生命的經歷(七): 對付我們的天然
太十六24 於是耶穌對門徒說，若有人要跟從我，就當否認己，背起他的十字架，並跟從我。
羅八13 因為你們若照肉體活着，必要死；但你們若靠着那靈治死身體的行為，必要活着。
腓三3, 8~9 真受割禮的，乃是我們這憑神的靈事奉，在基督耶穌里誇口，不信靠肉體的。 不但如此，我也將萬事看作虧損，因我以認識我主基督耶穌為至寶；我因他已經虧損萬事，看作糞土，為要贏得基督，並且給人看出我是在他裡面…。
肉體、己和天然，這三者都是舊人的表現，所以它們所受的對付，原則也都是同樣的，一面是客觀的事實，一面是主觀的經歷。客觀的事實，是基督把我們的舊人釘死了；主觀的經歷，是靠着聖靈，把基督的釘死，執行到我們身上來。
如果執行到我們的肉體上，那就是對付肉體；如果執行到我們的意見上，那就是對付己；如果執行到我們的幹才、能力上，這就是對付天然。
經歷對付天然的過程，和對付己也很相近。第一，我們要看見舊人已經與基督同釘死。這個屬靈的看見，乃是經歷對付天然的頭一步。我們必須看見舊人與基督同死的事實，才能產生以下的對付。
然後我們要看見天然是舊人厲害的表現。這也是一個屬靈的看見。當然在這個看見裡面，也就包括看見天然到底是指着甚麼，以及我們身上有哪些是天然的表現。
我們有了前兩個看見，自然就會接受基督的釘死到天然上，也就是靠着聖靈的能力，把基督的釘死，執行到我們天然的表現上。
這樣一接受，一執行，那些天然的能力，就有了死的印記，而枯萎下來了。這個接受，在我們身上乃是一個屬靈的大關口。也許這就是我們的毗努伊勒〔參創三二22~32〕。
在這裡，我們天然的能力和幹才，被神摸了一下，我們的大腿筋，就是全身最有力量的那個東西，就扭了，以後再要使用，就不能像從前那樣隨意了。這就是我們在對付天然上，過了一個關，有了一次主觀的經歷。
對付天然經歷應用的第一點，還是在聖靈的交通里。無論是對付己，或是對付天然，我們若要有繼續不斷的經歷，總得活在聖靈的交通里。這些經歷的應用，都是靠着聖靈，執行十字架的死。
若不活在聖靈的交通里，我們要靠聖靈就靠不着，要執行十字架的死也執行不來。
我們若活在聖靈的交通里，就要讓聖靈把基督的死，執行到每一點所發現的天然上。換句話說，我們每一次發現自己還有手腕、辦法和能力，就要立即把十字架的死應用到上面，在這些天然具體的表現上，打上十字架死的印記。這不光是一次的接受，並且是日常的應用，天天時時都將十字架擺在我們的天然上。
從接受十字架的時候起，我們就學習在聖靈的交通里，讓神摸我們天然的每一點表現。我們可能是一個有思路的人，是一個有幹才的人，但我們是一個接受十字架的人，也是一個背十字架的人，在我們身上有一個十字架，一直作破碎的工作。
若是主憐憫，過一段時候，我們身上那些天然的東西，就要逐漸有死而復活的光景了（生命的經歷下冊，三○六至三○八頁）。
我們從自己遷到那是復活的神裡面，…〔乃是〕非常重要的原則。我們若不應用這原則，一切未受釘十字架察驗的天然性能、才幹和美德，在我們中間就會像『野獸』一樣。
這是許多能幹的人進入這恢復，只停留一時的情形。他們至終領悟，在恢復里，沒有地方使用他們天然的性能和才幹。因此，他們離開這恢復，另去別處為自己形成一個工作。他們不願接受釘十字架和埋葬，好被帶進復活里。他們無法接受十字架（尼希米記生命讀經，一八頁）。
我們所以把人原有的能力、幹才、智慧、聰明，稱作天然，是因為這些東西都是出於人天然的生命，而不是出於神復活的生命。這些都是人天然原有的，不是人在基督里經過了破碎，復活而有的。天然與復活，二者之間的分別太大了。
我們對付天然，就是要叫那些原有的能力和幹才，智慧和聰明，都經過十字架的治死，而變作復活的，才能蒙神悅納，為神使用。有人乍聽到要對付天然，就以為是神不要我們的本能和幹才。這種觀念是錯誤的。
人的幹才和本能，在對神的功用里，還是絕對需要的。從聖經的啟示，我們清楚看見，神在地上的工作，都是需要人來配合的。而人要來與神配合，就不能沒有本能，沒有幹才（生命的經歷下冊，二九九至三○○頁）。
天然的對面就是復活。神從來不要天然的，神只要復活的。天然在聖經的豫表里就是第一的。長子是第一的，所以神不要長子。在逾越節的時候，滅命的使者擊殺長子（出十二29）。
不管是好、是壞，只要是長子，只要是天然的，都得擊殺。…第一個天和第一個地是舊造，新耶路撒冷、新天新地，凡是新的都是第二個〔參啟二一1~2〕。
在希伯來書裡稱呼舊約為第一個約，新約為第二個約（九18）。凡是舊的，都是天然的，你不在靈里，就算是作好事也是天然的。
照着基督十字架真正的意義，〔基督〕十字架的意思不僅僅是那樣事物被帶到盡頭，乃是天然的事物被除去，好被帶到復活里。基督的十字架將一切天然的事物帶到死與埋葬。但照着聖經，埋葬之後是復活。所以埋葬是復活的門檻。
照着約翰十二章二十四節，一粒麥子落在地里死了，並且被埋葬。但這不是結束。埋葬以後，有東西會在復活里出來。
我信摩西有很強的性格，他在天然的構成上甚至比尼希米更進取。摩西四十歲的時候積極進取，自願要拯救以色列人脫離埃及王法老的手，但神進來限制他，讓他失敗、失望。
於是摩西被『埋葬』在曠野四十年。至終，使人復活的神才進來，使摩西復活。
參讀：生命的經歷，第九至十篇。尼希米記生命讀經，第一至二篇；為着福音開展的信息，第四篇。
English
Version
Matt. 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wants
to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow
Me."
Rom. 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh, you must
die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live."
Phil. 3:3
"For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and
boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh."
8-9 "But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have
suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him..."
Flesh, self, and the natural constitution—all
three—are the expressions of the old man. Therefore, the principle in dealing
with them is the same: on one hand, we have the objective fact, and on the
other hand, we need the subjective experience. The objective fact is that
Christ has already crucified our old man, whereas the subjective experience is
the applying of the death of Christ through the Holy Spirit to ourselves. If we
apply it to the flesh, it is the dealing with the flesh; if we apply it to our
opinion, it is the dealing with self; and if we apply it to our ability and
capability, it is the dealing with the natural constitution. (The Experience of
Life, pp. 250-251)
The process of the experience of dealing with the
natural constitution closely resembles that of dealing with self. [First, we
see] that our old man has been crucified with Christ. This spiritual seeing is
the first step toward our experience in dealing with the natural constitution.
We must see that our old man has been crucified with Christ; then we shall
experience the dealing that follows.
[Then we realize] that the natural constitution
is a very strong expression of the old man. This also is a spiritual seeing. Of
course, this also includes seeing what the natural constitution refers to and
what its expressions are.
After we have seen the first two points, we will
automatically receive the crucifixion of Christ upon our natural constitution.
This also means that we apply the crucifixion of Christ through the power of
the Holy Spirit to our natural expression. Once we receive and apply this, all
our natural ability will be stamped with the mark of death and will gradually
become withered. This receiving is a great spiritual crisis
in our life; it may perhaps become our Penuel in experience. It is here that
our natural ability and capability are touched by God, and the socket of our
hip, wherein lies the strength of our body, becomes limp. Hereafter, we can no
longer as before use our ability and capability as we wish. Thus, we pass a
crisis in our dealing with the natural constitution; we gain an experience in a
subjective way.
In order to experience dealing with the natural
constitution, we must first be in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Whether we
are dealing with self or with the natural constitution, if we desire to have a
continual experience,we must live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In
order to apply this experience, we need to apply the death of the cross through
the Holy Spirit. If we do not live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we
cannot live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, nor can we apply the death of
the cross.
If we live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
we need to let the Holy Spirit execute the crucifixion of Christ upon every
area of our natural constitution that we discover. In other words, every time
we discover our cleverness, wiles, and capability, we must immediately apply
the death of the cross to them. In this way the stamp of the death of the cross
is applied to all the practical expressions of the natural constitution. This
is not merely a oncefor-all acceptance; it must also be a daily application. We
must apply the cross to our natural constitution daily and moment by moment.
From the very beginning, when we accept the working of the cross, we must allow
God to touch every expression of our natural constitution in the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We may be rich in thinking and very capable, yet
we must be one who receives the cross and bears the cross; the cross must
continually do the work of breaking us; then after a certain period of time,
all that is of our natural constitution will gradually be in the state of
having passed through death to resurrection. (The Experience of Life, pp.
251-252)
[Being transferred
out of ourselves into God, into resurrection], is a very
important principle for interpreting the types and their fulfillment. If we do
not apply this principle, all the natural capacities, abilities, and virtues,
unchecked by crucifixion, will be like “wild beasts” among us.
This has been the situation with many capable ones who came
into the
recovery and stayed for a while. They eventually realized that in the recovery
there was no ground for them to employ their natural capacity and ability.
Eventually, they left the recovery and formed a work for themselves. They
were not willing to accept crucifixion and burial in order to be brought into
resurrection. They could not take the cross. (Life-study of Nehemiah, pp.
14-15)
We have defined the natural constitution as that which
pertains to human
ability, capability, wisdom, and cleverness, because all these are derived from
our natural life and not from the resurrection life of God. They are acquired
naturally; they do not spring from resurrection by passing through the breaking
in Christ. The difference between the natural constitution and resurrection
life is indeed great. Our dealing with the natural constitution is so that our
inherent ability, capability, wisdom, and cleverness may pass through the death
of the cross, become resurrected, and thereby become acceptable and useful to
God. When some people hear about dealing with the natural constitution, they
think that God does not want our ability and capability. This concept is wrong.
Inorder to be useful to God, we definitely need our ability and capability.
From the revelation of the Bible, we clearly see that the work of God on this
earth requires man’s cooperation. It is impossible for man to cooperate with
God without possessing any ability and capability. (The Experience of Life, p.
246)
The opposite of being natural is being in resurrection. God
is never natural.
God only wants resurrection. The natural being is represented in the Bible
by the first one. The firstborn is the first one. Hence, God does not want the
firstborn. At the Passover, the angel of destruction smote the firstborn (Exo.
12:29)..It was not a question of being good or bad. As long as it was a
firstborn, it was natural and had to be smitten....The first heaven and first
earth are of the old creation. The New Jerusalem, the new heaven, the new
earth, and everything that is new are second [cf. Rev. 21:1]. The book of
Hebrews calls the old covenant the first covenant and the second covenant the
new covenant (9:18).Everything that is old is natural. If you are not in the
spirit, even your good deeds are natural. (Messages in Preparation for the
Spread of the Gospel, p. 43)
According to [its] real significance...the cross [of Christ]
does not mean
merely that something is put to an end but that the natural things are crossed
out in order to be brought into resurrection. The cross of Christ brings all
natural things to death and burial. But according to the Bible, burial is
followed by resurrection. Burial is therefore the threshold of
resurrection..According to John 12:24 a grain of wheat falls into the ground,
dies, and is buried. But this is not the end. After burial, something will come
forth in resurrection.
I believe that Moses had a strong character and that in his
natural constitution he was even more aggressive than Nehemiah was. At the age
of forty Moses aggressively volunteered to save Israel out of the hand of
Pharaoh,...but God came in to limit him, allowing him to fail and be
disappointed. Moses was then “buried” in the wilderness for forty years.
Eventually, the resurrecting God came in to resurrect Moses (Exo. 3:2-6).
(Life-study of Nehemiah, p. 13)
Further Reading: The Experience
of Life, chs. 9-10; Life-study of Nehemiah, msgs. 1-2; Messages in Preparation
for the Spread of the Gospel, ch. 4
- 未完待續
