2013-06-20 18:01:03 Joshuachang

晨興聖言─保羅的完成職事(16)

第一週 • 週六

晨興餧養

弗一14『這聖靈是我們得基業的憑質,爲使神所買的產業得贖,使祂的榮耀得着稱讚。』

徒二六19『亞基帕王啊,我故此沒有違背那從天上來的異象。』

    在行傳二十六章十八節我們看見,當我們的眼睛得開,從黑暗和撒但權下回轉、轉移到光與神,我們就得蒙赦罪。赦罪是新約禧年一切福分的基礎。真正的赦罪,是藉着眼睛得開,以及從撒但轉向神而來。所以,我們需要眼睛得開,從撒但權下轉向神,好接受完整且完全的赦罪(使徒行傳生命讀經,六九○頁)。

信息選讀

    我們的眼睛得開,從撒但權下轉向神,結果不僅在消極一面得蒙赦罪,也在積極一面得着基業。這神聖的基業就是三一神自己並祂所有的、所作成的以及爲祂贖民所要作的一切。這位三一神化身在包羅萬有的基督裏面(西二9);這基督是分給眾聖徒的分,作他們的基業(一12)。而賜給眾聖徒的聖靈,乃是這神聖基業的豫嘗、憑質和保證(羅八23,弗一13~14)。我們今天在神新約的禧年裏,就有分於並享受這基業作豫嘗;到來世和永遠裏還要完滿的享受這基業(彼前一4)。在利未記二十五章八至十三節禧年的豫表裏,主要的福分乃是宣告自由,以及各人歸回自己的產業。…在〔行傳二十六章十八節〕禧年的應驗裏,從黑暗的權勢得着釋放,以及得着神聖的基業,也是主要的福分。

    按照十八節,神聖的基業乃是在一切因信入基督而得聖別的人當中。這聖別不僅是地位上的,也是性質上的(羅六19、22)。成聖(成爲聖別)不光是地位上的事,就是從凡俗屬世的地位,分別到爲着神的地位;就如馬太二十三章十七節、十九節所說的,由於地位的改變,金子因殿而成聖,禮物因壇而成聖;以及提前四章三至五節所說的,食物因聖徒的禱告而成聖。成聖也是性質上的事,就是從天然的性質變化爲屬靈的性質,如林後三章十八節,羅馬十二章二節所說的。這包含漫長的過程,開始於重生(彼前一2~3,多三5),經過整個基督徒的一生(帖前四3,來十二14,弗五26),而完成於被提,就是生命成熟的時候(帖前五23)。

    地位一面的聖別,只是在地位和用途上有改變;性質一面的聖別,乃是在性情上爲神的聖別性情所變化,也是用神的聖別性情所完成的變化。聖別就是給神浸透;祂是我們的產業,作我們今天的享受。這要完成於我們在神生命裏成熟,得以像神,並有資格在來世和永世,完滿得着並享受神作我們的基業。

    保羅在行傳二十六章十九節用『異象』一辭,指明他所順從的,不是道理、學說、宗教信條或任何神學,乃是從天上來的異象。在這異象中,他看見關於三一神的神聖事物如何分賜到祂所揀選、救贖、變化的人裏面。他在使徒行傳裏所傳講的,以及他在羅馬書至希伯來書這十四封書信中所寫的,都是他所看見這從天上來之異象的詳細描述(使徒行傳生命讀經,六九○至六九三頁)。

     參讀:保羅的完成職事,第一章;主恢復中應有的認識,第一篇。


WEEK 1 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

Eph. 1:14 "Who is the pledge of our inheritance unto the redemption of the acquired possession, to the
                    praise of His glory."

Acts 26:19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."

    In Acts 26:18 we see that when our eyes are opened and we have a turn, a transfer, from darkness and satanic authority to light and God, we may receive forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins is the base of all the blessings of the New Testament jubilee. The genuine forgiveness of sins comes through the opening of the eyes and the transfer from Satan to God. Therefore, we need to have our eyes
opened and to have a transfer from the authority of Satan to God in order to receive the complete and perfect forgiveness of sins. (Life-study of Acts, pp. 601-602)

Today's Reading

    As the result of having our eyes opened and of being transferred from the authority of Satan to God, we not only have the forgiveness of sins on the negative side, but also we receive an inheritance on the positive side. This divine inheritance is the Triune God Himself with all that He has, all He has done, and all He will do for His redeemed people. This Triune God is embodied in the all-inclusive Christ (Col. 2:9), who is the portion allotted to the saints as their inheritance (Col. 1:12). The Holy Spirit, who has been
given to the saints, is the foretaste, the seal, the pledge, and the guarantee of this divine inheritance (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:13-14), which we are sharing and enjoying today in God's New Testament jubilee as a foretaste, and will share and enjoy in full in the coming age and for eternity (1 Pet. 1:4). In the type of the jubilee in Leviticus 25:8-13, the main blessings were the liberty proclaimed and the returning of every man unto his own inheritance. In the fulfillment of the jubilee here, liberation from the authority of darkness and receiving the divine inheritance are also the primary blessings.

    According to Acts 26:18, the divine inheritance is among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ. This sanctification is not only positional but also dispositional (Rom. 6:19, 22). Sanctification (being made holy) is not only a matter of position, that is, not only a matter of being separated
from a common, worldly position to a position for God, as illustrated in Matthew 23:17 and 19, where the gold is sanctified by the temple and the gift is sanctified by the altar through a change of position, and in 1 Timothy 4:3-5, where food is sanctified by the saints' prayer. Sanctification is also a matter of disposition, that is, a matter of being transformed from the natural disposition to a spiritual one, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 3:18 and Romans 12:2. This involves a long process, beginning from regeneration (1 Pet. 1:2-3; Titus 3:5), passing through the whole Christian life (1 Thes. 4:3; Heb. 12:14; Eph. 5:26), and being completed at the time of rapture, at the maturity of life (1 Thes. 5:23).

    To be sanctified positionally is only to have a change in position and usage; to be sanctified dispositionally is to be transformed in nature by and with the holy nature of God. Sanctification is a saturation with God as our possession for our enjoyment today. It will consummate in our
maturity in the divine life so that we may resemble God and be qualified to fully possess and enjoy Him as our inheritance in the coming age and for eternity.

    Paul's use of the word "vision" in Acts 26:19 indicates that Paul was obedient not to doctrine, theory, religious creed, or theology, but to the heavenly vision, in which he saw the divine things concerning the Triune God to be dispensed into His chosen, redeemed, and transformed people. All his preachings in Acts and writings in his fourteen Epistles from Romans through Hebrews are a detailed description of this heavenly vision he saw. (Life-study of Acts, pp. 602-604)

    Further Reading: The Completing Ministry of Paul, ch. 1; Young People's Training, ch. 1