第一篇 基督徒生活的内在意义

The Intrinsic Significance of the Christian Life

晨兴-纲目|outline-听抄-目录

读经:约十四21、23,林后二10,四6~7

壹 基督徒的生活乃是活基督的生活;我们活着应当就是基督,而活基督的路就是爱基督─腓一19~21上,加二20:

I. The Christian life is a life of living Christ; our living should be Christ, and the way to live Christ is to love Christ—Phil. 1:19-21a; Gal. 2:20:

一 我们可以凭着爱基督到极点而活基督;我们若不爱基督,就不能活祂;爱祂是将我们全人专注于祂最好的路─林后五14,约壹四19,腓一19~21上,可十二30,启二4~5,约十四21、23,二一15~17,彼前一8,林前二9,十六22。

A. We can live Christ by loving Christ to the uttermost; if we do not love Christ, we cannot live Him, and loving Him is the best way to concentrate our entire being on Him—2 Cor. 5:14; 1 John 4:19; Phil. 1:19-21a; Mark 12:30; Rev. 2:4-5; John 14:21, 23; 21:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:9; 16:22.

二 爱神的意思,是把我们全人,灵、魂、体,连同我们的心、魂、心思和力量(可十二30),都完全摆在祂身上;这就是说,我们全人都让祂占有,消失在祂里面,以致祂成了我们的一切,我们在日常生活里,实际地与祂是一。─引用经文

B. To love God means to set our entire being—spirit, soul, and body with the heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)—absolutely on Him, that is, to let our entire being be occupied by Him and lost in Him, so that He becomes everything to us and we are one with Him practically in our daily life.

三 当我们爱祂,“那灵参透万事,甚至神的深奥也参透了”(林前二10);“参透”这辞原文意,积极地探究,含示准确的知识,不是发现的,乃是探索的;神的灵探索神关于基督的深奥,并在我们灵里,向我们显示这深奥,使我们领略并有分。

C. When we love Him, "the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10); the Greek word for searches is used in reference to active research, implying accurate knowledge gained not by discovering but by exploring; the Spirit of God explores the depths of God concerning Christ and shows them to us in our spirit for our realization and participation.

四 过基督徒的生活就是爱神的儿子耶稣,好使我们蒙父和子所爱,并享受子向我们的显现,并父和子的眷临,使父和子同我们安排相互的住处─约十四21、23。

D. To live the Christian life is to love Jesus the Son of God so that we will be loved by the Father and the Son and enjoy the Son's manifestation to us and Their visitation to us for Them to make a mutual abode with us—John 14:21, 23.

五 基督徒的生活就是以神自己作为我们的爱来爱神并彼此相爱的生活;基督曾在这世上活出神就是爱的生活,如今祂是我们的生命,使我们能在这世上活出同样爱的生活,正如祂在那寻找失丧者并拯救罪人之职事旅程中所是的─约壹四16~19,路十25~37,十九10,弗四20~21,参加五13~15。

E. The Christian life is a life of loving God and loving one another with God Himself as our love; Christ lived in this world a life of God as love, and He is now our life that we may live the same life of love in this world and be the same as He is in His lost-one-seeking and sinner-saving ministry journey—1 John 4:16-19; Luke 10:25-37; 19:10; Eph. 4:20-21; cf. Gal. 5:13-15.

贰 过基督徒的生活,就是凡事都要在基督的人位里行,也就是在基督的面前行─林后二10,四6~7:

II. To live the Christian life is to do all things in the person of Christ, in the face of Christ—2 Cor. 2:10; 4:6-7:

一 二章十节的“面”原文与四章六节的“面”相同,指眼睛周围的部分,其神色乃是内在思想和感觉的标示,将全人表明并陈明出来。─引用经文

A. The Greek word for person is literally "face," as in 4:6; it refers to the part around the eyes, the look as the index of the inward thoughts and feelings, which shows forth and manifests the whole person.

二 作信徒榜样的使徒保罗(提前一16)是照着基督眼中所表露祂全人的标示,在祂面前生活行动的人。─引用经文

B. The apostle Paul, who was a pattern for the believers (1 Tim. 1:16), was one who lived and acted in the presence of Christ, according to the index of His whole person, expressed in His eyes.

三 我们的心几时转向主,帕子就几时从我们心里除去,我们就能用没有帕子遮蔽的脸,观看荣耀的主;事实上,我们偏离的心就是帕子;没有帕子遮蔽的脸,就是没有帕子遮蔽的心,好观看显在耶稣基督面上之神的荣耀─林后三16、18,四6~7,撒上十六7,弗一18上。

C. Whenever our heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away from our heart, and we can behold the Lord of glory with an unveiled face; actually, our turned-away heart is the veil; an unveiled face is an unveiled heart to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ— 2 Cor. 3:16, 18; 4:6-7; 1 Sam. 16:7; Eph. 1:18a.

四 神的荣耀是显在基督的面上,而基督的面,就是祂的人位,乃是住在我们灵里的宝贝─林后四6~7,彼前三4。

D. The glory of God is in the face of Christ, and His face, His person, is the indwelling treasure in our spirit—2 Cor. 4:6-7; 1 Pet. 3:4.

五 我们是没有价值且脆弱的瓦器,但我们灵里盛装着无价之宝,就是基督自己的面,基督自己的人位(林后二10,四6~7);在全宇宙中,没有什么像观看耶稣的面那么宝贵(创三二30,出二五30,三三11、14,诗二七4、8,启二二4):─引用经文

E. We are earthen vessels who are worthless and fragile, but within our spirit we contain a priceless treasure, the face, the person, of Christ Himself (2 Cor. 2:10; 4:6); in the whole universe there is nothing so precious as to behold the face of Jesus (Gen. 32:30; Exo. 25:30; 33:11, 14; Psa. 27:4, 8; Rev. 22:4):

1 只有当我们活在基督的面前,注视祂所是的标示,我们才会感觉到祂之于我们是如此的宝贝;我们有难处只要告诉祂;祂就在我们里面,面对面与我们同在─腓四6。

1. It is only when we are living in His presence, looking at the index of His being, that we will sense that He is such a treasure to us; if we have some problem, we just need to tell Him; He is right within us, and He is with us face to face—Phil. 4:6.

2 看见神等于得着神,也就是在神的元素上接受神到我们里面来变化我们(伯四二5~6,太五8);我们今天所观看的这一位神,乃是终极完成的灵,我们可以在我们的灵里注视祂,好将神的丰富吸收到我们里面,而逐日在神圣的变化之下(林后三18下,太十四22~23,西四2)。─引用经文

2. Seeing God equals gaining God, which is to receive God in His element into us to transform us (Job 42:5-6; Matt. 5:8); the very God whom we look at today is the consummated Spirit, and we can look at Him in our spirit to absorb the riches of God into our being and be under the divine transformation day by day (2 Cor. 3:18b; Matt. 14:22-23; Col. 4:2).

六 当我们把心转向在我们灵里的主,面对面地观看祂并将祂照耀到别人里面(赛六十1、5),我们就在变化成祂荣耀形像的过程中,直到那日“我们必要像祂;因为我们必要看见祂,正如祂所是的”─林后三18~四1,约壹三2,启二二4。

F. As we turn our heart to the Lord in our spirit to behold Him face to face and beam Him into others (Isa. 60:1, 5), we are in the process of being transformed into His glorious image unto the day when "we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is"—2 Cor. 3:18—4:1; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4.

叁 过基督徒的生活,就是行事为人要与我们所蒙的呼召相配─弗四1~4:

III. To live the Christian life is to walk worthily of the calling with which we were called—Eph. 4:1-4:

一 行事为人与神的呼召相配之第一项,乃是我们要凭那由神圣属性所加强之变化过的人性美德,竭力保守那灵的一,就是基督身体的实际─1~4节:

A. The first item of a walk worthy of God's calling is for us to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit as the reality of the Body of Christ, with the transformed human virtues strengthened by and with the divine attributes—vv. 1-4:

1 在得荣耶稣的灵里,有耶稣变化过的人性;为着一个身体饮于并涌流出这一位灵,乃是饮于并涌流出那人耶稣的灵,饮于并涌流出耶稣的人性,连同祂被神性所丰富的人性美德,就如卑微、温柔、恒忍,在爱里彼此担就─约七37~39上,林前十二13,徒十六7,弗四2~3。

1. In the Spirit of the glorified Jesus, there is the transformed humanity of Jesus; to drink of and flow out the one Spirit for the one Body is to drink of and flow out the Spirit of the Man Jesus, to drink of and flow out the humanity of Jesus with His divinely enriched human virtues of lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering for bearing one another in love—John 7:37-39a; 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 16:7; Eph. 4:2-3.

2 我们若呼求主名,并且从祂得喂养,就会享受为人的耶稣,而祂那被拔高人性里的一切美德,将在耶稣的灵里成为我们的,使我们在实际的灵里实行被恢复的召会生活,而实际的灵乃是基督身体的实际─林前一2,十3~4、17,十二3下、13,十六13,弗四3~4上。

2. If we call on the name of the Lord and feed upon Him, we will enjoy Jesus as a man, and all the virtues of His uplifted humanity will be ours in the Spirit of Jesus for the practice of the recovered church life in the Spirit of reality as the reality of the Body of Christ—1 Cor. 1:2; 10:3-4, 17; 12:3b, 13; 16:13; Eph. 4:3-4a.

二 行事为人与神的呼召相配之第二项,乃是我们要在一切事上长到元首基督里面─15~16节:

B. The second item of a walk worthy of God's calling is for us to grow up into Christ the Head in all things—vv. 15-16:

1 我们要为着基督身体的建造,在一切事上长到基督里面,就需要享受基督作我们包罗万有、宇宙的顶替,为使一个新人得以产生;所以,我们必须“听祂”,并且“只见耶稣”─可九7~8。

1. In order to grow up into Christ in all things for the building up of His Body, we need to enjoy Christ as our all-inclusive, universal replacement for the producing of the one new man, so we must "hear Him" and see "Jesus only"—Mark 9:7-8.

2 凡不是基督的人事物,神都“解雇”;神以基督顶替了在祂旧约经纶里的一切─一1~8,太十七3~5,西二16~17,来十5~10,十一5~6,参赛二二20~25。

2. Whatever or whoever is not Christ, God "fires"; God has replaced everything in His Old Testament economy with Christ—1:1-8; Matt. 17:3-5; Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:5-10; 11:5-6; cf. Isa. 22:20-25.

3 当神创造我们的时候,祂“雇”了我们;当祂把我们摆在十字架上,与基督同钉的时候,祂就“解雇”了我们;而当祂使我们与基督一同复活的时候,借着使我们成为神人的新种类,神的新发明,作神团体的杰作,祂就“重新雇用”我们,将我们带回到祂原初的心意,就是创造我们,为使祂得着荣耀,得着祂团体的彰显─创一26,加二20,弗二6、10、15,赛四三7。

3. When God created us, He "hired" us; when He put us on the cross, crucifying us with Christ, He "fired" us; when He resurrected us together with Christ, He "re-hired" us by making us a new species of God-men, a new invention of God as His corporate masterpiece, bringing us back to His original intention of creating us for His glory, His corporate expression—Gen. 1:26; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:6, 10, 15; Isa. 43:7.

三 行事为人与神的呼召相配之第三项,乃是我们要照着那在耶稣身上是实际者而学基督─弗四20~24:

C. The third item of a walk worthy of God's calling is for us to learn Christ as the reality that is in Jesus—Eph. 4:20-24:

1 “那在耶稣身上是实际者”是指耶稣一生的真实光景,如四福音书所记载的;耶稣在生活中总是在神里面,同着神并为着神行事;神是在祂的生活中,并且祂与神是一─20~21节。

1. The reality is in Jesus refers to the actual condition of the life of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels; Jesus lived a life in which He did everything in God, with God, and for God; God was in His living, and He was one with God—vv. 20-21.

2 在祂地上的生活中,祂设立了一个榜样,如福音书中所启示的;此后,祂钉死并复活成了赐生命的灵,使祂可以进到我们里面,作我们的生命;我们照着祂的榜样跟祂学,不是凭我们天然的生命,乃是凭祂在复活里作我们的生命─林前十五45下,西三4。

2. In His life on earth He set up a pattern, as revealed in the four Gospels; then He was crucified and resurrected to become the life-giving Spirit so that He might enter into us to be our life; we learn from Him, according to His example, not by our natural life but by Him as our life in resurrection—1 Cor. 15:45b; Col. 3:4.

3 当我们爱主,接触祂,向祂祷告,我们就自然而然地照着福音书中所描绘的模子、模型、榜样活祂;这样,我们就被形成、被模成这个模子的形像─这就是学基督的意思─太十一29,罗八29。

3. As we love the Lord, contact Him, and pray to Him, we automatically live Him according to the mold, the form, the pattern, described in the Gospels; in this way we are shaped, conformed, to the image of this mold—this is what it means to learn Christ— Matt. 11:29; Rom. 8:29.

四 行事为人与神的呼召相配之第四项,乃是我们要活在爱和光中─弗五2、8:

D. The fourth item of a walk worthy of God's calling is for us to live in love and light—Eph. 5:2, 8:

1 我们需要作神性情的有分者,享受者(彼后一4);神的性情就是神的所是─神是灵(约四24),是爱(约壹四8、16),也是光(一5);灵是指神人位的性质,爱是指神素质的性质,光是指神彰显的性质。─引用经文

1. We need to be partakers, enjoyers, of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4); the divine nature is what God is—God is Spirit (John 4:24), God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and God is light (1:5); Spirit is the nature of God's person, love is the nature of God's essence, and light is the nature of God's expression.

2 我们需要花够多个人的时间与主同在,在灵里与祂私下交通,使我们能被祂爱的素质所充满,使祂借着我们牧养人,并被祂照耀的元素所充满,使人在我们身上看见祂─约四24,路十五20,太五15~16。

2. We all need to spend an adequate amount of personal time with the Lord to privately fellowship with Him in our spirit so that we can be filled with His loving essence for Him to shepherd others through us and so that we can be filled with His shining element for others to see Him in us—John 4:24; Luke 15:20; Matt. 5:15-16.

五 行事为人与神的呼召相配之第五项,乃是我们要凭着在灵里被充满并满溢基督而活─弗五18:

E. The fifth item of a walk worthy of God's calling is for us to live by being filled in spirit to overflow with Christ—Eph. 5:18:

1 彼此对说、歌唱、颂咏、感谢神并凭着敬畏基督彼此服从,不仅是在灵里被充满的流出,也是在灵里被充满的路─19~21节。

1. Speaking, singing, psalming, giving thanks to God, and subjecting ourselves to one another in the fear of Christ are not only the outflow of being filled in spirit but also the way to be filled in spirit—vv. 19-21.

2 在灵里被充满,就是被基督的丰富所充满,而成为基督的丰满,基督的满溢;我们呼求主并祷读主的话,就能不断接受祂作恩典,恩上加恩,而成为祂的丰满,祂的满溢─三8,一23,三19下,罗十12~13,弗六17~18,约一16。

2. To be filled in spirit is to be filled with the riches of Christ to become the fullness of Christ, the overflow of Christ; by calling on the Lord and pray-reading His Word, we can continually receive Him as grace upon grace to become His fullness, His overflow— 3:8; 1:23; 3:19b; Rom. 10:12-13; Eph. 6:17-18; John 1:16.

肆 过基督徒的生活,就是我们要接受圣灵的管治:

IV. To live the Christian life is for us to accept the discipline of the Holy Spirit:

一 借着我们接受圣灵的管治,神要把我们从这器皿倒在那器皿里,除净我们天然外面之人的渣滓、糟粕,以除去我们的味道,改变我们的气味,直到我们有基督纯净的味道,散发出基督纯净的馨香之气─耶四八11,林后二14~15,歌四16,王下四8~9:

A. God wants to take away our taste and change our scent by our accepting the discipline of the Holy Spirit, which is God's emptying us from vessel to vessel for the removal of the lees, the dregs, of our natural outer man until we have the pure taste of Christ and exude the pure fragrance of Christ—Jer. 48:11; 2 Cor. 2:14-15; S. S. 4:16; 2 Kings 4:8-9:

1 “万灵的父”借着试炼和责打,管教我们,“使我们有分于祂的圣别”─来十二4~13。

1. "The Father of spirits" disciplines us through trials and chastisement "that we might partake of His holiness"—Heb. 12:4-13.

2 那些从未受过试炼和责打的,就是没有从这器皿倒在那器皿里;因此,他们天然的个性,他们外面的人,他们的己,其渣滓、糟粕、沉淀物的原味尚存,香气未变─耶四八11,罗八28~29,歌四16。

2. Those who have never gone through trials and chastisement have not been emptied from vessel to vessel; thus, the taste of the lees, the dregs, the sediment, of their natural disposition, their outer man, their self, remains within them and their scent is not changed—Jer. 48:11; Rom. 8:28-29; S. S. 4:16.

二 马利亚有一玉瓶盛满了一磅至贵的真哪哒香膏;当她打破玉瓶,把膏浇在主的头上时,“屋里就满了膏的香气”─约十二2~3,可十四3,参歌一12。

B. Mary had an alabaster flask filled with a pound of ointment of very valuable pure nard; when she broke the flask and poured it out on the Lord, "the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment"—John 12:2-3; Mark 14:3; cf. S. S. 1:12.

三 玉瓶表征我们外面的人,需要打破才能让里面的人能够冲得出来;主多方地在我们里面并在我们身上作工,目的就是要打破这瓦器,这玉瓶,这外壳─林后四7,约十二3、24,罗八28~29。

C. The alabaster flask signifies our outer man, which needs to be broken so that the inner man can break forth; the Lord works in us and on us in so many different ways for the purpose of breaking the earthen vessel, the alabaster flask, the outer shell—2 Cor. 4:7; John 12:3, 24; Rom. 8:28-29.

四 我们天然的所是算不得什么;唯有那灵构成到我们这人里面的才算数;圣灵的管治拆毁我们天然的性情和习惯,好在我们身上有圣灵的组织,使我们变为成熟、甘甜;神安排我们环境中的一切,来拆毁我们天然的所是,好在我们里面形成新的性情、新的品格和新的属性─约三6,林后五17,加六15。

D. What we are by nature means nothing; only what the Spirit constitutes into our being counts; the discipline of the Holy Spirit destroys our natural disposition and habits and brings in the constitution of the Holy Spirit in maturity and sweetness; God orders everything in our environment to tear down what we are naturally so that He may form in us a new disposition, new character, and new attributes—John 3:6; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15.

五 不能被破碎有两个主要原因:

E. There are two main reasons for not being broken:

1 一个人不能被破碎,是因为活在黑暗里;对于一切发生在他身上的事,他总是怪别人或怪环境;他没有启示,看不见神的手,看不见是神在对付他─参伯十13,弗三9。

1. A person is not broken because he is living in darkness; in all that happens to him, he puts all the blame on other people or the environment; he has no revelation of God's hand and that God is the One who is dealing with him—cf. Job 10:13; Eph. 3:9.

2 一个人不能被破碎,是因为太自爱;我们必须求神除去我们爱自己的心;所有的误会,所有的不满,只有一个原因,就是我们私下的自爱。

2. A person is not broken because he loves himself too much; we have to ask God to remove self-love from us; all misunderstandings and dissatisfactions arise from only one thing— secret self-love.

六 我们需要看见,我们所经历的一切事,只有一个目的─叫神的生命能借着我们得释放并在我们身上得彰显;盼望我们外面的人被拆毁到一个地步,让里面的人能出得来、能看得见;这是宝贵的事,这就是事奉主之人的路─约十二24~26,林后四12。

F. We need to realize that everything through which we pass has only one purpose—that God's life would be released through us and expressed in us; may our outer man be broken to such an extent that the inner man can be released and expressed; this is precious, and this is the way of the servants of the Lord—John 12:24-26; 2 Cor. 4:12.

关于外面之人的破碎与灵的出来以及神的彰显之交通

the Breaking of the Outer Man for the Release of the Spirit and the Expression of God

我们必须认识神今天把我们放在世上是为什么。我顶直地说,神把我们放在世上,乃是要我们在罪人、圣徒、世人里面,作出饥渴慕义的心。我们出去作工,必须能够在人里面造出饥渴的心。在你里面必须有一种说不出的新鲜、能力、滋润和供应。人遇见你,就不能不去寻求神。人遇见你,与你来往时,就因你产生这种渴望寻求神的感觉。如果人与你经常见面,和你来往,却不能产生羡慕神的心,那就是你的失败。或者你读经祷告、事奉、传福音,而不能产生那种叫人饥渴的能力,那也是你的失败(倪柝声文集第二辑第二十二册,一二页)。

We have to know why God has put us in the world. He has put us in the world so that our presence would create a hunger and thirst for righteousness in sinners, believers, and the world. In our work, we have to create a hunger within others. There must be an enigmatic freshness, power, nourishment, and supply within us that will drive others to seek after God by our presence. Others should have a desire to seek after God as a result of meeting us and speaking to us. If we always see others and communicate with them without creating a desire within them for God, it means that we have failed. If our reading of the Bible, prayer, service, and gospel preaching do not produce such a powerful hunger within man, our work has failed. (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 42, p. 238)

王下四章说到那个书念的妇人接待以利沙的事,圣经记载说,“一日,以利沙经过书念,在那里有一个大户的妇人,强留他吃饭。此后,以利沙每从那里经过,就转进去吃饭。妇人对丈夫说,我看出那常从我们这里经过的是圣别的神人。”(8~9)以利沙经过书念,没有讲过一篇道,没有行过一件神迹,他每从那里经过,就是进去吃饭。那个女人凭着他的吃饭,就认识他是一个神人。这就是以利沙所给人的印象。

Second Kings 4 gives us the account of the Shunammite woman's reception of Elisha. The Bible says that "one day Elisha was passing through Shunem; and there was a wealthy woman there, who compelled him to have a meal. So whenever he passed through, he would turn aside and have a meal there. And she said to her husband, Now I know that this man who continually passes through unto us is a holy man of God" (vv. 8-9). Elisha passed through Shunem. He did not give one message or perform one miracle. Every time he passed through, he turned aside and had a meal there. The woman identified him as a man of God by the way he took his meal. This was the impression that Elisha gave to others.

今天我们也要问一问自己,我们所给人的印象是什么,或者说,从我们身上出去的是什么东西。我们一再提起,我们外面的人必须被破碎。如果不是这样,我们所给人的印象,就都是我们那个外面的人。我们每一次到人面前去的时候,或者叫人心里难受,觉得你是一个爱自己的人,觉得你是一个刚硬的人,觉得你是一个骄傲的人;或者你给人一个另外的印象,叫人觉得你是一个聪明的人,觉得你是一个口才非常好的人。也许你是给人一个所谓好的印象。但是,这一个印象能满足神的心么?这一个印象能满足召会的需要么?神不满意这个,召会也不需要这个。

Today we have to ask ourselves, "What is the impression that we give to others? What is the thing that comes out of us?" We have spoken repeatedly that the outer man must be broken. If the outer man is not broken, the impression that others receive from us will be nothing but the outer man. Every time we contact others, we may give them an unpleasant feeling that we are self-loving, stubborn, and proud. Or we may give them an impression that we are clever and extremely eloquent. Perhaps we give others a so-called good impression. But does this impression satisfy God? Does it meet the church's need? God is not satisfied, and the church has no need of our so-called good impressions.

……我们外面的人必须被破碎。如果外面的人没有被破碎,我们的灵就不能出去,我们就不能给人一个灵的印象。

…If the outer man is not broken, our spirit will not be released, and the impression we give to others will not be an impression of the spirit.

……给人印象的都是我们身上最强的东西(倪柝声文集第三辑第八册,人的破碎与灵的出来,二七三至二七四、二七二页)。

…What generates an impression in others is the strongest spots we have in ourselves. (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 54, "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit," pp. 238, 237)

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