晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W04-2)
第四週 • 週二
晨興餧養
羅八14 因為凡被神的靈引導的,都是神的兒子。
16~17 那靈自己同我們的靈見證我們是神的兒女。既是兒女,便是後嗣,就是神的後嗣,和基督同作後嗣,只要我們與祂一同受苦,好叫我們也與祂一同得榮耀。
新約說到信徒是神的兒女、神的兒子和神的後嗣。作神的兒女,是我們與神初步或基本的關係。我們可能只是兒女,沒有長大成為兒子;或者我們只是兒子,沒有後嗣的資格。因此,我們需要長大,好成為神的兒子。然後我們還需要進一步長大達到成熟,好成為神的後嗣。作為後嗣,我們就可承受神聖的產業(新約總論第五冊,二四頁)。
信息選讀
〔羅馬八章十四至十七節〕用了三個重要的辭—兒女、兒子、後嗣。…神的生命在三個階段裏作工,使我們成為神的兒子。神的生命在我們靈裏重生我們,在我們魂裏變化我們,並且將我們的身體改變形狀。因此,我們有重生、變化和改變形狀。這些加在一起,就給我們完滿的兒子名分。這三個階段的結果,就使眾子完全得成熟。
羅馬書這一段告訴我們,那靈同我們的靈見證我們是神的兒女(16)。十六節不是說兒子或後嗣,因為在兒子名分的第一階段,我們只是藉着神的生命得重生的小孩子。此後我們會長大。然後十四節說,『凡被神的靈引導的,都是神的兒子。』…我們能被那靈引導,意思是我們達到了某種生命的成長。我們已從兒女長到能接受那靈引導的兒子。這就是說,我們在第二階段,變化的階段。最終,我們要成為後嗣。…所以,羅馬書這段有重生的兒女、變化的兒子,以及改變形狀或得榮的後嗣。我們生為神的兒女,現在正長成神的兒子,且在等候我們完全成熟並依法被宣佈為神法定後嗣的時候。…我們的身體改變形狀,會使我們有資格作神聖產業的後嗣。這改變形狀要藉着得榮而完成。
這三個階段的結果,乃是使我們得着完滿的兒子名分。〔兒子名分〕這三個階段符合神救恩的三個階段:第一階段,稱義,產生兒女;第二階段,聖別,使兒女能長成兒子;第三階段,得榮,結果使身體改變形狀,使我們成為神聖產業的法定後嗣。
作神的後嗣,和基督同作後嗣,條件是『我們與祂一同受苦,好叫我們也與祂一同得榮耀』〔17〕。…要記得苦難是恩典的化身。…我們若與祂一同受苦,我們就要與祂一同得榮耀。…我們經過的苦難越多,我們的榮耀就越加強,因為苦難增加我們榮耀的強度。…在林前十五章四十一節保羅說,『這星和那星在榮耀上也有分別,』指明有些星比別的星照耀得更明亮。我們都會照耀,我們也都會得榮耀,但我們榮耀的強度會在於我們願意接受多少苦難。到那日使徒保羅確實會比我們眾人照耀得更明亮。…我們都會得榮耀,但我們榮耀的強度會照着我們的苦難而有所不同。所以保羅在羅馬八章十八節說,『因為我算定今時的苦楚,不配與將來要顯於我們的榮耀相比。』今時的苦楚比起將來的榮耀,就算不得甚麼(羅馬書生命讀經,二七八至二七九、二六八至二六九頁)。
參讀:羅馬書生命讀經,第十九篇。
WEEK 4 — DAY 2
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
16-17 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, heirs also; on the one hand, heirs of God; on the other, joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him.
The New Testament speaks of the believers as children of God, sons of God, and heirs of God. Being children of God is our initial, or primary, relationship with God. We may be children without the growth of a son, or we may be sons without the qualification of an heir. Therefore, we need to grow in order to become sons of God. Then we need further growth, growth to maturity, in order to be heirs of God. As heirs, we shall inherit the divine inheritance. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1081)
Todays Reading
[In Romans 8:14-17] three significant terms are used—children, sons, and heirs…The life of God works in three stages to make us sons of God. The life of God regenerates us in our spirit, transforms us in our soul, and transfigures our body. Hence, we have regeneration, transformation, and transfiguration. These together give us full sonship. As the result of these three steps, the sons are fully matured.
In this portion of Romans we are told that the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God (v. 16). Verse 16 does not say “sons” or “heirs,” for in the first stage of sonship, we are simply little children who have been regenerated by the life of God. After this we will grow. Then verse 14 says that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”…When we are capable of being led by the Spirit, it means that we have attained a certain growth in life. We have grown from children into sons who are able to take the leading of the Spirit. This means that we are in the second stage, the stage of transformation. Ultimately, we will become heirs…Therefore, in this portion of Romans we have children by regeneration, sons by transformation, and heirs by transfiguration, or glorification. We were born the children of God, we are growing up as the sons of God, and we are waiting for the time when we will be fully matured and legally declared to be the rightful heirs of God… The transfiguration of our body will qualify us to be the heirs of the divine inheritance. This transfiguration will be accomplished by glorification.
As a result of these three stages, we will obtain full sonship. These three stages [of sonship] correspond to the three stages of God’s salvation: the first stage, justification, produces children; the second stage, sanctification, enables the children to grow into sons; and the third stage, glorification, results in the transfiguration of the body so that we may become the legal heirs of the divine inheritance.
The condition for being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ is that “we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him” (v. 17)… Remember that suffering is the incarnation of grace…If we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him…The more suffering we pass through, the more our glory will be intensified, for suffering increases the intensity of our glory…In 1 Corinthians 15:41 Paul says that “star differs from star in glory,” indicating that some stars shine more brightly than others. We all will shine, and we all will be glorified, but the intensity of our glory will depend on the amount of suffering we are willing to take. It is certain that the apostle Paul in that day will shine more brightly than all of us…We will all be glorified, but the intensity of our glory will differ according to our suffering. Therefore, Paul says in Romans 8:18, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed upon us.” The present suffering means nothing compared with the coming glory. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 226-228, 219-220)
Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msg. 19
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