第三週■週三

w03d03-ch

晨興餧養

弗二21『在祂裏面，全房聯結一起，長成在主裏的聖殿。』

箴四23『你要切切保守你心，因爲生命的果效發之於心。』

這房是活的，（彼前二5，）所以是在長大，長成聖殿。召會這神的家真實的建造，乃是藉着信徒生命的長大。（聖經恢復本，弗二21 註4。）

許多人得救後，所以有生命上的難處，都是因爲他們不認識生命的道路，不以基督作生命。（李常受文集一九五三年第一册，一七五頁。）

信息選讀

一棵光滑的石子，不僅沒有稜邊，也沒有凸角。有人生來就是如此；在家裏不碰撞哥哥，不碰撞弟弟，不碰撞父母，到辦公室也不碰撞同事，不碰撞長官。無論人怎樣碰他，他都是光光滑滑的。有一天，這樣的人得救了，在召會裏，他還是那樣圓圓滑滑的基督徒。…許多弟兄姊妹就稱讚說，這人真是屬靈，在家從來不鬧意見，在外從不惹是非，只看見他作事，從未看見他出意見，真是屬靈，真是滿有生命。…要知道，這是名副其實的假冒。若說這位弟兄如此是屬靈的，是不是他得救前，就很『屬靈』呢？沒有這回事，一個人是否屬靈，不在於外面的表現，乃在於他如何對待基督。…生命就是神自己，生命就是基督，生命就是聖靈。凡不是神、基督、聖靈的，就不是生命。所以，那些無論多麼搆得上道德標準，甚至超過道德標準的，都不一定是生命。

基督在你裏面運行，給你感動，給你感覺，叫你明明知道祂要你作甚麼，祂向你要求甚麼，要帶領你甚麼，對付你甚麼，你卻偏不順服，一味的在那裏違反你裏面的感覺，不接受，也不肯出代價。你這樣的反叛、頂撞，就是悖逆。

〔在〕探訪福音朋友，與弟兄姊妹交通…那些行動中，我們雖然積極熱心，卻是把活的基督關在裏
面，旣不理祂，也不睬祂。所以，實際上，我們是違背了那在我們裏面活的基督。祂要我們這樣作，我們卻偏偏不這樣作；我們不照着祂的意思作，明顯就是背叛。

無論是我們的天然，或是天性，或是我們的己，都是一種難處，使神的生命在我們裏面，不容易出來。然而，我們天然的幹才、本領，更是一種厲害的攔阻，使神的生命不容易從我們裏面出來。有許多弟兄姊妹，他們都非常愛主，也爲主熱心，實在是敬虔的。然而，在他們身上有一個最厲害的難處，就是他們的幹才太大，本事太高，使得基督在他們身上沒有地位，沒有出路。

他們甚至以爲〔自己的幹才和本能〕是好的，是對召會有用的；他們以爲，要事奉神，就需要這種幹才和本能。他們不僅一點沒有輕看這些幹才，反而寶貝他們與生俱來的幹才；這在他們身上牢不可破，以致成了基督生命的難處。

願主憐憫我們，從這些簡單的話裏，能彀看見在我們身上有多少難處，並且給神的生命多少的限制。要知道，在我們身上的難處不止於此。這些難處在我們身上，只有一條解決的路，就是經過十字架，讓十字架來破碎。我們若要基督的生命在我們裏面不受攔阻，就必須經歷十字架的破碎，讓這些難處受到對付，被除掉，讓基督的生命能從我們裏面活出來。（李常受文集一九五三年第一册，一七六至一七七、一七九至一八二頁。）

參讀：生命經歷的實際功課，第十六章；生命的經歷與長大，第二十一至二十四、二十七篇。

WEEK 3 — DAY 3

Morning Nourishment

Eph. 2:21 In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.

Prov. 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the issues of life.

Since the building is living (1 Pet. 2:5), it is growing. It grows into a holy temple. The actual building of the church as the house of God is by the believers’ growth in life. (Eph. 2:21, footnote 4)

Many people have difficulty in their spiritual life after they are saved because they do not know the pathway of life, and they do not take Christ as their life. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” p. 135)

Today’s Reading

A smooth stone does not have any sharp edges or protrusions. Some people are born this way; they never offend their siblings and parents at home, and they never offend their co-workers and superiors at work. Regardless of how people treat them, they are always smooth and even. When such a person is saved, he becomes a smooth Christian in the church…Many brothers and sisters praise him, saying, “This person is truly spiritual. He never argues at home or causes trouble outside. We see him doing many things, but he never gives his opinion. He is truly spiritual and full of life.”…We need to realize that this is actually hypocrisy. If his behavior were truly spiritual, then it would mean that he was spiritual even before he was saved. This is not possible. A person’s spirituality is not determined by outward appearance but by how he takes care of Christ…Life is God Himself, life is Christ, and life is the Holy Spirit. Anything that is not of God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit is not life. Hence, regardless of how much a person can meet—and even go beyond—the standard of morality, this is still not necessarily life.

Christ operates and moves in us in order to make us clear about His will and requirements for us and about His leading and dealing with us. However, if we do not obey but go against the feeling within, not accepting His leading or paying the price, this unwillingness and opposition are rebellion.

We may be very active and zealous in doing [such things as visiting gospel friends and fellowshipping with the brothers and sisters] but still may imprison the living Christ within us by ignoring Him. Thus, we are actually disobeying the living Christ in us. He wants us to do things in a certain way, but we refuse to follow His way. Our unwillingness to do things according to His will is clearly rebellion.

Our natural being, disposition, and self are all problems that prevent God’s life from coming out of us. However, the problem of our natural capability and ability is even more serious, and it is a strong obstacle that prevents God’s life from flowing out of us. Many brothers and sisters truly love the Lord, are zealous for the Lord, and are very godly. Nevertheless, their greatest problem is the strength and greatness of their capabilities and abilities. Consequently, Christ has no ground or way in them.

They even think that [their capabilities and talent] are good and useful things to the church. They think that they need such [things] in order to serve God. They do not despise their natural capabilities; instead, they treasure them. If these capabilities remain unbroken in them, they will become a problem to Christ’s life.

May the Lord have mercy on us so that we would be enlightened to see how many obstacles there are in us and how much these obstacles restrict God’s life. Actually, the obstacles in us are not limited only to these things. Nevertheless, there is one solution to all these obstacles in us—we must pass through the cross and let the cross break us. If we want Christ’s life to be unhindered in us, we must experience the breaking of the cross and allow these obstacles to be dealt with and removed. This will allow Christ’s life to be lived out from us. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” pp. 136-140)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1964, vol. 4, “Practical Lessons on the Experience of Life,”
ch. 16; CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, “The Experience and Growth in Life,” chs. 21—24, 27