第六週■週一

w06d01-ch

晨興餧養

提後二 20 ～ 21『但在大戶人家，不但有金器銀器，也有木器瓦器；有作爲貴重的，也有作爲卑賤的；所以人若潔淨自己，脫離這些卑賤的，就必成爲貴重的器皿，分別爲聖，合乎主人使用，豫備行各樣的善事。』

貴重的器皿是由神性（金），以及蒙救贖得重生的人性（銀）所構成。這些器皿，就像提摩太和別的真信徒，構成了托住真理的確定根基。卑賤的器皿是由墮落的人性（木與土）所構成。

潔淨自己就是『離開不義』〔提後二 19、21〕，這是內在神聖性質的外在證據。提後二章二十一節的『這些卑賤的』，指卑賤的器皿，包括十六至十八節所說的那些人。我們不但該潔淨自己，脫離任何不義的事，也該脫離卑賤的器皿。這就是說，我們必須遠離他們。因此，我們必須潔淨自己脫離不義的事，並脫離卑賤的木器瓦器。我們若潔淨自己，脫離這些消極的事和消極的人，就必成爲貴重的器皿，分別爲聖，合乎主人使用，豫備行各樣的善事。『貴重』是性質的問題，『分別爲聖』是地位的問題，『合乎…使用』是功用的問題，『豫備』是訓練的問題（提摩太後書生命讀經，四一至四二頁）。

信息選讀

照我的經歷來看，沒有別的事情比領悟主不要我們作甚麼更討祂喜悅。祂只要我們愛祂，把自己向祂敞開，並且讓祂從我們裏面活出來。…從起初神造人，神就無意要求人來爲祂作甚麼。神的心意乃是要造一個器皿來盛裝祂、彰顯祂，因此神只要器皿是敞開的。如果器皿是敞開的，神就能完成祂的定旨；但如果器皿是關閉的，神的定旨就會受到攔阻。

在我們墮落的性情裏面有一種本質很邪惡，就是喜歡知道，也喜歡作。…宗教幫助人去知道，也幫助人去作。甚至今天基督教也成了這一種重在『知道』和『作』的主動宗教。神學院只教育人去知道、去作，…這完全是一種違反神永遠定旨的教育。難怪在成千的基督徒中間，你幾乎找不到一個認識神不要我們去知道，也不要我們去作；神只要我們愛祂，把自己向祂敞開。『主，我愛你。我實在領悟我只是一個虛空的器皿，但你寶貝這個瓦器，因爲這個瓦器是你照着永遠的計畫所創造的，要完成你心頭的願望。主，我單單愛你，我喜歡盛裝你，我喜歡被你充滿、被你浸透、被你浸潤。憐憫我，使我一直向你敞開。』

我們都必須承認，許多時候我們在禱告中沒有向祂敞開。甚至在禱告的時候，我們仍舊是關閉的。我們基本上都有同樣的經歷。從我們得救那天起，我們從來沒有完全把自己敞開，我們總是有一些保留。…你以爲你向着主是敞開的，事實上，你沒有完全敞開，你只敞開了一部分。你表面上膚淺的敞開，全人深處卻沒有敞開，因此主就不能作甚麼。

神不要我們作甚麼；祂只要我們成爲一個活的器皿。…神創造了一個活物，非常給祂惹麻煩。祂造了一個活的瓶子，情感豐富、意志剛強，而且還有心思。這個活的瓶子墮落以後，就成了神的難處。…基督徒不是冷淡，就是太熱中於知道和作爲。無論在那一面，主都無法得着這個器皿（李常受文集一九八○年第一册，三二三至三二六頁）。

參讀：提摩太後書生命讀經，第四篇。

WEEK 6 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

2 Tim. 2:20-21 But in a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels but also wooden and earthen; and some are unto honor, and some unto dishonor. If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.

Honorable vessels are constituted of both the divine nature (gold) and the redeemed and regenerated human nature (silver). These, like Timothy and other genuine believers, constitute the sure foundation that holds the truth. Dishonorable vessels are constituted of the fallen human nature (wood and earth).

To cleanse ourselves is to depart from unrighteousness [cf. 2 Tim. 2:19, 21], as an outward evidence of the inward divine nature. The word these in verse 21 refers to the vessels unto dishonor, including those mentioned in verses 16 through 18. We should cleanse ourselves not only from anything unrighteous but also from the dishonorable vessels. This means that we must stay away from them. Hence, we must cleanse ourselves from the unrighteous things and from the dishonorable vessels of wood and earth. If we cleanse ourselves from these negative things and negative persons, we will be vessels unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, and prepared unto every good work. Unto honor is a matter of nature, sanctified is a matter of position, useful is a matter of practice, and prepared is a matter of training. (Life-study of 2 Timothy, 2nd ed., p. 34)

Todays Reading

According to my experience, nothing pleases the Lord so much as for us to realize that He does not want us to do anything. He only wants us to love Him, to open ourselves up to Him, and to let Him live from within us…From the very beginning when God created man, God had no intention to ask man to do anything for Him. God’s intention was to create a vessel to contain Him and to express Him, so God only wants an opening of the vessel. If the vessel is open, God can fulfill His purpose, but if the vessel is closed, God’s purpose is frustrated.

In our fallen nature there is a substance so evil that likes to know and likes to do…Religion helps people to know, and religion helps people to do. Even today Christianity has become such an active religion of knowing and doing. Seminaries just educate people to know and to do…This is altogether a kind of education against God’s eternal purpose. It is no wonder that among thousands of Christians you can hardly find one who knows that God does not want us either to know or to do; God wants us only to love Him and to keep ourselves open to Him. “Lord, I love You. I fully realize that I am just an empty vessel, yet You treasure this earthen vessel because this earthen vessel was created by You according to Your eternal plan to fulfill Your heart’s desire. Lord, I just love You. I like to contain You. I like to be filled up with You. I like to be saturated and permeated with You. Have mercy upon me that I may keep myself open to You all the time.”

We all have to confess that many times in our prayer we are not open to Him. Even in our prayer we still keep ourselves closed…We all have the same kind of experience. Since the day we were saved, we never opened ourselves in an absolute way. We always opened ourselves with some amount of reservation… You think that you are open to the Lord. Actually, you are not entirely open. You are open but only partially. You are open superficially and in a shallow way. In the depths of your being you are not open, so the Lord cannot do anything.

God does not want us to do anything; He wants us only to be a living vessel… God created a living thing. God created something so bothering to Him. He created a living jar full of emotions, with a strong will, and with a mind. After the fall this living jar became a problem to God…Either the Christians are indifferent, or they are too hot in knowing and in doing. On either side the Lord could not get the vessel. (CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” pp. 239- 241)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Timothy, msg. 4