生命的经历(七): 对付我们的天然
太十六24 於是耶稣对门徒说，若有人要跟从我，就当否认己，背起他的十字架，并跟从我。
罗八13 因为你们若照肉体活着，必要死；但你们若靠着那灵治死身体的行为，必要活着。
腓三3, 8~9 真受割礼的，乃是我们这凭神的灵事奉，在基督耶稣里夸口，不信靠肉体的。 不但如此，我也将万事看作亏损，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝；我因他已经亏损万事，看作粪土，为要赢得基督，并且给人看出我是在他里面…。
肉体、己和天然，这三者都是旧人的表现，所以它们所受的对付，原则也都是同样的，一面是客观的事实，一面是主观的经历。客观的事实，是基督把我们的旧人钉死了；主观的经历，是靠着圣灵，把基督的钉死，执行到我们身上来。
如果执行到我们的肉体上，那就是对付肉体；如果执行到我们的意见上，那就是对付己；如果执行到我们的干才、能力上，这就是对付天然。
经历对付天然的过程，和对付己也很相近。第一，我们要看见旧人已经与基督同钉死。这个属灵的看见，乃是经历对付天然的头一步。我们必须看见旧人与基督同死的事实，才能产生以下的对付。
然后我们要看见天然是旧人厉害的表现。这也是一个属灵的看见。当然在这个看见里面，也就包括看见天然到底是指着甚么，以及我们身上有哪些是天然的表现。
我们有了前两个看见，自然就会接受基督的钉死到天然上，也就是靠着圣灵的能力，把基督的钉死，执行到我们天然的表现上。
这样一接受，一执行，那些天然的能力，就有了死的印记，而枯萎下来了。这个接受，在我们身上乃是一个属灵的大关口。也许这就是我们的毗努伊勒〔参创三二22~32〕。
在这里，我们天然的能力和干才，被神摸了一下，我们的大腿筋，就是全身最有力量的那个东西，就扭了，以后再要使用，就不能像从前那样随意了。这就是我们在对付天然上，过了一个关，有了一次主观的经历。
对付天然经历应用的第一点，还是在圣灵的交通里。无论是对付己，或是对付天然，我们若要有继续不断的经历，总得活在圣灵的交通里。这些经历的应用，都是靠着圣灵，执行十字架的死。
若不活在圣灵的交通里，我们要靠圣灵就靠不着，要执行十字架的死也执行不来。
我们若活在圣灵的交通里，就要让圣灵把基督的死，执行到每一点所发现的天然上。换句话说，我们每一次发现自己还有手腕、办法和能力，就要立即把十字架的死应用到上面，在这些天然具体的表现上，打上十字架死的印记。这不光是一次的接受，并且是日常的应用，天天时时都将十字架摆在我们的天然上。
从接受十字架的时候起，我们就学习在圣灵的交通里，让神摸我们天然的每一点表现。我们可能是一个有思路的人，是一个有干才的人，但我们是一个接受十字架的人，也是一个背十字架的人，在我们身上有一个十字架，一直作破碎的工作。
若是主怜悯，过一段时候，我们身上那些天然的东西，就要逐渐有死而复活的光景了（生命的经历下册，三○六至三○八页）。
我们从自己迁到那是复活的神里面，…〔乃是〕非常重要的原则。我们若不应用这原则，一切未受钉十字架察验的天然性能、才干和美德，在我们中间就会像『野兽』一样。
这是许多能干的人进入这恢复，只停留一时的情形。他们至终领悟，在恢复里，没有地方使用他们天然的性能和才干。因此，他们离开这恢复，另去别处为自己形成一个工作。他们不愿接受钉十字架和埋葬，好被带进复活里。他们无法接受十字架（尼希米记生命读经，一八页）。
我们所以把人原有的能力、干才、智慧、聪明，称作天然，是因为这些东西都是出於人天然的生命，而不是出於神复活的生命。这些都是人天然原有的，不是人在基督里经过了破碎，复活而有的。天然与复活，二者之间的分别太大了。
我们对付天然，就是要叫那些原有的能力和干才，智慧和聪明，都经过十字架的治死，而变作复活的，才能蒙神悦纳，为神使用。有人乍听到要对付天然，就以为是神不要我们的本能和干才。这种观念是错误的。
人的干才和本能，在对神的功用里，还是绝对需要的。从圣经的启示，我们清楚看见，神在地上的工作，都是需要人来配合的。而人要来与神配合，就不能没有本能，没有干才（生命的经历下册，二九九至三○○页）。
天然的对面就是复活。神从来不要天然的，神只要复活的。天然在圣经的豫表里就是第一的。长子是第一的，所以神不要长子。在逾越节的时候，灭命的使者击杀长子（出十二29）。
不管是好、是坏，只要是长子，只要是天然的，都得击杀。…第一个天和第一个地是旧造，新耶路撒冷、新天新地，凡是新的都是第二个〔参启二一1~2〕。
在希伯来书里称呼旧约为第一个约，新约为第二个约（九18）。凡是旧的，都是天然的，你不在灵里，就算是作好事也是天然的。
照着基督十字架真正的意义，〔基督〕十字架的意思不仅仅是那样事物被带到尽头，乃是天然的事物被除去，好被带到复活里。基督的十字架将一切天然的事物带到死与埋葬。但照着圣经，埋葬之后是复活。所以埋葬是复活的门槛。
照着约翰十二章二十四节，一粒麦子落在地里死了，并且被埋葬。但这不是结束。埋葬以后，有东西会在复活里出来。
我信摩西有很强的性格，他在天然的构成上甚至比尼希米更进取。摩西四十岁的时候积极进取，自愿要拯救以色列人脱离埃及王法老的手，但神进来限制他，让他失败、失望。
於是摩西被『埋葬』在旷野四十年。至终，使人复活的神才进来，使摩西复活。
参读：生命的经历，第九至十篇。尼希米记生命读经，第一至二篇；为着福音开展的信息，第四篇。
English
Version
Matt. 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wants
to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow
Me."
Rom. 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh, you must
die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live."
Phil. 3:3
"For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and
boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh."
8-9 "But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have
suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him..."
Flesh, self, and the natural constitution—all
three—are the expressions of the old man. Therefore, the principle in dealing
with them is the same: on one hand, we have the objective fact, and on the
other hand, we need the subjective experience. The objective fact is that
Christ has already crucified our old man, whereas the subjective experience is
the applying of the death of Christ through the Holy Spirit to ourselves. If we
apply it to the flesh, it is the dealing with the flesh; if we apply it to our
opinion, it is the dealing with self; and if we apply it to our ability and
capability, it is the dealing with the natural constitution. (The Experience of
Life, pp. 250-251)
The process of the experience of dealing with the
natural constitution closely resembles that of dealing with self. [First, we
see] that our old man has been crucified with Christ. This spiritual seeing is
the first step toward our experience in dealing with the natural constitution.
We must see that our old man has been crucified with Christ; then we shall
experience the dealing that follows.
[Then we realize] that the natural constitution
is a very strong expression of the old man. This also is a spiritual seeing. Of
course, this also includes seeing what the natural constitution refers to and
what its expressions are.
After we have seen the first two points, we will
automatically receive the crucifixion of Christ upon our natural constitution.
This also means that we apply the crucifixion of Christ through the power of
the Holy Spirit to our natural expression. Once we receive and apply this, all
our natural ability will be stamped with the mark of death and will gradually
become withered. This receiving is a great spiritual crisis
in our life; it may perhaps become our Penuel in experience. It is here that
our natural ability and capability are touched by God, and the socket of our
hip, wherein lies the strength of our body, becomes limp. Hereafter, we can no
longer as before use our ability and capability as we wish. Thus, we pass a
crisis in our dealing with the natural constitution; we gain an experience in a
subjective way.
In order to experience dealing with the natural
constitution, we must first be in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Whether we
are dealing with self or with the natural constitution, if we desire to have a
continual experience,we must live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In
order to apply this experience, we need to apply the death of the cross through
the Holy Spirit. If we do not live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we
cannot live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, nor can we apply the death of
the cross.
If we live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
we need to let the Holy Spirit execute the crucifixion of Christ upon every
area of our natural constitution that we discover. In other words, every time
we discover our cleverness, wiles, and capability, we must immediately apply
the death of the cross to them. In this way the stamp of the death of the cross
is applied to all the practical expressions of the natural constitution. This
is not merely a oncefor-all acceptance; it must also be a daily application. We
must apply the cross to our natural constitution daily and moment by moment.
From the very beginning, when we accept the working of the cross, we must allow
God to touch every expression of our natural constitution in the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We may be rich in thinking and very capable, yet
we must be one who receives the cross and bears the cross; the cross must
continually do the work of breaking us; then after a certain period of time,
all that is of our natural constitution will gradually be in the state of
having passed through death to resurrection. (The Experience of Life, pp.
251-252)
[Being transferred
out of ourselves into God, into resurrection], is a very
important principle for interpreting the types and their fulfillment. If we do
not apply this principle, all the natural capacities, abilities, and virtues,
unchecked by crucifixion, will be like “wild beasts” among us.
This has been the situation with many capable ones who came
into the
recovery and stayed for a while. They eventually realized that in the recovery
there was no ground for them to employ their natural capacity and ability.
Eventually, they left the recovery and formed a work for themselves. They
were not willing to accept crucifixion and burial in order to be brought into
resurrection. They could not take the cross. (Life-study of Nehemiah, pp.
14-15)
We have defined the natural constitution as that which
pertains to human
ability, capability, wisdom, and cleverness, because all these are derived from
our natural life and not from the resurrection life of God. They are acquired
naturally; they do not spring from resurrection by passing through the breaking
in Christ. The difference between the natural constitution and resurrection
life is indeed great. Our dealing with the natural constitution is so that our
inherent ability, capability, wisdom, and cleverness may pass through the death
of the cross, become resurrected, and thereby become acceptable and useful to
God. When some people hear about dealing with the natural constitution, they
think that God does not want our ability and capability. This concept is wrong.
Inorder to be useful to God, we definitely need our ability and capability.
From the revelation of the Bible, we clearly see that the work of God on this
earth requires man’s cooperation. It is impossible for man to cooperate with
God without possessing any ability and capability. (The Experience of Life, p.
246)
The opposite of being natural is being in resurrection. God
is never natural.
God only wants resurrection. The natural being is represented in the Bible
by the first one. The firstborn is the first one. Hence, God does not want the
firstborn. At the Passover, the angel of destruction smote the firstborn (Exo.
12:29)..It was not a question of being good or bad. As long as it was a
firstborn, it was natural and had to be smitten....The first heaven and first
earth are of the old creation. The New Jerusalem, the new heaven, the new
earth, and everything that is new are second [cf. Rev. 21:1]. The book of
Hebrews calls the old covenant the first covenant and the second covenant the
new covenant (9:18).Everything that is old is natural. If you are not in the
spirit, even your good deeds are natural. (Messages in Preparation for the
Spread of the Gospel, p. 43)
According to [its] real significance...the cross [of Christ]
does not mean
merely that something is put to an end but that the natural things are crossed
out in order to be brought into resurrection. The cross of Christ brings all
natural things to death and burial. But according to the Bible, burial is
followed by resurrection. Burial is therefore the threshold of
resurrection..According to John 12:24 a grain of wheat falls into the ground,
dies, and is buried. But this is not the end. After burial, something will come
forth in resurrection.
I believe that Moses had a strong character and that in his
natural constitution he was even more aggressive than Nehemiah was. At the age
of forty Moses aggressively volunteered to save Israel out of the hand of
Pharaoh,...but God came in to limit him, allowing him to fail and be
disappointed. Moses was then “buried” in the wilderness for forty years.
Eventually, the resurrecting God came in to resurrect Moses (Exo. 3:2-6).
(Life-study of Nehemiah, p. 13)
Further Reading: The Experience
of Life, chs. 9-10; Life-study of Nehemiah, msgs. 1-2; Messages in Preparation
for the Spread of the Gospel, ch. 4
- 未完待续
十字架的破碎治死与复活的聪明才干
