1228 不斷的迴轉皈信
…你們若不迴轉，變成小孩子的樣式，斷不得進天國。《馬太福音18:3》
主的這些話指的是我們最初的迴轉歸信，但我們應該像小孩一樣繼續轉向神，在我們生命的每一天持續地歸信。如果我們信賴自己的能力而非神的能力，我們就會產生神要我們負責的後果。當神通過祂的主權將我們帶入新的處境時，我們應該立即確保我們天然生命順服屬靈生命，順服神的靈的命令。僅僅因為我們過去正確地反應，並不保證我們會再次如此。天然生命對屬靈生命的反應，應該是持續的迴轉，但這正是我們經常拒絕順服之處。無論我們的境遇如何，神的靈依然不變，祂的救恩也不改變。但我們必須「穿上新人…」（以弗所書4:24）。每當我們拒絕自己迴轉時，神都要向我們問責，祂視我們的拒絕為故意的悖逆。我們天然生命不可做主——必須讓神在我們裡面掌管。
拒絕持續迴轉，就在我們靈命成長中放置絆腳石。我們生命中有些自我意志的領域，我們的驕傲蔑視神的寶座，說：「我才不要順服。」我們將獨立性和自我意志奉神化。神看為是頑梗的軟弱，我們卻稱之為力量。我們生命中還有很多地方還沒有降服，這隻有通過持續迴轉才能達成。逐漸但必然地，我們能為神的靈收復整個領域。
來自章伯斯的智慧
讀書永遠不可能讀得太多，但要始終記住你為什麼讀。要記住，最重要的是「必需接受、認識和依靠聖靈。」《蒙神悅納》
1228 Continuous Conversion
…unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:3
These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God’s, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must “put on the new man…” (Ephesians 4:24). God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us.
To refuse to be continuously converted puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, “I won’t submit.” We deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Spirit” is before all else. —Approved Unto God, 11 L