第八週•週一

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晨興餧養

西一12『感謝父，叫你們彀資格在光中同得所分給眾聖徒的分。』

彼前二9『…宣揚那召你們出黑暗、入祂奇妙之光者的美德。』

〔所分得的分〕指業分，如以色列人分得迦南美地之分，作他們的產業。（書十四1。）新約信徒的基業，我們所分得的分，不是物質的土地，乃是包羅萬有的基督。祂是眾聖徒所分得的分，作了我們神聖的基業，給我們享受。（聖經恢復本，西一12註3。）

申命記八章七至九節中美地的豐富，豫表基督那追測不盡之豐富的不同方面，（弗三8，）在祂的靈裏作祂信徒全備的供應。（腓一19。）

神經綸的目標不僅僅是救贖祂的子民，拯救他們脫離埃及所豫表的世界，更是要帶他們進入美地所豫表的基督，使他們可以據有祂，並享受祂那追測不盡的豐富。以色列人藉着享受那地的豐富，就能建造聖殿作神在地上的居所，並建造耶路撒冷城，將神的國建立在地上。照樣，在基督裏的信徒藉着享受基督那追測不盡的豐富，被建造爲基督的身體，召會，就是基督的豐滿，祂的彰顯，（弗一22 ～ 23，）也是神的居所（弗二21 ～ 22，提前三15）與神的國。（太十六18 ～ 19，羅十四17。）（申八7 註1。）
信息選讀

我們的分—基督，乃是我們在光中所享受的。…聖經啓示，光與神、神的話、基督、基督的生命、信徒並召會有關。…惟有〔神〕是光的源頭。〔約壹一5。〕神的話、基督、基督的生命、信徒和召會都能彀是光，因爲有神作其源頭。

詩篇一百一十九篇一百零五節說，神的話是我們腳前的燈，是我們路上的光；一百三十節說，神的言語一解開，就發出亮光。神的話是光，因爲神的話包含了神。…聖經的源頭是神，而神就是光。所以，聖經的話乃是光的照耀。

神與基督原爲一。神旣是光，基督也就是光。基督以非常明確的方式作世界的光。約翰九章五節的世界，乃是指社會、人類。因此，基督不是以籠統的方式，乃是以明確的方式，作社會、作人類的光。…基督的生命也是光。〔一4。〕…我們接受基督作生命的時候，這生命就成了我們裏面的光，照耀我們，並且從裏面光照我們。

凡相信基督的人也是光。…（太五14。）在腓立比二章十五節，保羅說，信徒『好像發光之體顯在世界裏』。發光之體，原文指返照太陽光的光體。光體本身沒有光，卻返照從別的光源而來的光。…我們在自己裏面沒有光。…我們的光源不是我們自己，乃是作爲那靈的基督。

在啓示錄一章二十節，我們看見召會是燈臺，托住並支持焚燒的燈。這燈就是基督，有神在祂裏面作光。（二一23。）在宇宙中只有一種光，就是神自己。三一神乃是獨一的光。

我們得救的時候，感覺到基督的甜美。我們裏面的深處曉得，基督真是可享受的。然後…我們許多人受到打岔，離開了對基督的享受。我們從裏面對基督甜美的感覺，轉向宗教的義務。這再次把我們帶進黑暗裏，內裏的照耀就停止了。…但有一天，我們因着絕望，撇下我們宗教的義務而轉向主，並且向祂呼喊。…因着轉向主，我們再一次從黑暗轉入光中。然後在光中，我們又開始享受基督作眾聖徒的分。（歌羅西書生命讀經，六四、六六至七○頁。）

參讀：歌羅西書生命讀經，第七篇。

WEEK 8 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.

1 Pet. 2:9 …Tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

The allotted portion refers to the lot of the inheritance, as illustrated by the allotment of the good land of Canaan given to the children of Israel for their inheritance (Josh. 14:1). The New Testament believers’ inheritance, their allotted portion, is not a physical land; it is the all-inclusive Christ. He is the allotted portion of the saints as their divine inheritance for their enjoyment. (Col. 1:12, footnote 2)

The riches of the good land in Deuteronomy 8:7-9 typify the unsearchable riches of Christ in different aspects (Eph. 3:8) as the bountiful supply to His believers in His Spirit (Phil. 1:19).

God’s goal in His economy is not merely to redeem His people and save them from the world, typified by Egypt, but to bring them into Christ, typified by the good land, that they may possess Him and enjoy His unsearchable riches. By enjoying the riches of the land, the children of Israel were able to build up the temple to be God’s habitation on earth and the city of Jerusalem to establish God’s kingdom on earth. Likewise, by enjoying the unsearchable riches of Christ, the believers in Christ are built up to be Christ’s Body, the church, which is Christ’s fullness, His expression (Eph. 1:22-23), and which is also the habitation of God (Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Tim. 3:15) and the kingdom of God (Matt. 16:18-19; Rom. 14:17). (Deut. 8:7, footnote 1)

Today’s Reading

Christ, our portion, is to be enjoyed by us in the light. The Bible reveals that the light is related to God, the Word of God, Christ, the life of Christ, the believers, and the church. God alone is the source of light [cf. 1 John 1:5]. The Word of God, Christ, the life of Christ, the believers, and the church can all be light because they have God as their source.

Psalm 119:105 says that the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and 119:130 says that the opening of God’s words gives light. The Word of God is light because it contains God…The source of the Bible is God, and God is light. Therefore, the words of the Bible are the shining of light.

God and Christ are one. Since God is light, Christ also is light. Christ is the light of the world in a very definite way. The world in John 9:5 denotes society, mankind. Thus, Christ is the light not just in a general way but in a definite way as the light of society, of mankind. The life of Christ is also light (John 1:4)…When we receive Christ as life, this life becomes light in us, shining upon us and enlightening us from within.

Those who believe in Christ are also the light…(Matt. 5:14). In Philippians 2:15 Paul says that the believers “shine as luminaries in the world.” A luminary does not have light in itself; it reflects light that comes from another source…In ourselves we have no light…The source of our light is not ourselves but Christ as the Spirit.

In Revelation 1:20 we see that the church is a lampstand, a stand that holds and supports a burning lamp. The lamp is Christ with God in Him as light (21:23). In the universe there is one light, God Himself. The Triune God is the unique light.

When we were saved, we had a sense of the sweetness of Christ. Deep within, we realized how enjoyable Christ is. Then…many of us were distracted and led away from the enjoyment of Christ. We turned from the inner sense of the sweetness of Christ to religious duty. This brought us into darkness again, and the inward shining ceased…One day, out of desperation, we laid aside our religious duty, turned to the Lord, and cried out to Him… By turning to the Lord, we turned once more from darkness to light. Then, in the light, we again began to enjoy Christ as the allotted portion of the saints. (Life-study of Colossians, second edition, pp. 55-59)

Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 7