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" By reason of breakings they purify themselves."(Job 41:25.)
GOD uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob's natural strength at peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses' rod, that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.
It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.
It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.
It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains, And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.
Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God's glory. "The lame take the prev," Issiah tells us.
你無法得知神聖的愛在其本身內,直到你發現聖愛之靈已產生了。因愛是完全的平安和喜樂,從不安中釋放不僅有喜樂,而且無論遇到任何事都能保持喜樂。愛是神的自己,無論那裏有愛就為天然生命帶來福份和快樂,使其復得失去的完全,成為義人,得與神有未曾想過的和好。
當較智慧的受造物從屬神墮落到自己,他便發現他的生命只有自我而沒有神,除了做各樣的惡事,沒有,也無法找到任何東西。貪婪、嫉妒、驕傲和忿怒是與自我不可分的本性,假如我們要做件實在是好或壞的事,就全怕這回因樂從中作祟;它們會隱藏而且活躍地在我們裏面,然後使我們到與神完全隔絕之地步或滿有毒蟲野獸的地牢;自我的怪獸善於偽裝成一個善良的外衣,能察顏觀色,作很美的禱告和極長的講道,並滿有生命的大能,以不變偽君子的外貌作稅吏和罪人之事。
治死老我,使其無能為力,不是憑天然生命的能力可辦到的,只有一個簡易治死老我的方法,這是每個人都垂手可得,能以實行而永不失敗的方法。「如果你要問什麼是那個真實、簡易、直接而無誤的方法!那就是忍耐、溫柔、謙卑的與神和好,如此才可以完全治死肉體。」
這有個基督徒生命中較難的功課,是有關老我的真理,它可怕的能力、訣要和宇宙的規律,並使我們固守於知識使我們傾向罪惡,從此很少人深信自己完全無能,並順服神相信祂的大愛,除非我們憑信心將老我釘死在耶穌基督裏面,否則我們無法對付它,只有靠聖靈而有的信心,以溫柔、溫和、謙卑地順服神,藉基督所作的大能,這在父神眼目中看為極美。
「祂為我們的罪作了挽回祭,不是單為我們的罪,也是為普天下的罪。」約翰一書二章2節
宣教師使命的鎖鑰,是耶穌基督的挽回祭。拿基督教任何方面的工作──醫治方面,拯救與成聖方面……,是有限制的。「神的羔羊,除去世人罪孽的!」(約一29)那是無限制的。宣教師的使命,是以耶穌基督作我們罪的挽回祭,為無限制的特點,同時他是浸透在那種啟示裡的一個人。
宣教師的鎖鑰是把基督的生命的特點,重行宣佈出來,不是宣佈祂的仁愛,祂的善德,祂的啟示的父道;是祂為我們的罪作了挽回祭。宣教師的使命,不是愛國,他是不問國籍,不問個人,而全世界的一個公民。當聖靈來到,祂不考慮我的夙好,而領我去與主耶穌聯合為一。
一個宣教師,須與他的主夫子的憲章組織成一片;他不應宣傳他自己的見解,卻要宣傳神的羔羊。加入一個團體,傳說耶穌基督為我所作的是易事,要變成一個利用神力治病的人是易事,要變成一個特別成聖形式的人是易事,要變成專靠聖靈施洗的人也是易事。保羅並不說──「如果我不宣傳基督為我作的,我便有禍了,」但說──「我若不傳福音,我便有禍了!」「神的羔羊,背負世人罪孽的!」──就是福音!
「信就是……未見之事的確據。」希伯來書十一章1節
真正的信心就像把信投入郵筒之後,就不再掛心郵件是否會寄到。但是信心不完全的人則既不敢放手寄信,又要問為什麼還沒有回信。
在我桌上有些我幾個星期前所寫的信件,因為我不確定那些信封上的地址以及信的內容是否正確,所以我一直沒有寄出那些信。當然,那些信也就對我和他人沒有任何幫助;除非我放手把信都寄出去,並且信任郵局的服務,否則這些信永遠也無法成就任何事。
信心也是如此,當我們一旦放手交給神,祂就能開始動工。
在詩篇卅七篇5節說:「當將你的事交託耶和華,並倚靠祂,祂就必成全。」換言之,我們得先交託,祂才能成全。
信心乃是接受神所賜禮物。我們可以僅只相信,來到主前交託、休息,但是惟有我們開始接受神所賜的一切,擁有讓祂內住管理我們的權利之後,我們方能完全得著這些祝福。