1210 天然的奉獻
因為律法上記着，亞伯拉罕有兩個兒子，一個是使女生的，一個是自主之婦人生的。《加拉太書4:22》
保羅在加拉太書這一章中不是討論罪，而是在討論天然與屬靈二者的關係。天然生命只有通過獻上為祭，才能變成屬靈。沒有這個獻上為祭，一個人將會過着分裂的生活。為什麼神強求天然生命必須獻上？神並沒有這樣強求；這不是神完全的旨意，而是祂許可的旨意。神完全的旨意是要天然生命藉着順服轉變為屬靈；罪才使得天然生命必須成為祭物。
亞伯拉罕必須先獻上以實馬利，然後才能獻上以撒（見創世記 21:8-14）。我們有些人試圖在獻上屬靈的祭給神之前，先獻上天然的。我們向神獻上屬靈祭物唯一之道是「將『我們的』身體獻上當作活祭…」（羅馬書 12:1）。成聖不僅僅意味着從罪惡中得釋放，它意味着我有意地把自己獻給我救恩的神，並願意付出任何代價。
若我們不獻天然生命給屬靈生命，天然生命就會拒絕和違抗在我們裡面神兒子的生命，並會產生不斷的混亂，這總是不受紀律約束的靈性的結果。我們走差路，是因為我們固執地拒絕在身體、道德或思維上紀律管訓自己。我們為自己辯解說：「嗯，我小時候沒被教導要紀律管訓。」那麼，現在就操練約束你自己！如果你不，你將毀掉你整個人為神而活的生命。
只要我們繼續縱容和滿足我們天然的生命，神就不會積极參与其中。但是，一旦我們願意把它放逐到沙漠，並決心制服它，神就會與它同在。然後，祂將供應井水和綠洲，並實現祂對天然生命的一切應許（見創世記 21:15-19）。
來自章伯斯的智慧
真誠意味着外表和實際完全一致。《登山寶訓研究》
1210 The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.—Studies in the Sermon on the Mount