生命的長大(六):怎樣對付你的靈
聖經告訴我們,神除了造天, 造地,還造了我們人的靈.
下面四十四點是藉著對付靈而在生命里有所長大.
1 對付靈並不是對付靈的本身，是對付靈的經過─路九54~56，彼前三4。
2 重生的靈在我們這人的最深處，是純潔無污的；但在靈的周邊，是魂和體；這魂和體已經攙進了撒但邪惡的成分，變為污穢、敗壞的。
3 所以當靈經過這魂和體，往外出來的時候，也就沾染了其中的污穢、敗壞，因此顯在外面的時候，就帶著污穢、敗壞、不純、不正，以及各種不該有的光景。
4 靈的性質如何，就看它所附於之東西的性質是如何；我們是怎樣的人，就使我們的靈生出怎樣的性質來；當我們的靈出來，就代表我們這個人的味道、色彩；所以一個人的品質如何，他靈的品質也如何。
5 如果一個人魂里驕傲，他的靈出來也是驕傲的；一個人肉體裡動了血氣，他的靈出來也是帶著血氣。
6 我們常碰到急躁的靈、妒忌的靈、背叛的靈、粗野的靈、彎曲的靈、誇耀的靈、管轄的靈、傲慢的靈等等，這些都不是靈的本身有問題，乃是靈所經過的魂和體，其中那些不好的成分，染到靈上面來了；所染上的是甚麼成分，出來的也就是甚麼靈；所以甚麼樣的人，就有甚麼樣的靈。
7 我們的動機若不純潔，靈出來也不會純潔；我們的存心若不乾淨，靈出來也不會乾淨；有顯揚的存心，出來的就是顯揚、誇耀的靈；有比賽的動機，叫人碰著的也就是比賽、競爭的靈。
8 我們每有一個行動，或者要說一句話，不只要問對不對，好不好，還要追查裡面的存心清潔麼？動機單純麼？目的專為著神麼？
9 我們必須查看，我們的行動背後有甚麼自私的用意麼？有我們自己的傾向麼？這樣的對付，就是對付靈。
10 因此，我們不只要把肉體、己和天然都破碎了，讓靈能出來，還要進一步的，把一切不好的存心，不該有的用意，不單純的傾向，不正當的意志，有攙雜的情感等等，也都對付乾淨，然後靈才不只能出來，並且出來了，還能是正直的、清潔的、純淨的。
11 對付靈具體的路，是定罪所有的攙雜，靠聖靈的能力除掉它們，以及主動的應用十字架來釘死我們的肉體、己、天然，以及存心、用意、目的、傾向、動機等等這些靈的經過─羅八13，加五24。
12 神安排我們周遭的一切環境、事情，為要對付、拆毀我們的己，叫我們靈的品質，藉著聖靈的管治，能彀美好、能彀純淨─太十29~31，羅八28~29。
13 如果每位弟兄姊妹靈的品質都是美好、純正、清潔、有分量和高超的，那麼每一個人就能彼此供應，教會就會豐富─參但五12，六3。
14 我們若要在基督身體的建造上有用，就需要有正確的靈。
15 在路加九章，雅各和約翰問主要不要他們吩咐火從天上降下來，燒滅那些撒瑪利亞村莊裡不接待主的人（54）；但主責備他們說，『你們的靈如何，你們並不知道。人子來不是要滅人的性命，乃是要救人的性命』（55~56）。
16 門徒的靈錯了，因為他們的存心是恨；主的靈是要救人的性命，不是要滅人的性命。
17 倪柝聲弟兄曾說，一個人不只應該作對的事，也應該用對的方法，在對的靈里，作對的事。
18 在基督身體的建造上，我們的行為若要有建設性、能造就人並有益處，我們必須在所作的事上是對的，在所用的方法上是對的，並且靈也必須是對的；每當我們要作任何事以前，該先問問自己有甚麼樣的靈。
19 尋求的聖徒應該靈里貧窮並清心─太五3、8，賽六六2。
20 靈里貧窮，意思就是我們是謙卑的，承認自己一無所有，一無所知，一無所能，一無所是；沒有基督這賜生命的靈，我們就一無所是─參加六3。
21 靈里貧窮乃是在我們的靈里是倒空的，沒有甚麼豫先霸占我們全人的最深處；清心是關乎動機，是目的專一，只有一個目標，要完成神的旨意榮耀神─林前十31。
22 我們必須有正直的靈─詩五一10下。
23 正直的靈就是靈不搖動、不搖擺，恆常站住，如同穩固、牢靠之物─參林前十五58。
24 在大衛的悔改以及為著復興的禱告裡，他求主在他裡面更新這樣的靈。
25 我們需要正直的靈，總是穩固、堅定、不搖動，且不搖擺的，使我們絕不會受試探、受試誘或受誤引。
26 悔改的信徒有樂意的靈─『求你使我復得你救恩之樂，賜我樂意的靈扶持我』─詩五一12：
27 作為信徒，我們對主的事和教會的事，應當常常有樂意的靈。
28 在關繫到主權益的事上有樂意的靈，乃在於救恩之樂；我們有救恩之樂，自然而然會有樂意的靈隨主往前；主所要的，主所願的，主所要求於我們的，我們會有樂意的靈答應、順從。
29 我們在神的靈里有喜樂，我們就會樂意作任何能討主喜悅的事─羅十四17。
30 在詩篇五十一篇十七節上半大衛說，神所要的祭，就是憂傷的靈。
31 憂傷的靈就是悔改的靈，對於任何罪惡都覺得非常憂傷；換句話說，憂傷的靈乃是真正悔改的靈。
32 憂傷的靈，直譯，破碎的靈，破碎的意思就是不完整；這就是說，你不認為自己是那樣完全或完整的；你的靈在悔改時，就是破碎的、痛悔的、憂傷的。
33 我們需要有溫柔安靜的靈。
34 彼前三章四節說，我們心中隱藏的人是溫柔安靜的靈；加拉太六章一節說，我們需要用溫柔的靈挽回墮落的弟兄；在林前四章二十一節保羅問哥林多人，他們是要他帶著刑杖或在溫柔的靈里，到他們那裡去。
35 『溫柔的人有福了，因為他們必承受地土』─太五5。
36 溫柔的意思是不抵抗世人的反對，甘心忍受；世界的路是抗爭、奮鬥，並擊敗別人，以得著一些產業，一些基業。
37 無論情況如何，我們都該溫柔，不與別人相爭；溫柔的意思是不為自己爭。
38 神渴望與那有痛悔卑微之靈的人同住─賽五七15，六六2，參箴十六18~19。
39 我們若靈里痛悔卑微，我們就靈里憂傷，並且能享受神的同在；神就與我們同在，甚至與我們同住。
40 『因為那至高至上、住在永遠、名為聖者的如此說，我必住在至高至聖的所在，也與靈里痛悔卑微的人同居，要使卑微之人的靈甦醒，也使痛悔之人的心甦醒』─賽五七15。
41 "耶和華如此說，天是我的座位，地是我的腳凳；你們要在哪裡為我建造殿宇？哪裡是我安息的地方？耶和華說，這一切都是我手所造的，所以就都有了；但我所看顧的，就是靈里貧窮痛悔、因我話戰兢的人"─六六1~2。
42 神渴望得著的住處，乃是一班可以讓他進入的人，就是一班有痛悔卑微之靈的人。
43 神要在宇宙中得著一個住處，是神與人的調和，在其中神被建造到人裡面，人被建造到神裡面，使神與人，人與神，能成為相互的住處（約十四2、20、23，十五4，約壹四13）；在新約里，這個住處，這個殿（家），是教會，就是神在信徒靈里的居所（弗二22）。
44 這個宇宙建造，這個宇宙的殿終極的顯出，就是新耶路撒冷；在這城裡，神在人裡面，以人作他的居所；人也在神裡面，以神作他的居所─啟二一3、22。
-未完待續
(English Version)
Growing in Life by Dealing with the Spirit
Scripture Reading: Psa. 51:10b, 12, 17a; Prov. 16:18-19; Isa.
57:15;66:1-2; 1 Pet. 3:4; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 4:21; Matt. 5:3; Luke
9:54-56
1. To deal with the spirit is not to deal with the spirit itself
but to deal with the passage of the spirit—Luke 9:54-56;1 Pet. 3:4:
2. The regenerated spirit, the innermost part of our being, is pure
and undefiled; however, surrounding the spirit are the soul and the body, both
of which have been mixed with the wicked elements of Satan
and are thus filthy and corrupt.
3. Therefore, when the spirit comes forth and passes through the
soul and body, it becomes contaminated by this filthiness and corruption;
hence, when being manifested, the spirit bears certain filthiness, corruption,
impurity, impropriety, and various other undesirable conditions.
4. We judge the characteristics of the spirit by the
characteristics of the things that are attached to it; the kind of person we
are produces the kind of characteristics our spirit carries; when our spirit is
released,it expresses the tastes and colors of our very person; thus, the
quality of a man determines the quality of his spirit.
5. If a person is proud in his soul, the spirit also manifests
itself in pride; if a person is angry in the flesh, his spirit also reveals the
anger.
6. We often encounter the spirit of anxiety, the spirit of
jealousy, a rebellious spirit, a coarse spirit, a crooked spirit, a boastful
spirit, a dominating spirit, or a rude spirit, all of which are not the
problems of
the spirit itself but the defiling influence of the undesirable elements of the
soul and body upon the spirit as it passes through them; we can tell the kind
of defilement from the kind of spirit, and the kind of
spirit reveals the kind of man.
7. If our motive is impure, the spirit is also impure when
released; if our intention is not clean, the spirit coming forth is also not
clean; with the purpose of heart for self-glory, the result is a showy and boastful
spirit; a competitive motive causes others to touch a competing and striving
spirit.
8. Whenever we are about to act or speak, not only do we need to
inquire whether what we are about to do is right or wrong, good or bad, but we
must also discern whether or not our inner intention is clean, our motive is
pure, and our aim is wholly for God.
9. We need to check if there is any selfish purpose behind our
action or any selfinclination; this kind of dealing is dealing with the spirit.
10. For this reason we need not only to have our flesh, self, and
natural constitution broken so that the spirit can come forth, but we must go
one step further and deal with all the negative purposes of the heart,
undesirable intentions, impure inclinations, improper will, and mixed emotion
to the end not only that the spirit can come forth but also that it may come
forth in an upright, clean, and pure manner.
11. The practical way to deal with the spirit is to condemn all the
mixtures, to remove them by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to take the
initiative to apply the cross and crucify the passages of the spirit,
including our flesh, our self, our natural constitution, our purpose of heart,
aim, intention, inclination, motive, etc.—Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:24.
12. God arranges all circumstances and things in our environment
for the purpose of dealing with the self and destroying it; in this way, by the
discipline of the Holy Spirit, the quality of our spirit is enhanced
and purified—Matt. 10:29-31; Rom. 8:28-29.
13. If all the brothers and sisters have an excellent, sterling,
pure, weighty, and noble spirit in its quality, they will mutually supply one
another, and the church will be rich—cf. Dan. 5:12; 6:3.
14. To be useful in building up the Body of Christ, we need to have
a proper spirit:
15. In Luke 9 James and John asked the Lord whether they should command fire to
come down from heaven and consume the village of the Samaritans who had
rejected Him (v. 54); but the Lord rebuked James and John, saying, “You do not
know of what kind of spirit you are. The Son of Man has not come to destroy
men’s lives but to save them” (vv. 55-56):
16. The disciples were wrong in their spirit because their motive
was one of hatred; the Lord’s spirit is a spirit of saving men’s lives, not
destroying them.
17. Brother Watchman Nee said that a person should not only do the
right thing but also do the right thing in the right way and in the right
spirit.
18. For our conduct to be constructive, edifying, and useful in
building up the Body of Christ, we must be right in the thing that we do, right
in our way, and right in our spirit; whenever we are about to do anything, we
should ask ourselves what kind of spirit we have.
19. A seeking saint should be poor in spirit and pure in heart—Matt.
5:3,8; Isa. 66:2:
20. To be poor in spirit means that we are humble, acknowledging
that we have nothing, know nothing, can do nothing, and are nothing; without
Christ as the life-giving Spirit, we are nothing—cf. Gal. 6:3.
21. To be poor in spirit is to be emptied in our spirit, having
nothing preoccupying us in the depth of our being; to be pure in heart is a
matter of motive; it is to be single in purpose, to have the single goal of
accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory—1 Cor. 10:31.
22. We must have a steadfast spirit—Psa. 51:10b:
23. A steadfast spirit is a spirit that is immovable, unshakable,
standing constantly as something firm and steady—cf. 1 Cor. 15:58.
24. In his repentance and prayer for restoration, David prayed that
the Lord would renew such a spirit within him.
25. We need a steadfast spirit, which is always firm,
constant,immovable, and unshakable, so that we can never be tempted, seduced,
or misled.
26. A repentant believer has a willing spirit—“Restore to me the
gladness of Your salvation, / And sustain me with a willing spirit”—Psa. 51:12:
27. As a believer, we should always have a willing spirit for the
things of the Lord and for the things of the church.
28. A willing spirit in the things of the Lord’s interest depends
upon the joy of salvation; when we have the joy of salvation, we spontaneously
will have a willing spirit to go along with the Lord; what the Lord wants, what
the Lord desires, what the Lord asks of us, we will have a willing spirit to
answer, to obey.
29. When we have joy in God’s Spirit, we will be happy to do
whatever can please the Lord—Rom. 14:17.
30. In Psalm 51:17a David said that the sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit:
31. A broken spirit is a spirit that repents, that feels very
sorrowful for any sinfulness; in other words, a broken spirit is a real
repenting spirit.
32. To be broken means not to be whole; it means that you do not
consider yourself as being whole, perfect, and complete; when your spirit is
repenting, your spirit is broken, contrite, and sorrowful.
33. We need to have a meek and quiet spirit:
34. First Peter 3:4 says that the hidden man of our heart is a meek
and quiet spirit; Galatians 6:1 says that we need to restore a fallen brother
in a spirit of meekness; in 1 Corinthians 4:21 Paul asked the Corinthians if
they wanted him to come to them with a rod or in a spirit of meekness.
35. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth”—Matt.5:5:
36. To be meek means not to resist the world’s opposition but to
suffer it willingly; the world’s way is to fight, to strive, and to
defeat others to gain some possession, some inheritance.
37. Regardless of the situation, we should be meek, not fighting against
others; meekness means not fighting for ourselves.
38. God desires to dwell with people who have a contrite and lowly
spirit—Isa. 57:15; 66:2; cf. Prov. 16:18-19:
39. If we are contrite and lowly in our spirit, we are broken in
our spirit, and we can enjoy God’s presence; God is then with us and even
dwells with us.
40. “Thus says the high and exalted One, / Who inhabits
eternity,whose name is Holy: / I will dwell in the high and holy place, /And
with the contrite and lowly of spirit, / To revive the spirit of the lowly /
And to revive the heart of the contrite”—Isa. 57:15.
41. “Thus says Jehovah, / Heaven is My throne, / And the earth the
footstool for My feet. / Where then is the house that you will build for Me, /
And where is the place of My rest? / For all these things My hand has made, /
And so all these things have come into being, declares Jehovah. / But to this
kind of man
will I look, to him who is poor / And of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at
My word”—66:1-2.
42. The dwelling place that God desires to have is a group of
people into whom He can enter, a group of people with a contrite and lowly
spirit:
43. God intends to have a dwelling place in the universe that is
the mingling of God and man, in which God is built into man and man is built
into God, so that God and man, man and God, can be a mutual abode to each other
(John 14:2, 20, 23; 15:4; 1 John 4:13); in the New Testament this dwelling
place, this house, is the church, which is God’s habitation in the believers’
spirit (Eph. 2:22).
44. The ultimate manifestation of this universal building, this
universal house, is the New Jerusalem; in this city God is in man, taking man
as His dwelling place, and man is in God, taking God as his habitation— Rev.
21:3, 22.
- To be continued
