1209 天然生命的反對
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。《加拉太書5:24》
天然生命本身不是有罪的，但我們必須棄絕罪，一切都要與罪沒有任何關係。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼。我，作為神的孩子，屬於天堂和神。那不是放棄罪的問題，而是放棄我對自己的權利、我的天然獨立性和我的自我意志的問題，這是我們必須爭戰的地方。從天然的角度來看，那些正確、高尚和好的事物，正是阻礙我們成為神設定最好的所是。一旦我們明白天然道德的卓越性會反對或抵消了對神的降服，我們就把我們的靈魂帶入最大爭戰的核心。我們很少有人會爭論什麼是骯髒、邪惡和錯誤的，但我們會爭論什麼是好；正是好在與最好對抗。一個人越往道德卓越高階走，對耶穌基督的對抗就越強烈。「凡屬基督的人，是已經把肉體釘在十字架上了…」你天然生命的代價不只是一兩件事，而是一切。耶穌說：「若有人要跟從我，就當舍己…」（馬太福音 16:24），也就是說，他必須捨棄他對自己的權利，並且必須先認識到耶穌基督是誰，才能做到真正的自我否定。當心，不要拒絕參加自己獨立性【自主權】的葬禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有通過獻上為祭【犧牲】，才能使它成為屬靈的。如果我們不刻意獻上天然生命為祭，超自然的生命就永遠不會對我們成為自然的生命。沒有高階路或捷徑可走。我們每個人都有辦法完全靠自己的雙手實現它。這不是禱告的問題，而是獻祭犧牲的問題，從而實現祂的旨意。
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來自章伯斯的智慧
證明聖靈內住的主要特徵是在個人處事上令人驚奇的溫柔，以及對神話語的火熱誠實。《真的門徒》
1209 The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word. —Disciples Indeed, 386 R