晨興聖言-為着主的來臨(W2-2)

第二週　週二

http://morning-revival.twgbr.org/mp3s/2023/1-Chinese-NY/week-02/week2day2.mp3

晨興餧養

來六1　所以，我們既離開了那論到基督之開端的話，就當竭力前進，達到完全、成熟…。

太五48　所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。

約十10　…我來了，是要叫羊得生命，並且得的更豐盛。

    成熟一辭，在希臘文是一個字，其本意是終點，用以說到生物一類時，指完全、長成並成熟。新約聖經多次用此字，說到信徒在重生所得神生命上的長成、成熟並完全，指明我們雖然在重生時，已經得着了神的生命，在重生後，我們還需要在這生命裏長大成熟，以至於完全（生命課程卷四，三四七頁）。

信息選讀

     變化的最後階段就是成熟。成熟的意思是生命達到豐滿。一個人成熟了，他就不缺生命。

    變化是生命裏新陳代謝的改變。變化不是豐滿的問題，乃是改變的問題。…惟有藉着變化，我們纔能達到成熟。我們有天然的生命，這生命無益於神的經綸。 我們天然的生命不需要用別的生命來頂替，但是需要有新陳代謝的改變。…我們人的生命對於神的經綸是必需的，但不該一直是天然人的生命；它該是在性質上經過了變化的人的生命，使神的生命能與人變化過的生命調和成為一。

    在新約裏至少有兩節揭示變化的事。羅馬十二章二節說，『不要模仿這世代，反要藉着心思的更新而變化。』本節譯為『變化』的希臘字，也出現在林後三章十八節。…在以上兩節裏，『變化』這辭指明我們在基督徒生活裏，需要新陳代謝的改變。我們不需要外面的改正和轉變；我們需要在性質和生命上有內在的改變。

    當我們得救的時候，我們不僅得稱義，罪得赦免；我們也蒙了重生。在重生的時候，有一種新的生命，就是神的生命，放在我們靈裏。從我們重生的時候起，這生命就一直變化我們天然的生命。當神的生命改變我們天然的生命時，就將神的生命多而又多的分賜到我們全人裏面。所以，變化乃是我們天然生命的改變。 當這改變達到豐滿的程度，成熟的時候就到了。…成熟不是我們這人被改變的問題，乃是我們一再得着神聖的生命分賜到我們裏面，直到我們有了生命的豐滿。

    變化乃是在我們天然生命裏的改變，而成熟乃是我們被那改變我們的神聖生命所充滿。…創世記三十七至四十五章乃是雅各成熟過程的記載。這段過程開始於三十七章一節，一直持續到四十五章二十八節。…也許在雅各一生中，從來沒有像在這九章受苦這麼多。這九章的確是雅各受苦的故事。在這九章裏，有雅各一生中最後階段的對付。雅各在這裏所受的苦，深深摸着他個人的情感。在這幾章以後，雅各再沒有對付了。他完全成熟了，他被神聖生命所充滿，他有神的彰顯和神的管治權。

    為着神的彰顯和管治權，需要成熟。惟有成熟的生命纔能帶有神的形像，並施行神的管治權。甚至在三十七章，雅各還不能具有神的形像，或施行神的管治權。雖然他變化了，但他還沒有成熟。他對約瑟的偏心，證明他還沒有成熟。…所以，神主宰的把雅各放在祂手下，使他成熟（創世記生命讀經，一四一九至一四二○、一四一一至一四一二頁）。

參讀：創世記生命讀經，第六十二、九十二、一百一十至一百一十一篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 2

Morning Nourishment

Heb. 6:1 Therefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be brought on to maturity…

Matt. 5:48 You therefore shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

John 10:10 …I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly.

The meaning of the word mature in Greek is “at the end point.” When the word is used to describe organisms, it denotes completion, full growth, and maturity. This word is used many times in the New Testament, referring to the believers’ being full-grown, mature, and perfected in the life of God, which they receive at the time of regeneration. It indicates that although we receive the life of God when we are regenerated, after regeneration we still need to grow and mature unto perfection in this life. (Life Lessons, vol. 4, p. 69)

Today’s Reading

The last stage of transformation is maturity. Maturity means the fullness of life. When one is mature, he has no shortage of life.

Transformation is a metabolic change in life. Thus, transformation is not a matter of fullness; it is a matter of change… Only through transformation can we reach maturity. We have a natural life, but this life is not good for God’s economy. Although our natural life does not need to be replaced, it does need to be metabolically changed… Although our human life is necessary for God’s economy, it should not remain a natural human life; it should be a human life that has been transformed in nature so that the divine life may be mingled with the transformed human life to become one.

At least two verses in the New Testament unveil the matter of transformation. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” The Greek word translated “transformed” in this verse also appears in 2 Corinthians 3:18… The word transformed in these verses indicates that in our Christian life we need a metabolic change. We do not need outward correction and alteration; rather, we need an inward change in nature and in life.

When we were saved, we were not only justified and our sins forgiven; we were also regenerated. At regeneration a new life, the divine life, was put into our spirit. From the time of our regeneration, this life has been transforming our natural life. As the divine life changes our natural life, it imparts more and more of the divine life into our being. Therefore, transformation is the change of our natural life. When this change reaches the point of fullness, the time of maturity has come… Maturity is not a matter of our being changed; it is a matter of having the divine life imparted to us again and again until we have the fullness of life.

To be transformed is to be changed in our natural life, whereas to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us… Genesis 37 through 45 is a record of the process of Jacob’s maturity. This process began in 37:1, and it lasted until 45:28… Probably in all his life Jacob never suffered as much as he did in these nine chapters. They are truly a story of Jacob’s suffering. In these chapters we have the dealings in the last stage of Jacob’s life. The sufferings he underwent here deeply touched his personal feelings. After these chapters, Jacob had no further dealings. Rather, he was fully matured, he was filled with the divine life, and he had the expression of God and the dominion of God.

For God’s expression and dominion there is the need of maturity. Only a mature life can bear God’s image and exercise His dominion. Even in chapter 37 Jacob could not bear God’s image or exercise God’s dominion. Although he was transformed, he was not yet mature. His partiality toward Joseph proves that he was not mature… Therefore, God sovereignly placed Jacob under His hand that he might become mature. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 1191-1192, 1184-1185)

Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msgs. 62, 92, 110-111