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2024/11/15 10:20:32瀏覽7|回應0|推薦0 | |
第五週.週二 晨興餧養 羅九19~21『這樣,你必對我說,祂為甚麼還指責人?有誰抗拒祂的旨意?人哪,你是誰,竟向神頂嘴?被塑造者豈能對塑造他者說,你為甚麼這樣造我?窯匠難道沒有權柄,從同一團泥裏,拿一塊作成貴重的器皿,又拿一塊作成卑賤的器皿麼?』 我們都必須領悟我們是誰。我們是神的造物,祂是我們的創造者。我們是祂的造物,不該對祂這位創造者說甚麼。…神是窯匠,我們是泥塊。神這位窯匠對泥塊有權柄。祂若願意,祂能作一個貴重的器皿,也能作一個卑賤的器皿。這不在於我們的揀選—這在於祂的主宰。(羅馬書生命讀經,三一三頁。) 信息選讀 羅馬九章二十一節揭示神造人的目的。本節在啟示神造人的目的上是獨特的。沒有本節,我們很難領悟神造人的目的,是要使人作祂的器皿,以盛裝祂。我們都必須徹底領會,我們是神的容器,神是我們的內容。林後四章七節說,『我們有這寶貝在瓦器裏。』我們是瓦器,神是寶貝和內容。神照着祂的豫定,主宰的造了我們作祂的容器。 提後二章二十至二十一節表達同樣的思想;那裏說,我們是貴重的器皿。所以,我們需要潔淨自己,脫離卑賤的事,使我們分別為聖,合乎主人使用。然而,我們成為貴重的器皿,不是我們揀選的結果;這乃是起源於神的主宰。神藉着所造蒙憐憫以盛裝祂自己的器皿,使祂的榮耀彰顯出來;這是在於神的主宰。這是很深的話。神的主宰是祂揀選的基礎。 『若是神願意顯示祂的忿怒,彰顯祂的能力,就多用恆忍寬容那些可怒、豫備遭毀滅的器皿。』(羅九22。)對此我們該說甚麼?我們無話可說。祂是窯匠,祂有權柄;人不過是泥土。 『且要在那些蒙憐憫、早豫備得榮耀的器皿上,彰顯祂榮耀的豐富;這器皿就是我們這蒙祂所召的,不但從猶太人中,也從外邦人中,這有甚麼不可?』(23∼24。)一切都在於神的權柄。神有權柄將我們這些祂所揀選並呼召的人—不但從猶太人中,也從外邦人中—作成蒙憐憫的器皿以盛裝祂,使祂榮耀的豐富得以彰顯,得以顯明。…我們被祂的主宰豫定作祂的容器,就是貴重的器皿,彰顯祂在榮耀裏的所是。那不但是祂的憐憫,也是祂的主宰。 神的揀選有一個目標—得着許多器皿盛裝神,並且永遠彰顯祂。…不錯,祂愛我們。然而,祂的愛顯明出來,不但是要拯救我們,也是要使我們成為祂的器皿。 神這樣造我們,使我們能將祂接受到我們裏面,並盛裝祂作我們的生命和生命的供應,目的是要使我們與祂成為一,彰顯祂的所是,並使祂在我們身上得榮耀,且同我們得榮耀。這是神的揀選永遠的目標。這也是我們永遠的定命。 這段話也揭示我們對神用處的高峰,不是被祂用作僕人、祭司和君王,乃是用作器皿盛裝祂並彰顯祂。我們若要被用作神的器皿,當然祂必須與我們是一。我們是祂的容器和祂的彰顯;祂是我們的內容和我們的生命。祂活在我們裏面,使我們憑祂活着。祂與我們,我們與祂,至終在生命和性情上都要成為一。這是祂照着祂的主宰而有之揀選的目標。這也是我們照着祂的揀選而有的定命,這定命要在新耶路撒冷裏完滿的啟示出來。(羅馬書生命讀經,三一三至三一五頁。) 參讀:羅馬書生命讀經,第二十二、五十八篇。 WEEK 5 — DAY 2 Morning Nourishment
Rom. 9:19-21 You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? For who withstands His will? But rather, O man, who are you who answer back to God? Shall the thing molded say to him who molded it, Why did you make me thus? Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?
We all have to realize who we are. We are God’s creatures, and He is our Creator. As His creatures, we should not say anything to Him, the Creator…God is the Potter, and we are pieces of clay. As the Potter, God has authority over the clay. If He wills, He can make one vessel unto honor and another vessel unto dishonor. It does not depend on our choice—it depends on His sovereignty. (Life-study of Romans, p. 257)
Today’s Reading
Romans 9:21 discloses God’s purpose in creating man. This verse is unique in its revelation of God’s purpose in the creation of man. Without this verse it would be difficult for us to realize that God’s purpose in creating man was to make him His vessel to contain Him. We all must thoroughly understand that we are God’s containers and that God is our content. Second Corinthians 4:7 says that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” We are earthen vessels, and God is the treasure and the content. God has sovereignly created us to be His containers according to His predestination.
Second Timothy 2:20-21 conveys the same thought, saying that we are vessels unto honor. So, we need to cleanse ourselves from dishonorable things that we may be sanctified and suitable for the Lord’s use. However, being vessels unto honor is not the result of our choice; it originates with God’s sovereignty. It is of God’s sovereignty that He make His glory known by creating vessels of mercy to contain Himself. This is a deep word. God’s sovereignty is the basis of His selection.
“What if God, wishing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction” (Rom. 9:22). What should we say about this? We have nothing to say. He is the Potter, and He has the authority. Human beings are simply clay.
“In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory, even us, whom He has also called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?” (vv. 23-24). All depends upon God’s authority. God has the authority to make us, whom He has selected and called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles, vessels of mercy to contain Him, that the riches of His glory may be made known, that is, manifested …We were predestinated by His sovereignty to be His containers, vessels of honor to express what He is in glory. This is not only a matter of His mercy but also of His sovereignty.
God’s selection has a goal—to have many vessels to contain God and to express Him eternally…Yes, He loves us. However, His love is not only shown to save us but to make us His vessels. God created us in such a way that we are able to take Him into us and contain Him as our life and life supply, to the end that we be one with Him to express what He is and that He be glorified in us and with us. This is the eternal goal of God’s selection. It is also our eternal destiny.
This portion of the Word also unfolds the climax of our usefulness to God, which is not to be used by Him as servants, priests, and kings but as vessels to contain Him and express Him. If we are to be used as God’s vessels, surely He has to be one with us. We are His container and His expression; He is our content and our life. He lives in us that we may live by Him. He and we, we and He, eventually will be one both in life and in nature. This is the goal of His selection according to His sovereignty. It is also our destiny according to His selection, a destiny which will be fully revealed in the New Jerusalem. (Lifestudy of Romans, pp. 257-258)
Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msgs. 22, 58
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