0208 成聖的代價
願賜平安的神親自使你們全然成聖！又願你們的靈與魂與身子得蒙保守，在我主耶穌基督降臨的時候，完全無可指摘！《帖撒羅尼迦前書 5:23》
當我們禱告，求神使我們成聖時，我們預備好達到【成聖】標準的真正意義了嗎？我們對成聖這個詞太輕視了。我們預備好付出成聖的代價了嗎？代價將是對我們所有屬世關切的深深限制，以及對我們所有虔敬關切的廣泛培養。成聖意味着強烈專註於神的觀點。它意味着單單為了神的目的，要保留和照管我們身體、靈魂和精神的全部力量。我們真的預備好讓神在我們身上實行祂將我們分別出來的一切嗎？在祂完成祂的工作後，那麼，我們是否預備好將我們自己分別出來歸給神【為神分別為聖】，就像耶穌那樣？「我為他們的緣故，自己分別為聖…」（約翰福音 17:19）。我們中有些人沒有進入成聖的經歷，是因為我們還沒有從神的角度認識成聖的意義。成聖意味着與耶穌合而為一，以至於掌管祂的本性也將掌管我們。我們真的預備好將付的代價了嗎？那絕對會付出我們裡面一切不屬於神的代價。
我們預備好了解保羅在這節經文中禱告的真正含義嗎？我們是否預備好說：「主啊，求你使我這個因恩典得救的罪人像你那樣能聖潔」呢？耶穌禱告我們能與祂合而為一，正如祂與父合而為一（見約翰福音 17:21-23）。聖靈在一個人生命中響亮的證據，就是與耶穌基督明顯的家庭形象，以及免於一切不像祂的東西。我們預備好為聖靈在我們裡面的工作，將自己分別出來嗎？
來自章伯斯的智慧
基督教會不應該是專家們的秘密社團，而應該是信耶穌的公開表現。《面對現實》
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