於2014-08-30發佈

大使命33

崇高的呼召

當我們從人墮落的所有後果來觀看神重建全地的終極目的,使全地再次成為最初的樂園,我們在祂所做的每件事上都看見此目的。我們也透過祂在我們每個人身上所做的事看見此,例如透過十字架與心意更新來制服我們罪惡的本質,好讓我們像主一樣思想。擁有基督教的世界觀,就是像基督一樣來看世界。

主將要重建人類與地球,祂耽延是為了呼召在要來的世代,就是全地被重建階段與祂一起掌管與掌權的人。這些都是『新造的人』,被呼召來戰勝肉體、魔鬼與現今邪惡的世代,好證明他們配得與祂一同掌管。這就是使徒保羅在腓立比書三章寫到的『崇高的呼召』。

在此顯著的經文中,有可能是歷世歷代最偉大的使徒保羅說,他不認為自己已經得著此崇高的呼召,他乃是竭力追求。顯然,他並不是指著救恩或永生,這些在他相信基督救贖時就已得著。保羅看見一個崇高的呼召,高到他不認為自己已經得著了。這是成為神兒女的呼召,與祂一同掌權就像是祂家中的後嗣與成員。

保羅不認為他已經得著此崇高呼召的事實,並不表示他還沒有得著。然而,這似乎表示我們可能無法在此生知道是否已經得著。當我詢問主,我感到祂說那些已經得著的人無法在此生得知,因為他們若仍專注在自己是否得著,而不是看見主得著祂犧牲的獎賞,他們仍顯不足。那些得著此崇高呼召的人,一心只想看見主的旨意成就,而不是個人的得著。

然而,當我們還年輕時,能看見崇高的呼召是很重要的,因著擺在我們前面的喜樂或獎賞,如此努力並沒有錯。即便如此,在加拉太書二章20節提到在基督裡的終極成熟是:現在活著的不再是我,乃是基督在我裡面活著

此崇高的呼召與得救有永生有何不同?被邀請參加羔羊婚筵和成為新娘之間是不同的,成為萬王之王的臣民和祂家中一員之間也是不同的。

我們蒙救贖是白白的,我們無法從中加添或刪除。然而,我們在神國度的位置取決於我們個人的選擇和對主委身的程度。那些犧牲今生所有,將自己全然獻上服事,並且戰勝世界、肉體與魔鬼的人,在神國度將會有很高的位置。那些儘管已經得救並有永生卻沒有如此獻上的人,在要來的世代將做成此得救的工夫,他們會被統治而不是與主一同掌管。這些人並沒有屬神的本質,『沈睡』直到全地復活,人完成重建工作之時。     

許多人認為當主回到地上,一切都會完美。並不是如此,還需要花一千年來完全重建全地和人類。這即是彼得所提到萬物復興的時候』(參考使徒行傳3:21。這不就是神在我們裡面工作的過程嗎?我們重生得救,一切都變成新的,但那不過是我們轉化的開始而已。我們需要花更多的時間才能心意更新,戰勝世界、肉體與魔鬼,長大成熟成為新造的人。

事實是很少人真的長大成熟,變得像主一樣,做祂曾做過的事。這即是何以主警告末世的人說,『當那些日子,懷孕的和奶孩子的有禍了』(參考馬太福音24:19)。我們可以將這節經文詮釋為『讓人無法長大成熟的人有禍了』。

若沒有門訓紮實的根基,並致力於以弗所書四章告訴我們的,得以長大成熟,滿有基督長成的身量,要在未來的日子站立就越發困難了。凡是活出真門徒的生命,持續尋求變得像他們主人一樣,這些人在黑暗中會開始如星辰照亮。黑暗越大,他們的光也越明亮。

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week33, 2014)

 
The High Calling - The Great Commission, Part 33
Week 33, 2014
Rick Joyner

As we look at the ultimate purpose of God to restore the earth from all the consequences of the Fall and make it once again the paradise it was originally intended to be, we see this theme running throughout everything He is doing on the earth. We can also see it in all that He is doing in us individually, such as the subduing of our sinful nature through the cross and the renewing of our minds, so that we think like the Lord. To have a Christian worldview is to view the world as Christ does.

The Lord is going to restore man and the earth, but He has delayed this in order to call out from among mankind those who will rule and reign with Him in the age to come, the period when the earth is restored. These are a “new creation” who are called to overcome the flesh, the devil, and this present evil age and so prove their worthiness to rule with Him. This is the “high calling” the Apostle Paul wrote about in Philippians 3.

In this remarkable text, this one, who is possibly the greatest of apostles, states that he does not yet consider that he has attained this high calling, but he presses on toward it. Obviously, he is not talking about salvation or eternal life as these were attained the moment he believed in the atonement of Christ. Paul saw a high calling that was so high he did not think he had yet attained to it. This is the calling to be the sons and daughters of God and to rule with Him as joint heirs, members of His own household.

The fact that Paul did not think he had yet attained this high calling did not mean that he had not yet attained. However, this seems to indicate that whether we have attained or not may not be known in this life. When I inquired of the Lord about this, I felt that He said that those who had attained would not know in this life, because if they were still so self-focused as to be concerned about what they were attaining instead of seeing the Lord receive the reward of His sacrifice, they were still falling short. Those who attain to this will be consumed with seeing the Lord’s will being done, not their own attainments.

However, as we are young, it is important to see the high calling, and it is not wrong to work because of the joy or rewards that are set before us. Even so, the ultimate maturity in Christ is stated in Galatians 2:20, when it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.

How does this high calling differ from everyone else who is saved, who has eternal life? There is a difference between being invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb and being the bride. There is a difference between being subjects of the King and members of His household.

Our redemption is free, and there is nothing we can add to it or take away from it. However, our position in the kingdom is the result of our own choices and the level of our devotion to Him. Those who sacrifice what they may have had in this life to give themselves to His service and to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil will have a high position in the kingdom. Those who have not, even though they are saved and have eternal life, will complete this job in the age to come, being ruled over instead of ruling. These are the ones who “sleep” until the resurrection and are resurrected on earth as men to complete the job of restoration, not in the divine nature.

Many have a concept that when the Lord returns to the earth everything will be perfect. Not so. It will take a thousand years to fully restore the earth and mankind. This is why Peter referred to this as “the period of the restoration of all things (see Acts 3:21).” Is this not how the process has worked in us? We are born again and everything becomes new, but that is just the beginning of our transformation. It takes much longer to renew our minds and to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to mature into our new nature.

The truth is that very few actually go on to maturity, becoming like the Lord and doing the works that He did. This is why the Lord gave the warning about the end of this age, “Woe to those who nurse babes in those days” (see Matthew 24:19). We might interpret this as, “Woe to those who keep their people in immaturity.”

Without the solid foundation of discipleship and the devotion to growing up in all things into Christ as we are told in Ephesians 4, it will be increasingly difficult to stand in the days to come. For those who have lived the life of a true disciple, seeking continually to become like their Master, they will begin to shine like the stars in the midst of the darkness. The darker it gets, the brighter they will become.