第八週．週四

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晨興餧養

太十二２８『我若靠着神的靈趕鬼，這就是神的國臨到你們了。』

來九１４『何況基督藉着永遠的靈，將自己無瑕無疵的獻給神，祂的血豈不更潔淨我們的良心，使其脫離死行，叫我們事奉活神麼？』

在神聖三一裏有許多神聖的優越、神聖的美德、和神聖的屬性，諸如合一、謙卑、美麗、以及和諧。…在馬太十二章二十八節，主說，『我［子］若靠着神［三一神，包括父］的靈趕鬼，這就是神［三一神］的國臨到你們了。』…難道主耶穌不能靠着自己趕鬼麼？…祂那時是在驕傲、自私、單獨的法利賽人中間。他們不肯與任何人一同工作。在他們中間沒有謙卑，並且他們滿了自利、自私。現在有一位他們所定罪的，站在他們面前，告訴他們說，祂以不同的方式作了一件事。…祂不是單獨的。…祂乃是靠着神的靈作事，為着神的國作事。祂從未靠自己或為自己作甚麼。這豈不是很美麼？這給我們看見神聖三一裏的優越。（李常受文集一九八八年第一冊，四二三至四二四頁。）

信息選讀

這的確是我們配搭的好榜樣。主已經產生了一個身體，是由許多肢體所構成的，所以眾肢體都當學祂。祂靠神的靈，為父神作工。祂從未靠自己，或為自己作任何事。…我們的行為應當就像我們的元首。祂所行所為都不靠自己，也不為自己。今天在召會生活裏，由於缺少正確的配搭，基督的身體還沒有充分的建造起來。我們若要與身體裏的眾肢體有配搭，就必須學我們的元首基督，以祂為我們的榜樣。…我可能照着神的旨意作一件事，但我所作的不該靠自己，乃該靠一些其他的人。不僅如此，我所作的也不該為我自己，乃該為神在地上的權益、權利。這是美麗的，而這樣的美麗，乃是真實的優越，真實的神聖屬性，也是絕佳的美德，是我們所需要效法的。

主…不說祂是靠自己，並為祂自己的國趕鬼。祂反而說，祂是靠另一位，並為另一位趕鬼。祂的靈是多麼的謙卑，多麼的無己。祂不靠自己或為自己作甚麼。在祂身上沒有己，沒有自私的元素。這是一種的美麗。

在馬太十二章，主靠着神的靈趕鬼。希伯來九章十四節說，祂藉着永遠的靈將自己獻上。我們再次要問，為甚麼主不藉着祂自己將祂自己獻給神？…祂是彀格的；祂若肯，祂就能作；但祂不肯。祂藉着一個管道，一個憑藉，也就是藉着永遠的靈，將祂自己獻上。

在此我們…看見，子的謙卑和無己，…也看見在神聖三一裏的和諧。子…不信靠自己，乃信靠另一位。凡祂所作的，都不是為祂自己，乃是為着父；凡從祂所產生的結果，都是歸給父。祂完全不靠祂自己，不為祂自己，也不向着祂自己。

這是我們的元首為祂的身體所立下的好榜樣，我們都是這身體的肢體。…我們作事的時候，應當學習不靠自己去作。我們雖然是作事的人，但我們不該是管道。我們需要另一位作我們的管道，使我們能藉着這管道作事。不僅如此，我們不該從我們所作的得益。應當有另一位是我們的受益人，從我們的所作和所是得益處。（李常受文集一九八八年第一冊，四二四至四二八頁。）

參讀：在神聖三一裏並同神聖三一活着，第五章。

WEEK 8 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

Matt. 12:28 But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Heb. 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Within the Divine Trinity there are many divine excellencies, divine virtues, and divine attributes, such as oneness, humility, beauty, and harmony. In Matthew 12:28 the Lord said, “If I [the Son], by the Spirit of God [the Triune God including the Father], cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God [the Triune God] has come upon you.”…Couldn’t the Lord Jesus have cast out these demons by Himself?…At that time He was among the Pharisees, who were proud, selfish, and individualistic. They would not work with anyone else. There was no humility among them, and they were full of self-seeking, selfishness. Now there was One, condemned by them and standing in front of them, telling them that He did something in a different way…He was not individualistic…He was doing something by the Spirit of God and for the kingdom of God. He never did anything by Himself or for Himself. Is this not beautiful? This shows us the excellency in the Divine Trinity. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” pp. 307-308)

Today’s Reading

This is surely a good pattern for our coordination. The Lord has produced a Body constituted with many members, so all the members should learn of Him. He was working by the Spirit of God for God the Father. He never did anything by Himself or for Himself…We should behave ourselves just like our Head. He behaved Himself in a way of neither doing anything by Himself nor doing anything for Himself. Today in the church life the Body of Christ has not been built up adequately because of the shortage of the proper coordination. If we want to be coordinated with all the members in the Body, we have to learn of Christ our Head, taking Him as our pattern…I may do something according to the will of God, but what I do should not be by myself but by some others. Furthermore, what I do should not be for myself but for the interest, the right, of God on the earth. This is a beauty, and this beauty is a real excellency, a real divine attribute, and an excellent virtue that we need to copy.

The Lord did not say that He cast out demons by Himself for His own kingdom. Instead, He said that He cast out demons by another One and for another One. His spirit was so humble, so selfless. He did nothing by Himself or for Himself. With Him there was no self, no element of selfishness. This is a beauty.

In Matthew 12 the Lord cast out demons by the Spirit of God. Hebrews 9:14 says He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit. Again, we need to ask why the Lord did not offer Himself to God by Himself…He was qualified, and He could if He would, but He would not. He offered Himself through a channel, through a means, that is, through the eternal Spirit.

We can see the humility and the selflessness of the Son…[and] the harmony in the Divine Trinity. The Son…did not trust in Himself but in another One. Whatever He did was not for Himself but for the Father, and whatever issued out of Him went to the Father. He was altogether not by Himself, for Himself, or to Himself.

This is a good pattern that our Head has set up for His Body, of which we all are members …When we do things, we should learn to do them not by ourselves. We are the doers, but we should not be the channel. We need someone else to be our channel through which we do things. Furthermore, we should not be the beneficiary of what we do. Someone else should be our beneficiary to receive the very benefit of our doing and of our being. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” pp. 308-310)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” ch. 5