第二十九週．週三

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晨興餧養

太五８　　『清心的人有福了，因為他們必看見神。』

來十２２　『並且在心一面，我們已經被基督的血灑過，脫開了邪惡的良心，在身體一面，也已經用清水洗淨了，就當存著真誠的心，以十分確信的信，前來進入至聖所。』

心與生命既有這樣重要的關係，所以神為要叫祂的生命能從我們裏面律出去，就不得不來對付我們的心。我們的心向著神總不外有四大問題，就是：不軟，不清，不愛，不安。不軟，是心志的問題；不清，不只是心思的問題，也是心情的問題；不愛，就只是心情的問題；而不安，乃是良心的問題。神來對付我們的心，就是來對付這四方面，叫我們的心能軟，能清，能愛，能安。（李常受文集一九五三年第三冊，一四七頁。）

信息選讀

第一，神是要我們的心軟。心軟就是心志向神是折服的，是柔順的，沒有強項，沒有悖逆。神來對付我們的心，使我們的心能軟，乃是除掉我們的石心，賜給我們肉心，（結三六26，）就是把我們剛硬的石心，軟化成柔軟的肉心。

神怎樣使我們的心軟？…神常是先用祂的愛來感動，若是愛感不動，就用祂的手藉著環境來擊打，直到我們的心軟下來。我們的心一軟下來，祂的生命就能在我們裏面運行了。

第二，神是要我們的心清。心清就是心思專一的思念神，也是心情向著神純一不雜。…只愛神要神，除神以外，別無愛慕、傾向或想望。馬太五章八節說，『清心的人…必看見神。』所以心若不清，就不得看見神。只要我們的心思有一點思念在神之外的事物，或是我們的心情有一點愛慕在神之外的東西，我們的心就不清了，我們靈裏的生命也就因此受了阻礙。所以我們必須和那『清心呼求主的人』一同追求，（提後二22，）作一個清心愛主要神的人，纔能讓神的生命在我們裏面自由運行。

第三，神是要我們的心愛。心愛就是心情愛神，要神，渴慕神，想望神，對神有愛情。…舊約的雅歌…說我們一個聖徒，愛主該像一個女子戀慕她的良人一樣，是一往情深，比死更堅強的。〔八6～7。〕因為那卷書特別說到聖徒對主的愛情，所以也特別說出聖徒在主生命裏的長進。到了新約，在約翰二十一章裏，主曾三次問彼得說，『你愛我麼？』也就是要帶領他的心情能這樣的愛主，叫他向著主作一個心愛的人。主所以這樣作，乃是要彼得讓主的生命有機會在他裏面運行長大。…我們的心若這樣的向著主有愛情，主的生命在我們裏面纔能得到亨通，為所欲為。

第四，神是要我們的心安。心安就是良心無虧，〔徒二四16，〕沒有定罪指責，是妥貼安穩的。良心在我們裏面，乃是代表神來管理我們。…我們必須把良心裏一切的虧欠、定罪和指責，都對付清楚，使『我們在祂面前可以安心』。（約壹三19。）我們這樣心安，神就能通過，神生命的律在我們裏面纔能繼續運行。（李常受文集一九五三年第三冊，一四七至一五○頁。）

參讀：生命的認識，第十篇；神的經營，第七至八章。

WEEK 29 — DAY 3

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Morning Nourishment

Matt. 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Heb. 10:22 Let us come forward to the Holy of Holies with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Since the heart is so vitally related to life, God has no other alternative but to deal with our heart so that His life might be regulated out from us. Toward God, our heart has four great problems: hardness, impurity, unlovingness, and unpeacefulness. Hardness is a matter of the will, impurity is a matter not only of the mind but also of the emotion, unlovingness is a matter of  the emotion, and unpeacefulness is a matter of the conscience. When God deals with our heart, He deals with these four aspects so that our heart may be soft, pure, loving, and at peace. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” p. 110)

Todays Reading

First, God wants our heart to be soft. To be soft means that the will of the heart toward God is submissive and yielding, not stiff-necked and rebellious. When God deals with our heart so that our heart is soft, He takes away the heart of stone out of our flesh and gives us a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). This means that He softens our hard, stony heart so that it becomes a soft heart of flesh.

How does He soften our heart?…God often uses His love first to move us; if love cannot move us, He uses His hand through the environment to strike us until our heart is softened. Once our heart is softened, His life can work within us.

Second, God wants our heart to be pure. A pure heart means a heart that sets its mind specifically on God. It is also a heart in which the emotion is exceedingly pure and simple toward God…It only loves God and wants God; besides God, it has no other love, inclination, or desire. Matthew 5:8 says, “The pure in heart…shall see God.” Thus, if the heart is not pure, we cannot see God. If our thought is a little concerned with things outside of God, or if our emotion has a little love toward things outside of God, our heart is no longer pure; the life in our spirit is also hindered because of this. Therefore, we must pursue “with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22), and be those who love the Lord and want God with a pure heart; then we can let the life of God work freely within us.

Third, God wants our heart to be loving. A loving heart means a heart in which the emotion loves God, wants God, thirsts after God, yearns for God, and has affection toward God…Song of Songs in the Old Testament…says that as the Lord’s people, we should love the Lord as a woman loves her beloved. This love is so deep and unchanging and is as strong as death (8:6-7). Because this book speaks especially of our love toward the Lord, it also shows forth especially our growth in the life of the Lord. Then in the New Testament, in John 21, the Lord asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” This means that the Lord desired to lead the emotion of Peter to so love the Lord that he could be one who has a loving heart toward the Lord. The Lord did this because He wanted Peter to afford His life an opportunity to work and grow within him…If our heart has such love toward the Lord, the life of the Lord within us can move smoothly and do as it pleases.

Fourth, God wants our heart to be at peace. A heart at peace means a heart in which the conscience has no offense (Acts 24:16), no condemnation or reproach; it is safe and secure. The conscience within us represents God to govern us…We must deal clearly with all the offenses, condemnation, and reproach; so we “will persuade our heart before Him” (1 John 3:19). When our heart is thus at peace, God can pass through, and the law of the life of God can continue to work within us. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” pp. 110-112)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” ch. 10; CWWL, 1964, vol. 3, “The Economy of God,” chs. 7—8