1202 基督徒的完全
这不是说我已经得着了，已经完全了…《腓立比书3:12》
认为神想让我们成为祂所能做的完全的典范，这是一个陷阱；神的目的是使我们与祂合一。圣洁运动的强调往往是神正在创造圣洁的样本，放在祂的博物馆里。如果你接受这种个人圣洁的概念，你生命既定的目标将不是为了神，而是为了你生命中被称为有神的证据。我们怎么能说，「我生病绝不会是神的旨意」呢？如果神定意压伤祂自己的儿子（以赛亚书 53:10），那祂为什么不该压伤你呢？在你的生命中闪耀和彰显神的，不是你相对一致认定圣徒的理想模样，而是你与耶稣基督真实活泼的关系，以及无论你健康或生病，都毫无限制地委身于祂。
基督徒的完全并非也永远不可能是人类的完全。基督徒的完全是与神关系的完全，即使在人类生活中似乎不重要的，事实上也表现出那种关系。当你顺服耶稣基督的呼召时，首先击中你的，是你必须做的事情都是无关痛痒的。其次令你震惊的，是其他人似乎都过着完全一致的生活；那种生活可能会让你觉得神是不必要的，通过你自己人为努力和奉献，你也能达到神对你生命的标准。在一个堕落的世界里，那是绝不可能的。我蒙召，要活在与神如此完全的关系中，以至于我的生命能在别人生命中产生对神的渴慕，而不是对我自己的钦佩。对自己的想法会妨碍我对神的用处。神的目的不是把我变得完全，使我成为祂陈列室中的战利品；祂正在把我带到祂可以使用我的地方；让祂做祂想做的吧。
来自章伯斯的智慧
「是我拣选了你们…」（约翰福音 15:16），把这伟大的理解保持在你的信条中；不是你得到了神，而是神得到了你。《竭诚为主》，10 月 25 日
1202 Christian Perfection
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect… —Philippians 3:12
It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you. My Utmost for His Highest, October 25, 837 R