0404 通往永恆信心的道路
看哪，時候將到，且是已經到了，你們要分散…《約翰福音 16:32》
耶穌在這段經文中並沒有責備門徒，他們的信仰是真實的，但那是混亂與不專註的，並且沒有在重要實際生活中起到作用。門徒四散關心自己的事情，他們除了耶穌基督之外還有其他的興趣。當我們通過聖靈的成聖工作與神有了完美的關係後，我們的信心就必須在日常生活的現實中操練。我們會被驅散，不是去服事，而是去面對生命的空虛，我們在其中會看到毀滅和貧瘠，知道面對神的祝福，內在的死亡意味着什麼。我們準備好了嗎？那當然不是我們自己的選擇，而是神的設計，發動我們的環境將我們帶到那裡。直到我們經歷那經歷之前，我們的信仰只能靠感覺和祝福來維持。一旦我們到達那裡，無論神將我們放在哪裡，或者我們經歷什麼內在的空虛，我們都可以讚美神一切安好；這就是信心在現實生活中操練的含意。
「你們要分散… 留下我獨自一人。」我們是否被驅散，留下耶穌獨自一人，沒有看到耶穌對我們的護佑關照呢？難道我們沒有看到神在我們的環境中做工嗎？黑暗時期是被允許的，經由神的主權降臨到我們身上；我們準備好讓神對我們做祂要做的嗎？我們準備好與神明顯的外在祝福分開嗎？直到耶穌基督真正成為我們的主之前，我們每個人都有自己所服事的目標。我們的信仰是真實的，但還不是永恆的。神從不急躁。如果我們願意等待，我們會看到神指出我們只對祂的祝福感興趣，而不是對神自己感興趣。感受神的祝福是信仰的根本。
「你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。」（約翰福音 16:33）。我們需要的是不屈不撓的屬靈毅力。
來自章伯斯的智慧
沒有任何生活狀態是我們不能住在耶穌里的。無論我們被安置何處，我們都必須學會住在祂裡面。《我們輝煌的遺產》
0404 The Way to Permanent Faith
Indeed the hour is coming…that you will be scattered.—John 16:32
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.
“…you…will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental.
“…be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus. We have to learn to abide in Him wherever we are placed. —Our Brilliant Heritage, 946R