第五週•週二

w05d02-ch

晨興餧養

雅一 12『忍受試煉的人有福了，因爲他旣受試驗得了稱許，就必得着生命的冠冕，這是主應許給那些愛祂之人的。』

  二 5『我親愛的弟兄們，請聽，神豈不是揀選了世上貧窮的人，叫他們在信上富足，並承受祂所應許給那些愛祂之人的國麼？』

在林前九章二十五節保羅…說，『凡較力爭勝的，諸事都有節制；他們不過是要得能壞的華冠，我們卻是要得不能壞的華冠。』保羅說，所有在競賽中較力爭勝的，都有嚴格的節制。譬如，他們非常注意飲食。倘若運動員都要有節制，以得着能壞的華冠，我們更該有節制，以得着不能壞的華冠（哥林多前書生命讀經，四八六至四八七頁）。

信息選讀

提後四章八節說，『從此以後，有公義的冠冕爲我存留，就是主，那公義的審判者，在那日要賞賜我的；不但賞賜我，也賞賜凡愛祂顯現的人。』冠冕象徵榮耀，是在主的救恩之外，當作獎賞賜給奔跑賽程的得勝者（林前九 25）。這獎賞乃是本於公義並藉着行爲（太十六 27，啓二二12，林後五 10），不像救恩是本於恩典並藉着信（弗二 5、8 ～ 9）。這樣的獎賞要賞賜給信徒，不是照着主的恩典，乃是照着主的公義；因此是公義的冠冕。這冠冕的賞賜者，乃是主這公義的審判者，不是憐憫的神或恩惠的救贖主。保羅確信這樣的獎賞已經爲他存留，到主第二次顯現的那日要賞賜給他。…保羅說，這樣的賞賜要賜給凡愛主顯現的人。

保羅所確信的公義冠冕是對豫防者的鼓勵。我們若對真理健康的話忠信，並且我們若是忠信的豫防者，將神聖豫防劑的成分分賜到今天的基督徒裏面，使他們回轉，完全認識真理，這賞賜就要在主顯現的時候賜給我們。這就是說，我們若對主的職事忠信，就要得着公義的冠冕作我們的賞賜。

今天基督徒中間有許多關於主第二次來臨的談論。但很少信徒曉得，主耶穌回來時，不會是憐憫的神或恩惠的救主，乃是公義的審判者。基督徒該受警告並鼓勵，豫備自己站在這位審判者面前。我盼望我們中間許多人會在這黑暗的世代接受負擔，將這樣鄭重的囑咐帶給主的子民。我們都需要在神面前，並在那將要審判活人死人的主耶穌面前，接受這囑咐。我們必須宣告這事實，主回來時將是所有人（信徒和不信者）的審判者。根據馬太二十五章，所有主的僕人都必須向祂交賬。主或者要說，『好，良善又忠信的奴僕。』（21）或者說，『又惡又懶的奴僕。』（26）主要憑祂的公義斷定我們是否得賞賜。

因爲主的來臨和祂的國度是嚴肅的事，在提後四章一至八節保羅就鄭重的囑咐提摩太。我們不該以爲主的顯現僅僅是被提和興奮的時候；主的顯現對每個在基督裏的信徒也是極其嚴肅的時候。這就是保羅憑着主的顯現和祂的國度囑咐提摩太的原因。願我們都留意這嚴肅的警告（提摩太後書生命讀經，七三至七五頁）。

參讀：哥林多前書生命讀經，第四十六篇。

WEEK 5 — DAY 2

Morning Nourishment

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, because when he has become approved by testing, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to those who love Him.

          2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers: Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He promised to those who love Him?

In 1 Corinthians 9:25 Paul [states], “Everyone who contends exercises self-control in all things; they then, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible.” All those who contend in the games, Paul says, exercise strict self-control. For instance, they watch their diet very carefully. If athletes exercise self-control in order to receive a corruptible crown, we should exercise self-control even more to obtain an incorruptible crown. (Life-study of 1 Corinthians, 2nd ed., p. 411)

Today’s Reading

Second Timothy 4:8 says, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing.” The crown, a symbol of glory, is given as a prize, in addition to the Lord’s salvation, to the triumphant runner of the race (1 Cor. 9:25). In contrast to salvation, which is of grace and by faith (Eph. 2:5, 8-9), this prize is not of grace nor by faith, but is of righteousness through works (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). The believers will be recompensed with such a reward, not according to the Lord’s grace but according to His righteousness. Hence, it is the crown of righteousness. The Recompenser is the Lord as the righteous Judge, not as the merciful God or the gracious Redeemer. Paul was assured that such a prize was reserved, laid up, for him and that he would be recompensed with it at the day of the Lord’s second appearing. Paul says that such a recompense will be given to all those who love the Lord’s appearing.

The crown of righteousness of which Paul was assured is the incentive to the inoculator. If we are faithful to the healthy word of the truth, and if we are faithful inoculators to dispense the ingredients of the divine inoculation into Christians today that they may return to the full knowledge of the truth, this reward will be given to us at the time of the Lord’s appearing. This means that if we are faithful to the Lord’s ministry, we will receive the crown of righteousness as our reward.

There is a great deal of talk among Christians today concerning the Lord’s second coming. But not many believers realize that when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will not come as the merciful God or as the gracious Savior but as the righteous Judge. Christians should be warned and encouraged to prepare themselves to stand before this Judge. I hope that many among us will take up the burden in this dark age to bring such a solemn charge to the Lord’s people. We all need to receive this charge before God and before the Lord Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead. We must declare the fact that when the Lord comes back, He will be the Judge of all, both believers and unbelievers. According to Matthew 25, all of the Lord’s
servants will have to give an account to Him. The Lord will either say, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (v. 21), or, “Evil and slothful slave” (v. 26). In His righteousness the Lord will decide whether or not we receive a reward.

Because the Lord’s coming and His kingdom are solemn matters, Paul gave a serious charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-8. We should not think that the Lord’s appearing will merely be a time of rapture and excitement. It will also be a time of great solemnity for every believer in Christ. This was the reason Paul charged Timothy by the Lord’s appearing and His kingdom. May we all give heed to this solemn warning. (Life-study of 2 Timothy, 2nd ed., pp. 60-61)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Corinthians, msg. 46