1106 親密神學
你信這話嗎？《約翰福音11:26》
馬大相信耶穌基督擁有的能力；她相信如果祂在場，祂就能治癒她的兄弟，她也相信耶穌與神有着特殊的親密關係，無論祂向神求什麼，神都會成就。但是，她需要與耶穌有更親密的個人關係。馬大的神學在未來會得到實現。但耶穌繼續吸引她，直到她的信仰成為一種親密的產業。然後它慢慢地融合成一種個人遺產——「主啊，是的，我信你是基督…」（約翰福音 11:27）。
主是否以同樣的方式處理你？耶穌是在教導你與祂有個人的親密關係嗎？讓祂把問題深深傳達給你——「你信這話嗎？」你生活中是否有某個懷疑的領域？你是否像馬大一樣，來到壓倒性轉折境況的十字路口，在那裡你的神學將變成非常個人化的信心呢？只有當個人問題使我們意識到個人的需要時，這種情況才會發生。
信就是委身。在智力學習領域，我心理上委身，拒絕任何與信仰無關的事物。在親密的個人信仰範疇，我在道德上委身於自己的信念，拒絕妥協。但在親密的個人信仰上，我靈性上委身耶穌基督，並下定決心只被祂治理。
然後，當我與耶穌基督面對面時，祂對我說：「你信這話嗎？」我發現信心就像呼吸一樣自然。當我想到我沒有早一點信靠祂是何等愚蠢時，我很震驚。
來自章伯斯的智慧
是神要自行掌控你的生命呢？還是你執着於自己對未來規劃的想法呢？神掌管我們的生命，而唯一重要的主旨就是不計後果地信賴祂。《蒙神悅納》
1106 Intimate Theology
Do you believe this? —John 11:26
Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ…” (John 11:27).
Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.
To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.
Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Is He going to help Himself to your life, or are you taken up with your conception of what you are going to do? God is responsible for our lives, and the one great keynote is reckless reliance upon Him. Approved Unto God, 10 R