罗五17『若因一人的过犯，死就借着这一人作了王，那些受洋溢之恩，并洋溢之义恩赐的，就更要借着耶稣基督一人，在生命中作王了。』
八37『然而借着那爱我们的，在这一切的事上，我们已经得胜有余了。』
罗马五章十七节说，我们能凭恩典在生命中作王。在这些日子里，我们一直说到神人，说到在生命上并在性情上，而不在神格上成为神。作王就是成为神。在全宇宙中谁掌权？谁是王？只有一位王。但我们是这一位王的儿女，也能在他的生命中作王。因着我们像神一样作王，我们就借着在生命中作王，而在生命上并在性情上，但不在神格上成为神。神作王，我们也作王。
作王就是胜过、征服并管理撒但、世界、罪、肉体、自己以及周围一切的环境。保罗在八章如此说，『谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝？』（35）然后他说，『借着那爱我们的，在这一切的事上，我们已经得胜有余了。』（37）没有甚么能使我们与基督的爱隔绝，因为我们在一切环境中，对一切问题，都是得胜有余的。…我们也必须管理我们里面的罪，管理撒但，并管理世界。我们不该让世界的时髦胜过我们。反之，我们应当胜过一切，并且凭恩典在生命中作王（神圣启示的高峰信息合辑第八册，二六三至二六四页）。
我们必须追求掌权的经历。…第一，先要认识地位。…我们是在升天的地位上，就有权柄，就能掌权；我们若不在升天的地位上，就没有权柄，也无法掌权。
就是主耶稣，他掌权的根据，也是在於他升天的地位。他复活升天了，才得着天上地上所有的权柄〔太二八18〕，而在万有中掌权〔弗一20～22〕。所以我们若要掌权，总得在升天的地位上。…有了死的经历，有了复活的经历，也有了升天的经历，然后才能有掌权的经历。
我们掌权，…也根据神所安排的等次地位。…马太八章记载一位百夫长，求主医治他仆人的病。他的信心，也就是根据他对等次地位的认识。…他知道要掌权，就必须先服权柄，要作权柄，就必须先服权柄。
当初神造人的时候，曾给人权柄管理海里、空中并地上一切受造之物。那时人服神的权柄，所以人身上也就有神的权柄，叫一切受造之物来服人。但人一堕落反叛神，不服神的权柄，也就失去了神的权柄，在人手下的万物也就不再服人的权柄了。所以…就是小小的蚊虫、跳蚤，也会咬人。这就是说出，在整个堕落的宇宙里，到处都满了受造之物的背叛和不服。
直等到主耶稣作为话成了肉体，在这背叛的宇宙中，才有了一位绝对服神权柄的人。主耶稣的一生，无论一言、一行、一动、一止，无不照着神的旨意，服在神的权下，正如腓立比二章所说，他是『降卑自己，顺从至死，且死在十字架上』（8）。所以神就将他升为至高，叫天上的、地上的和地底下的，都向他屈膝，称他为主，服在他的权下〔9 ～11〕。他就是因着守住了等次的地位，服在父神的权下，而得着权柄能为神掌权（生命的经历下册，四一九至四二三页）。
参读：罗马书生命读经，第四十六至四十七篇。
Rom. 5:17 “For if, by the offense of the one,
death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ.” 8:37 “But in all these things we more than conquer through Him
who loved us.”
Romans 5:17 says that we can reign in
life by grace. In these days we are speaking about being a God-man, about
becoming God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. To reign is to be
God. In the whole universe who reigns? Who is the king? There is only one King.
But we as the children of this one King can also reign in His life. Since we
reign as God does, by reigning in life we become the very God in life and in
nature but not in the Godhead. God reigns and we reign.
To reign is to conquer, subdue, and rule
over Satan, the world, sin, the flesh, ourselves, and all the environmental
circumstances. In Romans 8 Paul says this: “Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ?” (v. 35). Then he says, “We more than conquer through Him who loved
us” (v. 37). Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, because we are
more than conquerors over all the troubles in our environment...We also have to
rule over the sin within us, to rule over Satan, and to rule over the world. We
should not let the world’s fashion conquer us. Instead, we should conquer all
things and reign in life by grace. (Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the
Romans, pp. 209-210)
We must seek the experience of
reigning....First, we must know our position....If we are in the position of
ascension, we have authority and can reign. If we are not in the position of
ascension, we do not have authority and cannot rule.
Even in the case of the Lord Jesus,
the basis of reigning depended on His position of ascension. Not till after His
resurrection and ascension did He obtain all authority in heaven and on earth
(Matt. 28:18) and have dominion over all things (Eph. 1:20-22). Therefore, if
we would reign, we must be in the position of ascension....Only after we have
experienced death, resurrection, and ascension, can we obtain the experience of
reigning.
Our reigning
is...also [based] on the position of
order arranged by God..Matthew 8:5-13 tells us of a centurion who
came to ask the Lord to heal his servant’s sickness. His faith was based on his
knowledge of the position of order..He knew that in order to reign, he first
had to submit to the reigning. In order to be the authority, he first had to
submit to authority.
When God created man in the
beginning, God gave man authority to have dominion over all the creatures in
the sea, in the air, and upon earth. At that time, man was submitting to God’s
authority; hence, God’s authority was with him, and all creatures were made to
submit to man. But once man fell and rebelled against God, unwilling as he was
to submit to God’s authority, he then lost the authority of God. As a result,
all the creatures under man were no longer in subjection to man’s authority.
Therefore,...even the tiny mosquitoes and fleas can bite us. This indicates
that the entire fallen universe is full of the creatures’ rebelliousness and
insubordination.
It was not until the Lord Jesus came
as the Word become flesh that there was in this rebellious universe a man who
submitted absolutely to God’s authority. In the life of the Lord Jesus, every
word and action, every move and cessation, were in accordance with God’s will
and in subjection to God’s authority. Philippians 2:8 says, “He humbled
Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross.”
Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, that every knee in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth should bow to Him, and every tongue should call Him
Lord—all in submission to His authority (vv. 8-11). Because the Lord Jesus
submitted to the authority of God the Father and kept the position of order, He
obtained authority and was able to reign for God. (The Experience of Life, pp.
347-350)
Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msgs. 46-47
- 未完待续
