於2015-02-24發佈

最棒的基督徒生命 6

概觀

上週我們列出在基督裡完全成熟的基本步驟:1) 信徒, 2) 門徒, 3) 僕人, 4) 朋友, 5) 兒子。這些在新約中都有提到,我們將簡短來研讀每一步驟,卻又夠清楚明瞭。藉此我們可以看見我們在此呼召的第幾步驟,下一步驟為何。首先來看粗淺的歷史概觀將對我們有所助益。

在基督裡長大成熟的進展在第一世紀就被『初代教會父老』教導,他們是耶穌第一代使徒的直屬門徒。如此的教導貫穿在新約聖經當中,那麼我們為何沒有時常討論或教導呢?許多在第三世紀之後由制度化教會所採用的教義和傳統有效地遮掩此真理,現在則像是一個謎題,你被告知它看起來像什麼,卻無法看見原貌,當你看到時,又無法看見其他東西。就像所有屬靈的真理,聖靈必須將其彰顯給我們看。

在第三世紀,當個人信仰得救的焦點被教會信仰所取代後,在基督裡追求神崇高呼召的真理變得模糊不清。救恩變得制度化,需要成為制度化教會的一份子才能得救。對一些只要生在『基督教』國家就被當作神選民的地方,此真理更加被淡化。這並不是出於聖經的教導,比較多是由教會政策與非聖經真理的傳統與教義所發展而來。藉此,在基督裡長大成熟的步驟本質上已被制度化教會早期治理的階級進程所取代。

隨著制度化教會被宗教人本的靈所掌管,似乎教會刻意對基督徒設立路障,甚至對每一位信徒遮掩他們被呼召來跑的路程。這使信徒在屬靈上不成熟,並藉此使他們倚靠制度化教會的權柄。

在此期間,人們崇拜主的教會多過教會的主。即便如此,每一個世代都有偉大的靈魂被主興起,抱持此崇高呼召的異象,定意來奔跑此路程。當個人擁有如此的行動力與信心時,通常會威脅到教會的權柄。因此,這些男女幾乎都受到制度化教會的逼迫。法利賽人的靈在其他人身上的重大擔子促使他們無法進入得勝的國度,到今日所有來奔跑此路程之人的最大抗爭來自同一個宗教的靈,這也是當耶穌走在地上抵擋祂的靈。

宗教改革的誕生,主要來自信仰和救恩必須個人化的啟示,如此不同的想法在那時造成巨大的政治斷層,同時也挑戰當時的宗教機構,催生了現代民主。因著救恩是屬個人的,它給予個人無限的價值並催生了一個根本觀念,就是政府的存在是為了服務人民,而不是倒過來。

雖然這些運動在他們自己的機構快速鞏固,但個人的救恩重新定義個人的責任,並產生所謂的『新教倫理』。此釋放前所未有的主動性與革新,大大影響文明,釋放偉大的『知識增長』,塑造了現代世界。當我們釋放並給予全人類極大的利益,同時也要求更大的責任,最基本的屬靈真理便為世界帶來了重大影響。我們在天上釋放的得以在地上被釋放,我們在天上綑綁的在地上也被綑綁。

就算在團體與個人之間有著極大的衝突,倘若我們要按所呼召的在基督裡成長,我們必須在祂的身體裡找到我們的位子,並在我們的團體關係中成長。當我們向著健全的聖經門訓前進時,第一步驟就是在個人和團體之間找到適當的平衡。隨著屬靈的成長,在這裡我們也學習平衡我們對現今世界的責任。這些對彼此之間絕對有幫助,唯有失去平衡時才會造成問題,正如我們將看見的。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week6, 2015)


Overview- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 6
Week 6, 2015
Rick Joyner

Last week we laid out the basic steps of progression to full maturity in Christ: 1) Believer, 2) Disciple, 3) Servant, 4) Friend, and 5) Son. These are all addressed in the New Testament, and we will study each one briefly, but enough for it to be clearly seen. This is so we can see where we are in relation to this calling and what our next step is. First, a superficial historical overview can be helpful.

This progression to maturity in Christ was taught in the first century and by “The Early Church Fathers,” who were the direct disciples of the first apostles. It is taught throughout the New Testament, so why is it not discussed or taught very often? Much of the doctrine and traditions adopted by the institutional church after the third century effectively obscured this truth. Now it is like one of those puzzles that you are told looks like something, and you can’t see it at first glance, but once you do, you can’t see anything else. Like all spiritual truth, the Holy Spirit must reveal it to us.

In the third century, this call to run the race for the high calling of God in Christ became blurred as the focus of salvation by individual faith was substituted by faith in the church. Salvation became institutional, and being saved required being a part of the institutional church. To some, this was diluted even further as one was considered the elect of God by merely being born into a “Christian” nation. This was not based on biblical teaching, but developed more from church politics and out of a greater devotion to tradition and dogma than biblical truth. With this, the systematic steps to maturity in Christ were substantially replaced by a progression of hierarchical, earthly government in the institutional church.

As the humanistic spirit of religion gained dominion in the institutional church, it seemed to purposely set up every roadblock possible to Christians, even in obscuring this race every believer is called to run. This kept believers in spiritual immaturity and thereby kept them dependent on the authorities of the institutional church.

During this time, the house of the Lord was worshipped more than the Lord of the house. Even so, great souls in every generation arose with a vision of this high calling, resolving to run this race. As this required such individual initiative and faith, it was usually very threatening to church authorities. Therefore, these men and women were almost always persecuted by the institutional church. The Pharisaical spirit that heaps great burdens on others to keep them from entering the kingdom prevailed. It remains today that the greatest struggle of all who would run this race will come from the same religious spirit, which is the same that resisted Jesus when He walked the earth.

The Reformation was born chiefly by the revelation that faith and salvation had to be personal. This was such a radical thought at the time that it created huge political fault lines as well as challenged religious institutions, giving birth to modern democracy. Because salvation was personal, it gave infinite value to the individual and birthed the radical concept that governments exist to serve the people, not the other way around.

Although these movements quickly solidified into their own institutions, personal salvation redefined personal responsibility and gave birth to what is called “the Protestant work ethic.” This released unprecedented initiative and innovation, profoundly impacted civilization, and released the great “increase of knowledge,” shaping the modern world. The most basic spiritual truth has major impact in the world when released, giving great benefits to all of humanity while also requiring greater responsibility from humanity. What we release in heaven gets released in the earth, and what we bind in heaven gets bound on the earth.

Even with this great conflict between the corporate and the individual, if we are to grow up into Christ as we are called to, we must also find our place in His body and grow in our corporate relationships. Finding the proper balance between these is one of the first steps as we move into sound, biblical discipleship. Here we also learn to balance our responsibilities to this present world with maturing in the Spirit. These are actually an aid to each other and only cause problems when they get out of balance, as we will see.