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生命的建造(一): 五十条要点及经文
如果我们得救以后,生命性情没有任何变化,众圣徒没有长大成熟,没有变化成神可以
用来建造的材料,我们就失去全部神生命建造的意义.就没有新耶路撒冷!
1 神建造教会,就是建造新耶路撒冷;我们需要长大以致成熟,好成为新耶路撒冷,
作教会的终极完成─太十六18,来六1上,十一10、16,启二一2~3、9~11、18~20,
弗二20~22,彼前二4~5,林前三9~10、12,约十四1~12、23:
2 神工作的目标乃是要得著新耶路撒冷;我们的主是今日的大卫,为著神的建造豫
备我们成为变化过的材料;我们各种环境的难处,击打我们,对付我们这个人,为
要豫备我们成为活石、宝石,为著神的建造─彼前二4~5,林前三12上,王上六7,
参代上六31~32。
3 新耶路撒冷是神、人和天的调和;新耶路撒冷由神那里从天而降,含示新耶路撒
冷满了天的成分,是完全属天的─启二一2~3、22,弗一3,二6,创二八17:
4 当我们在教会中,就是在神地上的家里,我们就能进入天的门,并且藉著基督作
天梯,得以看见并经历属天的事─12、17节。
5 伯特利是神的家,神的居所,也是天的门;在那里基督是梯子,把地联於天,并
把天带到地─12~17节,约一51。
6 我们的灵今天既是神居所的所在(弗二22),这灵就是天的门,在这里基督是梯
子,把我们在地上的人联於天,并把天带给我们。
7 因此,每当我们转到灵里,就能进入天的门,藉著基督作天梯,摸著天上施恩的
宝座─来四16。
8 根据新约的整个启示,基督徒工作的独一目标与终极结果该是新耶路撒冷,作为
教会的终极完成,也就是神永远经纶的终极目标:
9 教会的堕落,主要的原因是:几乎所有的基督工人都被岔开,以新耶路撒冷之外
的许多事物为他们的目标。
10 因此,在教会的堕落下,要作得胜者答应主的呼召,我们就不仅需要胜过消极
的事物,更需要胜过那些顶替新耶路撒冷为目标的积极的事物;每当我们来摸神那
永远的目标,就是新耶路撒冷,都要非常纯洁,不可随便─林前三12、15~17。
11 得胜者应当以神永远经纶的目标,就是新耶路撒冷,为独一无二且终极无比的
目标。
12 我们可以从新耶路撒冷的光景,看见教会被建造的光景;新耶路撒冷是教会的
终极完成:
13 教会被建造,就像新耶路撒冷,有神的同在─结四八35,启二一3,二二3:
14 神和羔羊作新耶路撒冷的殿,意思就是神和羔羊自己成了城的中心;换句话说,
就是神与这城同在,这城有神的同在─二一22。
15 甚么时候我们和众圣徒建造在一起,就有神的同在;甚么时候我们单独,就立
刻失去神的同在。
16 我们必须抓牢这一个原则:神的同在,乃是一切问题的准则。
17 我们若是凡事都摸著神的同在,就会看见在这里有神作殿,在这里有神的建造;
讲理由、争论、批评叫我们失去神的同在;神的同在完全在於圣徒中间的一与和谐。
18 神的同在是新耶路撒冷的中心;所以我们在教会中,必须得著神的同在,必须
有神作殿。
19 教会被建造,就有神的掌权:
20 教会若被建造,里面就有神和羔羊的宝座,就有神的掌权─二二1。
21 我们若要知道一个教会中的圣徒有没有建造起来,就要看在他们中间有没有神
的宝座,有没有神的主权。
22 教会被建造,就有生命的流通和供应:
23 在新耶路撒冷,从宝座流出来一道生命水的河,在河两边有生命树,生产十二
样果子,每月都结出果子─1~2节。
24 在建造起来的教会中,有生命水能解人的乾渴,使人得著滋润,也有生命树的
果子,使饥饿的人得著饱足。
25 教会被建造,就有光:
26 在新耶路撒冷里,有神的荣耀作光,又有羔羊为灯─二一23,二二5,参耶二11。
27 在建造起来的教会中,神在基督里藉著圣徒彰显出来,就是光;当我们进到一
个建造起来的教会的聚会中,也会觉得明亮─约八12,太五14,诗七三16~17。
28 教会被建造,就有神人调和,并且经过死而复活:
29 新耶路撒冷四边各有三门,三乘四是十二,含示三一神与受造的人(四这数字
表徵受造之物)调和─启四6。
30 圣城的十二个门是十二颗珍珠,表徵那藉著胜过死并分泌生命之复活基督而有
的重生,乃是城的入口─二一21。
31 凡能经过珍珠门进到这座城里面的,都必须是三乘四的,就是神人调和的结果,
也都必须是在基督里经过死而复活的新造─林后五17,加六15。
32 这告诉我们,不能把天然的东西,把沙土的东西,带到教会里;珍珠门把人一
切的天然都关在门外。
33 甚么时候我们带进一件东西是天然的,是人工的,是技巧的,是带著人的手腕
和办法的,是没有经过十字架的,那就是人还没有到绝路,神还没有为人豫备出路
─参林后四7~8。
34 在教会的建造里,一切都该是经过十字架的,都该是在基督里的,都该是神人
调和的;这就是新耶路撒冷城的入门,这也是教会的入门;只有合於这门的性质的,
才能带到神的建造里。
35 只有异象才是你我的拯救;你我要学习将一切天然的思想、眼光、手腕、干才、
力量,都带到十字架,接受对付;这一切经过了破碎,经过了死而复活,变成了珍
珠,然后才能带到神的建造里。
36 教会被建造,就满有神的神圣性情:
37 新耶路撒冷里只有一条街道,是纯金的,表徵神的神圣性情─启二一21下。
38 『在街道当中』有生命水的河,表徵神圣生命在神圣性情里涌流,成为神赎民
日常生活中惟一的道路─二二1,彼后一4,约十四6。
39 我们甚么时候能完全否认自己,活在神的性情中,我们的事奉就不但能叫教会
得著建造,并且人到我们中间,也定规能碰著神的道路。
40 教会被建造,就有神的彰显:
41 启示录二十一章说城墙是碧玉的,第一层根基是碧玉,城的光辉也好像碧玉
(18~19、11);不仅如此,那位在宝座上坐著的,显出来的样子好像碧玉(四3);
因此,城显出来的样子就是神显出来的样子。
42 新耶路撒冷乃是神在人里的扩大,是神在人里丰满的彰显;教会若真的得著建
造,也就会有神丰满的彰显。
43 教会被建造乃是由变化的灵以及在变化过程中的人所构成:
44 城墙是用宝石建造的(二一19~20);宝石不是创造出来的,乃是受造之物压在
地底下,经过多年的构成才成功的;有压,有烧,还有构成,才能变化成为宝石。
45 在教会生活中,基督佳偶的变化,是由那作经过过程的三一神终极完成之变化
的灵(林后三18),以及佳偶的同伴,就是基督身体中有恩赐作成全圣徒之工作的
肢体(弗四11~12,歌一10~11),所配搭完成的。
46 教会被建造,必定有界限,『有高大的墙』─启二一12:
47 墙是为著分别和保护;新耶路撒冷要绝对分别归神,也要完全保护神的权益。
48 神越将自己建造到我们里面,并以他自己构成我们,我们就越分别归神,也蒙
保守脱离一切属那恶者的事物;若是在教会生活中,众圣徒都被建造,到底甚么是
属神的,甚么是属人的,甚么是属天的,甚么是属地的,甚么是新造的,甚么是旧
造的,就都能容易地分辨清楚。
49 所有信徒都需要这样高大的墙来分别并保护他们─17节。
50 愿主怜悯我们,叫各地的教会都能显出这种种被建造的光景!
English Version
Growing unto Maturity to Become the New Jerusalem as the Ultimate Consummation
of the Church
Scripture Reading: Heb. 11:10, 16; Matt. 16:18; Rev. 21:2-3, 9-11, 18-20;
Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; 1 Cor. 3:9-10, 12; John 14:1-12, 23
I. When God builds up the church, He is building up the New Jerusalem; we
need to grow unto maturity to become the New Jerusalem as the ultimate consummation
of the church (Matt. 16:18; Heb. 6:1a; 11:10, 16; Rev. 21:2-3, 9-11, 18-20;
Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; 1 Cor. 3:9-10, 12; John 14:1-12, 23):
2. The goal of the work of God is to gain the New Jerusalem; our Lord is
today’s David preparing us as transformed material for God’s building; the
difficulties in all of our environments strike us to deal with us and to
prepare us as living and precious stones for God’s building (1 Pet. 2:4-5;
1 Cor. 3:12a; 1 King 6:7; cf. 1 Chron. 6:31-32).
3. The New Jerusalem is the mingling of God, man, and heaven; the New Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God implies that the New Jerusalem is filled
with the element of heaven and is absolutely heavenly (Rev. 21:2-3, 22;
Eph. 1:3; 2:6; Gen. 28:17):
4. While we are in the church, the house of God on earth, we can enter the
gate of heaven, and through Christ as the heavenly ladder we can see and
experience the things of heaven (vv. 12, 17).
5. At Bethel, the house of God, the habitation of God, which is the gate
of heaven, Christ is the ladder that joins earth to heaven and brings heaven
to earth (vv. 12-17; John 1:51).
6. Since today our spirit is the place of God’s habitation (Eph. 2:22),
it is now the gate of heaven, where Christ is the ladder that joins us,
the people on earth, to heaven and brings heaven to us.
7. Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter through the gate of heaven
and touch the throne of grace through Christ as the heavenly ladder (Heb.
4:16).
8. According to the entire revelation of the New Testament, the unique goal
and ultimate issue of the Christian work should be the New Jerusalem, as
the ultimate consummation of the church and as the ultimate goal of God’s
eternal economy:
9. The degradation of the church is mainly due to the fact that nearly all
the Christian workers are distracted to take many things other than the
New Jerusalem as their goal.
10. Hence, under the degradation of the church, to be overcomers answering
the Lord’s call, we need to overcome not only the negative things, but even
more the positive things, which replace the New Jerusalem as the eternal
goal; whenever we touch the eternal goal of God, the New Jerusalem, we need
to be very pure; we must not be careless (1 Cor. 3:12, 15-17).
11. An overcomer’s goal should be uniquely and ultimately the goal of God’s
eternal economy, that is, the New Jerusalem.
12. We can see the conditions of a built-up church by seeing the conditions
of the New Jerusalem, the ultimate consummation of the church:
13. A built-up church, like the New Jerusalem, has the presence of God (Ezek.
48:35; Rev. 21:3; 22:3):
14. That God and the Lamb are the temple of the New Jerusalem means that
God and the Lamb Themselves become the center of the city; in other words,
God is with the city, and the city has the presence of God (21:22).
15. When we are built together with all the saints, we have God’s presence,
and whenever we are individualistic, we immediately lose God’s presence.
16. We must hold on to this principle: God’s presence is the criterion for
every matter.
17. If we touch the presence of God in all things, we will see that God
will be there as the temple, and the building of God will be with us; reasoning,
arguing, and criticizing cause us to lose the presence of God; God’s presence
is altogether due to the oneness and harmony among the saints.
18. God’s presence is the center of the New Jerusalem; therefore, in the
church we must have the presence of God; we must have God as the temple.
19. A built-up church has the ruling of God:
20. If the church is built up, it will have the throne of God and of the
Lamb, the ruling of God (22:1).
21. If we want to know whether the saints in a certain church are built
up, we have to see whether the throne of God, the dominion of God, is among
them.
22. A built-up church has the flow and supply of life:
23. In the New Jerusalem there is a river of water of life proceeding out
of the throne, and on both sides of the river there is the tree of life,
producing twelve fruits and yielding its fruit each month (vv. 1-2).
24. In a built-up church there is the water of life that quenches people’s
thirst and causes people to be watered, and there are the fruits of the
tree of life that enable the hungry people to be satisfied.
25. A built-up church has light:
26. In the New Jerusalem the God of glory is the light and the Lamb is the
lamp (21:23; 22:5; cf. Jer. 2:11).
27. In a built-up church God in Christ expressed through the saints is the
light; when we go to the meeting of a built-up church, we will feel enlightened
(John 8:12; Matt. 5:14; Psa. 73:16-17).
28. A built-up church has the mingling of God and man and has passed through
death and resurrection:
29. That there are three gates on each of the four sides of the New Jerusalem,
three times four being twelve, implies that the Triune God is mingled with
man, the creature (the number four signifies the creatures) (Rev. 4:6).
30. That the twelve gates of the holy city are twelve pearls signifies that
regeneration through the death-overcoming and life-secreting resurrected
Christ is the entrance into the city (21:21).
31. Anyone who enters into the city through the gate has to be the product
of three times four─the issue of the mingling of God and man─and a new
creation in Christ through death and resurrection (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).
32. This shows that we cannot bring anything natural, anything of the earth,
into the church; the pearl gate shuts out all the naturalness of man.
33. Whenever we bring in something natural, something of human effort, something
“ingenious,” something resulting from human schemes and methods, or something
that has not passed through the cross, then we have not come to our end,
and God cannot provide us with a way out (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7-8).
34. In the building up of the church everything must pass through the cross,
must be in Christ, and must be the mingling of God and man; this is the
entrance into the New Jerusalem, the entrance into the church; only that
which corresponds with the nature of this entrance can be brought into the
building of God.
35. Only a vision can rescue us; we have to learn to bring all our natural
thoughts, discernment, schemes, abilities, and strength to the cross to
be dealt with; after all these items have been broken, have passed through
death and resurrection, and have become pearls, then they can be brought
into the building of God.
36. A built-up church is full of God's divine nature:
37. There is only one street in the New Jerusalem, and it is pure gold,
signifying God’s divine nature (Rev. 21:21b).
38. That the river of water of life proceeds “in the middle of its street”
signifies that the divine life flows in the divine nature as the unique
way for the daily life of God’s redeemed people (22:1; 2 Pet. 1:4; John
14:6).
39. Whenever we completely deny ourselves and live in the nature of God,
our service will not only issue in the building of the church but also lead
people to the way of God when they come into our midst.
40. A built-up church has the expression of God:
41. Revelation 21 says that the wall of the city is jasper, the first foundation
is jasper, and the light of the city is also like jasper stone (vv. 18-19,
11); furthermore, the One sitting on the throne has the appearance of a
jasper stone (4:3); thus, the appearance of the city is the appearance of
God.
42. The New Jerusalem is the enlargement and full expression of God in man;
if the church has been truly built up, it will also have the full expression
of God.
43. A built-up church is constituted with the transforming Spirit and with
people who are in the process of being transformed:
44. The wall of the city is built with precious stones (21:19-20); precious
stones are not created but are produced by the transforming of the things
created, after having passed through years of constitution through much
pressure; pressure, burning, and constitution are necessary for the transformation
into precious stones.
45. In the church life the transforming of Christ’s lover is carried out
by the transforming Spirit as the consummation of the processed Triune God
(2 Cor. 3:18) with the coordination of the lover’s companions, the gifted
members of the Body of Christ, who do the work of perfecting the saints
(Eph. 4:11-12; S.S. 1:10-11).
46. A built-up church must have a boundary, “a great and high wall” (Rev.
21:12):
47. The wall is for separation and protection; the New Jerusalem will be
absolutely separated unto God and will fully protect the interests of God.
48. The more God builds Himself into us and constitutes us with Himself,
the more we are separated unto God and protected from everything of the
evil one; if the saints have been built together in the church life, it
will be easy to distinguish what belongs to God from what belongs to man,
what is heavenly from what is earthly, and what is of the new creation from
what is of the old creation.
49. All believers need such a great and high wall for their separation and
protection (v. 17).
50. May the Lord have mercy on us that the churches everywhere may manifest
all these conditions of being built up!
- 未完待续
生命的建造(二):神是建造的设计建设者
生命的的事奉(六): 信靠耶和华那人便有福
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