晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(W23-2)

第二十三週.週二

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晨興餧養

約壹四8 『不愛弟兄的,未曾認識神,因為神就是愛。』

      一5 『神就是光,在祂裏面毫無黑暗;這是我們從祂所聽見,現在又報給你們的信息。』

以弗所五章一至二十一節陳明基督實際又細緻的方面:光同著愛為著信徒的行事為人。在新約裏,光與愛是一對,正如實際(真理)與恩典是一對。光是實際的源頭,愛是恩典的源頭。所以光與愛形成一對,作實際和恩典的源頭;實際與恩典形成一對,作光與愛的流出。光照耀出來就是真理,愛彰顯出來就是恩典。

約翰福音啟示,基督來時,恩典和實際也與祂同來;(一17;)恩典來自神聖的愛,實際來自神聖的光。約翰的第一封書信繼續啟示,當我們接受基督,與祂交通,並憑恩典和實際活著,祂就把我們帶進與父的交通中;在父的同在裏,我們摸著祂的愛,就是恩典的源頭,也摸著祂的光,就是真理的源頭。(新約總論第十一冊,二三二頁。)

信息選讀

愛與光實際上就是神自己;愛與光是神的所是、神的素質。(約壹四8,一5。)恩典與實際是從父神來的,但愛與光就是父神。首先我們相信主耶穌而接受恩典和真理,然後藉著享受恩典和真理,我們被帶回到恩典和真理的源頭,就是那是愛是光的父神。我們停留在與這位是愛是光之神的交通裏,就成為蒙神所愛的兒女,在愛與光中行事為人。我們這些追求基督並且愛神的人,應當是光的兒女,在愛與光中行事為人。因為愛與光都是神,成為光的兒女,在愛與光中行事為人,就是成為神的兒女,在神裏面行事為人。

在以弗所四章十七至三十二節,我們看見基督是實際與恩典,為著新人的生活;而在五章一至二十一節,我們看見基督是光同著愛,為著信徒的行事為人。基督是光,照在信徒身上,這照耀的結果就是真理,實際。外邦人在他們心思的虛妄裏行事為人,因為他們沒有光的照耀,(四1718,)但我們信徒有神聖的光,就是神自己,光照在我們身上,甚至使我們成為光。(五8。)

在五章十三至十四節,我們看見基督是照在信徒身上的光。『一切事受了責備,就被光顯明了;因為凡將事顯明的,就是光。所以祂說,睡著的人哪,要起來,要從死人中站起來,基督就要光照你了。』十三節中的『責備』,原文也可譯為『暴露』或『揭發』。我們若是被暴露或受責備,應該簡單的接受那個暴露,那個責備。我們若這樣作,就會蒙福。我們會從睡中起來,基督就要光照我們了。每一個責備都是基督的光照。每當我們受責備時,我們應當說,『主,為著你的光照我敬拜你。這個責備是你的光照,我接受。』接受責備就是在光中行事為人。這意思是,我們若不願接受責備,就是在黑暗中行事為人。我們若真是在光中行事為人,就能從任何的責備中得著益處。

基督對信徒乃是光;基督照在信徒身上並光照他們。按照十四節,睡著的人也就是死了的人,需要十三節所說的責備。他需要從睡中起來,並從死人中站起來。當我們暴露或責備在黑暗裏睡著並死了的人,基督就要光照他。我們在光中的暴露或責備,就是基督的光照。

基督是光,使信徒成為光,在愛裏行事為人像光的兒女。我們這些光的兒女應當在愛裏行事為人。(新約總論第十一冊,二三二至二三四頁。)

參讀:新約總論,第三百四十二篇。

WEEK 23 — DAY 2

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Morning Nourishment

1 John 4:8 He who does not love has not known God, because God is love.

1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Ephesians 5:1-21 presents a practical and fine aspect of Christ: the light with love for the believers’ walk. In the New Testament, light and love, like reality (truth) and grace, are a pair. Light is the source of reality, and love is the source of grace. Hence, light and love form a pair as the source of reality and grace; reality and grace form a pair as the issue of light and love. When light shines out, it becomes truth; when love is expressed, it becomes grace.

The Gospel of John reveals that when Christ came, grace and reality came with Him (1:17); grace came from divine love, and reality came from divine light. The first Epistle of John goes on to reveal that when we receive Christ, fellowship with Him, and live by grace and reality, He brings us into the fellowship with the Father; in the Father’s presence we touch His love as the source of grace and His light as the source of truth. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3439)

Todays Reading

Love and light are actually God Himself; they are God’s being, His essence (1 John 4:8; 1:5). Grace and reality come out of God the Father, but love and light are God the Father. First, we believe in the Lord Jesus and receive grace and truth. Then by enjoying grace and truth, we are brought back to the source of grace and truth, God the Father as love and light. By staying in the fellowship with God as love and light, we become beloved children of God walking in love and light. We who seek Christ and love God should be children of light walking in love and light. Because both love and light are God, to be children of light walking in love and light is to be children of God
walking in God.

In Ephesians 4:17-32 we see Christ as the reality and grace for the living of the new man, whereas in 5:1-21 we see Christ as the light with love for the believers’ walk. Christ as the light shines on the believers, and the issue of this shining is the truth, the reality. The Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind because they do not have the shining of the light (4:17-18), but we the believers have the divine light, which is God Himself, shining over us and even making us light (5:8).

In 5:13-14 we see that Christ is the light shining on the believers. “All things which are reproved are made manifest by the light; for everything that makes manifest is light. Therefore He says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” The Greek word rendered “reproved” in verse 13 may also be rendered “exposed” or “uncovered.” If we are being exposed or rebuked, we should simply receive the exposure, the rebuke. If we do this, we will be blessed. We will be aroused from sleep, and Christ will shine on us. Every rebuke is the shining of Christ. Whenever we are rebuked, we should say, “Lord, I worship You for Your shining. This rebuke is Your shining, and I receive it.” To receive a rebuke is to walk in light. This means that if we are not willing to accept a rebuke, we are walking in darkness. If we are truly walking in the light, we will be able to profit from any kind of rebuking.

Christ is light to the believers; Christ shines upon them and enlightens them. According to verse 14, the sleeping one who needs the exposing mentioned in verse 13 is also a dead one. He needs to awake from sleep and arise from the dead. When we expose or reprove anyone who is sleeping and in the darkness of death, Christ will shine on him. Our exposing or reproving in light is Christ’s shining.

Christ is the light making the believers light to walk as children of light in love. We the children of light should walk in love. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3439-3441)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 342

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