晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W10-6)
第十週 • 週六
晨興餧養
腓三12~13 這不是說,我已經得着了,或已經完全了,我乃是竭力追求,或者可以取得基督耶穌所以取得我的。弟兄們,我不是以為自己已經取得了,我只有一件事,就是忘記背後,努力面前的。
保羅已經相當經歷並贏得基督,但他不是以為自己已經完全經歷了,已經徹底贏得了;他仍然向着標竿竭力追求,要贏得基督到最完滿的地步。
保羅在腓立比三章十三節說到忘記背後。為着要贏得基督到最完滿的地步,保羅不但拋棄他在猶太教裏的經歷,也不停留在他已往對基督的經歷中,他乃是忘記背後。不論已往的經歷多真實,我們若停留其中,懷記不忘,就會受阻撓,不能進一步追求基督(新約總論第十二冊,四一頁)。
信息選讀
保羅也告訴我們,他努力面前的。他認識基督的豐富追測不盡,有廣闊的範圍可以去取得。他就努力向前,要贏得這些豐富,更多進入這範圍。
雖然保羅是成熟的聖徒,非常老練的使徒,但他告訴我們,他不是已經得着了,已經完全了。…當然,他藉着信徒共同的信,得了信徒共有的救恩(提前一14~16),但他仍竭力追求基督以贏得祂到最完滿的地步。不但如此,保羅也追求基督以得着復活特殊的分,就是傑出的復活。要得着這復活的分,我們必須竭力追求,奔跑賽程,並得勝的完成我們的路程。…我們悔改相信的時候,就被基督得着,好叫我們贏得祂。現今我們是還沒有得着,還沒有完全的人,我們一直竭力追求基督。
保羅向着標竿竭力追求,要得獎賞〔腓三14〕。基督是標竿也是獎賞。標竿是最完滿的享受基督,贏得基督;獎賞是在千年國裏,對基督極點的享受,作奔跑新約賽程之得勝者的賞賜。保羅操練自己,忘記背後,努力面前的,為要達到標竿,得着獎賞。這是竭力追求基督以贏得祂的路。
我們應該看見神設立了標竿,豫備了獎賞的事實。我們需要好好奔跑賽程,忘記背後,努力面前的,竭力追求基督;『面前的』就是關於基督和祂的身體召會的事。讓我們都忘記背後,留意我們前面光明的前途,就是贏得基督,並在祂的身體裏經歷祂到極點。
我們不該僅僅滿意於聖經的知識,甚至滿意於對腓立比三章的認識。我們需要真實的竭力追求基督。『竭力追求』,原文也可譯為『逼迫』。保羅在得救前,是消極的逼迫基督;得救後,他竭力追求基督到一個地步,我們甚至可說他也是逼迫基督,不過是在正面上。逼迫人就是攪擾人,不肯放他過去。在保羅得救前,他攪擾基督,不放祂過去,是反面的逼迫基督;但他得救並被基督得着以後,仍然逼迫祂,不過是正面的,因他不肯放基督過去。我們也該這樣逼迫基督,以贏得祂。我們不該放基督過去;反要攪擾祂,逼迫祂,以贏得祂。這就是竭力追求基督(新約總論第十二冊,四一至四三頁)。
參讀:新約總論,第三百四十九篇。
WEEK 10 — DAY 6
Morning Nourishment
Phil. 3:12-13 Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I pursue, if even I may lay hold of that for which I also have been laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before.
Paul had experienced and gained Christ tremendously, yet he did not account of himself to have experienced Christ in full or to have gained Him to the uttermost. He still endeavored to pursue toward the goal—the gaining of Christ to the fullest extent.
In Philippians 3:13 Paul speaks of “forgetting the things which are behind.” In order to gain Christ to the fullest extent, Paul not only forsook his experiences in Judaism but also would not linger in his past experiences of Christ. He forgot the past. Not to forget but to linger in our past experiences, however genuine they were, frustrates our further pursuing of Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3512)
Todays Reading
Paul also tells us that he was stretching forward to the things which are before. He knew that Christ is unsearchably rich, that there is a vast territory of His riches to be possessed. He was stretching forward to gain these riches and to advance further into this territory.
Even though Paul was a matured saint and an experienced apostle, he tells us that he had not already obtained and had not yet been perfected… He, of course, had obtained the common salvation by the common faith (1 Tim. 1:14-16), but he was still pursuing Christ in order to gain Him to the fullest extent. Furthermore, Paul was also seeking Christ in order to have the extra portion of resurrection, the out-resurrection. In order to have this portion of resurrection, we must pursue, run the race, and finish our course triumphantly…At the time of our conversion, we were gained by Christ so that we may gain Him. Now as those who have not yet obtained and who have not yet been perfected, we are pursuing Christ.
Paul was pursuing toward the goal for the prize [Phil 3:14]. Christ is both the goal and the prize. The goal is the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ, and the prize is the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom as a reward to the victorious runners of the New Testament race. In order to reach the goal for the prize, Paul was exercised to forget the things which are behind and to stretch forward to the things which are before. This is the way to gain Christ by pursuing Him.
We should see the fact that God has set up a goal and prepared a prize. We need to run a good race and to pursue Christ by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, that is, the things concerning Christ and His Body, the church. Let us all forget the things behind and pay attention to the bright future ahead of us, a future of gaining Christ and experiencing Him to the uttermost in His Body.
We should not be satisfied simply with Bible knowledge, not even with the knowledge of Philippians 3. We need to have the actual pursuing of Christ. The Greek word for pursue can also be translated “persecute.” Before Paul was saved, he was persecuting Christ in a negative way. After he was saved, he pursued Christ to such an extent that we may even say he persecuted Christ but in a very positive way. To persecute a person is to trouble him and refuse to let him go. Before Paul was saved, he bothered Christ and would not let Him go, persecuting Him negatively. But after he was saved and had been gained by Christ, Paul still persecuted Him, but positively, for he refused to let Christ go. We also should persecute Christ in this way in order to gain Him. We should not let Christ go; rather, we should bother Him, persecute Him, in order to gain Him. This is to pursue Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3512-3513)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 349
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