration to think that we can refuse to be used of God now in order to store up our spiritual power for later use. That is a hopeless mistake. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16).
We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. The way to make that determination, when faced with a perplexing problem, is to ask yourself, “Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested, or is it something in which the spirit that is diametrically opposed to Jesus is interested?”
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