晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(W23-4)

第二十三週.週四

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晨興餧養

約壹三1 『你們看,父賜給我們的是何等的愛,使我們得稱為神的兒女,我們也真是祂的兒女…。』

四10  『不是我們愛神,乃是神愛我們,差祂的兒子,為我們的罪作了平息的祭物,在此就是愛了。』

保羅在以弗所五章二節告訴我們,要在愛裏行事為人;在八節告訴我們,行事為人要像光的兒女。…如果我們在愛裏行事為人,我們就會保守自己遠離污穢。在愛裏行事為人,就是在與神親密的關係中行事為人。女兒與母親之間的親密關係,可用來說明在愛裏行事為人的意思。有些…〔女兒〕愛她們母親所愛的一切。由於她們有這種對母親的愛,她們就不願拂逆母親的感覺;反之,她們在對母親親密的愛裏行事為人。同樣的原則,我們與父有親密的關係。我們是接受恩典的人,我們能在子裏來接觸父。在父面前,我們不僅享受恩典,就是愛的發表,我們也享受愛的本身。我們以非常親密的方式經歷這愛。因為我們這樣親密的享受神的愛,我們不願意作任何使父不喜悅的事。父恨惡淫亂、污穢和貪婪。我們若在愛裏行事為人,就會遠離這些事。因著我們愛父,我們不作任何事使祂的心擔憂。這是何等溫柔細緻的行事為人!這不僅是憑恩典而活,這乃是在愛裏行事為人。我們應當一直記得,我們是神的兒女,享受神的愛。我們也是聖徒,分別歸祂、被祂浸透。所以我們在日常的行事為人中,總是顧到父的感覺,因為我們親密的活在祂溫柔的愛裏。(以弗所書生命讀經,五一四至五一五頁。)

信息選讀

愛與恩典之間的不同,可用母親和孩子之間的關係說明。有時孩子也許向母親要一些東西,然而,有時孩子只要享受母親愛的擁抱。從母親那裏得到一些表明母愛的東西,這是恩典;但安息在母親愛的懷抱裏,這是愛的實例。同樣的原則,我們接受了恩典,就是父愛的彰顯。但是當我們在交通中來到父面前,我們就進入祂的愛裏;這愛乃是恩典的源頭。(以弗所書生命讀經,五一五頁。)

神聖的愛是神素質的性質。因此,愛是神素質的屬性。…約壹四章九節說,『神差祂的獨生子到世上來,使我們藉著祂得生並活著,在此神的愛就向我們顯明了。』世上,指墮落的人類所在的地方,與提前一章十五節者同。

約壹四章十節…『此』字指上述的事實:不是我們愛神,乃是神愛我們,差祂的兒子,為我們的罪作了平息的祭物。在這事實裏,有神高超、高貴的愛。神聖的愛這神素質的屬性,主要是彰顯在差祂的兒子救贖我們,並將神的生命分賜到我們裏面,使我們成為祂的兒女。

以弗所二章四節說,『神富於憐憫,因祂愛我們的大愛。』愛的對象應該是在可愛的光景裏,但憐憫的對象總是在可憐的光景裏。因此,神的憐憫比祂的愛達到得更遠。神愛我們,因為我們是祂揀選的對象;然而我們因著墮落變得極為可憐,甚至死在過犯並罪之中,所以我們需要神的憐憫。因著祂的大愛,神是富於憐憫的,把我們從可憐的地位,救到適合祂愛的光景。神高貴的愛這素質的屬性,需要祂憐憫的屬性,好叫祂能在我們墮落生命的深坑中臨到我們。(新約總論第一冊,八九至九○頁。)

參讀:新約總論,第八篇。

WEEK 23 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are…

4:10 Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins.

In Ephesians 5:2 Paul tells us to walk in love, and in verse 8 he tells us to walk as children of light…If we walk in love, we will keep ourselves from uncleanness. To walk in love is to walk in intimacy with God. An intimate relationship between a daughter and mother may illustrate what it means to walk in love…[Such daughters] love whatever their mothers love. Because of the love they have for their mothers, they are not willing to do anything opposed to their mothers’ feeling. Rather, they walk in intimate love toward their mothers. In the same principle, we have an intimate relationship with the Father. As those who have received grace, we may come in the Son to contact the Father. In the Father’s presence we not only enjoy grace, the expression of love, but we also enjoy love itself. We experience this love in a very intimate way. Because we enjoy the love of God in such an intimate way, we do not want to do anything that displeases the Father. The Father hates fornication, uncleanness, and lust. If we walk in love, we will stay away from such things. Because we love the Father, we will not do anything to grieve His heart. What a tender, delicate walk this is! This is not simply living by grace; it is walking in love. We should always remember that we are children of God enjoying His love. We are saints separated unto Him and saturated with Him. Therefore, in our daily walk we would always take care of the Father’s feeling, for we live intimately in His tender love. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 413-414)

Todays Reading

The difference between love and grace can be illustrated by the relationship between a mother and her child. Sometimes a child may want something from the mother. However, at other times the child simply wants to enjoy the mother’s loving embrace. Receiving something from the mother that expresses the mother’s love is grace. But resting in the loving embrace of the mother is an illustration of love. In the same principle, we have received grace, the expression of the Father’s love. But as we go to the Father in fellowship, we enter into His love, which is the source of grace. (Life-study of Ephesians, p. 414)

The divine love…is the nature of God’s essence. Thus, it is an essential attribute of God…First John 4:9 says, “In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him.” As in 1 Timothy 1:15, the “world” [in 1 John 4:9] refers to fallen mankind, whom God so loved that, by making them alive through His Son with His own life, they might become His children. In this the love of God has been manifested.

[In 1 John 4:10] the word herein refers to the following fact: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son a propitiation concerning our sins. In this fact is the higher and nobler love of God. The divine love as God’s essential attribute is mainly expressed in sending His Son to redeem us and impart God’s life into us that we may become His children.

Ephesians 2:4 says, “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” The object of love should be in a lovable condition, but the object of mercy is always in a pitiful situation. Hence, God’s mercy reaches further than His love. God loves us because we are the object of His selection. But we became pitiful by our fall, even dead in our offenses and sins; therefore, we need God’s mercy. Because of His great love, God is rich in mercy to save us from our wretched position to a condition that is suitable for His love. The nobler love of God as His essential attribute needs His attribute of mercy to reach us in the deep pit of our fallen life. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 75-76)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 8

 

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