從聖靈而生是甚麼意思？
What Does It Mean to Be Born of the Spirit?
作者：Wade E. Taylor
日期：2021年3月3日
看見神的國
Seeing the Kingdom of God
「有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥底母，是猶太人的官。這人夜裡來見耶穌…」(約翰福音3:1-2)
尼哥底母一直等到天黑，所以他不會被認出。然而，關於他「在夜晚出現」這卻有一個更深的意涵。舊約聖經和法律剛開始是一個顯然的榮耀，但最後退化為宗教儀式，這導致了屬靈上的黑暗。尼哥底母走出宗教上的黑暗，以他尋找的光而可以被認出。但他身為法利賽人，之前都沒發現過。
「耶穌又對眾人說：我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」(約翰福音8:12)
當尼哥底母接近耶穌時，他說：「掌管的好。」他說道：「耶穌，你有我沒有的東西。我已經看過是什麼了，並已接收。」
「耶穌回答說：『我實實在在的告訴你，人若不重生，就不能見神的國。』」(約翰福音3:3)
神的國優於並超越我們的救贖。透過救贖，我可以說：我有耶穌。但當我進入這個王國，我已經進入更高的關係的領域，並且只有現在可以說：耶穌擁有我。耶穌不僅向尼哥底母傳達了進入的方式(透過耶穌在十字架上流下的鮮血得救)，也告訴他運作中的王國––我們在屬靈領域的功能，這讓尼哥底母見證了住在耶穌的生活和事奉中。。
對我們來說，「看見」神的國意味著我們必須認識到，一但我們將自己交給耶穌讓耶穌作我們的救主，就會有更多的收穫，如果我們將我們所有的一切完全地自己交給祂讓祂做為我們的主。無法從屬靈上察覺或辨別，尼哥底母與生命的時空境界，「重生」的經驗做為連結，他說：
「…人已經老了，如何能重生呢？豈能再進母腹生出來嗎？」(約翰福音3:4)
接著耶穌告訴尼哥底母如何體會他提出來的問題。
兩個生活領域
Two Realms of Life
「耶穌說，我實實在在的告訴你，人若不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進神的國。從肉身生的就是肉身；從靈生的就是靈。」(約翰福音3:5-6)
有兩個我們創造經歷的不同生活領域。
1.自然人涉及到，且可以移動在人間的領域，像是人類過世時變成的聖靈經過亞當的過錯。
2.屬靈的人，經過再生–成為一個聖靈的再生，涉及到包括人間與天堂的靈界。
每個人類的舉動，除了神，逐漸低下。因此，肉體的出生只能詳盡做出肉身的表現。每個神的舉動，經過我們的新生，變得高漲。所以對於生於靈的人，有一個永遠存在的呼喚你高飛。
「我的良人對我說，我的佳偶、我的美人、起來、與我同去。」(雅歌2:10)
像風一樣
Like the Wind
耶穌接著說：
「我說你們必須重生，你不要以為稀奇。風隨著意思吹，你聽見風的聲響，卻不曉得從哪裡來，往哪裡去。凡從聖靈生的，也是如此。」(約翰福音3:7-8)
尼哥底母已比喻這個經歷像是一個監禁且只能看見其他人看見的「子宮」，但耶穌正在試著帶領尼哥底母航向更遠，進入國。因此，祂曾說有一個更多、像是「風」。
我們沒有充足的術語，或是話語去表達我們屬靈的生活經歷在國的外勤工作。因此，藉由運用「風」，耶穌舉起這些經歷至靈的面向。
三個見證：聖靈、水與血
Three Witnesses: The Spirit, the Water and the Blood
關於這個，耶穌對尼哥底母說：「你正耳聞有關這個經歷的事，但你現在靈的狀態，還不夠了解，也無法讓你進入。你必須生於水或靈。」
聖經協助我們了解耶穌說的：「作見證的原來有三，就是聖靈、水與血，這三樣也都歸於一。」(約翰一書 5:8)
耶穌不需要與尼哥底談論關於血，為了法利賽人，祂了解犧牲血的重要。但他沒有生於水與生於靈的知識。成為「水生」談到被水受洗。成為「靈生」談到我們在聖靈中接受洗禮。
彼得說：「你們各人要悔改，奉耶穌基督的名受洗，叫你們的罪得赦，就必領受所賜聖靈。」(使徒行傳2:38)
耶穌在十字架上贖罪的血滲出，我們的罪彷彿從沒犯過。但我們仍然擁有亞當的本性。在水中洗禮，如我們完全沉浸，我們亞當的本性已埋入墓穴，我們即將從水中出來，作為一個新的創造物，帶著我們的潛力來儲存靈的領域。
「所以，我們藉著洗禮歸入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我們一舉一動有新生的樣式，像基督藉著父的榮耀從死裡復活一樣。」(羅馬書6:4)
我們的本性已經被改變，我們亞當的本性「找尋根源」也已經被切斷。現在，我們可以走進一段嶄新的生命。在法律中，正義的生活是被要求的，但是人們無能為力並且全失敗了。在新約聖經中，它賦予了過著正義的生活的能力：
「我也要賜給你們一顆新心，將新靈放在你們裡面，又從你們的肉體中除掉石心，賜給你們肉心。我必將我的靈放在你們裡面，使你們順從我的律例，謹守遵行我的典章。」(以西結書36:26-27)
在聖靈中洗禮給予「能力」– 「引起」或給我們「權力」(使徒行傳1:8) 將能夠處於高於罪過。
因此，「血」能寬恕我們的罪過；「水」能改變我們的天性；「靈」給予我們能力進入靈的領域，首先是人間。這三個在一起，也歸於一，提供能進入國的豐富救世經驗。
飛的更高吧！
Come Up Higher!
耶穌說過所有的都能與風相比。「風會在它想與你聽得到的地方吹動，但你不知道它從哪裡吹來，也不知道會去哪裡。」重點在於誰能回應且可用現在的經驗。
這個經歷可以被比喻為在跑道上的飛機。在地上時控制錯綜的機制。但曾經成為空降，所有在土地上控制這台飛機的領域變的毫無價值且可隱沒的。
現在正在控制一種新的機制，這個機制對風(靈魂)有良好的反應，並且將水平提升到天堂，超越任何世俗。它在一套全新的法律(風的空氣動力學)下起了作用。在我們新生中，我們的屬靈感官已經重生了，但必須要開發才會有用。這代表我們把自己聚集在一起時，我們將進入靈界並在它之中流動。漸漸地，我們將會學到怎麼登上天堂。
像是剛開始能飛行短距離的萊特兄弟，不斷嘗試，直到他們能夠飛得很遠，我們將會逐漸學習如何在屬靈的領域中行使職責，如同我們花時間對風有反應(於屬靈的領域中復生)。我們或許飛了一些時間，但我們需要做的只有再次回到跑道上，響應聖靈的升力。我們每次將會飛的越高越遠。
實際上，耶穌告訴尼哥底母：「更重要的是你經歷那些你找尋的(藉由風升起)，而不是你試著了解它(重新進入起源地)。」同樣也是如此，今天，信仰與信任，我們響應聖靈升起的力量。
「此後，我觀看，見天上有門開了。我初次聽見好像吹號的聲音對我說：你上到這裡來，我要將以後必成的事指示你。我立刻被聖靈感動，見有一個寶座安置在天上，又有一位坐在寶座上。」(啟示錄4:1-2)
有一個聖靈的呼喚讓我們變的更高。我們每個人可能都在這呼喚之中回應。
What Does It Mean to Be Born of the Spirit?
Wade E. Taylor
Mar 3, 2021
Seeing the Kingdom of God
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night..." (John 3:1-2)
Nicodemus waited until it was dark so he would not be recognized. However, there is a deeper meaning as to why he "came by night." The Old Covenant, the Law, began in manifest glory, but had degenerated into a religious ritual which resulted in spiritual darkness. Nicodemus walked out of this religious darkness toward the One he now recognized as being the "light" that he sought but, being a Pharisee, had not previously found.
"Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world; he that [follows] Me [shall not walk] in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12, Douay-Rheims Bible)
As Nicodemus approached Jesus, he said, "Good Master." He was saying, "Jesus, You have something that I do not have. I have come to see what it is, and receive."
"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.'" (John 3:3, New American Standard Bible)
The Kingdom of God transcends and goes beyond our redemption. Through salvation, I can say, "I have Jesus." But when I enter the Kingdom, I have entered a higher realm of relationship and only now can I say, "Jesus has me." Jesus is expressing to Nicodemus not just the way of entrance (salvation through the shed Blood of Jesus upon the Cross), but the Kingdom in operation – our functioning in the realm of the spirit, which Nicodemus witnessed as being resident in the life and ministry of Jesus.
For us to "see" the Kingdom means that we have come to recognize that once we have submitted ourselves to Jesus as being our Savior, there is much more that can be gained, if we will submit the totality of our being to Him as being our Lord. Not being able to perceive or recognize that which is spiritual and from above, Nicodemus then related this experience of being "born again" to the temporal realm of life, and said:
"...How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4)
Jesus then told Nicodemus how to experience that which had drawn him to ask this question.
Two Realms of Life
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to [you], Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:5-6, King James Version)
There are two distinct realms of life that we were created to experience.
1. The natural man relates to and can move only in the temporal earthly realm, as man became dead to the spiritual realm through the transgression of Adam.
2. The spiritual man, through regeneration – being reborn of the Spirit, relates to both the earthly and the heavenly spiritual realm.
Every action of mankind, apart from God, flows downward. Thus, that which is born of the flesh can only produce a fuller manifestation of the flesh. Every action of God, through our new birth, moves us upward. Therefore, to one who has been born of the Spirit, there is an ever present call to come higher.
"My beloved spoke, and said to me: Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song of Solomon 2:10)
Like the Wind
Then Jesus added:
"Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but don't know where it comes from or where it is going." (John 3:7-8, Contemporary English Translation)
Nicodemus had likened this experience to a "womb," which is confining and sees only through that which another sees, but Jesus is seeking to take Nicodemus further, into the Kingdom. Therefore, He said that there is much more, which is like the "wind."
We do not have adequate terminology, or words to express the outworking of the Kingdom in our spiritual life experience. Thus, by using "wind," Jesus lifted this experience into the dimension of spirit. In contrast to the letter of the Word, and liturgical ritual, wind can be felt but not seen.
Three Witnesses: The Spirit, the Water and the Blood
Concerning this, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "You are hearing about this experience, but in your present state of spiritual experience, you neither understand it, nor are you able to enter. You must first be born of water and of spirit" (see John 3:5).
The Scripture that follows will help in our understanding of what Jesus is saying: "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the Blood: and these three agree in one" (1 John 5:8).
Jesus did not need to speak to Nicodemus concerning the Blood, for being a Pharisee, he understood the need for a blood sacrifice. But he had no knowledge of being born of water, and of the Spirit. To be "born of water" speaks of our being water baptized. To be "born of the Spirit" speaks of our receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Peter said: "...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy [Spirit]" (Acts 2:38, King James Version).
The blood atonement of Jesus on the Cross blots out our sin as if we had never sinned. But we still have the Adamic nature. In water baptism, as we are totally immersed, our Adamic nature goes down to the grave, and we come up out of the water as being a new creation, with our capacity to function in the spiritual realm restored.
"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4)
Our nature has been changed, and the "tap root" of our Adamic nature has been cut. Now we can walk in "newness of life." Under the Law, righteous living was required, but man was incapable of this and utterly failed. In the New Covenant the ability to live a righteous life was given:
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and [you will] keep My judgments, and do them." (Ezekiel 36:26-27, King James Version)
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit provides this "ability" – that which will "cause," or give us the "power" (Acts 1:8) that will enable us to live above sin.
Thus, the "Blood" forgives our sin; the "water" changes our nature; and the "Spirit" gives us the ability (enabling power) to enter into the realms of the spiritual, above all that is earthly. These three together, as "one," provides a full salvation experience that will enable us to enter the Kingdom.
Come Up Higher!
Jesus said that all this is comparable to the wind. "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from, and where it is going." The emphasis is on a present experience, which is only available to those who respond.
This experience can be likened to an airplane on the runway. It has an intricate mechanism, which controls it while on the ground. But once it becomes air-borne (born-again), all that controls the plane on the earth realm becomes of no value, and is folded away.
A new mechanism is now in control, which responds to the wind (Spirit), and lifts the plane into the heavens, above the earthly. It is functioning under an entirely new set of laws, the aerodynamics of the wind. In our new birth, our spiritual senses are re-born but must be developed in order to function. This means that as we assemble ourselves together, we are to enter into and begin to flow in the Spirit. Gradually, we will learn how to ascend into the heavenlies.
Like the Wright Brothers, who were able to fly only a short distance in the beginning, but kept trying until they could fly long distances, we will gradually learn how to function in the realms of the spirit, as we spend time responding to the wind (quickenings in the realm of the spirit). We may crash a few times, but all we need do is to get back on the runway and again respond to the lifting power of the Holy Spirit. We will go higher and further each time.
In effect, Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, "It is far more important that you experience that which you are seeking (being lifted by the wind), rather than trying to understand it (reentering a womb)." So also, today, in faith and trust, we are to respond to the lifting power of the Holy Spirit.
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up [here], and I will [show you] things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne." (Revelation 4:1-2, King James Version)
There is a present call of the Spirit for us to come higher. May each of us be among those who are responding to this call.