年长弟兄回复,我用google翻译下。
The knowledge we want and need is not merely intellectual - that sort of knowledge does tend to make one “puffed up”, as the Scripture says, and that is not edifying for anyone. The knowledge we need is a knowledge of our true selves and of what God has wrought in Christ in order that we might be transformed. When what we have learned changes us - that is, it increases our awareness of the deceitfulness of our own heart and humbles us, while at the same time making the Lord Jesus more and more our joy and sufficiency - we know that we are learning from the Spirit. To be set apart to God (ie sanctified) is to be made to think less and less of ourselves and to appreciate more our brethren and above all, to see how Christ is truly “the bread of life”.
It is, as I know you are very aware, easy for our knowledge to run way ahead of our experience. That is, we know more than we live out day by day. This is such a common problem among the believers who are zealous for the Lord. It is much easier, quicker and it seems much more fruitful to increase in knowledge than it is to learn personal discipline, patience, humility and love. But what counts for eternity? Knowledge shall pass away, but the character of Christ, worked in us, is forever.
Fruitfulness and usefulness will come simply through the Spirit’s leading. We can’t plan or organise that by ourselves. We are enrolled in His school and He will appoint work for us as and when He pleases. Our role is to learn to walk day by day with the Lord.
For me, this has meant learning to live each day well. That is, learning the discipline of beginning each day without rush and prayerfully, committing whatever the day may hold, both known and unknown to me, to the Lord and trusting Him for it all. It may be that the day is very routine - work, household responsibilities etc - but still, it matters more how we do these things than what they are in themselves. A routine day lived with peace, patience, joy and faith is a day well lived and one that honours God. That witness is seen by “the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” and makes manifest God’s manifold wisdom (Ephesians 3:10). It is a day by day thing - you know at the end of the day how you have gone and you can begin the next day wiser because of it. Some of the young people I have fellowship with find this very difficult, but I think they can see its value. By personal discipline we make room and time for the Spirit of God to teach us and to work in us. A good day today does not guarantee a good day tomorrow - each day has to be lived intentionally, purposefully and with an active faith. We never drift into an abundant life.
I’m sure you understand that in writing this I am not suggesting or trying to encourage the works of the flesh. If we practice some personal discipline and then feel that we have something to boast about we are not understanding the Lord’s purpose in it. In the Scripture the picture of an athlete is sometimes used to encourage the believers to discipline their life in order to learn to walk with God. While we are controlled by many things, always thinking about our own comfort and preferences, how can we learn from the Lord? We have to make space in our lives for Him, and that rarely requires radical change in our circumstances or occupation because right where we are is usually the best place to learn to walk with God. If we can walk with God in the Spirit at home, in the routines of life, we can have the same victory anywhere!
I remember hearing Austin-Sparks saying once that, no matter how far we go on with the Lord, we always feel that we have hardly begun. That encouraged me because I certainly feel like that. I have much to learn from the Scripture of the work that has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus, and much need to learn more persistent intercessory prayer. Let us both press on, trusting the Lord to finish what He has begun in us.
In the bonds of Christ,
翻译是机器翻译:
正如圣经所说,我们想要和需要的知识不仅是知识性的,而且那种知识的确会使人“浮肿”,这对任何人都没有启发。我们需要的知识是我们真正的自我和上帝在基督里所做的一切的知识,以便我们可以转变。当我们学到的东西改变我们时-即,它增加了我们对自己内心的欺骗的认识并使我们谦卑,同时又使主耶稣越来越充满我们的喜悦和自足-我们知道我们正在学习灵魂。要与上帝分开(即成圣),就是要越来越少地思考自己,更多地欣赏我们的弟兄们,尤其是首先要欣赏基督如何真正地成为“生命的粮”。
据我所知,您很容易将我们的知识领先于我们的经验。也就是说,我们所了解的不只是我们日复一日的生活。这是热心于主的信徒之间的普遍问题。与学习个人纪律,耐心,谦卑和爱相比,增加知识要容易得多,更快,并且似乎收获得多。但是什么才算永恒呢?知识将消逝,但在我们里面工作的基督的品格是永远的。
富有成效和有用性仅来自圣灵的带领。我们无法自行计划或组织。我们进入了他的学校,他将在他乐意时为我们任命工作。我们的角色是学会与主每天同行。
对我来说,这意味着要学习好每一天。就是说,要学会戒律的开始,每一天都不要着急,要虔诚地祷告,将我可能知道和不知道的任何日子交托给主,并为此而全靠他。也许这是非常日常的一天-工作,家庭责任等-但是,与如何处理这些事情本身相比,更重要的是我们如何做这些事情。充满和平,耐心,喜悦和信心的例行生活是美好的一天,是荣耀上帝的一天。那个见证人被“在天上的公权”所看到,并且彰显了神的多方面的智慧(以弗所书3:10)。这是一天一天的事情-您在一天结束时就知道自己过得如何,因此您可以在第二天开始明智一些。与我结识的一些年轻人觉得这很困难,但我认为他们可以看到它的价值。通过个人纪律,我们为上帝的灵腾出了时间和空间来教导我们并在我们里面工作。今天的美好一天并不能保证明天的美好一天-每天都必须有意识地,有目的地,积极地生活。我们永远不会陷入充实的生活。
我确定您了解,在撰写本文时,我并不建议或尝试鼓励肉体的工作。如果我们实行一些个人纪律,然后觉得我们有什么值得夸耀的地方,那就是我们没有理解主的旨意。在圣经中,有时用运动员的照片来鼓励信徒们管教自己的生活,以便学会与上帝同行。当我们受许多事物控制时,总是在思考自己的舒适和喜好,我们如何向主学习?我们必须为他的生活腾出空间,这很少需要对我们的处境或职业进行彻底的改变,因为我们所处的正确位置通常是学习与上帝同行的最佳场所。如果我们能够在生活中的日常生活中与神同行,就可以在任何地方获得同样的胜利!
我记得曾经听过奥斯汀·斯帕克斯(Austin-Sparks)曾经说过的话,无论我们与上帝同行多远,我们总是觉得我们还没有开始。那让我感到鼓舞,因为我当然有这种感觉。从主耶稣已经完成的工作的圣经中,我有很多东西要学习,也需要学习更多持久的代祷。让我们俩继续前进,相信主会完成他在我们里面开始的一切。
在基督的束缚中,
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