晨興聖言-經營美地...(W12-2)

第十二週•週二

w12d02-ch

晨興餧養

西一12『感謝父,叫你們彀資格在光中同得所分給眾聖徒的分。』

二6 ~ 7『你們旣然接受了基督,就是主耶穌,在祂裏面已經生根,並正被建造,…就要在祂裏面行事爲人。』

父神用子神的救贖,藉靈神的聖別,使我們彀資格同得包羅萬有的基督,就是經過過程之三一神的化身,作眾聖徒的分,〔就如以色列人所分得迦南美地的分。〕(聖經恢復本,西一12 註1。)

美地是包羅萬有之基督的豫表。(見申八7 註1。)神的食物就是基督的豐富,由美地的出產所豫表,而這出產來自我們的勞苦。我們需要在基督身上勞苦並經歷基督;然後就會出產基督,不只使我們得滿足,也使神得滿足。(民十八28 註1。)

信息選讀

你們作學生的人必須領悟並經歷,連你們在讀書的時候,都該在基督身上作工。…你們開大卡車的司機必須看見,開車不是你們真正的職業,你們真正的事業乃是基督,你們必須不斷在祂身上作工。你們作家庭主婦的必須看見,你們真正的工作並不是照顧自己的家和家裏的人,乃是基督!你們是不是每時刻都在基督身上作工呢?你們有沒有在每一個處境中享受祂並經歷祂呢?

得着美地以後的生活乃是一個經營基督的生活。這一個生活是把基督當作我們的實業,大量的出產基督。我們是替『基督股分公司』作事,我們天天都在出產基督。…我們是栽種基督,出產基督。我們是晝夜殷勤的在基督這塊田地上耕作。我們是快樂的作工,這工作對於我們是何等的安息。…請想想看,當以色列百姓佔得美地,征服所有的仇敵之後,…他們就是經營那地。他們耕地、撒種、澆水、栽種葡萄樹、修剪各種樹木。這些都是享受那地所必須有的工作。這一幅圖畫說出,我們該如何在基督身上殷勤作工,使我們能享受祂包羅萬有的豐富。這是我們的事業。基督是我們的實業;我們必須在祂身上作工,以出產祂的豐富。我們已經看見,美地在許多方面是多麼豐富;但是若不在其上經營,怎能使這些豐富顯出,並有大量的出產呢?

基督是無限量的豐富,但是今日的召會卻是在貧窮中過日子。爲甚麼?因爲今天神的兒女都是懶惰的,他們不肯致力於經營基督。…智慧人所羅門王所寫的箴言:『懶惰人哪,你要躺臥到幾時呢?你何時睡醒起來呢?再睡片時,打盹片時,抱着手躺臥片時,你的貧窮就必如強盜來臨。』(六9 ~ 11。)爲甚麼美國今日這麼富有呢?神的確給了美國一塊極其豐富的地,但這並不是全部的故事。許多美國人曾經在這地上殷勤作工,使這地產出它的豐富,顯出它豐盛的資源。我們必須作工;我們不能懶惰。…今日多數的基督徒…過分忙碌於自己屬地的事業,卻太懶於在基督身上作工。我們必須耕屬靈的田地,必須撒屬靈的種子;我們必須澆灌屬靈的樹木—這是每時刻的事。我們不能倚靠別人來替我們作;我們必須自己動手,否則就一無所成。姊妹們,你們今天早上禱讀過主的話沒有?弟兄們,你們今天接觸了主幾次?這就是今日的情形。我們不耕種基督。我們有一塊很肥美的地,但是我們卻不在其上作工;所以就沒有出產。我們的資源的確是豐富,但在出產上卻是貧窮。(李常受文集一九六一至一九六二年第四册,四六一至四六三頁。)

參讀:包羅萬有的基督,第十五章。

WEEK 12 — DAY 2


Morning Nourishment

Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.

2:6-7 As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, having been rooted and being built up in Him…

God the Father has qualified us by the redemption of God the Son and through the sanctification of God the Spirit for a share of the all-inclusive Christ, the very embodiment of the processed Triune God, as the allotted portion of the saints [illustrated by the allotment of the good land of Canaan]. (Col. 1:12, footnote 1)

The good land is a type of the all-inclusive Christ (see footnote 1 on Deut. 8:7). God’s food is the riches of Christ, typified by the produce of the good land, and this produce comes through our labor. We need to labor on Christ and experience Christ. Then Christ will be the produce not only for our satisfaction but also for God’s satisfaction. (Num. 18:28, footnote 1)

Today’s Reading

You who are students must realize and experience even while studying that you are working upon Christ…You who are truck drivers must realize that truck driving is not your real occupation; your real business is Christ; you must be working on Him continually. You who are housewives must know that your real work is not caring for your home and your family, but Christ! Are you working on Christ all the time? Are you seeking to enjoy Him and experience Him in every situation?

The life after the possession of the good land is a life of laboring upon Christ. It is a life of making Christ our industry and producing Him in mass production. We are working for “Christ Incorporated,” and day by day we are producing Christ…We are Christ growers and Christ producers. We are working diligently day and night on the farm of Christ. Yet we are working happily, and our work is such a rest to us. Consider the people of Israel after they occupied the good land and all their enemies were subdued… They simply labored on the land. They tilled the ground, sowed the seed, watered the plants, nurtured the vines, and pruned the trees. These were all necessary tasks for the enjoyment of that piece of land. It is a picture of how we must work diligently upon Christ that we may enjoy His all-inclusive riches. This is our business. Christ is our industry. We must work on Christ to produce His riches. We have seen how rich that good land is in so many aspects, but without laboring upon it, how could its riches be brought forth and abundantly produced?

Christ is rich beyond measure, but the church today is groveling in poverty. Why? It is because the Lord’s children today are indolent. They will not exert themselves to labor upon Christ…King Solomon [wrote], “How long, sluggard, will you lie there? / When will you arise from your sleep? / A little sleep, a little slumber, / A little folding of the hands to rest, / And your poverty will come upon you like a robber” (Prov. 6:9-11). How is it that America today is so rich? God indeed gave America an exceedingly rich land. But this is not the whole story. Many Americans have worked diligently upon this land to produce its riches, to bring forth its abundant wealth. We have to work; we cannot be lazy…Most Christians today…are too busy with their worldly industries, and they are too lazy in working upon Christ. We must till our spiritual ground; we must sow the spiritual seed; we must water the spiritual plants—all the time. We cannot rely upon others to do it for us; we must do it ourselves, or it will never be done. Sisters, have you pray-read the Word this morning? Brothers, how many times have you contacted the Lord today? This is the situation. We do not cultivate Christ. We have a very rich land, but we do not work on it, so there is no produce. We are indeed rich in resource but poor in produce. (The All-inclusive Christ, pp. 173-174)

Further Reading: The All-inclusive Christ, ch. 15

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