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| 發表者 | 樹狀展開 |
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"God...calleth those things which be not as though they were." (Rom. 4:17.)
ＷHAT does that mean? Why Abraham did this thing: he dared to believe God. It seemed an impossibility at his age that Abraham should become the father of a child; it looked incredible; and yet God called him a "father of many nations" before there was a sign of a child; and so Abraham called himself "father" because God called him so. That is faith; it is to believe and assert what God says. "Faith steps on seeming void, and finds the rock beneath."
Only say you have what God says you have, and He will make good to you all you believe. Only it must be real faith, all there is in you must go over in that act of faith to God.
─Crumbs.
Be willing to live by believing and neither think nor desire to live in any other way. Be willing to see every outward light extinguished, to see the eclipse of every star in the blue heavens, leaving nothing but darkness and perils around, if God will only leave in thy soul the inner radiance, the pure bright lamp which faith has kindled.
─Thomas C. Upham.
The moment has come when you must get off the perch of distrust, out of the nest of seeming safety, and onto the wings of faith; just such a time as comes to the bird when it must begin to try the air. It may seem as though you must drop to the earth; so it may seem to the fledgling. It, too, may feel very like falling; but it does not fall-it's pinions give it support, or, if they fail, the parent birds sweeps under and bears it upon its wings. Even so will God bear you. Only trust Him; "thou shalt be holden up." "Well, but" you say, "am I to cast myself upon nothing?" That is what the bird seems to have to do; but we know the air is there, and the air is not so unsubstantial as it seems. And you know the promises of God are there, and they are not unsubstantial at all. "But it seems an unlikely thing to come about that my poor weak soul should be girded with such strength." Has God said it shall? "That my tempted, yielding nature shall be victor in the strife." Has God said it shall? "That my timorous, trembling heart shall find peace?" Has God said it shall? for, if He has, you surely do not mean to give Him the lie! Hath he spoken, and shall He not do it? If you have gotten a word- "a sure word" of promise-take it implicitly, trust it absolutely. And this sure word you have; nay, you have more-you have Him who speaks the word confidently. "Yea, I say unto you," trust Him.
─J. B. Figges, M. A.
「你們既然接受了主基督耶穌就當遵祂而行，在祂裏面生根建造、信心堅固，正如你們所領教訓感謝的心也更增加了。」歌羅西書二章6、7節
這裏再一次提到我們的兩種生命，首先說出：「你們既然接受了主基督耶穌，」這句話包括了悔改、罪愆，籍著耶穌基督的寶血而蒙赦免，成為神的兒女等等。接著就是：「當遵祂而行，在祂裏面生根」，就像一棵樹一樣，從地下吸收生長結果子所需要的養分。「在祂裏面建造」表明基督是唯一的根基，「堅固你的信心，使之增長」，每天藉著基督徒的交談和行事可證明他住在基督裏，正如樹根從土壤吸收養分，使其生命不致於中斷，基督徒從基督裏漸漸地接受生命和能力。
由宗教改革到信心宣告時代，悔改和接受基督是為人所重視，「稱義」和「成為義」等字眼常被人提及；但「成聖」卻少有人問津。罪得赦免，因信耶穌而在神面前被稱為義的教義為人所重視，但很少可聽到基督內住。我們要在祂裏面生根。海得堡（Heidelberg）的教理問答對於十誡有所解釋，但基督的命令在馬太五章以及約翰十三至十六章中，卻隻字不提。
讓我們一方面為宗教改革安放了基督真理的根基而感謝神，同時使我們也進到完全的地步，每天遵照基督而行，好叫我們信心增長、經歷豐盛的恩典，與每天以內住的基督為樂。聖經中有句話最能形容真正的虔誠生活：「以諾與神同行」，所以基督徒必須每天傚法基督，使信心增長，在主裏擴大。
「當烏西雅王崩的那年，我見主。」以賽亞書六章1節
我們與神交往的靈性關係，每每在我所依恃的英雄死去之後才能發展。神屢屢挪開我們的朋友，以便自己佔領他們的地位，那就是我們沮喪失敗氣餒的所在。現在拿這個來衡量我自己：當神把我所崇拜的那個人接去了──我是捨棄了一切麼？我病過麼？我灰過心麼？或──我看見了主麼？
我們得見神的異象，是以我們的品性為轉移。品性能決定啟示。在我能說「我也看見主」這句話之前，必是我的品性與神有相似的地方。不到我重生，開始看見神的國，我所見的，只是我偏見的路線；我所需要的是外面的割治，內面的洗滌。
必要把神放在前面，放在左邊，放在右邊，直到生命與神面對面，緊緊相接而無一點兒隔閡。「神啊，在這世界上除您以外，沒有別的，在您以外，沒有別的」。
要不斷的付出代價，讓神知道你情願達到異象的生活吧！
「因為基督也不求自己的喜悅……」羅馬書十五章3節
願我們今天能為基督和他人忘卻自己。願我們不要老是要別人事奉我們，相反的，能像主一樣說：「……然而我在你們中間，如同服事人的。」(路廿二23)願我們不要整天背著自己的負擔，倒要丟下成千的掛慮，自由地背起祂的軛和重擔。願我們做個快樂的交換：放下我們的包袱，揹起祂的來。並且與祂立約：「……你當多日為我獨居……。」(何三3)
與神立約之後，我們會脫去自己的重擔，並得著最大的喜樂和屬神的愛，並且瞭解「施比受更為有福」(徒廿35)的道理。願我們有機會就向人行善，尋找服事的機會、為神使用巧妙的方法。最重要的是，願我們領人歸主。
屬天的日子是忙碌的，
愛神的人不斷地事奉，
為神為人運用光陰，
就像渡過天上的時光。