於2021-09-02發佈


跟隨萬王之王4 

當我們尋求在基督裡成熟,非常熟識祂的聲音,以致於我們可以快速又立即地分辨,我們需要思想聖經中對在基督裡成熟的定義,例如在以弗所四章13節說:「直等到我們眾人在真道上同歸於一,認識神的兒子,得以長大成人,滿有基督長成的身量。」 

你有認識任何人「滿有基督長成的身量」?我有幸認識一些偉大的聖徒,但沒有人達到這樣的境界。對於那些算是我所認識最偉大的人來說,有一個共同點—他們並沒有對他們得著的事物過度著迷,甚至沒有留意。這是因為他們的注意力並沒有太多在自己或他人身上,而是在主身上。

想一想多數人視為最偉大的使徒─保羅,在他卓越生命的盡頭,他仍不以為自己已經得著在基督裡的崇高呼召,正如他在腓立比書三章3-14節所說的。這段經文很值得仔細閱讀,並當作在基督裡真正成熟的重要論述之一來研讀:

因為真受割禮的,乃是我們這以神的靈敬拜、在基督耶穌裡誇口、不靠著肉體的。 
其實,我也可以靠肉體;若是別人想他可以靠肉體,我更可以靠著了。 
我第八天受割禮;我是以色列族、便雅憫支派的人,是希伯來人所生的希伯來人。就律法說,我是法利賽人; 
就熱心說,我是逼迫教會的;就律法上的義說,我是無可指摘的。 
只是我先前以為於我有益的,我現在因基督都當作有損的。
不但如此,我也將萬事當作有損的,因我以認識我主基督耶穌為至寶。我為祂已經丟棄萬事,看作糞土,為要得著基督;
並且得以在祂裡面,不是有自己因律法而得的義,乃是有信基督的義,就是因信神而來的義, 
使我認識基督,曉得祂復活的大能,並且曉得和祂一同受苦,效法祂的死,或者我也得以從死裡復活。 
這不是說我已經得著了,已經完全了;我乃是竭力追求,或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的(或作:所要我得的)。 
弟兄們,我不是以為自己已經得著了;我只有一件事,就是忘記背後,努力面前的,
向著標竿直跑,要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞。 

正如保羅在這裡所說的,他不以為自己已經得著了,他所指的不是救恩或永生,而是他看見「一個崇高的呼召」,崇高到他無法假設自己已經得著。如果連保羅這位可能被視為有史以來最偉大的宣教士,在他生命接近尾聲,他仍不認為自己已經得著在基督裡的崇高呼召,如果連他都不知道是否得著了,怎麼會有人知道呢? 

似乎我們這一生不是為了知道是否已經得著而活,而是要知道有一個崇高的呼召,那些看見的人被呼召向著標竿直跑,為要得著它。然而,我的主觀經驗是,所有聲稱自己已經得著的人是一種錯覺,反而更多行在神說祂會抵擋的驕傲中。 

想一想萬王之王自己是「心裡柔和謙卑」(馬太福音11:29。如果祂是柔和謙卑的,我們若真的學習祂的樣式,豈不更應如此嗎? 

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 34, 2021)
 

Follow the King, Part 4

As we are seeking to mature in Christ, and to know His voice so well that we can quickly and instantly distinguish it, we will consider the statements in Scripture that define maturity in Him, such as Ephesians 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” 

         Do you know anyone who has attained to “the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ”? I have been privileged to know some great saints, but there is none that I would say have attained to this. With the ones I would perhaps consider the greatest I have known, there is a common denominator—they are not overly consumed with what they are attaining to, and seem to be even unaware of it. This is because their attention is not on themselves, or others so much, but their attention is on the Lord.   

         Consider that the one who most seem to consider the greatest of the apostles, Paul. Near the end of his extraordinary life he still did not consider that he had attained to the high calling in Christ, as he expressed in Philippians 3:3-14. This is well worth reading carefully in its entirety, and studying as one of the great discourses on true maturity in Christ:

         “For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 

          “although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 

         “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 

         “as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 

         “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

         “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 

         “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 

         “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 

         “in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

         “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 

         “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 

         “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

         As Paul writes here that he does not consider that he has yet attained, he was not talking about salvation, or eternal life, but he saw a “high calling” that was so high he could not presume that he had yet attained to it. If the one considered possibly the greatest missionary apostle of all time, near the end of his life still did not think that he had attained to the high calling of God in Christ, how could anyone know if they have attained if he did not know? 

         It seems that it is not for us to know in this life if we have yet attained, but it is for us to know that there is a high calling, and those who see it are called to run the race to attain it. However, it is my subjective experience that all who claim to have attained this are delusional, and instead seem to be walking more in the kind of pride that God says He will resist. 

         Consider that the King Himself is “gentle and humble in heart” (see Matthew 11:29). If He is gentle and humble how much more should we be if we are truly being conformed to His image?