By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . —1 Corinthians 15:10
The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.
Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.
There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.
靠神恩典我成了何等樣人
他所賜我的恩，不是徒然的。 （林前十五10）
我們不斷的訴說自己無能，實在是對創造主的侮辱。一味怨嘆自己不成事，等於毀謗神疏於照顧。若你經常用神的眼光察看那些在人聽來是謙卑的話，便會驚訝那話是多麽不合情理。 [啊，我不敢說自己已經成聖，我不是個聖徒。 ]向神說這話，就等於說：[主啊，你無法救我，叫我成聖哼，我沒有好的機緣，我身體、心靈太多缺陷，主啊，沒可能。 ]在人面前聽來，可能謙卑非常，但在神面前，卻是輕慢。
反之，在神面前聽來謙卑的，在人聽來可能變得驕傲。你說：[關你些神，我知道我得救了，成聖了。 ]在神面前，是謙卑的頂峰，表示你已完全把自己歸服神，你深知他是真實的。別理會人家聽來是否謙卑，只要常常在神面前謙卑，讓他成為你的一切。
只有一個關係是絕頂重要的，就是你與救主個人的關係。其他一切只管失去，卻要不惜任何代價持守與主的關係，神就會透過你的生命成就他的計畫。在神的計畫中，一個人的生命可以有無比的價值，你的生命也可能如此。
祈禱◆無所不能的主神啊，你在耶穌基督裡彰顯了自己，如今我來到你的面前，毫不掩飾自己絕對需要你，並且在自己的貧乏中歡喜快樂。
November 30, 2013
November 29, 2013
The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
He will glorify Me . . . —John 16:14
The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.
The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!
Jesus said, “. . . when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, . . . He will glorify Me . . .” (John 16:13-14). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.
耶穌基督的絕對性
他要榮耀我。 （約十六14）
今日的宗教敬虔運動，完全沒有新約的艱苦實況，不需要耶穌基督的死，要的只是虔誠的氣氛、禱告和熱心。這一類經驗不是超然的，也並不神奇，不需要神的愛情，沒有羔羊鮮紅的血，沒有聖靈的印記，也沒有任何記號，叫人看見了驚異說：[這是神大能的作為。 ]惟有[神大能的作為]才是新約的要義。
新約的信徒經歷，是個人對主耶穌基督熱切的愛慕。至於其他所謂信徒經歷，都與耶穌本身脫節，並不是新生命的活出，只是一個以耶穌為模範的意念而已。今日他被當作一個有名無實的宗教首領，被視作一個楷模罷了。當然他是楷模，但他遠超乎此。他是救恩，他就是神的福音。
耶穌說：[真理的聖靈來了……他要榮耀我。 ]當我接受了新約的啟示，就是接受了神所賜的聖靈；聖靈會向我解明耶穌的作為，把耶穌基督為我所作的客觀事實，變作我的主觀經歷。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，喚醒我、激勵我，以致我那必死的身體，能真正順服祢的靈。
The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.
The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!
Jesus said, “. . . when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, . . . He will glorify Me . . .” (John 16:13-14). When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.
耶穌基督的絕對性
他要榮耀我。 （約十六14）
今日的宗教敬虔運動，完全沒有新約的艱苦實況，不需要耶穌基督的死，要的只是虔誠的氣氛、禱告和熱心。這一類經驗不是超然的，也並不神奇，不需要神的愛情，沒有羔羊鮮紅的血，沒有聖靈的印記，也沒有任何記號，叫人看見了驚異說：[這是神大能的作為。 ]惟有[神大能的作為]才是新約的要義。
新約的信徒經歷，是個人對主耶穌基督熱切的愛慕。至於其他所謂信徒經歷，都與耶穌本身脫節，並不是新生命的活出，只是一個以耶穌為模範的意念而已。今日他被當作一個有名無實的宗教首領，被視作一個楷模罷了。當然他是楷模，但他遠超乎此。他是救恩，他就是神的福音。
耶穌說：[真理的聖靈來了……他要榮耀我。 ]當我接受了新約的啟示，就是接受了神所賜的聖靈；聖靈會向我解明耶穌的作為，把耶穌基督為我所作的客觀事實，變作我的主觀經歷。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，喚醒我、激勵我，以致我那必死的身體，能真正順服祢的靈。
November 28, 2013
The Riches of the Destitute
. . . being justified freely by His grace . . . —Romans 3:24
The gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the truth that it reveals is not palatable or easy to swallow. There is a certain pride in people that causes them to give and give, but to come and accept a gift is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom; I will dedicate my life to service— I will do anything. But do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5).
絕處逢生
如今卻蒙神的恩典……就白白的稱義。 （羅三24）
神恩惠的福音挑起人心靈強烈的強求，但同時又叫人產生同樣強烈的反抗，因為福音帶來的啟示，是難以下嚥的。人有一種自傲，就是寧可一味施予，但要近前來接受不太願意。我可以殉道舍生，可以獻上自己，可以做任何事，但不要把我貶卑至只配下地獄的罪人。告訴我除了接受耶穌基督的救恩外，別無他法。我們必須認識，人無法從神賺取或贏得什麽；我們若不肯接受神的禮物，就不要指望得著什麽。
屬靈最大的福氣，就是認識自己絕望；若未認識這一點，主就無能為力。我們若仍以為自己有所作為，他就無法為我們做什麽。我們一日自恃、獨立、自以為富足，神就一日無法有所作為。只有在我們感到屬靈的飢餓時，才能接受聖靈。神藉聖靈把他的本性賜給我們，把耶穌活潑的生命賜給我們，把那[超然的]放在我們裡面。那[超然的]一旦進入，就把我們提升至[天上]，我們就被高舉在主耶穌所活的國度裡了。 （約三5）。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你使我重新獲得敏銳的屬靈洞察力；願你藉著主耶穌基督豐富的恩典，將我舉起，進入你的光明中。在更多認識你和你的道路上，我是何等緩慢！
The gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the truth that it reveals is not palatable or easy to swallow. There is a certain pride in people that causes them to give and give, but to come and accept a gift is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom; I will dedicate my life to service— I will do anything. But do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5).
絕處逢生
如今卻蒙神的恩典……就白白的稱義。 （羅三24）
神恩惠的福音挑起人心靈強烈的強求，但同時又叫人產生同樣強烈的反抗，因為福音帶來的啟示，是難以下嚥的。人有一種自傲，就是寧可一味施予，但要近前來接受不太願意。我可以殉道舍生，可以獻上自己，可以做任何事，但不要把我貶卑至只配下地獄的罪人。告訴我除了接受耶穌基督的救恩外，別無他法。我們必須認識，人無法從神賺取或贏得什麽；我們若不肯接受神的禮物，就不要指望得著什麽。
屬靈最大的福氣，就是認識自己絕望；若未認識這一點，主就無能為力。我們若仍以為自己有所作為，他就無法為我們做什麽。我們一日自恃、獨立、自以為富足，神就一日無法有所作為。只有在我們感到屬靈的飢餓時，才能接受聖靈。神藉聖靈把他的本性賜給我們，把耶穌活潑的生命賜給我們，把那[超然的]放在我們裡面。那[超然的]一旦進入，就把我們提升至[天上]，我們就被高舉在主耶穌所活的國度裡了。 （約三5）。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你使我重新獲得敏銳的屬靈洞察力；願你藉著主耶穌基督豐富的恩典，將我舉起，進入你的光明中。在更多認識你和你的道路上，我是何等緩慢！
November 27, 2013
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?”
屬靈能力的分別為聖
因這十字架，就我而論，世界已經釘在十字架上。就世界而論，我已經釘在十字架上。 （加六14）
我若著眼於基督的十字架，就不會成為一個主觀的敬虔者，只注意自己的潔白；而會一心一意關注主耶穌所關注的事。我們的主不是隱逸者，也不是遁世苦行者，他沒有把自己與社會割絕，可是在他裡面，卻是一直與這世界分開。他並不是高高在上，活在另一個世界裡。他十分入世，甚至當時一些宗教人士形容他為貪食好酒，但主從不讓任何事物阻礙他分別為聖。
假冒的分別為聖，就是故意放棄一些東西，以為這樣可以儲藏屬靈的能力，留日後之用，但那是絕對錯誤的。神的靈曾粉碎許多人的罪，可是人仍未得釋放。今日所見得宗教生活，與主耶穌一生活著聖潔生活，是截然不同。 [我不求你叫他們離開世界，只求你保守他們脫離那惡者。 ]我們活在世上，卻不屬這世界；我們得分割是在根基上，不是在外表。
我們絕不可讓任何事物干擾屬靈能力的分別為聖。分別出來是我們的本份，成聖則是神的工作；我們必須堅心決意只關注神所關注的事。對於困擾的問題，就問一問---[這是主耶穌所關注的嗎？還是與主為敵的靈所關注的事？ ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你膏立這個地方來讚美你；願你膏立我們這裡的每一個人來讚美你。願你在這一刻，將聖靈那愉快的微風吹拂我們。
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?”
屬靈能力的分別為聖
因這十字架，就我而論，世界已經釘在十字架上。就世界而論，我已經釘在十字架上。 （加六14）
我若著眼於基督的十字架，就不會成為一個主觀的敬虔者，只注意自己的潔白；而會一心一意關注主耶穌所關注的事。我們的主不是隱逸者，也不是遁世苦行者，他沒有把自己與社會割絕，可是在他裡面，卻是一直與這世界分開。他並不是高高在上，活在另一個世界裡。他十分入世，甚至當時一些宗教人士形容他為貪食好酒，但主從不讓任何事物阻礙他分別為聖。
假冒的分別為聖，就是故意放棄一些東西，以為這樣可以儲藏屬靈的能力，留日後之用，但那是絕對錯誤的。神的靈曾粉碎許多人的罪，可是人仍未得釋放。今日所見得宗教生活，與主耶穌一生活著聖潔生活，是截然不同。 [我不求你叫他們離開世界，只求你保守他們脫離那惡者。 ]我們活在世上，卻不屬這世界；我們得分割是在根基上，不是在外表。
我們絕不可讓任何事物干擾屬靈能力的分別為聖。分別出來是我們的本份，成聖則是神的工作；我們必須堅心決意只關注神所關注的事。對於困擾的問題，就問一問---[這是主耶穌所關注的嗎？還是與主為敵的靈所關注的事？ ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你膏立這個地方來讚美你；願你膏立我們這裡的每一個人來讚美你。願你在這一刻，將聖靈那愉快的微風吹拂我們。
November 26, 2013
The Focal Point of Spiritual Power
. . . except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14
If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me. . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.
The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.
屬靈能力的集中
只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架。 （加六14）
若你要在必死的肉身上體驗、認識神的能力（就是耶穌復活的生命），就必須專注於他的悲劇。不要在屬靈的徵兆裡追尋個人的利益，只要單單註視神的悲劇，那末神的能力就必立即在你裡面。 [仰望我]，注意那客觀的源頭，然後那主觀的能力就必出現。我們若不集中在正確的事上，就會失掉能力。十字架的果效，就是救恩、成聖、醫治等；可是我們並不是傳這些，乃是傳耶穌基督和他釘十字架。宣揚耶穌，果效就自然產生。把你傳講資訊的焦點放在神的中心上，那末即或會眾似乎並不在意，也必然會有改變。若我傳講的是自己的事，那末所講的對你便毫無意義，正如你講你的，與我不相干一樣。可是，若我傳講的是神的真理，你必被他抓住，而我也同樣被抓住。我們必須集中靈力的中心，就是十字架，接駁在能力的源頭上，能力就釋放出來。在聖潔運動及追求屬靈經歷的聚會中，我們很容易把注意力放在十字架的果效上，而忽略基督的十字架。
今日教會被指為軟弱無能，這批評實在是有道理的。教會軟弱的原因之一，是沒有集中屬靈的能力，沒有浸透在加略山上的悲劇，也沒有多點想救贖的真義。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的神，你是何等奇妙和大有能力地讓我知道，過去所發生的救贖，是一項充滿啟示的偉大事情。
If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me. . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.
The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.
屬靈能力的集中
只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架。 （加六14）
若你要在必死的肉身上體驗、認識神的能力（就是耶穌復活的生命），就必須專注於他的悲劇。不要在屬靈的徵兆裡追尋個人的利益，只要單單註視神的悲劇，那末神的能力就必立即在你裡面。 [仰望我]，注意那客觀的源頭，然後那主觀的能力就必出現。我們若不集中在正確的事上，就會失掉能力。十字架的果效，就是救恩、成聖、醫治等；可是我們並不是傳這些，乃是傳耶穌基督和他釘十字架。宣揚耶穌，果效就自然產生。把你傳講資訊的焦點放在神的中心上，那末即或會眾似乎並不在意，也必然會有改變。若我傳講的是自己的事，那末所講的對你便毫無意義，正如你講你的，與我不相干一樣。可是，若我傳講的是神的真理，你必被他抓住，而我也同樣被抓住。我們必須集中靈力的中心，就是十字架，接駁在能力的源頭上，能力就釋放出來。在聖潔運動及追求屬靈經歷的聚會中，我們很容易把注意力放在十字架的果效上，而忽略基督的十字架。
今日教會被指為軟弱無能，這批評實在是有道理的。教會軟弱的原因之一，是沒有集中屬靈的能力，沒有浸透在加略山上的悲劇，也沒有多點想救贖的真義。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的神，你是何等奇妙和大有能力地讓我知道，過去所發生的救贖，是一項充滿啟示的偉大事情。
November 25, 2013
The Secret of Spiritual Consistency
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14
When a person is newly born again, he seems inconsistent due to his unrelated emotions and the state of the external things or circumstances in his life. The apostle Paul had a strong and steady underlying consistency in his life. Consequently, he could let his external life change without internal distress because he was rooted and grounded in God. Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we are more concerned about being consistent externally. In the external expression of things, Paul lived in the basement, while his critics lived on the upper level. And these two levels do not begin to touch each other. But Paul’s consistency was down deep in the fundamentals. The great basis of his consistency was the agony of God in the redemption of the world, namely, the Cross of Christ.
State your beliefs to yourself again. Get back to the foundation of the Cross of Christ, doing away with any belief not based on it. In secular history the Cross is an infinitesimally small thing, but from the biblical perspective it is of more importance than all the empires of the world. If we get away from dwelling on the tragedy of God on the Cross in our preaching, our preaching produces nothing. It will not transmit the energy of God to man; it may be interesting, but it will have no power. However, when we preach the Cross, the energy of God is released. “. . . it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. . . . we preach Christ crucified . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 23).
屬靈貫徹的秘訣
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）
一個人在重生之初，會有很多不一致的地方- 有一些互不協調的情感，也有一些互不相連的事物。在使徒保羅最深處有堅強穩固的貫徹如一，任憑外在生活怎樣改變，也不受騷擾，因為他是紮根在神的根基上。我們沒有屬靈上的協調，多半是因為我們太著意於外在事物的協調。保羅住在地下室，而我們卻活在表面事物上的上層，兩者未有相通的機會。保羅的協調是建基於最基本的事上。他協調最大的根源，就是神救贖人類所付上的痛苦- 耶穌基督的十字架。
你要向自己重述所信的是什麽，然後把其馀的事物除掉，歸回那唯一的基石- 主耶穌的十字架。從歷史的觀點看來，十字架是微不足道的。可是從聖經觀點來看，卻比世上所有王國更重要。我們傳講的資訊，若不提神在十字架上的慘痛，就必無所成，神的能力也無法傳遞給人。這聽來似乎很有趣，但確是沒有十架，就毫無能力。當傳揚十字架，神的能力就釋放出來。 [神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人。 ][我們卻是傳釘十字架的基督。 ]
祈禱◆主啊，我在你面前的生活，似乎是毫無目的、黯淡無光，直至你在我裡面出現。因著我相信你大能的救贖，我敬拜你。可是，噢！能夠察覺你的感動卻是另一回事！
When a person is newly born again, he seems inconsistent due to his unrelated emotions and the state of the external things or circumstances in his life. The apostle Paul had a strong and steady underlying consistency in his life. Consequently, he could let his external life change without internal distress because he was rooted and grounded in God. Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we are more concerned about being consistent externally. In the external expression of things, Paul lived in the basement, while his critics lived on the upper level. And these two levels do not begin to touch each other. But Paul’s consistency was down deep in the fundamentals. The great basis of his consistency was the agony of God in the redemption of the world, namely, the Cross of Christ.
State your beliefs to yourself again. Get back to the foundation of the Cross of Christ, doing away with any belief not based on it. In secular history the Cross is an infinitesimally small thing, but from the biblical perspective it is of more importance than all the empires of the world. If we get away from dwelling on the tragedy of God on the Cross in our preaching, our preaching produces nothing. It will not transmit the energy of God to man; it may be interesting, but it will have no power. However, when we preach the Cross, the energy of God is released. “. . . it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. . . . we preach Christ crucified . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 23).
屬靈貫徹的秘訣
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）
一個人在重生之初，會有很多不一致的地方- 有一些互不協調的情感，也有一些互不相連的事物。在使徒保羅最深處有堅強穩固的貫徹如一，任憑外在生活怎樣改變，也不受騷擾，因為他是紮根在神的根基上。我們沒有屬靈上的協調，多半是因為我們太著意於外在事物的協調。保羅住在地下室，而我們卻活在表面事物上的上層，兩者未有相通的機會。保羅的協調是建基於最基本的事上。他協調最大的根源，就是神救贖人類所付上的痛苦- 耶穌基督的十字架。
你要向自己重述所信的是什麽，然後把其馀的事物除掉，歸回那唯一的基石- 主耶穌的十字架。從歷史的觀點看來，十字架是微不足道的。可是從聖經觀點來看，卻比世上所有王國更重要。我們傳講的資訊，若不提神在十字架上的慘痛，就必無所成，神的能力也無法傳遞給人。這聽來似乎很有趣，但確是沒有十架，就毫無能力。當傳揚十字架，神的能力就釋放出來。 [神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人。 ][我們卻是傳釘十字架的基督。 ]
祈禱◆主啊，我在你面前的生活，似乎是毫無目的、黯淡無光，直至你在我裡面出現。因著我相信你大能的救贖，我敬拜你。可是，噢！能夠察覺你的感動卻是另一回事！
November 24, 2013
Direction of Focus
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters . . . , so our eyes look to the Lord our God . . . —Psalm 123:2
This verse is a description of total reliance on God. Just as the eyes of a servant are riveted on his master, our eyes should be directed to and focused on God. This is how knowledge of His countenance is gained and how God reveals Himself to us (see Isaiah 53:1). Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. We wrongfully think, “I suppose I’ve been stretching myself a little too much, standing too tall and trying to look like God instead of being an ordinary humble person.” We have to realize that no effort can be too high.
For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— “Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?” Your “rational” friends come and say, “Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain. And anyway, God doesn’t expect you to endure.” You respond by saying, “Well, I suppose I was expecting too much.” That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. Only when God brings you to a sudden stop will you realize that you have been the loser. Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.
仰望的方向
看哪，僕人的眼睛怎樣望主人的手……我們的眼睛也照樣望耶和華我們的神……（詩一二三2）
這節經文是對神完全信賴的描寫。僕人的眼如何注視主人，我們的眼也同樣仰望神，以致對他的容貌認識日增（賽五十三1）。我們一不仰望神，就產生屬靈的漏症。這漏症不是由於外在的煩惱，而是在於我們有這樣的幻想：[我想自己伸展得太用力了，用腳尖站立，努力像神，而不作一個謙卑平凡人。 ]要知道並沒有太過竭力這一回事。
例如：你因為神而面臨危機，但你有聖靈得印證，知道怎樣去作才對。可是隨著年日過去，你卻逐漸有這樣得結論 - [看來，我不是過分自負嗎？我所作得不是太【過火】麽？ ]你那些講理智的朋友說：[別傻啦，你當時說起那個屬靈醒覺，我們就看出是一時的衝動，你受不起那種壓力的，神也不期望你這樣做。 ]你就會說：[這個，我想自己的期望也太過了。 ]聽來多謙卑，可是對神的信賴已盡失，開始信賴世界的見解。你不再仰賴神，不再抬頭注視他，這就是危機。惟有等到神突然把你停住，你才曉得自己是在倒退。所以，一發現有漏症，就該立即補救。要承認在你與神之間有了阻隔，並且要立刻去對付。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我在舉止和行為上何等緩慢地表現神仁慈的恩典！你的美譽何時才為著你的榮耀臨到我身上？
This verse is a description of total reliance on God. Just as the eyes of a servant are riveted on his master, our eyes should be directed to and focused on God. This is how knowledge of His countenance is gained and how God reveals Himself to us (see Isaiah 53:1). Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. We wrongfully think, “I suppose I’ve been stretching myself a little too much, standing too tall and trying to look like God instead of being an ordinary humble person.” We have to realize that no effort can be too high.
For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— “Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?” Your “rational” friends come and say, “Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain. And anyway, God doesn’t expect you to endure.” You respond by saying, “Well, I suppose I was expecting too much.” That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. Only when God brings you to a sudden stop will you realize that you have been the loser. Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.
仰望的方向
看哪，僕人的眼睛怎樣望主人的手……我們的眼睛也照樣望耶和華我們的神……（詩一二三2）
這節經文是對神完全信賴的描寫。僕人的眼如何注視主人，我們的眼也同樣仰望神，以致對他的容貌認識日增（賽五十三1）。我們一不仰望神，就產生屬靈的漏症。這漏症不是由於外在的煩惱，而是在於我們有這樣的幻想：[我想自己伸展得太用力了，用腳尖站立，努力像神，而不作一個謙卑平凡人。 ]要知道並沒有太過竭力這一回事。
例如：你因為神而面臨危機，但你有聖靈得印證，知道怎樣去作才對。可是隨著年日過去，你卻逐漸有這樣得結論 - [看來，我不是過分自負嗎？我所作得不是太【過火】麽？ ]你那些講理智的朋友說：[別傻啦，你當時說起那個屬靈醒覺，我們就看出是一時的衝動，你受不起那種壓力的，神也不期望你這樣做。 ]你就會說：[這個，我想自己的期望也太過了。 ]聽來多謙卑，可是對神的信賴已盡失，開始信賴世界的見解。你不再仰賴神，不再抬頭注視他，這就是危機。惟有等到神突然把你停住，你才曉得自己是在倒退。所以，一發現有漏症，就該立即補救。要承認在你與神之間有了阻隔，並且要立刻去對付。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我在舉止和行為上何等緩慢地表現神仁慈的恩典！你的美譽何時才為著你的榮耀臨到我身上？
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