生命的经历(八): 十字架的破碎治死与复活的聪明才干
约十二24~25 我实实在在的告诉你们，一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒；若是死了，就结出许多子粒来。爱惜自己魂生命的，就丧失魂生命；在这世上恨恶自己魂生命的，就要保守魂生命归入永远的生命。
弗腓三10~11 使我认识基督、并他复活的大能、以及同他受苦的交通，模成他的死，或者我可以达到那从死人中杰出的复活。
天然的本能和才干，经过了对付，绝不是没有了。十字架在我们身上的破碎与治死，并不是最终的一步。没有一个真正十字架的死，不带进复活来。拿撒勒人耶稣在十字架上钉死了，但基督却复活了。
雅各到了创世记三十五章以后，就对付倒了，但一个成熟的以色列却出来了。所以十字架的对付，总是会带进复活的东西来。一个人的才干，越给十字架破碎，这人就越有才干；一个人的聪明越给十字架破碎，这人就越有聪明。并且这些才干和聪明，都是复活的。
如何鉴别天然的才干，和复活的才干？怎样知道甚么是原有的才干，甚么是经过破碎的才干？这可以分七个点来比较。我们先说天然的才干：
第一，所有天然的才干，都是自私自利的，这才干的办法、手腕，都是为自己着想的。第二，所有天然的才干，都有肉体、血气搀杂在里面，人若不赞同，就会动怒。第三，所有天然的才干，都带着诡诈，会弄手腕。
第四，所有天然的才干都有骄傲，觉得自己行，自己能，而自夸自耀。第五，所有天然的才干，都不受圣灵的约束，作起事来，胆子非常大。第六，所有天然的才干，都是不理、不顾神的旨意，要作就作，要干就干，完全凭着己意而行。第七，天然的才干，都不倚靠神，也不必倚靠神，都是只凭自己就行了。
复活的才干，正是相反：
第一，所有被破碎过而复活的才干，都不为着自己，也没有己的成分。第二，所有复活的才干，都没有血气。第三，复活的才干，绝不弄手腕。第四，复活的才干，都没有骄傲，不夸耀自己。
第五，复活的才干，都是受圣灵的约束，不敢任意妄为。第六，复活的才干，都是作在神的旨意里面。第七，复活的才干都倚靠神，虽然真是能作，也真是会作，但也真是倚靠神，不敢凭着自己作（生命的经历下册，三○三至三○四页）。
十字架的工作了结我们的己，使我们在复活里经历神。十字架的经历总是带进对复活之神的享受。这样的经历产生并形成职事（林后一4~6）。这在四章七至十二节有进一步的描述。保罗的话给我们看见，我们需要被了结。
我们需要被带到尽头。然后我们就学会不信靠自己，乃信靠神。我们说我们需要信靠神，不信靠自己，是容易的；但要在这事上被作透，是需要一些经历的。
神借着十字架作工来了结我们；神在作工，好把我们带到尽头，甚至把我们的属灵、我们属灵的成就，带到尽头。你也许非常信靠你属灵的成就，但甚至这成就也必须被了结。
达到杰出的复活，意即我们全人已在逐渐不断的复活。神首先使我们死了的灵复活，然后他从我们的灵，继续使我们的魂和必死的身体复活，直到我们的全人─灵、魂、体─借着并同着他的生命，从我们的旧人完全复活过来。
这是我们在生命里必经的历程，也是我们当跑的赛程，直到我们达到杰出的复活，作为奖赏。因此，杰出的复活，该是我们基督徒生活的目标和目的。我们惟有借着过钉十字架的生活，模成基督的死，才能达到这目标。
在基督的死里，我们凭着复活，经过从旧造到新造的过程。
圣经是深奥的，其中所启示的许多事物都是奥秘的。户兰似乎没有理由属於拿弗他利支派，但〔王上七章十三至十四节〕清楚的告诉我们，他属於这支派。我们若看见但、推罗和拿弗他利的意义，我们就要敬拜神。
但人是虺蛇支派的人，咬伤在神赛程中的马；推罗是贸易中心，联於撒但。由虺蛇支派的妇人和联於撒但的男子所生的人，最后竟能成为拿他利支派的人，这是何等的奇妙！拿弗他利是母鹿，对神是有用的。
按照圣经，母鹿象征在无望的情况里信靠神的人。母鹿也表征基督经过钉十字架的苦难，已经为教会的缘故进入复活〔来二11~12〕。因此母鹿表征信靠神，行走在山顶上的人，并表征为着神的建造，凭着复活的基督而活的人。
在我们重生的生命中有个奥秘的元素。不错，我们是『但』母亲和『推罗』父亲所生的，但我们已经重生成了另一个人。甚至我们中间的年轻人也能作见证，有些奥秘的事发生在他们身上。
我们天然的性能、天然的才干、天然的美德若不被除去，就会造成许多难处，并成为大错的根源。但我们若让我们天然的性能、才干和美德被带到十字架上治死，我们就必复活。
然后在复活里，我们的性能、才干和美德，会比在天然生命里强上许多倍。
这些东西仍是我们的，却经过了死与埋葬，现今在复活里。这就是说，我们自己，同我们的性能、才干和美德，都进入了复活。我们继续存在，但我们同我们天然的才干，已被带进复活里。复活的实际是那灵，而那灵是终极完成的三一神。
所以，复活是终极完成的三一神。我们天然的性能、才干和美德，需要借着死与埋葬，从我们天然的生命迁到终极完成的三一神里。
我们在自己里面是天然的，但我们从自己迁到那是复活的神里面，我们就进入复活。神需要受过高等教育的人。他需要像摩西这样的人，『在埃及人的一切智慧上受了训练』（徒七22）。摩西若不是受过教育的人，神就不会使用他颁赐律法。
然而，我们不该信靠我们天然的智慧或教育；信靠这样的事物是冒险的。我们需要与神是一。我们若与神是一，就会将我们天然的智慧和教育置於十字架。我们越这样作，就越在复活里。
将我们天然才干的『种子』种在地里，绝不是损失。我们撒种，虽然暂时失去种子，但至终必有在复活里的收成。
在尼希米自己里面，他的进取是天然的，但在神里面，他的进取是在复活里。尼希米是进取的人；他爱神、圣地、圣殿和圣城，他接触神，与神交通，信靠神，并与神是一。结果，他成为神的代表。
参读：生命的经历，第十一篇；一个在灵里之人的自传，第一章。
创世记生命读经，第八十五至八十六篇。
(英文版)
John 12:24-25 "Truly, truly, I
say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides
alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his soul-life loses
it; and he who hates his soul-life in this world shall keep it unto eternal
life."
Phil. 3:10-11 "To know Him and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed
to His death, if perhaps I may attain to the out-resurrection from the
dead."
Natural ability and capability do not come to naught after having been
dealt with. The brokenness and putting to death by the cross is not the final
step. The real death of the cross always brings in resurrection. Jesus of
Nazareth was put to death on the cross, yet Christ was resurrected. After
Genesis 35, Jacob was completely dealt
with and finished, yet a matured Israel came forth. Therefore, the dealing of
the cross always brings in resurrection. The more one’s capabilities are dealt
with by the cross, the more capable one becomes. The more one’s wisdom is dealt
with by the cross, the wiser one becomes. Furthermore, this capability and
wisdom are in resurrection. (The Experience of Life, pp. 248-249)
How can we differentiate natural ability from resurrected ability? How
can we tell which is an inherent ability and which is the ability that has been
broken? There are seven points of comparison. We shall look first at natural
ability.
First, all natural ability is selfish, and all its schemes and devices
are for the sake of self. Second, all natural ability is mingled with the
elements of flesh and temper; therefore, when it is disapproved, it becomes
provoked. Third, all natural ability involves craftiness and maneuvering.
Fourth, all natural ability contains pride and makes oneself feel capable,
thereby resulting in boasting and self-glorification. Fifth, all natural
ability is not under the control of the Holy Spirit and is extremely daring in
doing
anything. Sixth, all natural ability
has no regard for the will of God; it acts entirely according to self-will.
Seventh, natural ability does not rely on God and does not have to rely on God,
but relies wholly upon self.
Resurrected ability is exactly the opposite. First, all ability that has
been broken and resurrected is not for self, neither does it contain any
element of self. Second, all resurrected ability is devoid of the flesh. Third,
resurrected ability does not scheme. Fourth, resurrected ability is not proud
nor does it boast in itself. Fifth, resurrected ability is controlled by the
Holy Spirit and does not dare to act according to its wishes. Sixth,
resurrected ability is for the will of God. Seventh, resurrected ability relies
upon God and does not dare to act according to self, though truly able and
capable. (The Experience of Life, p. 249)
The working of the cross terminates our self so that we may experience
God in resurrection. The experience of the cross always issues in the enjoyment
of the God of resurrection. Such experience produces and forms the ministry (2
Cor. 1:4-6). This experience is further described in 4:7-12.
Paul’s word shows us that we need to
be terminated. We need to be brought to an end. Then we will learn not to trust
in ourselves but in God. For us to say that we need to trust in God and not in
ourselves is easy, but to be wrought through in this matter needs a certain
amount of experience. God is working through the cross to terminate us. God is
working to bring us to an end, even to bring our spirituality, our spiritual
attainment, to an end. We may trust so much in our spiritual attainment, but
even that has to be terminated. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, p. 139)
To arrive at the out-resurrection indicates that our entire being has
been gradually and continually resurrected. God first resurrected our deadened
spirit (Eph. 2:5-6); then from our spirit He proceeds to resurrect our soul
(Rom. 8:6) and our mortal body (Rom. 8:11), until our entire being─spirit, soul, and
body─is
fully resurrected out of our old being by and with His life. This is a process
in life through which we must pass and a race that we must run until we arrive
at the out-resurrection as the prize. Hence, the outresurrection should be the
goal and destination of our Christian life. We can reach this goal only by
being conformed to the death of Christ, by living a crucified life. In the
death of Christ we are processed in resurrection from the old creation to the
new. (Phil. 3:11, footnote 2)
The Bible is profound, and many things revealed in it are mysterious.
Although there seems to be no reason for Hiram to be of the tribe of Naphtali,
[1 Kings 7:13-14] clearly tells that he was of this tribe. If we consider the
significance of Dan, Tyre, and Naphtali, we shall worship God. Dan was a people
of the serpent that bit the horse in the race of God (Gen. 49:17), and Tyre, a
center filled with commerce, was related to Satan (Ezek. 28:12, 16). How
marvelous that a man born of a woman of the people of the
serpent and of a man of the people
related to Satan could eventually become one of the tribe of Naphtali. Naphtali
is a hind (Gen. 49:21), which is useful to God. (Life-study of Genesis, p.
1106)
According to the Bible, a hind signifies a person who trusts in God when
he is in a desperate situation [Hab. 3:17-19]....The hind also signifies the
very Christ who, having passed through the suffering of crucifixion, has
entered into resurrection for the sake of the church [Heb.
2:11-12]....Therefore, the
hind signifies a person who trusts in
God, who walks upon the mountaintops, and who lives by the resurrected Christ
for God’s building.
There is a mysterious element in our regenerated life. Yes, we were born
of a “ Danite” mother and of a “Tyrian” father, but we have been regenerated to
be another person. Even the young ones among us can testify that certain
mysterious things have happened to them....The more you take this way, the more
mysterious you will become. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 1106-1107)
If our natural capacity, natural ability, and natural virtues are
not crossed out, they will cause a great
deal of trouble and will be the source ofbig mistakes. But if we allow our
natural capacity, ability, and virtues to be brought to the cross and die, we
will be resurrected. Then in resurrection our capability, ability, and virtues
will be many times greater than they were in the natural life. These things are
still ours, but having passed through death and burial, they are now in
resurrection. This means that we ourselves, with our capacity, ability, and
virtues, have entered into resurrection. We continue to exist, but we with our
natural ability have been brought into resurrection.
The reality of resurrection is the Spirit, and the Spirit is the
consummated Triune God. Resurrection, therefore, is the consummated Triune God.
Our natural capacity, ability, and virtue need to be transferred from our
natural life into the consummated Triune God through death and burial. In
ourselves we are natural, but when we are transferred out of ourselves into
God, who is resurrection, we enter into resurrection.
God needs people who are highly educated. For example, he needed someone
like Moses, who was “educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22).
If Moses had not been an educated person, God would not have used him to give
the law. However, we should not trust our natural wisdom or
education. It is risky to put our
trust in such things. We need to be one with God. If we are one with God, we
will put our natural wisdom and education to the cross. The more we do this,
the more we will be in resurrection.
It is never a loss to sow the “seed” of our natural ability into the
ground. When we sow a seed, we lose it temporarily, but eventually there will
be a harvest in resurrection.
In himself Nehemiah’s aggressiveness was natural, but in God his
aggressiveness was in resurrection. Nehemiah was an aggressive person who loved
God, the holy land, the holy temple, and the holy city, who contacted God and
had fellowship with Him, who trusted in God, and who was one with God.
As a result, he became the
representative of God. We need to be clear about this in order to understand
the intrinsic significance of the type according to the insight given by the
Spirit. (Life-study of Nehemiah, pp. 14-15)
Further Reading: The Experience of
Life, ch. 11; CWWL,1967, vol. 2, “An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit,”
pp. 135-142; Life-study of Genesis,
msgs. 85-86.
- 未完待续
