第六週 • 週六

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晨興餧養

來二10~11 原來萬有因祂而有，藉祂而造的那位，為着要領許多的兒子進榮耀裏去，就藉着苦難成全他們救恩的創始者，這對祂本是合宜的。因那聖別人的，和那些被聖別的，都是出於一；因這緣故，祂稱他們為弟兄，並不以為恥…。

希伯來三章一節說到信徒是『聖別弟兄們』。這節經文指明，信徒乃是基督的弟兄。我們是基督的弟兄，因為祂和我們是出於同一源頭。祂是從父神而來，我們也是從父而來。基督是神的長子，我們是神許多的兒子（羅八29，來二10）。神創造亞當時，亞當是無罪且純潔的。然而，經過墮落，亞當和他一切後代都被構成了罪人（羅五19）。但在神的救恩裏，我們都已成為神的兒子，就是基督的弟兄。祂是神的長子，我們是神許多的兒子，都是出於父神這同一源頭（李常受文集一九九三年第一冊，一五一頁）。

信息選讀

神的長子是原型，我們是大量生產。基督是榜樣、模子和模型。神已將我們都放在祂裏面，使我們模成祂長子的形像。至終我們都要模成模子的形狀。有時候姊妹們作餅，將麵團放在模子裏。麵團放在模子裏，就有模子的樣式和形像。不但如此，麵團也必須烘烤，使餅成形，有模子的樣式，毫不改變。…同樣，神的長子基督是原型、模型和模子，我們是一塊塊的麵團。我們都已被放在模子裏，現今神的手正在揉我們。

我們已被命定模成神兒子的形像，使祂在許多弟兄中作長子。這是神的目的。神的目的是要產生祂長子的許多弟兄。當基督是獨生子時，祂是獨一的，但神渴望得着許多兒子，作祂兒子的許多弟兄。這樣，神的獨生子就成為許多弟兄中的長子。祂是長子，而我們是眾子。…沒有眾子，神絕不能得着國；沒有眾弟兄，基督絕不能得着身體。因此，神的眾子是為着神的國，基督的眾弟兄是為着基督的身體。神的國就是身體生活，在召會裏的這身體生活就是神的國，在此祂得着彰顯，並且祂的管治權在地上得以施行。這就是神的目的。

為甚麼神這樣安排我們的環境、境遇和景況，使我們經歷苦難？我們不該照着我們天然的觀念解釋說，『全地都充滿苦難，人人都經過艱難。為甚麼我們該例外？』這是天然的觀念，我們不該接受。我們必須領悟，神的目的是要使我們成為長成的兒子，而不是小孩子。我們不該滿意于一直作小孩子，享受祂的顧惜和愛。神要使我們成為長成的兒子，完全長大成為法定的後嗣，使我們在這宇宙中承受祂的一切所是，並使我們彰顯祂，且在地上施行祂的管治權。既然神的心意是要將我們帶進完滿的兒子名分裏，我們就需要長大。毫無疑問，長大來自內裏的滋養，但這裏面的滋養需要外面環境的配合。照着我們的感覺，外面的環境多半不令人喜樂。因此，就我們而論，外面的環境成為苦難。我不是說外面的環境不好；它總是好的，但你也許覺得它似乎不好（羅馬書生命讀經，二八五至二八七頁）。

參讀：李常受文集一九九三年第一冊，一五一至一五二頁。

WEEK 6 — DAY 6

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Morning Nourishment

Heb. 2:10-11 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in leading many sons into glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Hebrews 3:1 speaks of the believers as “holy brothers.” This verse indicates that the believers are Christ’s brothers. We are the brothers of Christ because He and we are of the same source. He has come from God the Father, and we also have come out of the Father. Christ is the firstborn Son of God, and we are the many sons of God (Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:10). When God created Adam, Adam was sinless and pure. However, through the fall Adam and all his descendants were constituted sinners (Rom. 5:19). Yet in God’s salvation we have become the sons of God, the brothers of Christ. He as the firstborn Son of God and we as the many sons of God are of the same source, God the Father. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, p. 127)

Todays Reading

God’s firstborn Son is the prototype, and we are the mass production. Christ is the model, mold, and pattern. God has put us all into Him that we may be molded into the image of His firstborn Son. Eventually, we all will be conformed to the mold. Sometimes when the sisters make cakes, they put dough into a mold. By being put into the mold, the dough assumes the pattern and image of the mold. Furthermore, the dough must also be baked so that the cake may bear the pattern of the mold without any change…Likewise, Christ, the firstborn Son of God, is the prototype, pattern, and mold, and we are pieces of dough. We all have been put into the mold and are now being kneaded by the hand of God.

We have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, that He may be the Firstborn among many brothers. This is God’s purpose. God’s purpose is to produce many brothers of His firstborn Son. When Christ was the only begotten Son, He was unique, but God desired to have many sons who will be the many brothers of His Son. In this way the only begotten Son of God becomes the Firstborn among many brothers. He is the firstborn Son, and we are the many sons…Without the many sons God could never have a kingdom, and without the many brothers Christ could never have a Body. Thus, the many sons of God are for the kingdom of God, and the many brothers of Christ are for the Body of Christ. The kingdom of God is simply the Body life, and this Body life in the church is God’s kingdom where He is expressed and where His dominion is exercised on the earth. This is God’s purpose.

Why does God arrange our environment, surroundings, and situations in such a way that we experience suffering? We should not explain this according to our natural concept, saying, “The whole earth is filled with sufferings, and everyone undergoes hardship. Why should we be an exception?” This is a natural concept, and we should not accept it. We must realize that God’s purpose is to make us full-grown sons, not little children. We should not be content to remain children enjoying His cherishing and loving. God intends to make us full sons, completely grown up to be legal heirs that we may inherit all that He is in this universe and that we may express Him and exercise His dominion over the earth. Since God’s intention is to bring us into full sonship, we need to grow. There is no doubt that growth comes from inward nourishment, but this inward nourishment needs the coordination of the outward environment. According to our feeling, most of the outward environment is unpleasant. Thus, the outward environment becomes a suffering as far as we are concerned. I do not say that the outward environment is not good; it is always good, but it may not appear good to your feeling. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 234-235)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, pp. 127-128