圣洁与圣灵 – 巴刻

Ichthys

圣洁与圣灵 –巴刻

HOLINESSAND THE HOLY SPIRIT – A DIGEST

[ Source: J.I. Packer, Keep In Step with the Spirit, chapter 3.

中译本﹕《活在圣灵中》。中文重译。]

I.圣洁是基督徒的最优先考虑。

Holiness Is A Christian’s Top Priority.

圣洁是亲近神﹐学像神﹐将自己献给神﹐讨神的喜悦 – 这是信徒心中最强烈的愿望。

“Holiness, which means being near God, like God, given to God, andpleasing God, is something believers want more than anything else in thisworld.”  (J.I. Packer, Keep in Step withthe Spirit, p. 94)

信徒们为什么关心圣灵的事﹖因为圣灵主要的工作之一是使我们成为圣洁。

“One reason for their interest in theHoly Spirit is their awareness that making us holy is one of his maintasks.”  (p. 94)  

「圣洁」一词根本的意义是﹕分别出来﹐分别为圣。第一﹐圣洁是指﹕一切使神与众不同的特性。第二﹐圣洁是指﹕一切使信徒与众不同﹐为神分别出来的特性。

Holiness:  … Having at its root the thought of separation or apartness, it signifies,first, all that marks out God as set apart from men and, second, all thatshould mark out Christians as set apart for God.”  (p. 95)

彼前 I Peter 1:15, 16

帖前 I Thess. 4:3, 7; 5:23

弗 Eph. 1:4; 5:25, 26; 2:10

罗 Romans 12:1

林后 II Cor. 7:1  

圣洁是神所赐的恩典﹐同时是神的吩咐。我们必须常常为圣洁祈求﹐也必须竭力在生活中每天实践圣洁。

“Holiness is both God’s gift and hiscommand; we should therefore pray for it and seek to practice it each day ofour lives.”  (p. 96)  

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定义 DEFINITION:  

一个圣洁的人﹐他的圣洁 …就是他生活的独特性格。这是他分别自己为圣﹐为神而活的表现﹔同时是神的恩典不断更新他的内心所导致的。

“The holiness of a holy man … is thedistinctive quality of his living, viewed both as the expression of his being set apart for God and as the outworking of his inward renewal byGod’s grace.”  (p. 96)   

成圣与圣洁 (欧文) ﹕ Sanctification and Holiness (John Owen):  

「成圣是神的灵直接在信徒心灵中的工作﹕圣灵洁净他们的本性﹐除去罪性中的污秽与不洁﹔在他们里面重新恢复了神的形像﹔以致他们可以借着一个属灵的﹐恩典的原则与习惯将自己献给神﹐照耶稣基督的吩咐和条件﹐过顺服神的生活。」

“Sanctification is an immediate work of theSpirit of God on the souls of believers, purifyingand cleansing of their natures from the pollution and uncleanness of sin, renewing in them the image of God, andthereby enabling them, from a spiritualand habitual principle of grace, to yield obedience unto God, according unto the tenor and terms of JesusChrist…  Hence it follows that ourholiness, which is the fruit and effect of this work, the work as terminated inus, as it compriseth the renewedprinciple or image of God wrought in us, so it consists in a holy obedience unto God by Jesus Christ,according to the terms of the covenantof grace, from the principle of a new nature.”  

圣洁就是﹕完全献给神的人﹐与神的亲近。圣洁的本质就是﹕顺服神﹐向神而活﹐为神而活﹐效法神﹐遵守神的律法﹐站在神的一面抵挡罪﹐行公义﹐活出善行﹐跟从基督的教导和原则﹐在圣灵里敬拜神﹐以敬畏基督的心爱神﹐事奉神。

Holiness is consecrated closeness toGod.  Holiness is in essence obeying God,living to God and for God, imitating God, keeping his law, taking his sideagainst sin, doing righteousness, performing good works, following Christ’steaching and example, worshiping God in the Spirit, loving and serving God andmen out of reverence for Christ.  

从我们与神的关系来看﹐圣洁的表现就是﹐专一热爱神﹐讨祂的喜悦﹐爱慕祂﹐忠于祂﹐完全归给祂﹐赞美祂。

In relation to God, holiness takes theform of a single-minded passion to please by love and loyalty, devotion andpraise.  

从我们与罪的关系来看﹐圣洁是一场抗战运动﹐一种坚决的操练﹐绝不体贴肉体的情欲﹐反之治死肢体中一切的罪行。  (加5 ﹕16 ﹔罗 8 ﹕13) 。

In relation to sin, it takes the form ofa resistance movement, a discipline of not gratifying the desires of the flesh,but of putting to death the deeds of the body (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:13).  

总之﹐圣洁就是像基督 – 这是神所教导﹐圣灵作成的﹔圣洁是作一个献身门徒的真义﹐是信心借着爱活出来的明证﹐是重生的人里面超自然的生命借着正直生活的流露。

Holiness is, in a word, God-taught,Spirit-wrought Christ-likeness, the sum and substance of committeddiscipleship, the demonstration of faith working by love, the responsiveoutflow in righteousness of supernatural life from the hearts of those who areborn again.”  (pp. 96-97)  

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II.为什么圣洁今天被忽略  

Why Holiness is Neglected Today.

1.  以人为中心﹐以自己为中心的“敬虔”( 属灵观)。

Man/Self-centered Godliness.  

真正的圣洁就是过敬虔的生活。而敬虔是植根于一个以神为中心的生命。

Holiness means godliness, and godlinessis rooted in God-centeredness.

2.  活动主义 – 生活太忙﹐无瑕顾虑追求圣洁。

Activism – Too busy to seek holiness.  

你假如太忙去祷告﹐那么你真正是太忙了。可是我们不感觉须要祷告﹐因为我们已经习惯依靠自己﹐在我们的工作上自信。我们认为﹐我们的技能与资源﹐和我们优质的节目﹐本身就会结出果子﹔这是理所当然的。

“If you are too busy to pray, you reallyare too busy.  But we do not feel theneed to pray, because we have grown self-confident and self-reliant in ourwork.  We take for granted that ourskills and resources and the fine quality of our programs will of themselvesbring forth fruit…”

3.  今天的基督徒对神自己的圣洁缺乏敏感。

Christians today are insensitive to theholiness of God himself.  

我们不常想到﹐神已启示祂恨恶祂收养的儿女生命中的罪恶。我们也不像先祖们﹐听到神的话时懂得战栗﹔他们因怕得罪神而恐惧。…我们也没有在生活上表现对不敬虔事物的憎恨, 像犹大所说﹐憎恨被肉体污染的衣服(犹大书23节)。我们不认真面对神对付我们的首要目标﹐是在公义上锻炼我们﹐这种锻炼带来将来的喜乐。我们认为这种人生观不配称为“基督教” ﹗我们以为神的目标是要把欢乐堆在我们的头上。我们没有调整我们的思维﹐正视<<圣经>>所正视的﹕在神的眼中﹐罪是污染﹕罪是污秽。

“We do not think much about God’srevealed hatred of sin in his own adopted family, nor do we ‘tremble at hisword’ as our forebears did, fearful lest they offend him …, nor do we displaythat abhorrence of ungodly things that Jude had in mind when he spoke of‘hating even the garment spotted by the flesh’ (Jude 23).  It is our habit to … dismiss as sub-Christianany idea that God’s first concern in his dealings with us might be to train usin righteousness as a step toward future joy, rather than to load us withpresent pleasures.  We are not in tunewith the biblical perception of sin as pollution – dirt… -- in the eyes ofGod…” (p. 101)

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III.《圣经》 中的圣洁﹕基本要素

Basic Biblical Elements of Holiness.   

1.  圣洁的本质﹕生命藉献身而完全被改变。

The Nature of Holiness: Transformationthrough Dedication (consecration).

「圣洁」这词﹐说出一种关系﹕分别出来﹐为着神分别出来。一种道德上﹐属灵上的本质。公义﹐纯洁﹐不论里面或外面。

Hagiasmos – hagios – relational: beingseparated and set apart for God. Hosiotes – intrinsic moral and spiritual quality – righteous and pure,inwardly and outwardly.

基督徒在神面前的地位乃是已被神接纳﹐被分别为圣。这事实是生命改变的基础。

Positional holiness of consecration andacceptance underlines the personal transformation.  

基督徒在世界上无论作什么﹐参与什么事业﹐都必须先有一个深层的意识﹕他已经是从人类﹐从世界万物被分别为圣了。一个真正圣洁的生活的基础﹐是完全从万事﹐从所有身边的人 – 配偶﹐父母﹐孩子﹐上司﹐邻居等 – 彻底的分离﹐完全归属神﹔在这个分离 (分别) 上﹐基督徒建立一种有秩序﹐付代价的献身生活﹕为了主的缘故﹐把自己献给配偶﹐父母﹐孩子﹐上司﹐邻居等。

“All the Christian’s human involvementsand commitments in this world must be consciously based on his awareness ofhaving been separated from everything and everyone in creation to belong to hisCreator alone.  Ordered, costly,unstinting commitment for the Lord’s sake to spouse, children, parents,employers, employees, and all one’s other neighbors, on the basis of beingradically detached from them all to belong to God – Father, Son and Spirit –and to no one else, is the unvarying shape of the authentically holylife.”  (pp. 104-105)

彻底的从所有被造者与被造物分离﹐以造物者为至爱的对象 – 唯有这种生命才可能活出彻底投入别人的生命﹐投入他们的需要中的生活方式。

“Thoroughgoing detachment from allcreatures to love the Creator most of all makes possible … a more thoroughgoinginvolvement with people and their needs …” (p. 105)

2.  圣洁的“环境” (先决条件) ﹕借着耶稣基督被神称义。

The Context of Holiness: Justificationthrough Jesus Christ.   

圣洁的人不以自己的圣洁为荣﹐只以基督的十字架为荣。因为无论一个人多么圣洁﹐只不过是被神称义的罪人。他只从这观点看自己的真相。

“Holy people glory, not in theirholiness, but in Christ’s cross; for the holiest saint is never more than ajustified sinner and never sees himself in any other way.”

一个基督徒最自然的自我认识﹐就是视自己为首要的罪人。

“It is the most natural thing in theworld for a Christian at any time to see himself as the foremost ofsinners…”  (p. 106)

3.  圣洁的根源﹕与耶稣基督同钉十字架﹐同复活。

The Root of Holiness: Co-crucifixion andCo-resurrection with Jesus     Christ.  

与基督同钉十字架的意义﹕结束了以前被罪辖制的生活。

Crucifixion: An end has been put to thesin-dominated lives they were living before.

与基督同复活的意义﹕事基督从死里复活的能力﹐现在在基督徒的生命里运作。

Resurrection: the power that wroughtJesus’ resurrection is now at work in them …

他们从本性的核心已被改变了。

They are different at the center oftheir being …

他们改变了﹔以前对神的律法总带着负面的﹐感冒似的反应。这种反应《圣经》称之为「罪」,从生命的宝座上被扯下来了。他们里面新造了一颗渴慕神的心。

“They have been changed by thedethroning in them of that allergic negative reaction to the law of God, whichis called sin, and the creating in them of … a heart for God.”  

一个信徒成为圣洁﹐乃是学习在实践中活出那在心里已经成就的事实。

The believer’s holiness is a matter oflearning to be in action what he already is in heart.  

圣洁是一位灵里已经复苏的人最自然的反应。就等于犯罪﹐是一位灵里死的人最自然的反应。

Holiness is the naturalness of thespiritually risen man, just as sin is the naturalness of the spiritually deadman.  

当一个基督徒顺服神﹐追求圣洁的时候﹐他乃是随从他里面新的心最深的渴望。

In pursuing holiness by obeying God theChristian actually follows the  deepesturge of his own renewed being…

4. 作成圣洁的那位﹕圣灵

The Agent of Holiness: The Holy Spirit.  

住在我们里面的圣灵为我们成就圣洁。

Indwelling Spirit induces holiness.

先前 (预备) 的恩典 –在我们里面创造顺服神的心志。

Prevenient grace – creates in us apurpose of obedience.

与神合作的恩典 – 在我们里面维持顺服神的实践。

Cooperative grace – sustains us in thepractice of obedience.

透过圣灵的工作﹐基督徒立志作正直 (对) 的事﹔他的确作这些事。因而养成作正直的事的习惯。从这些习惯﹐一个正直的品格被建立起来。「种一行动﹐收一习惯﹔种一习惯﹐收一品格。」

“By the Spirit’s enabling, Christiansresolve to do particular things that are right, and actually do them, and thus formshabits of doing right things, and out of these habits comes a character that isright.  ‘Sow an action, reap a habit; sowa habit, reap a character.’” (p. 108)  

圣灵透过“方法” 行事。

The Spirit works through means.

客观的方法﹕

    《圣经》真理﹐祷告﹐团契生活﹐敬拜﹐圣餐。

主观的方法﹕

    开放自己被神改变﹔默想﹔聆听﹔自我质问﹔自我反省﹔自我劝导﹔与别人分享我们心中所想的﹔衡量我们每一次对事物的反应。

Objective means:

       biblicaltruth, prayer, fellowship, worship, the Lord’s supper

Subjective means:

       openingourselves to change, thinking, listening, questioning ourselves, examiningourselves, admonishing ourselves, sharing what is in our hearts with others,weighing any response we make.(p. 109)

一般来说﹐圣灵带领我们成为圣洁的方法﹐是在我们里面养成圣洁的习惯。

Habit forming is the Spirit’s ordinaryway of leading us on in holiness.  

圣灵的果子本身﹐就是一系列的行动和对事物反应的好习惯。

The fruit of the Spirit itself is … aseries of habits of action and   reaction…

心思意念的习惯﹕习惯一种思维﹐感受﹐行为的方式。

Habitual dispositions: accustomed waysof thinking, feeling, behaving.   

习惯﹐在圣洁的生活中至为重要。

Habits are all important in holy life …

我们的操练与努力﹐必需有圣灵的赐福。

The discipline and effort must be blessedby the Holy Spirit …

5.  圣洁的经历﹕争战的经历  

The Experience of Holiness is One ofConflict.  

灵的愿望 – 就是我们被更新的心地愿望。

肉体的愿望 --就是相反的﹐“住在我里面的罪” 的倾向。 (罗7 ﹕20)

The desires of the Spirit – inclinationsof our renewed heart

Desires of the flesh – contraryinclinations of “sin which dwells within me” (Rom.7:20)

(卫斯理) 「天使般的完全」﹕一切的事都尽其所能的正直﹐智慧﹐全心荣耀神。

“Angelic Perfection” (Wesley):everything as right and wise and wholehearted and God honoring as it couldpossibly be.

外面有争战。里面也有争战。

Conflict without.  Conflict within.  

6.  圣洁的准则﹕神启示的律法  

The Rule of Holiness ﹕ God’s Revealed Law.  

「公义」和「圣洁」是相辅相成的﹐其实﹐两者是同一件事。 (弗4 ﹕23-24)

Righteousness and holiness (which ishosiotes in Eph. 4:23-24) belong together: They are essentially the same thing.

圣洁 – 乃是公义﹔公义的生活表明我们已献给神。

公义 –乃是圣洁﹔圣洁就是效法神的律法的生活方式 (实践) 。  

Holiness – righteousness viewed as theexpression of our being        consecrated to God

Righteousness – holiness as viewed asthe practice of conforming to    God’slaw

律法 --神在人生命中的要求。

Law – God’s requirements in human lives

神的律法对人类的要求与禁止﹐包含在十诫里﹔先知﹐使徒﹐与耶稣基督﹐和《圣经》里讨神喜悦的人﹐都解释和应用了律法﹔而耶稣基督自己的生命﹐可以所就是律法的道成肉身。

The Law’s requirements were embodied inthe Ten Commandments (precepts and prohibitions); expounded and applied by theprophets, the apostles, and Christ himself; displayed in the biblicalbiographies of men and women who please God; with Christ himself, whose lifefrom this standpoint could be described as the law incarnate.  

律法是属乎灵的﹐公义的﹐善的。 (罗7 ﹕12 ﹐14)

The law is holy, just, good, spiritual(Romans 7:12,14)

律法的要求﹐反映了造物主的性格。效法律法﹐就是神在人里的形像﹔这形像在堕落时失去﹐借着神的恩典﹐又在我们里恢复了。

The law’s requirements express andreflect the Creator’s own character, and conformity to it is that aspect ofGod’s image in man lost through the Fall, now restored in us by grace.  

律法所订下的标准是不变的﹐正如神是不变的。因此﹐圣洁的活现﹐就是成全这公义的准则﹕遵行律法。

The standards that the law sets do notchange, just as God himself does not change. The height of holiness was, is, and always will be the fulfilling ofthis given rule of righteousness.

以神的律法为我们的准则﹐与律法主义不同。

Taking God’s law as our rule = differentfrom legalism.

律法主义有两方面的意义﹕

Legalism means two things:

1。 以为律法的一切要求都写在一些规则上﹐这些规则对所有的情况都适用﹔而不考虑到我们的动机﹐目的﹐和心里的精神。耶稣特别暴露这种律法主义﹕守律法与否﹐最重要的是我们的心愿与目的。

1.  Supposingthat all the laws’ requirements can be spelled out in a   code of standard practice for allsituations, a code which says     nothingabout the motives, purpose, and spirit of the person acting.   (Decidedly exploded by Jesus’ insistence:law keeping and law       breaking arematters of desire and purpose before ever they become  matters of deed and performance.)  

2。 以为在形式上遵守律法﹐就可以得到神的喜悦。保罗特别指责这种律法主义﹕保罗（《圣经》）坚持﹕我们被称义﹐只借着信心﹐只透过基督﹐不可能靠守律法。

2. Supposing that formal observance of the code operates in some way as asystem of salvation by which we earn our passage to glory, or at  least gain a degree of God’s favor that wewould not otherwise      enjoy.  (Destroyed by Paul’s gospel of presentjustification by     faith alone, throughChrist alone, without works of law.)   

今天的福音派信徒们﹕比较在第一种律法主义上软弱。

我们会为自己和他人制造一些规矩 (是圣经所没有的) ﹐然后对待那些遵守这些规矩的人为属灵的优越分子。

有些福音派基督徒限制基督徒的自由 -- 这并不是圣洁的道路﹗ (感谢主﹐近年来对此有批判和回转。)

Evangelicals today: often moresuccessful in avoiding the 2nd facet, than the 1st.  

We make up rules for ourselves andothers, beyond what Scripture requires, and treat those who keep them asbelonging to a spiritual elite.  

This curtailing of Christian liberty bygroup pressure is not the way of holiness. (Some reaction to this, today.)  

7.  一颗圣洁的心﹕充满爱的心  

The Heart of Holiness: Love.   

爱是律法的总纲 (太22:35-40)﹔圣首先的果子 (加5:22) ﹔没有爱﹐所谓「基督徒」一无所有(林前13:1-3)。

Love is the whole burden of the law(Matt. 22:35-40), the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22); and without lovethe would-be Christian is nothing (I Cor. 13:1-3).  

爱超越规条 (但不是违背归条) ﹐重视他人﹐谋求别人的幸福与荣耀。

Love looks (not away from, but) beyondrules and principles, to persons, and seeks their welfare and glory.

爱在本质上不是感情。爱是一种行动方式。爱若是从感情开始﹐它必须超越感情才能真正是爱。真正的爱﹐一定不只是感情。

Love is not essentially a feeling ofaffection, but a way of behaving.  And iflove starts as a feeling, it must become more than a feeling if it is truly tobe love.  

爱是给予。(约壹3:16-18;4:7,10,11.)

Love gives.  (I John 3:16-18;4:7,10,11.)

耶稣是律法的道成肉身。耶稣也是爱的道成肉身。跟随耶稣的自我牺牲的道路﹐就是最完美﹐最纯真的圣洁。

As Jesus was law incarnate, so he waslove incarnate.  Following his way ofself-giving is holiness in its purest and most perfection expression.

冷冰冰的﹐心硬的圣洁是自我矛盾的﹐是不可能的。

Hard, harsh, cold-hearted holiness is acontradiction in terms.  

爱神﹐爱别人 – 这就是律法所强调的。爱是付出行动。

Love to God and love to man – burden ofthe law.  Love is action.