0712 灵性上追求自我的教会
…直等到我们众人…满有基督长成的身量。《以弗所书 4:13》
和好意味着恢复整个人类与神之间的关系，使其回归到神所设计的样式；这就是耶稣基督在救赎中所做的。当教会变得自我追求，只关心自身组织的发展时，它就不再是属灵的了。根据神的计划，人类与神和好意味着不仅在我们个人的生活中实现祂，也在我们群体的生活中实现祂。耶稣基督差遣使徒和教师正是为了这个目的——使基督的集体身体和许多肢体组成的教会得以形成并为人所知。我们在这里不是为了发展我们自己的属灵生命，或者享受安静的属灵退修；我们在这里是为了要完全认识【实现】耶稣基督，为了建造祂的身体这个目的。
我是在建立基督的身体，还是只关心我自己的个人发展？最关键的是我个人与耶稣基督的关系——「…使我可以认识基督…」（腓立比书3:10）。要实现神对我的完美设计，就需要我完全的降服——将自己完全交托给祂。每当我只想为自己追求什么时，这关系就扭曲了。一旦我承认并理解我并没有真正关心实现耶稣基督祂自己，而只关心知道祂为我所做的事情时，我就会遭受极大的羞辱。
我的目标是神祂自己，不是喜乐也不是平安，
甚至不是祝福，而是祂自己，我的神。
我是用这个标准还是用其他标准来衡量我的生命呢？
来自章伯斯的智慧
衡量我们为神而做的公开活动的价值，其标准是我们与祂私人的深交……我们必须把我们的帐篷搭在总是能与神一起安静灵修的地方，无论我们与世界在一起的时间有多么喧闹。《竭诚为主》， 1 月 6 日
0712 The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church
…till we all come…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ… —Ephesians 4:13
Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose— that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.
Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “…that I may know Him…” (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.
My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.
Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him … We have to pitch our tents where we shall always have quiet times with God, however noisy our times with the world may be. My Utmost for His Highest, January 6, 736 R