晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W41-5)

第四十一週.週五

W41-d5-ch

晨興餧養

弗二10 『我們原是神的傑作,在基督耶穌裏,為著神早先豫備好,要我們行在其中的善良事工創造的。』

林後四5 『…我們不是傳自己,乃是傳基督耶穌為主,也傳自己為耶穌的緣故,作你們的奴僕。』

〔在以弗所二章十節,〕『善良事工』就是基督。神工作的目的,就是基督。我們當行走在這工作裏。…許多時,我們是為興趣而作工,不是為基督。許多時,人東跑西奔,作工得了名譽。他們作了工,卻未事奉神。神從永世到永世作工,都是要叫祂兒子在萬有中居首位。所以,我們作工,也當為著基督。神若未洗淨我們的存心和動機,我們就不能蒙神的賜福。我們作工,不是為罪人,乃是為基督。我們工作的成功有多少,是看基督在裏面有多少。…作工不當為自己的興旺、自己的團體、自己的信息而作工,當為基督而作工。只要神有所得著,我們就當快樂。看見神有所得著,雖然不是藉著我們所作的工,我們也當快樂。(倪柝聲文集第一輯第十一冊,一一二至一一三頁。)

信息選讀

基督也當在我們的信息裏居首位。我們『乃是傳基督耶穌為主』。(林後四5。)『只知道耶穌基督,並這位釘十字架的。』(林前二2。)基督是神計畫的中心,神目的的中心。十字架是神工作的中心。十字架的工作,是成功神的目的。十字架作工除去一切出於肉體的,好叫基督來居首位。我們中心的信息,不當是時代、豫言、豫表、國度、受浸、離宗派、說方言、守安息日、聖別…,當是基督。神的中心就是基督。…我們救人後,當叫他奉獻自己,作基督的奴僕,接受基督為他萬有的主。

全部聖經的真理,是有組織的,如車輪一樣。其中有一個中心,就是基督。我們並非不傳中心以外的真理。不過,需要把這些真理,和中心鉤起來。我們當有兩個知識:(一)知道這一個道,講甚麼。(二)知道這個道,和中心的關係是甚麼。我們當注意中心。但是,不是不講其餘的真理。保羅說,『只知道耶穌基督,並這位釘十字架的。』以後,又說,『在長成的人中,我們也講智慧。』(林前二2,6。)人奉獻了,接受了基督作他的主,我們纔能對他講造就的道。我們作工,該時常把人拖到中心來,叫他們看見『基督是主』。我們不能在客觀上,作這樣的工作。我們自己必須先被神打破摔碎,叫基督在我們身上居首位,纔能領人接受基督作主,叫基督在他們身上居首位。我們必須活出讓基督居首位的生活,纔能傳揚這個信息。信息就是我們自己。我們當叫基督在日常的小事上居首位,我們纔能傳揚基督中心的信息。『巴不得我們每一個人,都把主耶穌擺在寶座上!』…主的『好』,勝過一切世人的讚美。天上的笑臉,勝過地上一切的怒臉。天上的安慰,勝過地上的眼淚。隱藏的嗎哪,是在永世裏享受的。(倪柝聲文集第一輯第十一冊,一一四至一一五頁。)

參讀:基督的中心與普及,第一章;倪柝聲文集第一輯第四冊,第一二六至一四九頁;倪柝聲文集第一輯第十一冊,『神的中心』或『基督的中心與普及』;但以理書生命讀經,第十二篇。

WEEK 41 — DAY 5

W41-d5-en

Morning Nourishment

Eph. 2:10 For we are His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand in order that we would walk in them.

2 Cor. 4:5 …We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

[In Ephesians 2:10] “good works” are just Christ. The goal of God’s work is Christ, and we should walk in this work…We often work because of our interest, not because of Christ. Many times men run to and fro to work for a name for themselves. They have worked, but they have not served God. God’s work from eternity to eternity has always been with the view that His Son would have the first place in all things. Therefore, our work should also be for Christ. If God does not purify our intent and motive, we cannot receive God’s blessing. We work not for sinners but for Christ. How successful our work is depends on how much Christ is in it…Our work should not be for our own increase, our own group, or our own message; rather, we should work for Christ. As long as God gains something, we should rejoice. When we see God gaining something, even if it is not through our hands, we should be happy for it. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 750-751)

Today’s Reading

Christ should also have the first place in our messages. We “preach… Christ Jesus as Lord” (2 Cor. 4:5). “For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Christ is the center of God’s plan and the center of God’s goal. The cross is the center of God’s work. The work of the cross is to accomplish God’s goal. The cross works to eliminate all that issues from the flesh in order that Christ may have the first place. Our central message should not be the dispensations, the prophecies, the types, the kingdom, baptism, forsaking denominations, speaking in tongues, keeping the Sabbath, or holiness, etc. Our central message should be Christ. The centrality of God is Christ.

After a person is saved, we should help him to consecrate himself to be a slave of Christ, so that he receives Christ as his Lord in all things. All the truths in the Bible are related like a wheel with spokes and a hub, having Christ as the center. We are not neglecting the truths outside the center; rather, we need to link these truths with the center. Concerning any truth we should know two things: (1) we should know about this truth, and (2) we should know how this truth relates to the center. We should pay attention to the center. Of course, this does not mean we do not speak of other truths. Paul said, “I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Later he also said, “But we do speak wisdom among those who are full-grown” (v. 6). It is only after a person has consecrated himself and received Christ as his Lord that we can speak to him the truths concerning his building up. In our work we should continually draw people back to the center and let them see that “Christ is Lord.” We cannot do this work in an objective way. We ourselves must be the first to be broken by God and allow Christ to have the first place in us, before we can lead others to receive Christ as Lord and allow Christ to have the first place in them. We must live out a life of giving Christ the first place before we can spread this message. Our message is just our person. We should allow Christ to have the first place in the small things in our daily life before we can preach the message of the centrality of Christ. I only wish that every one of us would give the Lord Jesus His place on the throne!…The Lord’s “well done” surpasses all the praises of the world. The smiling face of heaven surpasses all the angry faces of the earth. The comfort of heaven surpasses the tears of the earth. The hidden manna is enjoyed in eternity. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 752-753)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1964, vol. 1, “The Centrality and Universality of Christ,” ch. 1; CWWN, vol. 4, pp. 291-308; CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 731-753; Lifestudy of Daniel, msg. 12

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