第二篇 借着在生命里长大以至于成熟，而为着主的来临将自己预备好
Making Ourselves Ready for the Lord's Coming by Growing in Life unto Maturity
读经：来六1，弗四13，西一27~29，四12，启十四1~5
壹 雅各在雅各书用农夫恒忍等候地里宝贵的出产为例证─五7：
I. In his Epistle, James uses the illustration of a farmer awaiting with long-suffering the precious fruit of the earth—5:7:
一 主耶稣实际上就是真农夫，独一的农夫─太十三3。
A. The Lord Jesus is actually the real Farmer, the unique Farmer—Matt. 13:3.
二 当我们在恒忍等候主的来临时，祂这位真农夫也在忍耐等候我们在生命里成熟，成为田地初熟的果子和庄稼─启十四4、14~15。
B. While we are awaiting with long-suffering the Lord's coming, He, as the real Farmer, is awaiting with patience our maturity in life as the firstfruits and the harvest of the field—Rev. 14:4, 14-15.
三 我们若祷告说，“主，求你快回来”，主可能说，“当你们在等候我回来时，我也在等候你们成熟；唯有你们成熟了，才能催促我回来。”
C. If we pray, "Lord, come back quickly," the Lord may say, "While you are awaiting My coming back, I am awaiting your maturity; only your maturity can hasten My coming back."
四 我们若认真等候主回来，就需要在生命上长大以至于成熟；这种领会对我们有极大的帮助。
D. It is a great help for us to realize that if we are serious about awaiting the Lord's coming back, we need to grow in life unto maturity.
贰 成熟就是得着基督成形在我们里面─加四19：
II. To be mature is to have Christ formed in us—Gal. 4:19:
一 我们信入基督时，基督已经生在我们里面（约三6、15~16）；祂现今在我们基督徒的生活中，活在我们里面（加二20）；祂还要在我们成熟时，成形在我们里面（四19）：─引用经文
A. Christ was born in us when we believed into Him (John 3:6, 15-16), He lives in us in our Christian life (Gal. 2:20b), and He will be formed in us at our maturity (4:19):
1 变化的最后阶段乃是成熟，就是生命的丰满：
1. The last stage of transformation is maturity, the fullness of life:
a 神永远的定旨，只能借着我们的变化和成熟来完成─创一26，西一28，二19，四12。
a. God's eternal purpose can be accomplished only through our transformation and maturity—Gen. 1:26; Col. 1:28; 2:19; 4:12.
b 成熟乃是我们一再得着神圣的生命分赐到我们里面，直到我们有了生命的丰满─约十10下。
b. Maturity is a matter of having the divine life imparted into us again and again until we have the fullness of life—John 10:10b.
2 成熟乃在于度量的扩充─诗四1：
2. Maturity is a matter of the enlargement of capacity—Psa. 4:1:
a 生命成熟是接受圣灵管治的总和─来十二5~11。
a. Maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit—Heb. 12:5-11.
b 人只看见一个人生命成熟，却未看见那人历年逐日暗中所接受加起来的圣灵管治─林后一8~10，创四七7、10。
b. Others may see a person who has matured in life, but they cannot see the accumulated discipline of the Holy Spirit which that person has received secretly day by day throughout the years—2 Cor. 1:8-10; Gen. 47:7, 10.
3 神要主宰地用人、事、物倒空原本充满我们的一切，除去我们先入的一切，使我们的度量增加，好被神充满─路一53，太五6。
3. God will sovereignly use persons, things, and events to empty us of everything that has filled us and to take away every preoccupation so that we may have an increased capacity to be filled with God—Luke 1:53; Matt. 5:6.
二 我们要在神圣的儿子名分上成熟，成为成年的儿子，就需要让基督成形在我们里面─加四4~5，罗八15，弗一5：
B. Christ being formed in us is needed that we may mature in the divine sonship and be sons of full age—Gal. 4:4-5; Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:5:
1 从我们得重生的时候起，主就一直在我们里面作工，使我们有祂的形像─林后三18，罗八29。
1. Since the time of our regeneration, the Lord has been working in us so that we may have His image—2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29.
2 等到主把祂的形像完全作到我们里面，祂也从我们里面完全彰显出来的时候，我们就生命成熟了─弗三16~17。
2. When the Lord has fully worked His image into us and is fully expressed through us, we will be mature in life—Eph. 3:16-17.
三 在新约圣经里，“成熟”这辞用于指信徒在他们重生时所得着之神的生命上长成、成熟并得以完全：
C. As used in the New Testament, the word mature refers to the believers' being full-grown, mature, and perfected in the life of God, which they received at the time of regeneration:
1 我们绝不该自满自足，乃要追求在基督的生命里长大成熟；我们需要往前，竭力前进，达到成熟，忘记背后，努力面前的，追求对基督完满的享受并赢得基督，好在千年国里对基督有极点的享受─腓三12~15。
1. We should never be content with ourselves but should pursue growth and maturity in the life of Christ; we need to go on, to be brought on, to maturity by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, pursuing toward the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ for the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom—Phil. 3:12-15.
2 在属灵生命上成熟的先决条件，就是在神圣生命里一直长大─弗四15。
2. The prerequisite for maturity in the spiritual life is to grow continually in the divine life—Eph. 4:15.
3 信徒在基督生命里长大成熟的最终结果乃是长成的人─召会作基督的身体，长成一个成熟的人─13节。
3. The ultimate issue of the believers' growth and maturity in the life of Christ is the full-grown man—the church as the Body of Christ growing into a mature man—v. 13.
叁 保罗尽职的目标，乃是要将各人在基督里成熟地献上，好成功一个新人─西一28~29，三10~11：
III. The goal of Paul's ministry was to present every man mature, full-grown, in Christ for the one new man—Col. 1:28-29; 3:10-11:
一 歌罗西一章二十八节里译为“成熟”的辞，也可译为“长成”、“完全”或“完整”。─引用经文
A. The Greek word rendered "full-grown" in 1:28 may also be translated "perfect," "complete," or "mature."
二 保罗的职事乃是要将基督分赐到人里面，使他们在基督里长大成熟，得以完全并完整─弗四13。
B. Paul's ministry was to dispense Christ into others so that they would be perfect and complete by maturing in Christ unto full growth—Eph. 4:13.
三 我们越进入基督里面，祂就越进入我们里面；祂越进入我们里面，我们就越进入祂里面；借着这循环，我们就得以在生命里长大─西一27~28。
C. The more we get into Christ, the more He comes into us; and the more He comes into us, the more we get into Him; it is by this cycle that we grow in life—Col. 1:27-28.
四 我们向罪人传福音，并与圣徒交通，其目标乃是将基督供应到他们里面，使他们在生命里成熟，而得以在祂里面成熟地献上─三10~11，弗四13~14。
D. Our goal in preaching the gospel to sinners and in fellowshipping with the saints is to minister Christ into them so that they may mature in life and be presented full-grown in Him—3:10-11; Eph. 4:13-14.
肆 我们要预备好被提，就需要在生命里成熟─太二四40~41：
IV. To be ready for rapture we need the maturity in life—Matt. 24:40-41:
一 被提乃是神在生命里完全救恩终极完成的步骤，就是我们身体的改变形状，得赎─罗五10，八23，腓三21：
A. The rapture is the consummating step of God's full salvation in life—the transfiguration, the redemption, of our body—Rom. 5:10; 8:23; Phil. 3:21:
1 因着我们里面所得神圣生命的要求，又因我们向主之爱的迫切，我们就愿追求过一种等候主来的生活─帖前一10，二19，三13，四15，五23。
1. Because of the demand of the divine life that we have received and because of the intensity of our love toward the Lord, we desire to pursue a life that awaits the Lord's coming—1 Thes. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23.
2 当我们爱主并等候祂来时，我们就盼望被提到主的同在里─太二四40~41，路十七31~36，二一36。
2. As we love the Lord and await His coming, we hope to be raptured to the presence of the Lord—Matt. 24:40-41; Luke 17:31-36; 21:36.
二 成熟不是一夜之间的事；为着主的来临，我们必须预备自己，爱祂并在祂里面长大，使我们在祂显现时得以成熟被提─启十四1~5。
B. To become matured is not an overnight matter; for the Lord's coming, we need to prepare ourselves, love Him, and grow in Him so that at His appearing we may be mature to be raptured—Rev. 14:1-5.
三 成熟的标记包括以下各项─来六1：
C. Marks of maturity include the following—Heb. 6:1:
1 被那改变我们的神圣生命所充满─弗三19。
1. Being filled with the divine life that changes us—Eph. 3:19.
2 在生命中作王─罗五17。
2. Reigning in life—Rom. 5:17.
3 能吃干粮─来五12~14。
3. Being able to eat solid food—Heb. 5:12-14.
4 在领悟上成熟─林前十四20。
4. Being full-grown in understanding—1 Cor. 14:20.
5 得以完全，像我们的天父完全一样─太五48。
5. Being perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect—Matt. 5:48.
6 看见身体，认识身体，活在身体里并为身体而活，顾到身体，以及尊重身体─弗四13~16。
6. Seeing the Body, knowing the Body, living in the Body and for the Body, caring for the Body, and honoring the Body—Eph. 4:13-16.