第二週 • 週四

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晨興餧養

林後五14  原來基督的愛困迫我們，因我們斷定：一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了。

　　三8~9  何況那靈的職事，豈不更帶着榮光？若定罪的職事有榮光，那稱義的職事，就越發充盈着榮光了。

今天許多基督徒只知道基督為他們的罪而死〔林前十五3〕，卻不知道基督為他們這些肉體、舊造〔林後五14〕而死。…基督為使我們的罪蒙神赦免，就為我們的罪死了。然而這只是和好的起初階段。基督在十字架上不僅為我們的罪死了，也為我們…死了。基督死在十字架上，使我們外面的人，天然的人被了結，好叫我們可以成為神的義。因此，基督為我們的罪死了，使我們蒙神赦免並稱義；但基督為我們而死，使我們可以成為神的義。

新約的職事把我們帶回來歸給神，到一個地步，使我們能實際的成為神的義。我們不僅蒙神稱義，甚至成了神的義（哥林多後書生命讀經，三八四至三八五頁）。

信息選讀

新約的職事，也就是那靈與義的職事，要作出一種義的情形，先是在個人身上，其次在召會裏，第三在千年國裏。…雖然國度時代尚未來臨，但我們能在召會生活和家庭生活中豫嘗國度的義。有時候，在某個地方召會的情形，可能使神稱義其中的每一人、事、物。這樣的召會就是神的義。這種情形也可能出現在我們的家庭生活中。我有幾次看見在一個家庭裏，每個人都已經徹底得救，顯出一種樣樣都對，一切都令神滿意，且蒙神稱義的光景。…新約職事的果子就是產生這種義。

我們經歷那靈在我們裏面生活並工作，結果我們就成為義的。我們裏面的人自然而然是透亮的，像水晶一樣純淨，並且我們能知道神的心。我們無須努力，立即就知道主的心思，並且清楚的領會祂的意願和工作。這樣，我們所作的，乃是照着主的心思和意願。這就是義。

許多基督徒有一種觀念，以為我們作錯事時，我們就與神不對了。這種義的觀念太膚淺了。即使我們沒有作錯甚麼事，我們與神可能仍是不對，因為我們也許不在主的心思和意願裏。…我們可能沒有照着主的心思，我們所作的也許不是祂的意願。只要我們不行神的意願，我們就是不對的。

假如有一個青年人在學校裏沒有作錯甚麼事，但是他沒有好好讀書。不僅如此，他坐在那裏上課的時候心不在焉。…從外面看來，他也許沒有錯；但從裏面來看，他整個人都是錯的。同樣的原則，許多聖徒外面看來沒有甚麼不對。事實上，他們整個人都不在主的意願裏。

你若得着賜生命之靈的灌注並浸透，你裏面的人就會透亮。你會明白主的心思，你也會知道甚麼是主的意願。你自自然然就會在祂的意願裏，行祂的意願。結果，你與祂就是對的。不僅如此，你會知道當怎樣待人，也會知道當怎樣處理財物。這樣，你就成為一個義的人，在大小事上都是對的，與神、與人、與自己都是對的。這是一個彰顯神的人，因為他的義就是神的形像，就是神彰顯出來（哥林多後書生命讀經，三八三至三八四、二八六至二八七頁）。

參讀：出埃及記生命讀經，第九十九至一百零三篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

2 Cor. 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died.

        3:8-9 How shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory? For if there is glory with the ministry of condemnation, much more the ministry of righteousness abounds with glory.

Many of today’s Christians know only that Christ died for their sins [1 Cor. 15:3]. They do not realize that Christ died for them as the flesh, as the old creation [2 Cor. 5:14]…In order that our sins might be forgiven by God, Christ died for our sins. This, however, is simply the initial stage of reconciliation. Christ died on the cross not only for our sins, but…also for us…Christ died on the cross so that our outer man, our natural being, may be terminated in order that we may become the righteousness of God. Therefore, Christ died for our sins so that we may be forgiven and justified by God. But Christ died for us so that we may become the righteousness of God.

The new covenant ministry brings us back to God to such an extent that we actually become God’s righteousness. Not only are we justified by God, but we even become the righteousness of God. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 323-324)

Todays Reading

The ministry of the new covenant, a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness, will work out a condition of righteousness first in individuals, second in the church, and third in the millennial kingdom…Although the age of the kingdom has not yet come, we can have a foretaste of the righteousness of the kingdom today in the church life and in our family life. Sometimes in a certain local church the condition may be such that everything, everyone, and every matter is justified by God. Such a church is the righteousness of God. This kind of condition may also be present in our family life. In a few cases I have seen that in a family whose members have been thoroughly saved, there is a condition where nothing is wrong, but everything is satisfactory to God and justified by Him…The fruit of the new covenant ministry is to produce this kind of righteousness.

As a result of experiencing the Spirit living and working within us, we become righteous. Spontaneously, our inner being is transparent, crystal clear, and we know the heart of God…Without effort, we know the mind of the Lord and have a clear understanding concerning His will and work. Then what we do is according to the Lord’s mind and will. This is righteousness.

Many Christians have the concept that when we do something wrong, we are not right with God. This concept of righteousness is too superficial. Even when we do not do anything wrong, we still may not be right with God, for our being may not be in the mind and will of the Lord…We may not be according to the Lord’s mind, and what we are doing may not be His will. As long as we are not doing God’s will, we are not right.

Suppose a young person at school does not do anything wrong. But he does not study properly. Furthermore, when he sits in class, he is absentminded… Outwardly, he may not be wrong, but inwardly, his whole being is wrong. In the same principle, outwardly, many saints are not wrong in anything. Actually, their being is not in the will of the Lord.

If you are infused and saturated by the life-giving Spirit, your inner being will become transparent. Then you will know what is in the Lord’s mind. You will also understand what the will of the Lord is. Spontaneously, you will be in His will and do His will. As a result, you become right with Him. Moreover, you will realize how you should act toward others and even how you should deal with your material possessions. Then you will become a righteous person, one who is right in small things as well as in great things, one who is right with God, with others, and with himself. This is a person who expresses God, for his righteousness is the image of God, God expressed. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 323, 239-240)

Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 99—103