0722 成聖 (1)
神的旨意就是要你們成為聖潔… 《帖撒羅尼迦前書4:3》
死亡的一面。在成聖中，神必須在死亡和生命這兩方面來處理我們。成聖要求我們來到死亡之地，但我們許多人在那裡花了太多的時間，以至於我們變得病態。在實現成聖之前，總會有一場巨大的爭戰——我們內心某些東西是懷着怨恨敵對基督的要求。當聖靈開始向我們顯明成聖的意義時，掙扎就立即開始了。耶穌說：「人到我這裡來，若不恨（原文）…自己的性命，就不能作我的門徒。」（路加福音 14:26）
在成聖的過程中，神的靈會把我剝得精光，直到只剩下我自己，那就是死亡之地。我願意做我自己而已嗎？我是否願意是我自己，什麼也不是呢？我願意沒有朋友、沒有父親、沒有兄弟、沒有自我利益——就是預備好迎接死亡嗎？這就是成聖所需的條件。難怪耶穌說：「…我來並不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上動刀兵。」（馬太福音10:34）。這就是爭戰臨到的所在，也是我們許多人害怕踉蹌不穩的地方。我們拒絕在這一點上與耶穌基督的死認同。我們說：「但這太嚴格了。祂當然不這麼要求我。」我們的主是嚴格的，祂也確實那麼要求我們。
我願意把自己減少到僅僅是「我」嗎？我是否有足夠的決心剝掉所有朋友們對我的看法，以及我對自己的看法嗎？我願意並下定決心把單純赤裸的自我交給神嗎？一旦我願意，祂會立即使我全然成聖，而我的生命將不再被神以外的任何事物的左右和和堅持了（見帖撒羅尼迦前書 5:23-24）
當我禱告：「主啊，請指示我成聖對我的意義」，祂會指示我；這意味着與耶穌合而為一。成聖不是耶穌放在我裡面的東西——而是祂自己在我裡面（見哥林多前書 1:30）。
來自章伯斯的智慧
真理是我們無需害怕，也無需克服什麼，因為祂是萬有的一切，我們是藉着祂而得勝有餘。認識這個真理並非是奉承工人的英雄主義，而是令人驚奇地榮耀基督的工作。《蒙神悅納》
0722 Sanctification (1)
This is the will of God, your sanctification… —1 Thessalonians 4:3
The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Sanctification requires our coming to the place of death, but many of us spend so much time there that we become morbid. There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized— something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ. When the Holy Spirit begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle starts immediately. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate…his own life…he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).
In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification. No wonder Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us falter. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ on this point. We say, “But this is so strict. Surely He does not require that of me.” Our Lord is strict, and He does require that of us.
Am I willing to reduce myself down to simply “me”? Am I determined enough to strip myself of all that my friends think of me, and all that I think of myself? Am I willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God? Once I am, He will immediately sanctify me completely, and my life will be free from being determined and persistent toward anything except God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
When I pray, “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me— it is Himself in me (see 1 Corinthians 1:30).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The truth is we have nothing to fear and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly glorifying to the work of Christ. Approved Unto God, 4 R