0208 成圣的代价
愿赐平安的神亲自使你们全然成圣！又愿你们的灵与魂与身子得蒙保守，在我主耶稣基督降临的时候，完全无可指摘！《帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:23》
当我们祷告，求神使我们成圣时，我们预备好达到【成圣】标准的真正意义了吗？我们对成圣这个词太轻视了。我们预备好付出成圣的代价了吗？代价将是对我们所有属世关切的深深限制，以及对我们所有虔敬关切的广泛培养。成圣意味着强烈专注于神的观点。它意味着单单为了神的目的，要保留和照管我们身体、灵魂和精神的全部力量。我们真的预备好让神在我们身上实行祂将我们分别出来的一切吗？在祂完成祂的工作后，那么，我们是否预备好将我们自己分别出来归给神【为神分别为圣】，就像耶稣那样？「我为他们的缘故，自己分别为圣…」（约翰福音 17:19）。我们中有些人没有进入成圣的经历，是因为我们还没有从神的角度认识成圣的意义。成圣意味着与耶稣合而为一，以至于掌管祂的本性也将掌管我们。我们真的预备好将付的代价了吗？那绝对会付出我们里面一切不属于神的代价。
我们预备好了解保罗在这节经文中祷告的真正含义吗？我们是否预备好说：「主啊，求你使我这个因恩典得救的罪人像你那样能圣洁」呢？耶稣祷告我们能与祂合而为一，正如祂与父合而为一（见约翰福音 17:21-23）。圣灵在一个人生命中响亮的证据，就是与耶稣基督明显的家庭形象，以及免于一切不像祂的东西。我们预备好为圣灵在我们里面的工作，将自己分别出来吗？
来自章伯斯的智慧
基督教会不应该是专家们的秘密社团，而应该是信耶稣的公开表现。《面对现实》
0208 The Cost of Sanctification
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely… —1 Thessalonians 5:23
When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? “For their sakes I sanctify Myself…” (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.
Are we prepared to be caught up into the full meaning of Paul’s prayer in this verse? Are we prepared to say, “Lord, make me, a sinner saved by grace, as holy as You can”? Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father (see John 17:21-23). The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him. Are we prepared to set ourselves apart for the Holy Spirit’s work in us?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus. –Facing Reality, 34 R