於2021-11-19發佈


跟隨萬王之王15 

懦夫並不適合成為基督徒!跟隨萬王之王是我們這一生所能做最艱難的事,它將使我們幾乎與地上的每個人對立,包括一些我們最親近的家人和朋友。有時我們甚至可能會與跟隨主的人意見相左,我們的老我也不斷與自己和與主同行爭戰。如果這還不夠,神把魔鬼和所有墮落天使丟到地上,他們急切要攻擊那些跟隨主的人!

誰會加入這樣的生活?唯有那些愛神超越一切、愛祂的真理至死之人才會。如果主想要我們的生活輕鬆,祂至少可以一復活後立刻將魔鬼和牠的跟班丟進火湖。然而,祂為著我們的緣故並沒有那樣做,祂不希望我們的生活太容易而是艱辛點,越艱辛呼召也越大。

毫無疑問,基督徒的生命超出任何人類能力範圍,至少超出我們個人的力量。我們不需要如此,因為主會賜給我們祂的力量來應付我們所面臨的每件事。到一個地步,在主裡成熟是學習靠祂的力量和智慧來活,而不是單靠我們自己的力量。我們這麼做是藉著尋求凡事在祂裡面,這是否意味著我們在每件事上都需要主的話語或指引?

在每件小事上需要主的話語是不成熟而非成熟的象徵,孩子越小就越需要立即的指引。當我們長大成熟,我們應當在智慧和瞭解上成長,較少需要指引。在我們重生得救,開始在靈裡成長亦是如此。為此緣故,使徒不是被牽著手走,乃是被主差派。在使徒行傳一書中,他們做出決定,只有做錯決定時主才會透過異夢或異象向他們顯現,重新指引他們。

所以,當我們長大成熟,我們應當認識主的道路,在多數情況下足以知道該怎麼做,不需要來自主的話或他人的商議。然而,我們仍必須與主一起做每件事,常在基督裡,在祂的法則中成長。

當我寫作時,我祈求主指引我,聖靈來引導我,我祈求主在不對的事上更正我。當我寫作時,我感到祂與我同在,有時我會從主領受特別的指引,可能是一個復甦、啟示或一句話。多數時候,當我寫作時我只是感受到祂的同在,知道祂若沒有特別說什麼,代表沒什麼問題。

這並非表示我所寫的所有東西都是祂的話,我並不是在寫聖經。然而,就像使徒保羅說:「按我的意見」「我也想自己是被神的靈感動了」(哥林多前書7:40,我多半是以這樣的方式來寫作。保羅可能是首席使徒,但在他的領導下他並沒有專橫,他乃是以懇求的態度溫和敞開。我們看見主自己也是用這樣的方式,就算在舊約之下,祂都試圖多次懇求以色列。

如果您認識許多真正的戰士(像是特種部隊),他們具備優勢是可以理解的。有些人在一次任務中面臨的生死境遇,遠比多數人一生中所面臨的還要多。在屬靈領域,我們和他們一樣整軍備戰,可能有過之而無不及。除了我們面臨的所有挑戰,我們還必須以一個不同的靈─聖靈的果子來奮戰。我們不能恨惡我們的仇敵,我們必須愛他們。

因此,我們正與世界、魔鬼和牠的跟隨者爭戰,甚至與我們墮落的老我爭戰,而且我們這麼做必須出於愛!在宇宙之中可能沒有更大的挑戰了,但這是作為萬王之王的兒女所需要的品格。

 (摘自喬納word for the week, Week 45, 2021)
 

Follow the King, Part 15

 Being a Christian is not for wimps! Following the King is the hardest thing we can do in this life. It will put us at odds with almost everyone on earth, including some of our closest family members and friends. At times we will likely be at odds with others who are following Him. Then we have our own carnal nature that is constantly at war with us and our walk with the Lord. If that is not enough, God cast the devil and all the fallen angels to the earth, and they are intent on attacking those who follow the Lord!

     Who would sign up for such a life? Only those who love God above all else and love His truth enough to die for it. If the Lord had wanted it to be easy, He could have at least cast the devil and his hordes into the abyss immediately. But He did not for our sake. He did not want it to be easy but hard. The harder it is, the higher the calling. 

     Without a question, the Christian life is beyond any human ability to live at least in our own strength. We don’t have to. He will give us His strength for everything we face. To a large degree, maturing in Him is learning to live by His strength and wisdom, not just our own. We do this by seeking to abide in Him in everything. Does this mean we need a word or directive from the Lord for everything? 

     Needing a word for every little thing is a sign of immaturity, not maturity. The younger the child, the more they need constant direction. As we mature, we should grow in wisdom and understanding and need less direction. The same is true after we are born again and begin to grow spiritually. For this reason, the apostles were not led around by the hand but were sent out by the Lord. In the Book of Acts they made decisions, but only when they made a wrong decision did the Lord appear to them in a dream or vision to redirect them. 

     So, as we mature, we should come to know the ways of the Lord well enough to know what to do in most instances, and not need a word from Him or counsel from others. However, we still must do everything with the Lord, abiding in Him and growing in His ways.

     When I write, I ask the Lord to guide me and lead me by His Spirit. I ask for correction in anything that is not right. I feel Him with me as I write, and at times I receive specific guidance by a quickening, a revelation, or a word from Him. Most of the time, I just sense His presence as I write and know if He is not specifically addressing something, it must be okay.

     That is not to imply everything I write is His word on the matter. I am not writing Scripture. However, like the Apostle Paul who wrote, “according to my judgment,” and “I think I also have the Spirit of God” in this matter (see I Corinthians 7:40), I write mostly that way. Paul may have been a chief apostle, but he was not overbearing in his leadership. He was gentle and open to being entreated. We see the Lord Himself being this way. Even under the Old Covenant, He tried to entreat Israel many times.  

     If you have known many serious warriors (like special ops types) they understandably have an edge to them. Some face more life and death situations in a single assignment than most people face in a lifetime. In the spiritual realm, we are as embattled as they are, and perhaps even more so. On top of all the challenges we have, we must fight with a different spirit—the fruit of the Spirit. We cannot hate our enemies; we must love them. 

     So, we’re fighting the world, the devil, and his hordes, and even our own fallen nature, and we must do it in love! There may not be a greater challenge in the universe, but this is the character required of sons and daughters of the King.