创一26『神说，我们要按着我们的形像，照着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地、并地上所爬的一切爬物。』
启二二3 ～5『…他的奴仆都要事奉他，也要见他的面；他的名字必在他们的额上。…他们要作王，直到永永远远。』
掌权，简单的说，就是为神执掌权柄，来管理万有，特别是对付他的仇敌。…神创造人，是因着他在人身上有两面的心愿和目的。一面是要人有他的形像，而彰显他自己；另一面就是要人为他掌权，而对付他的仇敌。所以神创造人的时候，就一面按着他自己的形像和样式创造，叫人能像他；另一面又叫人『管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地、并地上所爬的一切爬物』（创一26）。这就是他给人权柄，要人为他掌权。
在亚当以后，旧约也多次记载人为神掌权的事。出埃及十四章，说到神要摩西伸杖，叫红海分开。约书亚十章，说到约书亚祷告神，叫日头停在空中。王上十七至十八章，说到以利亚祷告，管住雨露的下降。但以理六章，也说到但以理在坑中堵住了狮子的口。这些都是说出历代以来，只要有人肯为神活着，神就愿意把权柄赐给他们，叫万有都服在他们的掌管之下。
到了新约，这事更是明显。新约中头一位为神掌权的，就是主耶稣。他斥退病症，赶逐污鬼，并责令风海平静，这些都是他掌权的故事。以后使徒们承接主的工作，也多有为神掌权，治病赶鬼的经历。直到今天，这样的事在教会中还是常常有的。等到将来在国度里，得胜者要先同主掌权，管治列国（启二26 ～27）。最后到了永世，凡得救的人，都要作王掌权，直到永远（二二5）。到那时候，我们就正正式式、丰丰满满的，享受了为神掌权的福分。这些都是给我们看见，从起初直到永远，神有一个心意，就是要得着人在宇宙中为他掌权。他创造人，有一面的目的是为着这个；他救赎人，也有一面的用意更是为着这个。
所以从权柄这一面看，掌权乃是神救恩的最终目的，也是我们灵命经历的登峰造极。就神说，他若不把我们拯救到一个地步，能在天的境界里为他掌权，他救恩的目的就还不算丰满的达到。并且掌权这件事，虽然到国度和永世里才完全实现，但今天在地上神就要我们能有一个开始。就我们说，一个基督徒若还没有达到为神掌权的地步，就还不彀标准。一个彀得上标准的基督徒，不仅是脱离了罪恶，胜过了世界，肉体受了对付，天然受过破碎，也不仅是充满圣灵，而坐在天的境界里，并且更是在凡事上和主一同掌权。无论在神的工作上，或在教会中，在家庭里，或在任何环境的遭遇中，他都能掌权，管治神所要他管治的一切。必须有这样的人被神得着了，神的权柄才能借着他们通行在地上，神的国才能借着他们临到地上（生命的经历下册，四一七至四一九页）。
参读：生命的经历下册，第十七篇。
Gen. 1:26 “And God said, Let Us make man in Our
image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all
the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
Rev. 22:3-5 “...His slaves will serve Him; and they
will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads,...and they will
reign forever and ever.”
Simply speaking, to reign is to exercise
authority for God—to rule all things and in particular to deal with His enemy....In
the creation of man God had a twofold intent and desire. On one hand, God
wanted man to possess His image so that he may express God Himself. On the
other hand, God wanted man to represent Him with His authority in order to deal
with His enemy. Therefore, when God created man, on one hand, He created him in
His image and likeness so that man might be like Him. On the other hand, God
caused man to “have dominion...” (Gen. 1:26). This means that God gave man
authority so that he might reign for Him. (The Experience of Life, p. 345)
The Old Testament records many instances
of men reigning for God after Adam. Exodus 14 tells how God wanted Moses to
lift the rod and stretch it forth to divide the Red Sea. Joshua 10 tells how
Joshua prayed to God that the sun might stand still in the sky. First Kings 17
through 18 relates how
Elijah prayed to control the rainfall. Daniel 6 tells
how Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the den. All these instances show us that
through the ages, as long as there are men willing to live for God, God desires
to grant them authority in order that all things might come under their
dominion.
This matter is even more evident in the
New Testament. The first one in the New Testament who ruled for God was the
Lord Jesus. He commanded illness to recede (Matt. 8:8-9), cast out unclean
spirits (Mark 1:27), and rebuked and calmed the storm and the raging sea (Matt.
8:26-27). All these
incidents speak of His reigning. Later, when the
apostles continued the Lord’s works, they also had many experiences of reigning
for God by healing and casting out evil spirits (Acts 3:6-7; 14:8-10; 19:12;
16:18). To the present day, this kind of experience is often repeated in the
church. Then in the future and in the kingdom, the overcomers will reign with
Christ and rule the nations (Rev. 2:26-27). Finally, in eternity all those who
are saved will reign as kings forever and ever (22:5). At that time we will
truly and fully enjoy the blessing of reigning for God. All these instances
reveal that from the beginning until eternity, God’s one intention is that He
may gain man to reign for Him in the
universe. This was one aspect of God’s purpose in
creating man. Even more, this was one aspect of God’s intention in redeeming
man.
Therefore, from the point of view of
authority, reigning is the final goal of God’s salvation. It is the summit of
our spiritual experience. As for God, had He not saved us to the extent that we
could reign for Him in the heavenly realm, the goal of His salvation would not
have been considered fully accomplished. Furthermore, although this matter of
reigning will not be completely realized until the coming of the kingdom and in
eternity, today God wants us to have a beginning on earth. As for us, if any
Christian has not yet reached the degree of reigning for God, he is not yet up
to standard.
A Christian who is up to standard has not only been
delivered from sin, overcome the world, had his flesh dealt with and his
natural constitution broken, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and is sitting
in the heavenly realm, but even more he is reigning with Christ in all things.
Whether in God’s work, in the church, at home, or in any encounter in his
environment, he can reign and rule over that which God wants him to rule. There
must be such people gained by God so that through them the authority of God can
be executed and the kingdom of God can come upon the earth. (The Experience of
Life, pp. 345-347)
Further Reading: The Experience of Life,
ch. 17
- 未完待续
