晨興聖言-羅馬書五至八章...(W2-5)

第二週．週五

w2d5-ch

晨興餧養

帖前二４　『但神怎樣驗中了我們，把福音託付我們，我們就照樣講，不是要討人喜歡，乃是要討那察驗我們心的神喜歡。』

彼前一７　『叫你們信心所受的試驗，比那經過火的試驗仍會毀壞之金子的試驗，更為寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候，顯為可得稱讚、榮耀和尊貴的。』

神的託付，是根據祂藉試驗我們而有的驗中。神首先試驗並驗中使徒，然後把福音託付他們。因此，他們的講說、他們福音的傳揚，不是出於自己，要討人喜歡，乃是出於神，要討神喜歡。（聖經恢復本，帖前二4註1。）

〔試驗是為著蒙稱許。〕顯為可得稱讚…的，不是信心的本身，乃是信心所受的試煉、試驗。…當然，信心得稱許是來自正確的信心。…〔彼前一章七節〕所強調的不是…信心，乃是藉著苦難在試煉之下對…信心的試驗。（彼前一7註1。）

信息選讀

忍耐生老練。（羅五4。）老練是一種蒙稱許的品質或屬性，是忍受並經歷患難和試驗的結果。…有時候，年輕弟兄很難得著別人的稱許。他們需要忍耐，這忍耐產生容易被別人稱許的品質。患難帶進忍耐，忍耐產生蒙稱許的品質。這裏的老練，含經歷的意思；然而這裏所指的，主要不是經歷本身，乃是藉著受苦的經歷所得著的屬性或美德。你越受苦，就越有忍耐，也越產生蒙稱許的美德。蒙稱許不是我們天生就有的屬性。

想想未經鍛煉之金子的例子。雖然它是真金，卻未經鍛煉，也不吸引人。它需要鍛煉的火。金越受到火燒，就越產生蒙稱許的品質。…可能許多年輕人就像未經鍛煉的金子。他們不需要磨光或上色；他們需要焚燒。有些愛主的聖徒有一些生命和亮光，他們就因此以為自己適合為主作工；然而，他們缺少蒙稱許的品質。一面，他們無論往那裏去，都能有果效；另一面，他們是未經鍛煉的，缺少使人喜樂、甜美、且舒適的美德。他們有蒙稱許的反面，我們可稱為不蒙稱許。…我們若有蒙稱許的美德，就不會成為別人的難處。我們都必須禱告：『主，給我蒙稱許的品質。』…你若這樣禱告，主會問：『你是認真的麼？』你的答覆若是肯定的，主就會興起環境，這些環境會為你產生蒙稱許的品質。例如，祂也許賜你最合式的妻子，最有益於在你裏面產生這品質。大多數的妻子是絕佳的幫手，幫助神為祂的僕人產生蒙稱許的品質。主的僕人多半需要這樣的妻子。妻子不是幫助丈夫，乃是幫助神；妻子的性情幫助神在她們的丈夫裏面產生蒙稱許的品質。

神是主宰一切的。我們許多人領悟我們不但蒙召了，也被抓住了。我們必須作基督耶穌的奴僕—我們別無選擇。…我必須作主的奴僕。雖然我們是基督的奴僕，但我們缺少蒙稱許的品質。這困擾神，破壞我們，也困擾聖徒們和神家裏的人。我們一面幫助他們，另一面卻傷了他們。我們憑自己的亮光和恩賜幫助他們，卻因著缺少蒙稱許的品質而傷了他們。因此，我們需要忍耐所產生的老練、稱許。（羅馬書生命讀經，一二四至一二五頁。）

參讀：羅馬書生命讀經，第九篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 5

Morning Nourishment

1 Thes. 2:4 But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who proves our hearts.

1 Pet. 1:7 So that the proving of your faith, much more precious than of gold which perishes though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

God’s entrusting depends on His approval, which comes out of His testing. The apostles were first tested and approved by God and then were entrusted by Him with the gospel. Hence, their speaking, the preaching of the gospel, was not of themselves to please men but of God to please Him. (1 Thes. 2:4, footnote 1)

[Proving is] testing for approval. It is the trying, the proving, of faith, not the faith itself, that may be found unto praise…Of course, the approval of faith comes out of the proper faith. The stress here is not on faith but on the proving of faith by trials that come through sufferings. (1 Pet. 1:7, footnote 1)

Todays Reading

Endurance produces approvedness (Rom. 5:4). Approvedness is an approved quality resulting from the endurance of tribulation and testing…At times it is difficult for young brothers to have the approval of others. They need the endurance that produces a quality that is easily approved by others. Tribulation issues in endurance, and endurance brings forth the quality of approvedness. Some versions translate the Greek word here as “experience.” This is correct, for approvedness includes experience. However, it is not primarily the experience itself but the attribute or virtue that is acquired through the experiences of suffering. The more you suffer, the more you have endurance, and the more the virtue of approvedness will be produced. Approvedness is not an attribute that we have by our natural birth.

Consider the example of raw gold. Although it is genuine gold, it is raw and unattractive. It needs the purifying fire. The more the gold suffers the burning of the fire, the more an approved quality will be produced…Perhaps many of the young people are like raw gold. They do not need polishing or painting; they need burning. Some of the saints who love the Lord have an amount of life and light. Because they have these things, they think that they are suitable to work for the Lord. However, they lack approvedness. On the one hand, they can be productive wherever they go; on the other hand, they are raw and lack the virtue that makes people happy, sweet, and comfortable. They have the opposite of approvedness, what we may call disapprovedness…If we have the virtue of approvedness, we will not be a problem to others. We all must pray, “Lord, grant me approvedness.” If you pray in this way, the Lord will ask, “Do you really mean business?” If your answer is affirmative, the Lord will raise up the circumstances that will produce approvedness for you. For example, He may give you the most suitable wife, the wife most useful in producing this quality within you. Most wives are excellent helpers, assisting God in producing approvedness for His servants. Most of the Lord’s servants need such a wife. The wife does not help the husband; she helps God. The disposition of the wives helps God to bring forth approvedness in their husbands.

God is sovereign. Many of us realize that we have not only been called but also caught. We must be a slave of Christ Jesus—we have no other choice… I must be the Lord’s slave. Although we are the slaves of Christ, we lack approvedness. This troubles God and damages us. It also bothers the saints and the household of God. We help them on the one hand and hurt them on the other. By our light and our gift we help them; by our lack of approvedness we hurt them. Thus, we need the approvedness that comes out of endurance. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 104-105)

Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msg. 9