最棒的基督徒生命45

尊榮在前者

我分享這些偉大基督徒生命簡短自傳的目的是為了鼓勵你，深入研讀那些特別激勵你之人的生命。他們的故事可以影響我們到一個地步，就像我們是他們的一個門徒。這些與神同行者的故事至今仍有能力，仍可以分賜給我們，就像許多聖經人物對我們的影響一樣。

研讀與神同行者的歷史是我們遵行十誡『孝敬/尊榮父母』的一個方式，這是唯一一個帶著應許的誡命，而且是極大的應許─使你得福， 並使你的日子在耶和華─你神所賜你的地上得以長久（請參考申命記5:16）。我們必須將此永記在心，遵守此誡命可以大大影響我們的生命與壽命。這值得我們將時間投資於此，但還有更大的祝福。藉由如此行，我們可以領受他們所擁有的分賜，這是無價之寶。

正如我們之前曾探討過，聖經唯一一個地方解釋何以基督徒會軟弱、患病，甚至早死是因為『不分辨是主的身體』（請參考哥林多前書11:29）。在經文中無法分辨主的身體與沒有按理領聖餐有關。沒有按理領聖餐是取代聖餐實質所代表的意義。在此例子中，我們單有聖餐的儀式，卻沒有在我們生命中與主相交。聖餐所需要的是與主、和祂的身體─教會相交，我們不能二取其一。倘若我們正確與頭連結，我們也會正確與身體連結，儀式是重要的提醒，卻不是實質。

我的觀點是：基督的身體是由所有與祂同行之人所組成，從第一世紀直到現在。即使我們無法實質與那些已經離開這世界的人同行，我們可以藉由研讀他們的生命與工作來與之連結並尊榮他們。藉此方式我們可以與基督完整身體有所相交（communion），或擁有共同連結（common-union）。

藉由研讀那些走在我們前面之人的生命與工作，我們也會對神在我們時候之帶領擁有更清楚的圖片。我們可以知道我們的命定，但我們必須知道我們在哪裡，才知道要如何抵達那裡。這就好像購物中心的地圖若只告訴你商家位置，對你的幫助並不大，除非有標註你所在的位置是哪裡。

我們將持續偉大基督徒生命的研讀，但倘若有任何人的生命感動你，請定意深入研讀，獲得更大的分賜。不僅僅是發展與他們生命記憶的相交，而是更多與主一起研讀他們的生命，並祈求主向你顯示有什麼事是祂想要放在你生命中的。最終，一切都關乎耶穌，以及祂如何透過那些與祂同行者來彰顯祂自己。

此外，當我們繼續檢視一些歷史上偉大的基督徒，請謹記在心我們可以寫上好幾冊關於這些人的生命故事，但我濃縮成每人幾頁而不是幾冊，因此只能大略瞭解他們的生命。即便如此，那已是全部我們所需要的分賜。

讓我們也謹記於心：我們生命中最重要的成就不在於我們做成了什麼，而在於我們變成了什麼。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week45, 2015)


Honoring Those Who Came Before- The Greatest Christian Life
Week 45, 2015 
Rick Joyner 

My purpose in sharing these brief biographies of great Christian lives is to encourage you to go deeper in study of the lives of those who especially inspired you. Their stories can influence us in a way that is like being one of their disciples. The stories of those who walked with God still have power and an impartation, as do many of the biblical accounts.

Studying the history of those who walked with God is one way we obey the commandment to “Honor your fathers and mothers.” This is the only commandment with a promise, and it is a great promise—“that it will go well with you, and you can dwell long in the land that the Lord has give to you” (see Deuteronomy 5:15 MVB). We should always keep this in mind. Obeying this one commandment can hugely impact our life and our longevity. Just this is worth the investment of our time, but there is more. By doing this, we can receive an impartation of what they had, and that is priceless.

As we previously covered, the only place in the Bible that explains why Christians get weak, sick, or die prematurely is for “not discerning the body” (see I Corinthians 11:29 MVB). This failure to discern the Lord’s body in this text is connected to partaking of the ritual of communion in an unworthy manner. To partake of communion in an unworthy manner is to substitute the ritual for the reality that it represents. In this case, it is partaking of the ritual of communion without actually having communion in our life. The required communion is with the Lord and His body, the church. We cannot have one without the other. If we are properly joined to the Head, we will also be rightly joined to His body. Rituals are important reminders, but they are not the reality.

My point is that the body of Christ is composed of all who have walked with Him, from the first century until now. Even though we cannot physically walk with those who have passed from this life, we can still be connected to and honor them by studying their life and work. In this way we can have communion, or common-union, with the whole body of Christ.

By studying the life and work of those who have gone before us, we also get a clearer picture of what has led to our own times. We can know our destination, but we must know where we are in order to get there. It is like shopping mall maps that tell you where the stores are located. Those maps would not help much, however, without the little dot that says, “You are here.”

We will continue this study of great Christian lives, but if any of them touch you, determine to study them further and gain a greater impartation. More than developing a communion with their memory, study them with the Lord and ask Him to show you what things He wants to be a part of your life. Ultimately, it is all about Jesus and how He manifested through those who walked with Him.

Also, as we continue to review some great Christians in history, keep in mind that we could write volumes about most of these people. I’m condensing each to a couple of pages, but even with volumes, we could only cover a snapshot of their life. Even so, that is all we need for the impartation.

Let us also keep in mind that the most important accomplishment of our lives is not what we accomplish, but what we become.