第三十週．週四

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晨興餧養

約一１２～１３　『凡接受祂的，就是信入祂名的人，祂就賜他們權柄，成為神的兒女。這等人不　是從血生的，不是從肉體的意思生的，也不是從人的意思生的，乃是從神生的。』

十五１　　　　　『我是真葡萄樹，我父是栽培的人。』

帖前一章一節說，『保羅、西拉和提摩太，寫信給在父神和主耶穌基督裏，帖撒羅尼迦人的召會：願恩典與平安歸與你們。』帖撒羅尼迦前書與後書都是寫給在帖撒羅尼迦的地方召會，就是由該城所有在基督裏的信徒所組成的。這樣的地方召會是屬於信徒的，也是在父神和主耶穌基督裏的。這指明這樣的地方召會是由父神所生，有祂的生命和性情，並在主耶穌基督一切的所是和所作裏，與祂有生機的聯結。因此，召會是屬於人的，（如帖撒羅尼迦人，）但在生機上是在神裏並在主裏的。這種在神的生命和性情裏生機的聯結，乃是信徒為著召會生活，過聖別生活不可少的基礎。這樣的生活乃是這兩封書信的主題。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，三頁。）

信息選讀

保羅的著作有一個特徵，就是強調信徒與三一神生機的聯結。…強調與基督生機的聯結是保羅著作中一個顯著的特點。…帖前一章一節雖然寫得很簡單，卻題到生機的聯結，這是保羅特有的寫法。保羅在本節說到在父神和主耶穌基督裏，帖撒羅尼迦人的召會。這裏的介系詞『在…裏』非常重要，指出召會是在三一神裏的。召會是由人所組成，但這些人—信徒—乃是在三一神裏的。在帖撒羅尼迦的召會，一面是屬於帖撒羅尼迦人的，另一面是在父神裏的。

保羅不是僅僅說召會在神裏面，乃是說召會在父神裏。除非神是我們的父，否則我們就不能在祂裏面。我們不是在神裏面被造的，但我們是在祂裏面重生的。我們乃是在神之外被造的；這就是說，在神創造時，我們與祂沒有甚麼生機的聯結或生命的關係，只有受造之物與創造者之間的關係。創造的結果乃是我們成了神所造之物，而神是我們的創造主。因此，神與我們之間有創造的關係，卻沒有生命的關係。我們受造時，神的生命並沒有進到我們天然的人裏面。我們這些神所造的人，並沒有神的生命。我們只有受造的生命，就是我們天然人的生命。

我們重生、由神而生的時候，我們與神的生命關係就開始了。這個重生把我們帶進與三一神生機的聯結裏。我們重生的時候，得著了神的生命。現今神不僅是我們的創造主、我們的神，祂也是生了我們的父。神不再僅僅是我們的創造主，祂也是生我們的那位，因為祂已經用祂的生命生了我們。因此，祂是我們的父神。

帖撒羅尼迦信徒藉著重生成了神的兒子。按照羅馬書，召會是由神的眾子組成的。…罪人可以成為屬世組織的成員，卻無法成為活神召會的組成分子。這樣的召會只能由神的兒子所組成。

父已經豫定我們作祂的兒子。…神豫定我們得兒子的名分。〔弗一5。〕到了時候，神呼召我們，在我們裏面感動我們；於是我們悔改，相信神的兒子耶穌基督，而接受了祂。我們一接受基督，就蒙了重生，成為神的兒子。現今我們既是神的兒子，就成了召會—基督身體—的組成分子。我們這些神的兒子既是基督的肢體，所以帖前一章一節說，召會不僅在父神裏，也在主耶穌基督裏。（帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，三至五頁。）

參讀：帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經，第一篇。

WEEK 30 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

           15:1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.

First Thessalonians 1:1 says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” This Epistle and the second were both addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all that He is and has done. Hence, it is of men (such as the Thessalonians) yet in God and in the Lord organically. This organic union in the divine life and nature is the vital base for the believers to live a holy life for the church life. Such a living is the theme of the two Epistles. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, p. 2)

Todays Reading

It is a particular characteristic of Paul’s writing to emphasize the organic union of the believers with the Triune God…The emphasis on the organic union with Christ is an outstanding feature of Paul’s writings…Although 1 Thessalonians 1:1 is written in a simple way, it nevertheless includes Paul’s characteristic reference to the organic union. In this verse Paul speaks of the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition in here is very important; it indicates that the church is in the Triune God. The church is composed of human beings, but they, the believers, are in the Triune God. On the one hand, the church in Thessalonica was of the Thessalonians; on the other hand, this church was in God the Father.

Paul does not merely say that the church is in God; he says that the church is in God the Father. Unless God is our Father, we cannot be in Him. We were not created in God; however, we were regenerated, born again, in Him. We were created outside of God. This means that in creation we did not have any organic union with God or any life relationship with Him. Instead, there was only the relationship between the creature and the Creator… Hence, there is a relationship of creation but no relationship in life…As God’s creatures, we did not have the life of God. We had only our created life, our natural human life.

When we were regenerated, born of God, our life relationship with God began. This rebirth brought us into the organic union with the Triune God. At the time of our regeneration, our rebirth, we obtained God’s life. Now God is not merely our Creator, our God; He is our Father, the One who has begotten us. God is no longer merely our Creator—He is also our Begetter, for He has begotten us with His life. Therefore, He is God our Father.

Through regeneration the Thessalonian believers had become sons of God. According to the book of Romans, the church is a composition of sons of God… Sinners can be members of a secular organization, but they cannot be components of the church of the living God. Such a church is composed only of sons of God.

We have been predestinated by the Father to be His sons…We have been predestinated unto sonship [Eph. 1:5]. At a certain time, God called us and moved us inwardly. Then we repented, believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and received Him. By receiving Christ, we were reborn and became sons of God. Now that we are sons of God, we are the components of the church, the Body of Christ. Because we, as sons of God, are the members of Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:1 says not only that the church is in God the Father but also that the church is in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, pp. 3-4)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 1