I have finished the work which You have given Me to do —John 17:4
The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him— something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.
Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. “We see Jesus . . . for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor . . .” (Hebrews 2:9). The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ— “It is finished!” (John 19:30). That is the final word in the redemption of humankind.
Anything that lessens or completely obliterates the holiness of God, through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Never allow yourself to believe that Jesus Christ stands with us, and against God, out of pity and compassion, or that He became a curse for us out of sympathy for us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by divine decree. Our part in realizing the tremendous meaning of His curse is the conviction of sin. Conviction is given to us as a gift of shame and repentance; it is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of His hatred.
成了
你所託付我的事，我已成全了。 （約十七4）
耶穌基督的死，是神的心在歷史上表現出來。絕不可把耶穌的死視作殉道，以為是偶然之事，並且是可避免的。他的死，是他來世的原因。不要傳講神是父親，因著他的愛赦免我們的道理。這個說法與耶穌基督所顯明的神不符；若這樣，便使十字架變得可有可無，而救贖更是多馀的。神赦免罪惡，完全是因為基督的死。除了他兒子的死，神無法赦免罪，而耶穌也因他的死而被高舉為救主。 [耶穌……因為受死的苦，就得了尊貴榮耀為冠冕。 ]震撼宇宙最輝煌的勝利，就是基督在十字架上的話：[成了。 ]在救贖的大功上，這話是決定性的。
對神的愛有錯誤的觀念，以致輕置了神的聖潔，都與耶穌基督所啟示的不符。千萬不要以為耶穌因為同情可憐我們，就站在我們一方敵對神，也不要以為他因憐憫我們而為我們成為咒詛。耶穌基督成為咒詛，是出於至高者的命定。我們對這咒詛的體會，就是為罪自責；而神給我們羞恥與悔罪的恩賜，這是他極大的憐憫。耶穌基督恨透人所犯的罪，而加略山正量度出他的恨有多深。
祈禱◆主啊，對於住在我裡面的基督，我所給予的滋養是何其不足；噢，主啊，赦免我。求你讓我充滿赦罪的感覺，以致我不單在你的救恩中得著喜樂，更為著這裡的工作被你的靈所充滿。
November 21, 2013
November 20, 2013
The Forgiveness of God
In Him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins . . . —Ephesians 1:7
Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm.
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.
神的赦免
我們藉這愛子的血……過犯得以赦免。 （弗一7）
別以為神既是父親－－他既是這樣慈愛，必會赦免我們。這種情感作用在新約是沒有的。神赦免我們，唯一的根源就是基督十字架上的大悲劇；若把赦免放在任何別的根據上，是無形的褻瀆。神赦免哦我們，唯一原因是叫我們重生與他相和好，是藉基督的十字架，此外別無他法。赦免是多麼容易接受的事，可是卻付上加略山的苦楚。我們接受赦罪，接受所賜的聖靈，憑單純的信心得以成聖，卻忘記了是神付出極大的代價為我們成就的。
赦免是神恩典的神聖奇蹟：他要付出基督的十字架，才能赦罪，而仍不失為聖潔的神。切勿接受一個把救贖刪去，只以神為父的觀點。神的啟示是他不能赦免；若赦免就違反他的本性。我們蒙赦的唯一途徑，是藉救贖歸回神。神的赦免惟有在超然的領域上，才不反其自然。
若拿赦罪的奇蹟來比較，成聖的經歷就顯得微不足道。成聖不過是人生命蒙赦罪之後奇妙的表現，在人心中挑起最深感激的，該是神赦免罪。保羅從未忘懷這一點。你一旦體會神為赦免你的罪所付出的，你就會被抓住，被神的愛深深激勵。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你透過主耶穌的恩典，向我顯明你至高的父性，我讚美你。噢，我因此可以成為天父的孩子了！
Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm.
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.
神的赦免
我們藉這愛子的血……過犯得以赦免。 （弗一7）
別以為神既是父親－－他既是這樣慈愛，必會赦免我們。這種情感作用在新約是沒有的。神赦免我們，唯一的根源就是基督十字架上的大悲劇；若把赦免放在任何別的根據上，是無形的褻瀆。神赦免哦我們，唯一原因是叫我們重生與他相和好，是藉基督的十字架，此外別無他法。赦免是多麼容易接受的事，可是卻付上加略山的苦楚。我們接受赦罪，接受所賜的聖靈，憑單純的信心得以成聖，卻忘記了是神付出極大的代價為我們成就的。
赦免是神恩典的神聖奇蹟：他要付出基督的十字架，才能赦罪，而仍不失為聖潔的神。切勿接受一個把救贖刪去，只以神為父的觀點。神的啟示是他不能赦免；若赦免就違反他的本性。我們蒙赦的唯一途徑，是藉救贖歸回神。神的赦免惟有在超然的領域上，才不反其自然。
若拿赦罪的奇蹟來比較，成聖的經歷就顯得微不足道。成聖不過是人生命蒙赦罪之後奇妙的表現，在人心中挑起最深感激的，該是神赦免罪。保羅從未忘懷這一點。你一旦體會神為赦免你的罪所付出的，你就會被抓住，被神的愛深深激勵。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你透過主耶穌的恩典，向我顯明你至高的父性，我讚美你。噢，我因此可以成為天父的孩子了！
November 19, 2013
“When He Has Come”
When He has come, He will convict the world of sin . . . —John 16:8
Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned . . .” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.
Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.
祂既來了
他既來了，就要叫世人為罪、為義、為審判、自己責備自己。 （約十六8）
很少人真懂得什麼叫做為罪責備自己，我們做錯事之後，只有煩惱；可是聖靈叫人為罪自責，把地上一切的關係刪除，只剩下一個關係，就是[我犯罪得罪了你，惟獨得罪了你]。人若這樣為罪自責，他的良心會告訴他，神不會赦免他。若神赦免他，他的公義感就比神更高了。但神實在赦免，這是要透過耶穌的死，使神心腸撕裂破碎，才做得到。神恩典的奇妙，在於他藉主耶穌的死赦罪，以致他赦罪，仍忠於自己的本性。若說神是愛，所以他赦免我們，這是很膚淺無稽的。我們若曾為罪自責，就絕不會這樣說了。神的愛等如加略山，一絲一毫不減。神的愛在十字架上完全表現出來，此外別無他處。神惟獨根據主的十字架而赦免我。在那兒，他的心才得以滿足。
赦免不單是我從地獄中被救出來，進入天堂（沒有人以這個看法接受赦免）；赦免的意思是，我得赦免進入一個新造的關係裡，進入與神在基督的合一里。救贖的奇蹟是神把我這不潔的人，改變成他的標準，是聖潔的；把新的個性－－耶穌基督的個性－－放進我裡面。
祈禱◆對於在世上為你結果子上，我是何等的無助，那麼的氣量狹小，而且毫不像你。求你赦免我，並且藉著住在耶穌裡面，願我多結果子，榮耀父神。
Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned . . .” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ. It is there that His conscience is satisfied.
Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.
祂既來了
他既來了，就要叫世人為罪、為義、為審判、自己責備自己。 （約十六8）
很少人真懂得什麼叫做為罪責備自己，我們做錯事之後，只有煩惱；可是聖靈叫人為罪自責，把地上一切的關係刪除，只剩下一個關係，就是[我犯罪得罪了你，惟獨得罪了你]。人若這樣為罪自責，他的良心會告訴他，神不會赦免他。若神赦免他，他的公義感就比神更高了。但神實在赦免，這是要透過耶穌的死，使神心腸撕裂破碎，才做得到。神恩典的奇妙，在於他藉主耶穌的死赦罪，以致他赦罪，仍忠於自己的本性。若說神是愛，所以他赦免我們，這是很膚淺無稽的。我們若曾為罪自責，就絕不會這樣說了。神的愛等如加略山，一絲一毫不減。神的愛在十字架上完全表現出來，此外別無他處。神惟獨根據主的十字架而赦免我。在那兒，他的心才得以滿足。
赦免不單是我從地獄中被救出來，進入天堂（沒有人以這個看法接受赦免）；赦免的意思是，我得赦免進入一個新造的關係裡，進入與神在基督的合一里。救贖的奇蹟是神把我這不潔的人，改變成他的標準，是聖潔的；把新的個性－－耶穌基督的個性－－放進我裡面。
祈禱◆對於在世上為你結果子上，我是何等的無助，那麼的氣量狹小，而且毫不像你。求你赦免我，並且藉著住在耶穌裡面，願我多結果子，榮耀父神。
November 18, 2013
Winning into Freedom
If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed —John 8:36
If there is even a trace of individual self-satisfaction left in us, it always says, “I can’t surrender,” or “I can’t be free.” But the spiritual part of our being never says “I can’t”; it simply soaks up everything around it. Our spirit hungers for more and more. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep us from getting to Him. God delivers us from sin— we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality. This means offering our natural life to God and sacrificing it to Him, so He may transform it into spiritual life through our obedience.
God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life. We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our “arguments . . . and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)— we have to do it. Don’t say, “Oh, Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individual natural life and win freedom into the spiritual life.
“If the Son makes you free . . . .” Do not substitute Savior for Son in this passage. The Savior has set us free from sin, but this is the freedom that comes from being set free from myself by the Son. It is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” His individuality had been broken and his spirit had been united with his Lord; not just merged into Him, but made one with Him. “. . . you shall be free indeed”— free to the very core of your being; free from the inside to the outside. We tend to rely on our own energy, instead of being energized by the power that comes from identification with Jesus.
邁進自由
天父的兒子若叫你們自由，你們就真自由了。 （約八36）
人若還存在留任何的自負，總是說：[我辦不到。 ]但[人格]永不說[辦不到]，它會不斷吸取。 [人格]總是渴求得到更多，因為我們是被造成這樣的。我們被造，對神有極大的渴求；阻隔我們近神的，是罪和我們的[個性]。神救我們脫離罪；我們卻要救自己脫離個性，就是要天然的生命作活祭獻給神，直至因順服而改變成屬靈的生命。
在屬靈生命的過程中，神不會理會我們天然的個性，他的命令會直闖我們天然的生命。我們要協助神，而不要阻擋他說：[我辦不到。 ]神不會操練我們，我們要操練自己。神不會管制我們每一個念頭與幻想，這工作我們要自己做。不要說：[主啊，我思想時常浮游，好苦！ ]那就不要再浮游，不要再受個性的操縱，乃要釋放出來，活出真正的個性。
[天父的兒子若叫你們自由……]不要用[救主]代替[兒子]，救主救我們離罪；這個自由卻是從[兒子]而來的。保羅在加拉太書二章20節正是這意思：[我已經與基督同釘十字架]，他天然的[個性]已破碎了，他的人格與主合一，不是混合，乃是合一。 [你們就真自由了]，自由的本質是內裡的自由。我們堅持的是主動，而不是被動的推向與主耶穌認同。
祈禱◆主啊，我何等需要你和渴慕你。求你完完全全地回到我裡面，將你的生命注滿我們的意念和心靈，直至滿溢，願榮耀歸於你的名。
If there is even a trace of individual self-satisfaction left in us, it always says, “I can’t surrender,” or “I can’t be free.” But the spiritual part of our being never says “I can’t”; it simply soaks up everything around it. Our spirit hungers for more and more. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep us from getting to Him. God delivers us from sin— we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality. This means offering our natural life to God and sacrificing it to Him, so He may transform it into spiritual life through our obedience.
God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life. We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our “arguments . . . and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)— we have to do it. Don’t say, “Oh, Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individual natural life and win freedom into the spiritual life.
“If the Son makes you free . . . .” Do not substitute Savior for Son in this passage. The Savior has set us free from sin, but this is the freedom that comes from being set free from myself by the Son. It is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” His individuality had been broken and his spirit had been united with his Lord; not just merged into Him, but made one with Him. “. . . you shall be free indeed”— free to the very core of your being; free from the inside to the outside. We tend to rely on our own energy, instead of being energized by the power that comes from identification with Jesus.
邁進自由
天父的兒子若叫你們自由，你們就真自由了。 （約八36）
人若還存在留任何的自負，總是說：[我辦不到。 ]但[人格]永不說[辦不到]，它會不斷吸取。 [人格]總是渴求得到更多，因為我們是被造成這樣的。我們被造，對神有極大的渴求；阻隔我們近神的，是罪和我們的[個性]。神救我們脫離罪；我們卻要救自己脫離個性，就是要天然的生命作活祭獻給神，直至因順服而改變成屬靈的生命。
在屬靈生命的過程中，神不會理會我們天然的個性，他的命令會直闖我們天然的生命。我們要協助神，而不要阻擋他說：[我辦不到。 ]神不會操練我們，我們要操練自己。神不會管制我們每一個念頭與幻想，這工作我們要自己做。不要說：[主啊，我思想時常浮游，好苦！ ]那就不要再浮游，不要再受個性的操縱，乃要釋放出來，活出真正的個性。
[天父的兒子若叫你們自由……]不要用[救主]代替[兒子]，救主救我們離罪；這個自由卻是從[兒子]而來的。保羅在加拉太書二章20節正是這意思：[我已經與基督同釘十字架]，他天然的[個性]已破碎了，他的人格與主合一，不是混合，乃是合一。 [你們就真自由了]，自由的本質是內裡的自由。我們堅持的是主動，而不是被動的推向與主耶穌認同。
祈禱◆主啊，我何等需要你和渴慕你。求你完完全全地回到我裡面，將你的生命注滿我們的意念和心靈，直至滿溢，願榮耀歸於你的名。
November 17, 2013
The Eternal Goal
By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing . . . I will bless you . . . —Genesis 22:16-17
Abraham, at this point, has reached where he is in touch with the very nature of God. He now understands the reality of God.
My goal is God Himself . . .
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.
“At any cost . . . by any road” means submitting to God’s way of bringing us to the goal.
There is no possibility of questioning God when He speaks, if He speaks to His own nature in me. Prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says, “Come,” I simply come; when He says, “Let go,” I let go; when He says, “Trust God in this matter,” I trust. This work of obedience is the evidence that the nature of God is in me.
God’s revelation of Himself to me is influenced by my character, not by God’s character.
’Tis because I am ordinary,
Thy ways so often look ordinary to me.
It is through the discipline of obedience that I get to the place where Abraham was and I see who God is. God will never be real to me until I come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ. Then I will know and can boldly proclaim, “In all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee.”
The promises of God are of no value to us until, through obedience, we come to understand the nature of God. We may read some things in the Bible every day for a year and they may mean nothing to us. Then, because we have been obedient to God in some small detail, we suddenly see what God means and His nature is instantly opened up to us. “All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen . . .” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Our “Yes” must be born of obedience; when by obedience we ratify a promise of God by saying, “Amen,” or, “So be it.” That promise becomes ours.
永恆的目標
你既行了這事……我便指著自己起誓說，論福，我必賜大福給你……。 （創二十二15-19）
亞伯拉罕接觸到神的本性，他如今明白神的真實。 [神自己，是我的目標，不論代價，親愛的主，不論何方。 ]
不論代價，不論何方，就是自己沒有任何可選擇的，只求神帶領到達目標。若神對我裡面的性情說話，我根本不會質疑發問，只會馬上順服。耶穌說：[來]，我就來；他說：[放手]，我就放手；他說：[這事要信靠神]，我就信靠。整個過程證明了神的性情在我裡面。
神對我啟示他自己，決定於我的品性，而不在於神的品性。 [由於我是卑賤的，以致你的道路，在我看來也往往是卑賤的。 ]在順服的操練下，我來到亞伯拉罕曾到之處，認識神是誰。我沒有在主耶穌裡與神面對面以前，沒有遇到一位真的神，但如今我知道[在整個世界中，除你以外，我再沒有誰]。
神的應許對我們毫無價值，除非我們藉順服明白神的本性。聖經的話可以念過三百六十五次，而仍對我們毫無意義。但突然我們卻看出神的意思，因為在某些事上我們順服神，他的性情立刻向我們開敞了。 [神的應許不論有多少，在基督都是是的，所以藉著他也是實在的。 ]這個[是的]，必須從順服中出來；我們若藉著生命中的順服對應許說[阿們]，那應許就屬於我們。
祈禱◆主啊，求你喚醒我，以致我那必死的身體，能真正成為一個順服聖靈的僕人。
Abraham, at this point, has reached where he is in touch with the very nature of God. He now understands the reality of God.
My goal is God Himself . . .
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.
“At any cost . . . by any road” means submitting to God’s way of bringing us to the goal.
There is no possibility of questioning God when He speaks, if He speaks to His own nature in me. Prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says, “Come,” I simply come; when He says, “Let go,” I let go; when He says, “Trust God in this matter,” I trust. This work of obedience is the evidence that the nature of God is in me.
God’s revelation of Himself to me is influenced by my character, not by God’s character.
’Tis because I am ordinary,
Thy ways so often look ordinary to me.
It is through the discipline of obedience that I get to the place where Abraham was and I see who God is. God will never be real to me until I come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ. Then I will know and can boldly proclaim, “In all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee.”
The promises of God are of no value to us until, through obedience, we come to understand the nature of God. We may read some things in the Bible every day for a year and they may mean nothing to us. Then, because we have been obedient to God in some small detail, we suddenly see what God means and His nature is instantly opened up to us. “All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen . . .” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Our “Yes” must be born of obedience; when by obedience we ratify a promise of God by saying, “Amen,” or, “So be it.” That promise becomes ours.
永恆的目標
你既行了這事……我便指著自己起誓說，論福，我必賜大福給你……。 （創二十二15-19）
亞伯拉罕接觸到神的本性，他如今明白神的真實。 [神自己，是我的目標，不論代價，親愛的主，不論何方。 ]
不論代價，不論何方，就是自己沒有任何可選擇的，只求神帶領到達目標。若神對我裡面的性情說話，我根本不會質疑發問，只會馬上順服。耶穌說：[來]，我就來；他說：[放手]，我就放手；他說：[這事要信靠神]，我就信靠。整個過程證明了神的性情在我裡面。
神對我啟示他自己，決定於我的品性，而不在於神的品性。 [由於我是卑賤的，以致你的道路，在我看來也往往是卑賤的。 ]在順服的操練下，我來到亞伯拉罕曾到之處，認識神是誰。我沒有在主耶穌裡與神面對面以前，沒有遇到一位真的神，但如今我知道[在整個世界中，除你以外，我再沒有誰]。
神的應許對我們毫無價值，除非我們藉順服明白神的本性。聖經的話可以念過三百六十五次，而仍對我們毫無意義。但突然我們卻看出神的意思，因為在某些事上我們順服神，他的性情立刻向我們開敞了。 [神的應許不論有多少，在基督都是是的，所以藉著他也是實在的。 ]這個[是的]，必須從順服中出來；我們若藉著生命中的順服對應許說[阿們]，那應許就屬於我們。
祈禱◆主啊，求你喚醒我，以致我那必死的身體，能真正成為一個順服聖靈的僕人。
November 16, 2013
Still Human!
. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31
In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.
We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” or, “What a great woman of devotion she is!” If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.
We want to be able to say, “Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!” But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life “hidden with Christ in God” in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.
仍然是人
無論作什麼，都要為榮耀神而行。 （林前十31）
道成肉身的超其，湮沒在平凡的童年生活；登山變象的輝煌光彩，消失在鬼附的山谷間；復活的榮耀，降卑成為海旁早餐。這不是反高潮，而是神極大的啟示。我們總有一種傾向，就是想去追求超奇的經歷；錯把英雄感當作英雄。在重大關頭昂然度過是一回事，在每天生活中榮耀神，沒有人作證，沒有光彩，絲毫沒有被注意，又是另一回事。我們 有時雖然不求中世紀那種聖人的光環，也想做些事令人家說：[看他是個多麼會祈禱的人！ ]或[她多虔誠，多熱心！ ]可是，若你對主耶穌有正確的獻上，人所注意的是神透過你流露出來的大能。
[噢，我從神得到一個奇妙的呼召！ ]其實要在最卑微的生活上榮耀神，正需要那全能的神在我們裡面，才可以做得到。惟有聖靈在我們裡面，才能使我們完全地屬於他，以致全不為人所注意。聖徒生命的考驗不在於成功，而是對實際生活的忠心。我們會以在基督教事工上的成功作目標，可是正確的目標，乃是在生活上彰顯神的榮耀，在屬世的環境下，活出與基督一同藏在神裡面的生命。屬神的理想生命，是在人與人之間的實際關係上表現出來。
祈禱◆主啊，在今天的讀經中，一下這句話使我的心靈震盪－－[摩西這樣行，耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就照樣行了。 ]
In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.
We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” or, “What a great woman of devotion she is!” If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.
We want to be able to say, “Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!” But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life “hidden with Christ in God” in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.
仍然是人
無論作什麼，都要為榮耀神而行。 （林前十31）
道成肉身的超其，湮沒在平凡的童年生活；登山變象的輝煌光彩，消失在鬼附的山谷間；復活的榮耀，降卑成為海旁早餐。這不是反高潮，而是神極大的啟示。我們總有一種傾向，就是想去追求超奇的經歷；錯把英雄感當作英雄。在重大關頭昂然度過是一回事，在每天生活中榮耀神，沒有人作證，沒有光彩，絲毫沒有被注意，又是另一回事。我們 有時雖然不求中世紀那種聖人的光環，也想做些事令人家說：[看他是個多麼會祈禱的人！ ]或[她多虔誠，多熱心！ ]可是，若你對主耶穌有正確的獻上，人所注意的是神透過你流露出來的大能。
[噢，我從神得到一個奇妙的呼召！ ]其實要在最卑微的生活上榮耀神，正需要那全能的神在我們裡面，才可以做得到。惟有聖靈在我們裡面，才能使我們完全地屬於他，以致全不為人所注意。聖徒生命的考驗不在於成功，而是對實際生活的忠心。我們會以在基督教事工上的成功作目標，可是正確的目標，乃是在生活上彰顯神的榮耀，在屬世的環境下，活出與基督一同藏在神裡面的生命。屬神的理想生命，是在人與人之間的實際關係上表現出來。
祈禱◆主啊，在今天的讀經中，一下這句話使我的心靈震盪－－[摩西這樣行，耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就照樣行了。 ]
November 15, 2013
“What Is That to You?”
Peter . . . said to Jesus, ’But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ’. . . what is that to you? You follow Me’ —John 21:21-22
One of the hardest lessons to learn comes from our stubborn refusal to refrain from interfering in other people’s lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God’s plan for others. You see someone suffering and say, “He will not suffer, and I will make sure that he doesn’t.” You put your hand right in front of God’s permissive will to stop it, and then God says, “What is that to you?” Is there stagnation in your spiritual life? Don’t allow it to continue, but get into God’s presence and find out the reason for it. You will possibly find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another— proposing things you had no right to propose, or advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another person, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit. Your part is to maintain the right relationship with God so that His discernment can come through you continually for the purpose of blessing someone else.
Most of us live only within the level of consciousness— consciously serving and consciously devoted to God. This shows immaturity and the fact that we’re not yet living the real Christian life. Maturity is produced in the life of a child of God on the unconscious level, until we become so totally surrendered to God that we are not even aware of being used by Him. When we are consciously aware of being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, we have yet another level to reach— a level where all awareness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is completely eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint— a saint is consciously dependent on God.
與你何干？
主啊，這人將來如何？ ……與你何干？你跟從我罷。 （約二十一21-22）
我們最難學的功課之一，就是放棄對別人生命的干涉。我們要經很長的時間才明白，干涉神在別人生命中的吩咐，是很危險的。你看見人家受苦，你就說：[他不該受苦，我要設法使他不受苦。 ]那你便是阻撓神容許的旨意。神說：[與你何干？ ]若你的靈性停滯不前，不可聽其自然，必須到神面前尋出根源。很可能是因為你在干擾別人的生命；或提供你無權提供的；或指點你無權指點的。要是神真要你勸勉別人，他必定叫你的勸勉，直接有聖靈感動。你的責任是保持與神有正確良好的關係，以致他的智慧，能隨時隨地透過你叫他人得福。
我們多半活在意識的邊境上－－自覺是在事奉神，自覺愛神。這都是不成熟的，並不屬於那真正的生命。成熟的表現是不再憑觀感知覺；我們對神完全的歸服，以致不再意識到自己被神使用。我們若仍意識到被神用作劈開的餅何澆奠的酒，那麼，就得追求另一個境界，就是把自覺的意識，以及神透過我們工作的意識，都同時消除。聖徒是從不自覺是聖徒，他們只知依靠神。
祈禱◆噢，願我藉著你內住的聖靈，將我與敬拜、美善和聖潔連合起來。主啊，感動我的身體和心靈，直至它們能為著你而融合為一。
One of the hardest lessons to learn comes from our stubborn refusal to refrain from interfering in other people’s lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God’s plan for others. You see someone suffering and say, “He will not suffer, and I will make sure that he doesn’t.” You put your hand right in front of God’s permissive will to stop it, and then God says, “What is that to you?” Is there stagnation in your spiritual life? Don’t allow it to continue, but get into God’s presence and find out the reason for it. You will possibly find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another— proposing things you had no right to propose, or advising when you had no right to advise. When you do have to give advice to another person, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His Spirit. Your part is to maintain the right relationship with God so that His discernment can come through you continually for the purpose of blessing someone else.
Most of us live only within the level of consciousness— consciously serving and consciously devoted to God. This shows immaturity and the fact that we’re not yet living the real Christian life. Maturity is produced in the life of a child of God on the unconscious level, until we become so totally surrendered to God that we are not even aware of being used by Him. When we are consciously aware of being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, we have yet another level to reach— a level where all awareness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is completely eliminated. A saint is never consciously a saint— a saint is consciously dependent on God.
與你何干？
主啊，這人將來如何？ ……與你何干？你跟從我罷。 （約二十一21-22）
我們最難學的功課之一，就是放棄對別人生命的干涉。我們要經很長的時間才明白，干涉神在別人生命中的吩咐，是很危險的。你看見人家受苦，你就說：[他不該受苦，我要設法使他不受苦。 ]那你便是阻撓神容許的旨意。神說：[與你何干？ ]若你的靈性停滯不前，不可聽其自然，必須到神面前尋出根源。很可能是因為你在干擾別人的生命；或提供你無權提供的；或指點你無權指點的。要是神真要你勸勉別人，他必定叫你的勸勉，直接有聖靈感動。你的責任是保持與神有正確良好的關係，以致他的智慧，能隨時隨地透過你叫他人得福。
我們多半活在意識的邊境上－－自覺是在事奉神，自覺愛神。這都是不成熟的，並不屬於那真正的生命。成熟的表現是不再憑觀感知覺；我們對神完全的歸服，以致不再意識到自己被神使用。我們若仍意識到被神用作劈開的餅何澆奠的酒，那麼，就得追求另一個境界，就是把自覺的意識，以及神透過我們工作的意識，都同時消除。聖徒是從不自覺是聖徒，他們只知依靠神。
祈禱◆噢，願我藉著你內住的聖靈，將我與敬拜、美善和聖潔連合起來。主啊，感動我的身體和心靈，直至它們能為著你而融合為一。
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