晨興聖言-話語的職事...(W4-綱要)
第四週 • 綱目
神尺度的度量與屬靈爭戰的職事
讀經：林後十12~15，弗二6，六10~12
【週一、週二】
壹 『我們卻不要過了度量誇口，只要照度量的神所分給我們尺度的度量誇口』—林後十13：
一 使徒保羅是勇敢的，但不是沒有界限的；這表明他是在主的限制之下：
1 保羅的誇口是照着度量的神，管治的神，所分給他之尺度的度量誇口。
2 他向外邦世界（包括哥林多）的職事，是照着神的度量（弗三1~2、8，加二8）；因此，他的誇口也是在這界限之內。
二 林後十章十三節的『尺度』這辭，直譯是『量度的竿』，如木匠的尺：
1 十三節的『度量』一辭，指明受神的管治；為着我們的工作和經歷，神只分給我們這麼多。
2 有一位管治者和度量者，就是度量的神，管治的神；所以我們必須留在神尺度和度量的限制之內。
三 我們從林後十章十三至十五節能看見，雖然我們期望主的工作開展，但我們必須學習如何受神的約束：
1 不要期望無限度的開展；那種開展必定不是在照着那靈而行的限制之內—羅八4~5、14。
2 我們從經歷中能見證，我們若照着那靈而開展工作，就一直有某種限制：
a 我們裏面沒有平安越過某種界限去開展工作。
b 外面的環境也不容我們越過特定的界限。
【週 三】
四 保羅必須學習接受主的約束：
1 保羅想去羅馬，卻沒有料到他是帶着鎖鍊去的—徒二六29。
2 保羅告訴在羅馬的信徒，他想從羅馬經過，往西班牙去（羅十五24），但他從未去到西班牙。
3 保羅願意服在神的度量之下；他所受的捆鎖和監禁，都是神主宰的約束。
五 保羅基於神這度量的原則，告訴哥林多人說，他所作、所說的，都沒有過了自己的度量；保羅總是在他的度量之內行事並為人—林前二1~5、12~13。
六 使徒們總是照着神的尺度行動；神所量給他們的，都成了他們的屬區。
七 在召會的事奉上，我們需要看見神只量給我們這麼多，我們不該過度伸展自己；我們必須知道自己的限度—林後十12、14。
八 我們該像保羅一樣，照着神所量給我們的度量行動並行事—13節。
【週 四】
貳 當我們在基督的升天裏與祂同活，作復活裏的新造，就為神的國從事屬靈的爭戰—歌四8，六4、10，弗二6，六10~12：
一 在升天裏，我們『從有獅子的洞穴，從有豹子的山嶺』，與基督一同觀看—歌四8下：
1 有獅子的洞穴和有豹子的山嶺，表徵諸天界，那裏有撒但和他的從屬。
2 勝利已經贏得了，但是撒但和他邪惡的勢力仍然在諸天界裏；我們必須在升天裏過生活，遠超過邪惡的勢力—弗三10，六12。
3 在這裏我們與撒但和他黑暗的權勢爭戰，乃是藉着在主裏並在祂力量的權能裏得着加力，以及藉着穿戴神全副的軍裝（12~20）；這就是在基督的升天裏生活的實際。
二 屬靈的爭戰是必需的，因為撒但的意志在對抗神的意志；我們的爭戰乃是要征服撒但的意志，並擊敗神的仇敵—太六10：
1 我們必須明白甚麼是主的旨意—弗五17，西一9。
2 神的旨意乃是祂所要的，以及祂所定意要成就的—弗一5、9、11：
a 神有一個永遠的旨意，這就是祂永遠定旨的源頭—11節，三11。
b 神既是永遠的，是無始無終的，祂的旨意也就是永遠的；這個旨意存在於宇宙起源的中心—啟四11。
c 神為着祂自己的旨意而創造萬有，為要成就並達成祂的定旨—弗三11。
d 神的旨意乃是集中在基督身上，並且是要使基督在萬有中居首位；在神永遠的旨意中，基督乃是一切—西一15~18，三4、10~11。
e 神所要的乃是基督連同召會；神的旨意是要得着召會作基督的身體—弗五32，一9、22~23，二21~22，四16。
三 我們要從事屬靈的爭戰，就必須維持升天的地位—歌四8，弗二6：
1 以弗所六章十至十二節所題的屬靈爭戰，乃是根據二章六節之升天的地位。
2 升天的地位使我們在爭戰中得勝，因為只有在升天的地位上，我們纔有屬天的權柄，纔能帶着權柄禱告，以對付神的仇敵。
四 屬靈的爭戰乃是基於基督的得勝；主耶穌藉着死廢除魔鬼，使他歸於無有—太二七51~54，來二14。
【週 五】
五 我們從事屬靈的爭戰，征服撒但的混亂，並在神聖的經綸中得勝—弗一10：
1 宇宙的歷史乃是神的經綸與撒但的混亂的歷史—創一1~2、26，啟二十10~二一4：
a 撒但是混亂的源頭，而神自己就是神聖的經綸。
b 在聖經裏，並在我們的經歷中，撒但的混亂總是與神的經綸並行—林後四6，提前一4。
2 神不是要把我們從混亂裏拯救出來，乃是要我們與祂是一，征服在舊造裏撒但毀壞的混亂，而為着新造完成神聖建造的經綸—弗三8~10，林後五17。
3 當我們遭受混亂，我們需要為神聖的經綸站住，且活出神聖的經綸—提前一4、18，提後四7。
六 我們需要為着神聖的建造，就是建造召會作基督的身體，而從事屬靈的爭戰；建造召會乃是爭戰的服事—太十六18，民四3，二六2，尼四14~23，提前一18，六12，提後四7。
【週 六】
七 屬靈爭戰的目的，就是把神的國帶進來—啟十二10：
1 屬靈爭戰乃是神的國與撒但的國之間的爭戰—太十二26、28~29。
2 神的國就是神聖意志的運用，以神的能力去推翻撒但的能力—六10，十二28。
3 召會的工作就是把神的國帶進來；召會必須藉着禱告，在地上釋放神國的能力—十六18~19，六9~10、13，十八19，啟十一15。
叁 在婚娶之日，基督要迎娶那些多年與神的仇敵爭戰的人；也就是說，基督要迎娶那些已經勝過那惡者的得勝者—十九7~9、11~16：
一 當基督來與敵基督和他的軍兵爭戰時，祂乃是作為人子而來，祂這位人子需要一個配偶，好與祂相配，使祂得以完全；這個配偶就是祂的新婦—十四14，十九7~9。
二 構成基督新婦的得勝者，要與神的一切仇敵爭戰，並擊敗他們—二7、11、17、26，三5、12、21：
1 得勝者所打的仗是生命抵擋死亡的仗，並在生命中作王，勝過死亡—太十六18，約五24，提前六19，提後一10，約壹三14，羅五17、21。
2 得勝者征服撒但毀壞的混亂，而在建造的神聖經綸裏得勝；他們不是從當前的混亂裏被拯救出來，乃是藉着經過過程並終極完成之三一神作全足的恩典，得以征服混亂—提後一9、15，二1、17~18，四22。
Week Four
The Measure of God’s Rule and Ministry on Spiritual Warfare
R. K.:Hymns: E893
Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 10:12-15; Eph. 2:6; 6:10-12
§ Day 1 & Day 2
I.
“We will not boast beyond our measure but according to the measure of
the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us”—2 Cor. 10:13:
A. The apostle Paul was bold, but he was not bold without limit; this shows that he was under the restriction of the Lord:
1. Paul’s boasting was according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure, the ruling God, had apportioned to him.
2.
His ministry to the Gentile world, including Corinth, was according to
the measure of God (Eph. 3:1-2, 8; Gal. 2:8); hence, his boast was
within this limit.
B. The word rule in 2 Corinthians 10:13 literally means “a measuring rod,” like the rule of a carpenter:
1. The word measure in verse 13 indicates being ruled by God; God has allotted us just so much for our work and experience.
2.
There is One who is ruling and measuring—the God of measure, the God
who rules; therefore, we must stay within the limits of God’s ruling, of
God’s measuring.
C.
From 2 Corinthians 10:13-15, we can see that although we expect the
Lord’s work to spread, we must learn how to be under God’s restriction:
1.
We should not expect a spread that is without measure; that kind of
spread would certainly not be within the limit of a walk according to
the Spirit— Rom. 8:4-5, 14.
2. From experience we can testify that if we spread the work according to the Spirit, there will always be a limit:
a. Inwardly, we do not have the peace to spread the work beyond a certain point.
b. Outwardly, the environment does not allow us to go beyond a particular boundary line.
§ Day 3
D. Paul had to learn to take the Lord’s restriction:
1. Paul wanted to go to Rome, but he did not expect to go there in bonds—Acts 26:29.
2. Paul told the believers in Rome that he expected to go to Spain by way of them (Rom. 15:24), but he never went to Spain.
3. Paul was willing to be subject to God’s measuring; his bonds and imprisonment were God’s sovereign restriction.
E.
Based on the principle of God’s measuring, Paul told the Corinthians
that whatever he did and spoke was not beyond his measure; Paul
always acted and behaved within his measure—1 Cor. 2:1-5, 12-13.
F. The apostles always moved according to God’s ruling; whatever God measured out to them became their jurisdiction.
G.
In the church service we need to realize that God has measured out only
a certain amount to us, and we should not extend ourselves beyond
our measure; we need to know our limitations—2 Cor. 10:12, 14.
H. Like Paul, we should move and act according to how much God has measured to us—v. 13.
§ Day 4
II.
As we live with Christ in His ascension as a new creation in
resurrection, we engage in spiritual warfare for the kingdom of God—S.
S. 4:8; 6:4, 10; Eph. 2:6; 6:10-12:
A. In ascension we look with Christ “from the lions’ dens, / From the leopards’ mountains”—S. S. 4:8b:
1. The lions’ dens and the leopards’ mountains signify the heavenlies, where Satan and his subordinates are.
2.
The victory has been gained, but Satan and his evil forces are still in
the heavenlies; we must have our living in ascension, far above the
evil powers— Eph. 3:10; 6:12.
3.
Here we fight with Satan and his power of darkness by being
empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength, and by putting
on the whole armor of God (vv. 12-20); this is the reality of living in
the ascension of Christ.
B.
Spiritual warfare is necessary because Satan’s will is set against
God’s will; our fighting is to subdue the satanic will and defeat God’s
enemy— Matt. 6:10:
1. We need to understand what the will of the Lord is—Eph. 5:17; Col. 1:9.
2. God’s will is what He wants and what He intends to accomplish—Eph. 1:5, 9, 11:
a. God has an eternal will, which is the source of His eternal purpose—v. 11; 3:11.
b.
Since God is eternal, without beginning or ending, His will is
also eternal; it lies at the heart of the origin of the universe—Rev.
4:11.
c. God created all things for His will so that He might accomplish and fulfill His purpose—Eph. 3:11.
d.
The will of God is concentrated in Christ and is for Christ to have the
first place in all things; Christ is everything in God’s eternal
will—Col. 1:15-18; 3:4, 10-11.
e.
God wants to have Christ with the church; the will of God is to obtain
the church as the Body of Christ—Eph. 5:32; 1:9, 22-23; 2:21-22; 4:16.
C. In order to engage in spiritual warfare, we must maintain the position of ascension—S. S. 4:8; Eph. 2:6:
1. The spiritual warfare mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-12 is based upon the position of ascension in 2:6.
2. The position of ascension causes us to be victorious in battle because only in the position of ascension can we have heavenly authority and pray with authority to deal with God’s enemy.
D.
Spiritual warfare is based on the victory of Christ; through death the
Lord Jesus destroyed the devil, bringing him to nothing—Matt. 27:51-54;
Heb. 2:14.
§ Day 5
E. We engage in spiritual warfare to conquer the satanic chaos and triumph in the divine economy—Eph. 1:10:
1. The history of the universe is a history of God’s economy and Satan’s chaos— Gen. 1:1-2, 26; Rev. 20:10—21:4:
a. Satan is the source of chaos, and God Himself is the divine economy.
b. Both in the Bible and in our experience, the satanic chaos always goes along with the divine economy—2 Cor. 4:6; 1 Tim. 1:4.
2.
Instead of delivering us from chaos, God wants us to be one with Him to
conquer the destructive satanic chaos in the old creation and to carry
out the constructive divine economy for the new creation—Eph. 3:8-10; 2
Cor. 5:17.
3. As we are suffering the chaos, we need to stand for and live out the divine economy—1 Tim. 1:4, 18; 2 Tim. 4:7.
F.
We need to engage in spiritual warfare for the divine building, the
church as the Body of Christ; the building up of the church is a service
of warfare—Matt. 16:18; Num. 4:3; 26:2; Neh. 4:14-23; 1 Tim. 1:18;
6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7.
§ Day 6
G. The purpose of spiritual warfare is to bring in the kingdom of God—Rev. 12:10:
1. Spiritual warfare is the warfare between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan—Matt. 12:26, 28-29.
2.
The kingdom of God is the exercise of the divine will and the
overthrowing of the power of Satan by the power of God—6:10; 12:28.
3.
The work of the church is to bring in the kingdom of God, and through
prayer the church must release the power of the kingdom of God upon
the earth—16:18-19; 6:9-10, 13; 18:19; Rev. 11:15.
III.
On the day of His wedding, Christ will marry those who have been
fighting the battle against God’s enemy for years; that is, Christ will
marry the overcomers, who have already overcome the evil one—19:7-9,
11-16:
A.
When Christ comes to fight against Antichrist and his army, He will
come as the Son of Man, and as the Son of Man, He will need a
counterpart to match Him and complete Him; this counterpart will be His
bride—14:14; 19:7-9.
B.
The overcomers who constitute the bride of Christ fight the battle
against all the enemies of God and defeat them—2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12,
21:
1.
The overcomers engage in the warfare of life against death and reign in
life over death—Matt. 16:18; John 5:24; 1 Tim. 6:19; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1
John 3:14; Rom. 5:17, 21.
2. The overcomers conquer the destructive chaos and triumph in the constructive divine economy; instead of being delivered out of the present chaos, they conquer the chaos by the processed and consummated Triune God as the all-sufficient grace—2 Tim. 1:9, 15; 2:1, 17-18; 4:22.
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