第七週．週五

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晨興餧養

西二１４～１５『塗抹了規條上所寫，攻擊我們，反對我們的字據，並且把它撤去，釘在十字架上。既將執政的和掌權的脫下，神就把他們公然示眾，仗着十字架在凱旋中向他們誇勝。』

２０～２１『你們若是與基督同死，脫離了世上的蒙學，為甚麼仍像在世界中活着，服從那不可拿，不可嘗，不可摸等類的規條？』

我們可以這樣說，新約聖經的總題乃是基督，整本新約都是講基督。從基督產生出三件大的東西：第一，十字架；第二，召會；第三，國度。…基督成功了十字架，十字架產生召會，召會就帶進國度。等到國度完全實現，神的旨意就能通行在宇宙中，神的名也能在地上被人尊為聖。（太六9∼10。）到這時候，神一切的計畫就都完成了。（李常受文集一九五七年第二冊，五六一頁。）

信息選讀

在神的經綸裏，神給我們一個人位和一條道路。這一個人位乃是居首位並包羅萬有的基督，這一條道路乃是十字架。基督是包羅萬有者，祂對我們乃是一切。祂是神，是人，也是宇宙中一切正面事物的實際。神已經將這奇妙的人位賜給我們，作我們的救恩。這一個人位—基督，乃是宇宙的中心；這一條道路—十字架，乃是神行政的中心。神藉着十字架管理萬有，並藉着十字架對付萬有。因此，基督如何是宇宙的中心點，十字架也照樣是神行政的中心。

基督不該被規條、儀文、神祕主義、或哲學頂替。基督是一切，祂絕不可被任何事物頂替。

歌羅西書清楚的說出，包羅萬有的基督乃是我們的一切。神的心意不是要賜給我們千萬的事物，乃是單要賜給我們一個人位，就是包羅萬有的基督。

保羅…給我們看見，十字架乃是神惟一的路。神的路不是禁慾主義，不是自表卑微、自我貶抑、或苦待己身。惟一的路乃是十字架的路。藉着十字架，神對付了宇宙中一切反面的事物；不僅如此，神還藉着十字架管理萬有。因此，我們有一個人位和一條道路，也就是說，我們有基督和十字架。

我們開車的時候，會遇到許多十字路口。你知道每一個十字路口都是一個十字架麼？…經過許多的十字路口，我們纔能抵達目的地。…我們若不經過十字架，也不能在屬靈上有長進。只有當我們到達新耶路撒冷時，纔不再需要經過十字架；因為乃是到那個時候，一切消極的事物纔被除盡。在我們到達新耶路撒冷之前，我們還需要一天過一天的經過十字架，與主一同生活行動。

在就寢前，我們需要把十字架應用到每一個問題，以及每一件消極、天然、有罪的事上。我們可以禱告主說，『主阿！我盼望這一切事都經過十字架。我不要帶着還沒有經過對付之天然的、有罪的、消極的、或屬世的元素去睡覺。主阿，我上床睡覺時，我盼望是一個被釘死的人。』

保羅能寫這樣的話，乃是因為他看見了一個清楚的異象：包羅萬有的基督是那一個人位，十字架是神行政裏的那一條道路。因此他不在意那些關於拿、嘗、摸等的規條。他不讓規條霸佔他。他知道一切物質的東西一經使用，就毀滅，至終成為無有。保羅知道，在歌羅西的信徒們需要看見包羅萬有的基督，以及十字架作神行政中的道路這個大的異象。我們也需要對基督和十字架有清楚的看見。（歌羅西書生命讀經，二五九至二六○、二六四至二六五、二六七頁。）

參讀：國度之於信徒，第四至六篇。

WEEK 7 — DAY 5

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Morning Nourishment

Col. 2:14-15 Wiping out the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Stripping off the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

             20 If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances?

We can say that the general subject of the New Testament is Christ; the entire New Testament concerns Christ. From Christ three great items are produced: the cross, the church, and the kingdom …Christ accomplished the work of the cross, the cross produced the church, and the church brought in the kingdom. In the full manifestation of the kingdom, the will of God will have been done in the universe, and His name will have been sanctified on earth (Matt. 6:9-10). At that time all of God’s plan will have been fulfilled. (CWWL, 1957, vol. 2, “What the Kingdom Is to the Believers,” p. 402)

Today’s Reading

In His economy God gives us one person and one way. The one person is the preeminent, all-inclusive Christ, and the one way is the cross. As the allinclusive One, Christ is everything to us. He is God, man, and the reality of every positive thing in the universe. God has given us this marvelous person to be our salvation. The one person, Christ, is the center of the universe; and the one way, the cross, is the center of God’s government. God governs everything by the cross and deals with everything by the cross. Therefore, just as Christ is the focal point of the universe, so the cross is the center of God’s government.

Christ should not be replaced by ordinances, observances, mysticism, or philosophy. Christ is everything and must not be replaced by anything. Colossians makes it clear that the all-inclusive Christ is everything to us. God’s intention is not to give us thousands of items; it is simply to give us one person, the all-inclusive Christ.

Paul …shows us that the cross is God’s unique way. God’s way is not asceticism. It is not to humble ourselves, to abase ourselves, or to treat ourselves severely. The one way is the way of the cross. By the cross God has dealt with all the negative things in the universe. Furthermore, God is still governing everything through the cross. Therefore, we have one person and one way; that is, we have Christ and the cross.

As we drive, we come to many intersections. Have you realized that every intersection is a cross?…By passing through many crosses, …we get to our destination …We [also] cannot progress spiritually without passing through the cross. Only when we arrive at the New Jerusalem will we cease to pass through the cross, for by that time all the negative things will have been eliminated. Until we come to the New Jerusalem, we need to pass through the cross day by day in our walk with the Lord.

At bedtime we need to apply the cross to every problem and to every negative, natural, or sinful thing. We may pray, “Lord, I want all these things to pass through the cross. I do not want to go to sleep with any natural, sinful, negative, or worldly element that has not been dealt with. When I go to bed, Lord, I want to be a person who has been crossed out.”

Paul could write such a word because he had seen a clear vision of the allinclusive Christ as the one person and of the cross as the one way in God’s administration. Therefore, he did not care for regulations about handling, tasting, or touching. He would not be occupied with ordinances. He knew that all material things perish when used and eventually come to nothing. Paul realized that the believers in Colossae needed to see a great vision of the allinclusive Christ and of the cross as God’s way in His administration. We also need a clear view of Christ and the cross. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 211-212, 215-217)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1957, vol. 2, “What the Kingdom Is to the Believers,” chs. 4—6