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以弗所书生命读经 · 第5篇

神恩典的荣耀得著称赞

The Praise Of The Glory Of God’s Grace
1在本篇信息中，我们要来看神恩典的荣耀得著称赞。（弗一6。）这个题目似乎很简单，实际上却非常困难。我们也许以为我们熟悉恩典、荣耀和称赞这些辞，但我们若是诚实的，就要承认我们并未充分知道这些辞的含意。以弗所一章六节说，『使祂恩典的荣耀得著称赞，这恩典是祂在那蒙爱者里面所恩赐我们的。』本节不是孤立的。反之，牠是前一节所题豫定得儿子名分的结果。这就是说，神恩典的荣耀得著称赞乃是儿子名分的结果、结局。因此，我们要明白第六节的称赞，就必须知道第五节的儿子名分。如果我们不知道儿子名分的内容，我们也许就只是凭天然的方式来明白第六节。
1In this message we shall consider the praise of the glory of God’s grace (1:6). This may appear to be a very simple subject, but actually it is very difficult. We may think that we are familiar with the words praise, glory, and grace, but if we are honest, we shall admit that we do not adequately know what they mean. Ephesians 1:6 says, “To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved.” This verse does not stand by itself. Rather, it is the issue of predestination unto sonship mentioned in the preceding verse. This means that the praise of the glory of God’s grace is the result, the issue, of the sonship. Therefore, in order to understand the praise in verse 6, we must know the sonship in verse 5. If we do not know the content of the sonship, we may merely understand verse 6 in a natural way
壹 神的恩典乃是祂之于我们
I. GOD’S GRACE BEING WHAT HE IS
的所是作我们的享受
TO US FOR OUR ENJOYMENT
2神的恩典是甚么？要给恩典下定义十分困难。我多年为此感困惑，甚至今天我还在研究。根据新约，恩典乃是神之于我们的所是作我们的享受。（约一16～17，林后十二9，林前十五10。）约翰一章十七节说，律法是藉著摩西赐的，但恩典和实际都是藉著耶稣基督来的。保罗在林前十五章十节说，他比众使徒格外劳苦，但这不是他，乃是神的恩与他同在。加拉太二章二十节和林前十五章十节是平行的。加拉太二章二十节说，『不再是我，乃是基督，』林前十五章十节说，『不是我，乃是神的恩。』这指明恩典就是基督自己。新约其他各部分也强调恩典。例如，林后十三章十四节说，『愿主耶稣基督的恩，神的爱，圣灵的交通，与你们众人同在。』不仅如此，保罗所有的书信都是以论到恩典的话来开头；他也以关乎恩典的话来结束。加拉太六章十八节说，『弟兄们，愿我们主耶稣基督的恩与你们的灵同在。』提后四章二十二节说，『愿主与你的灵同在。愿恩典与你同在。』在本节，基督和恩典是平行的；因为主耶稣与我们的灵同在，就等于恩典与我们的灵同在。这指明恩典实际上就等于基督。我们有了基督，我们就有恩典；基督来了，恩典也来了。这就是为甚么约翰一章十七节说，恩典是藉著耶稣基督来的，指明恩典有点像一个人。恩典是人位化的，这人位化的恩典就是神自己。这话有些人听起来可能觉得陌生，但这却是一个事实。关于恩典，如果你进入新约的灵里，你就会看见，恩典多多少少是人位化的。当保罗说，『不是我，乃是神的恩与我同在』时，恩典对他乃是一个活的人位。在保罗里面有一个人位，成了使他能劳苦的恩典。因此，恩典实际上就是神自己；恩典是神的所是作我们的享受。当神被我们享受了，那就是恩典。恩典就是这位神在祂儿子耶稣基督里成了我们的分，使我们可以享受祂一切的所是。神是爱。倘若我们没有享受那是爱的神，我们就没有恩典。但若是我们享受那是爱的神，我们就有恩典。我再说，恩典对我们就是神的所是作我们的分，给我们享受。我们不该只唱神的慈爱永远长存，我们也该唱神的恩典。我们需要写一些说到神对我们是恩典的诗歌，来表达神的所是作我们的享受。如果我们只为著神的慈爱赞美祂，我们就还留在小学的水准。我们需要从神的慈爱往前到神的恩典。恩典出自慈爱，就像中学是小学的延续一样。小学毕业以后，我们需要继续上中学。我们必须往前，不要长期停留在小学里。然而，今天许多基督徒，可能作了多年的基督徒，却仍停留在小学阶段。让我们往前到更高的阶段，为著神的恩典赞美祂。
2What is God’s grace? It is very difficult to define grace. I have been puzzled by this for many years, and even today I am still studying it. According to the New Testament, grace is what God is to us for our enjoyment (John 1:16-17; 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 15:10). John 1:17 says that the law was given through Moses, but that grace and reality came through Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1 5:1 0 Paul says that he labored more than the other apostles, yet no the, but the grace of God which was with him. Galatians 2:20 is parallel to 1 Corinthians 15:10. Galatians 2:20 says, “Not I, but Christ,” and 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, “Not I, but the grace of God.” This indicates that grace is Christ Himself. Other portions of the New Testament emphasize grace. For example, 2 Corinthians 13:14 says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” Furthermore, Paul opens all his Epistles with a reference to grace; he also ends them all with a word about grace. Galatians 6:18 says, “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Second Timothy 4:22 says, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.” In this verse Christ and grace are parallel. For the Lord Jesus Christ to be with our spirit is equal to grace being with our spirit. This indicates that grace is virtually equal to Christ. When we have Christ, we have grace. When Christ came, grace came. This is the reason John 1:17 says that grace came through Jesus Christ, indicating that grace is somewhat like a person. It is personified. This personification of grace is God Himself. Although this may sound strange to some ears, it is nevertheless a fact. If you get into the spirit of the New Testament concerning grace, you will realize that grace is somewhat personified. When Paul said, “Not I, but the grace of God which was with me,” grace was a living person to him. In Paul, a Person became the very grace to labor. Therefore, grace is actually God Himself; it is what God is to us for our enjoyment. When God is enjoyed by us, that is grace. Grace is the very God in His Son Jesus Christ to be our portion so that we may enjoy all that He is. God is love. If we do not enjoy Him as love, we do not have grace. But if we enjoy God as love, we have grace. Again I say, grace is what God is to us as our portion for our enjoyment. We should sing not only of God’s mercy enduring forever, but also of God’s grace. We need to compose some songs about God being grace to us, songs to express what God is for our enjoyment. If we praise God only for His mercy, we remain on an elementary level. We need to go on from God’s mercy to God’s grace. Grace issues from mercy, just as high school is the continuation of elementary school. After elementary school, we need to go on to high school. We need to go on and not remain in elementary school so long. Many of today’s Christians, however, remain in the elementary grades, even though they may have been Christians for many years. Let us go on to the higher grades and praise God for His grace.
II. THE GLORY OF GOD’S GRACE
贰 神恩典的荣耀，就是神在祂的恩典里得著了彰显
BEING GOD EXPRESSED IN HIS GRACE
3现在我们要来看神恩典的荣耀是甚么？也许你读过以弗所书多次，却没有注意到『祂恩典的荣耀』这句话。希伯来一章三节说，神的儿子基督，是神荣耀的光辉。神有荣耀，而这荣耀的光辉、照耀，就是祂的儿子。如果你仔细查读圣经中荣耀这个题目，你会发现荣耀就是彰显出来的神。每当神得著彰显，那就是荣耀。我们可以用电来说明。电是隐藏的，但是当电显为光的时候，那光就是电的荣耀。照样，当神隐藏时，我们看不见祂的荣耀。然而当祂彰显出来，祂的荣耀就看得见了。因此，荣耀就是彰显出来的神。帐幕被立起来的时候，立刻就充满了神的荣耀。（出四十34。）那荣耀就是神的彰显。同样的原则，神的儿子来作神荣耀的光辉，意思就是说，祂乃是神的彰显。从来没有人看见神，但是我们见过祂独生子的荣耀。神恩典的荣耀，就是祂的恩典将祂彰显出来，这恩典乃是神自己作我们的享受。神在祂的恩典里彰显出来，而祂的豫定乃是为著这彰显得著称赞。当我们领受恩典并享受神时，我们有荣耀的感觉，虽然我们的言语无法表达这种感觉。有时候在一个美好的聚会之后，我们充满了恩典，说，『太荣耀了！』这就是神在祂的恩典里彰显出来了。当我们看见自己已蒙拣选成为圣别，并豫定要得儿子的名分，看见我们有儿子的灵、儿子的生命、和儿子的地位，并看见我们要模成儿子的形像，得著儿子名分的完成，就是我们身体的得赎，并要承受完满的儿子名分时，我们将会说，『何等荣耀！』我们需要一面祷告，一面思想这六个项目：儿子的灵、儿子的生命、儿子的地位、儿子的形像、儿子名分的完成、以及儿子名分的承受。你若这样作，就会在荣耀里，也会为著儿子的名分赞美神。
3Now we need to consider what the glory of God’s grace is. Perhaps you have read the book of Ephesians many times without noticing the phrase “the glory of His grace.” Hebrews 1:3 says that Christ, the Son of God, is the effulgence of God’s glory. God has a glory, and the effulgence, the shining out, of this glory is His Son. If you carefully study the subject of glory in the Bible, you will find that glory is God expressed. Whenever God is manifested, that is glory. We may use electricity as an illustration. Electricity is hidden, but when it is expressed as light, that light is the glory of electricity. Likewise, when God is hidden, we cannot see His glory. But when He is expressed, His glory is made visible. Hence, glory is God expressed. As soon as the tabernacle was erected, it was filled with the glory of God (Exo. 40:34). That glory was the expression of God. In the same principle, the Son of God came as the effulgence of the glory of God, which means that He is the expression of God. No man has ever seen God, but we have seen the glory of the only begotten Son. The glory of God’s grace is that His grace, which is Himself as our enjoyment, expresses Him. God is expressed in His grace, and His predestination is for the praise of this expression. As we receive grace and enjoy God, we have the sense of glory, although we may not have the words to express this sense. Sometimes after an excellent meeting we are full of grace and say, “That was glorious!” This is God expressed in His grace. When we realize that we have been chosen to be holy and predestinated to sonship; that we have the Spirit of the Son, the life of the Son, and the position of the Son; and that we shall be conformed to the image of the Son, have the completion of sonship, the redemption of our body, and inherit the full sonship, we shall say, “What a glory!” We need to consider six items prayerfully: the Spirit of the Son, the life of the Son, the position of the Son, the image of the Son, the completion of sonship, and the inheritance of sonship. If you do this, you will be in glory and praise God for the sonship.
III. THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY
参 神恩典的荣耀得著称赞，就是对神在祂的恩典里
OF GOD’S GRACE BEING THE HIGH PRAISE
得彰显的高品赞美
OF GOD EXPRESSED IN HIS GRACE
4我们已经看见恩典是神自己作我们的享受，荣耀是神得著彰显，神恩典的荣耀就是神在我们对祂的享受中彰显出来。现在我们必须来看本篇信息中最困难的一面：六节中称赞的意义。甚么是神恩典的荣耀得著称赞？你曾为著儿子的名分赞美（称赞）神么？我们这些神的儿子，对神的赞美并不多。通常我们只是感谢祂。当我们说『赞美主』，我们的意思常是『感谢主』。感谢神的意思是我们接受了某种恩惠而为此感谢神。但是不论我们是否从祂接受了任何恩惠，当我们赞美神时，我们主要是为著祂的所是或祂的所作赞美祂。在赞美神时，你需要忘掉自己，并从自己里面出来。当你真赞美神时，似乎你就不存在了。你只看见神，看见祂的所是，和祂的所作。因此，你赞美祂并说出对祂的美言。用一个极端的例子，倘若神叫你下地狱，你能赞美祂么？若你真认识神，你就能说，『神阿！即使你叫我下地狱，我仍要赞美你，因为你是神。』我们何等需要学习赞美祂！
4We have seen that grace is God Himself as our enjoyment, that glory is God manifested, and that the glory of God’s grace is God expressed in our enjoyment of Him. Now we must come to the most difficult aspect of this message: the meaning of praise in verse 6. What is the praise of the glory of God’s grace? Have you ever praised God for the sonship? We, the sons of God, do not praise God very much. Usually we simply thank Him. When we say, “Praise the Lord,” we often mean, “Thank the Lord.” To thank God means that we have received a certain benefit and thank God for it. But when we praise God, we praise Him primarily for what He is or what He does, no matter whether or not we have received any benefits from Him. In praising God you need to forget yourself and get outside of yourself. When you are truly praising God, it seems that you do not exist. You see only God, what He is, and what He does. Therefore, you praise Him and speak well concerning Him. To use an extreme illustration, could you praise God if He sent you to hell? If you truly knew God, you would be able to say, “O God, even if You send me to hell, I will still praise You because You are God.” Oh, how we need to learn to praise Him!
肆 神豫定我们得儿子的名分，乃是为了使神在祂恩典里
IV. GOD’SP RE DESTINATION OF US
的彰显得著称赞
TO SONSHIP BEING FOR THE PRAISE
OF GOD’SEX PRESS I ON IN HIS GRACE
5神豫定我们得儿子的名分，乃是为了使祂在恩典里的彰显得著称赞。也许天使会首先为此赞美神。当天使为著我们的儿子名分赞美神时，鬼就会震惊说，『我们所霸占的那些罪人，竟成了神的儿子。』不仅天使要为著我们的儿子名分赞美神，宇宙中每样正面的事物都要赞美祂。这事要在神的众子显示出来的时候发生。（罗八19。）现今受造之物在奴役之下叹息，等候神的众子显示出来。当那事发生时，整个宇宙都要赞美神。因此，以弗所一章六节要在罗马八章十九节的时候完成。那时宇宙中一切正面的事物都要称赞神，因为在神众子的显示上，将会看见神恩典的荣耀。我们这些神的众子也许会因著天使献给神的赞美而惊讶，因为他们要为著我们的儿子名分赞美神。这就是神恩典的荣耀得著称赞。儿子的名分很有意义。根据罗马八章，全宇宙都在等候神的众子显示出来。受造之物从败坏的奴役得著释放，是在于我们显示出来。我再说，在那显1:6示发生的时候，以弗所一章六节就要得著应验。
5God’s predestinating us to sonship is for the praise of His expression in His grace. Probably the angels will be the first to praise God for this. As the angels are praising God for our sonship, the demons may be shocked and say, “Those sinners who were usurped by us have become the sons of God.” Not only will the angels praise God for our sonship, but also every positive thing in the universe will praise Him. This will take place at the time of the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19). Presently the creation is groaning under bondage, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. When that takes place, the entire universe will praise God. Thus, Ephesians 1:6 will be fulfilled at the time of Romans 8:19. At that time all the positive things in the universe will praise God because the glory of God’s grace will be seen in the revelation of the sons of God. We, the sons of God, may be surprised by the praises offered to God by the angels, for they will be praising God because of our sonship. This is the praise of the glory of God’s grace. Sonship means a great deal. According to Romans 8, the whole creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God. The liberation of creation from the bondage of corruption depends upon our revelation. To repeat, at the time of that revelation, Ephesians will be fulfilled.
V. FOR GOD TO GRACE US BEING
伍 神恩赐我们，乃是把我们摆在恩典的地位上，使我们成为神恩宠的对象
TO PUT US INTO THE POSITION OF GRACE
AND MAKE US THE OBJECT OF HIS FAVOR
6以弗所一章六节说，神『恩赐我们』。『恩赐』这辞是非常特别的说法。神恩赐我们，意思是祂把我们摆在恩典的地位上，使我们成为神赐恩并恩宠的对象，就是使我们享受神之于我们的一切所是。要接受任何东西，我们需要在正确的地位上。因此，神把我们摆在祂恩典的地位上。祂把我们摆在恩典的地位上，就使我们成为恩典的对象。在恩典的地位上，并作为恩典的对象，我们就完全为神所悦纳。因为我们在恩典的地位上，并且是恩典的对象，神就喜悦我们。祂喜悦我们，我们以祂为乐；最终就有彼此的享受：我们享受祂，祂也享受我们。在恩典里，祂是我们的喜乐和满足，我们也是祂的喜乐和满足。这一切全包含在『恩赐我们』这辞里面。
6Ephesians 1:6 says that God has “graced us.” The word “graced” is a very unusual expression. For God to grace us means that He has put us into the position of grace that we may be the object of His grace and favor, that is, to enjoy all God is to us. In order to receive anything, we need to be in the proper position. Thus, God has positioned us in His grace. Having positioned us in grace, He makes us the object of grace. Here in the position of grace and as the object of grace we are fully accepted by God. Because we are in the position of grace and are the object of grace, God is pleased with us. His delight is in us, and we are happy with Him. Eventually, there is a mutual enjoyment: we enjoy Him, and He enjoys us. Here, in grace, He is our joy and satisfaction, and we are His joy and satisfaction. All this is implied in the term “graced us.”
7今天我们不仅在神的慈爱之下，我们也在恩典的地位上，成为祂恩典的对象。我们享受祂，也成了祂的享受。因此，有相互的喜悦、相互的享受、和相互的满足。我们不该再认为自己是罪人，因为我们不再受地或时间的束缚。相反的，我们是在诸天界里，是在永远里。我们不是在自己的光景中─我们是在神心头的愿望中。这就是我们说神恩赐我们的意思。因此，我们不该再看自己，乃要举目仰望诸天界和永远。不要太谈论自己并想到自己，我们应当述说神的恩典，并思念祂是如何恩赐了我们。
7Today we are not merely under God’s mercy, but we are the object of His grace in the position of grace. We are enjoying Him and becoming His enjoyment. Hence, there is a mutual delight, mutual enjoyment, and mutual satisfaction. We should no longer consider ourselves sinners, for we are no longer bound to earth or to time. Rather, we are in the heavenlies and in eternity. We are not in our condition—we are in the desire of God’she art. This is what it means to say that God has graced us. Therefore, we should no longer look at ourselves, but lift up our eyes to the heavenlies and to eternity. Instead of talking so much about ourselves and thinking about ourselves, we should speak of God’s grace and think of how He has graced us
陆 在那蒙爱者里面蒙恩赐
VI. GRACED IN THE BELOVED
8最后，一章六节说，神在那蒙爱者里面恩赐我们。在这里保罗不是说『在基督里』或『在祂里面』；他是说『在那蒙爱者里面』。那蒙爱者就是神的爱子，神所喜悦的。（太三17，十七5。）我们已经看见，神恩赐我们，乃是使我们成为祂喜悦的对象。这全然是神所喜欢的。在基督里，神用各样的福分祝福了我们。在那蒙爱者里面，我们已蒙神恩赐，成为神所恩宠并喜欢的对象。我们既是这样的对象，就在神的恩典里，在祂所喜悦的爱子里享受神，也给神享受。在祂的爱子里，我们也成了祂所喜悦的。神喜悦那蒙爱者，也喜悦我们。『在那蒙爱者里面』这句话，说出父神在我们身上有完全的喜悦、满足和享受，因为我们已成为祂恩典和喜悦的对象。就这一面的意义说，我们都该珍赏自己并重看自己，因为我们是神喜悦的对象。你应该说，『因为神喜悦我，所以我珍赏自己。我甚至重看自己，因为我已被摆在恩典的地位上，成为神恩典的对象。』我们对自己该有这样的眼光，不是照著我们天然的光景，乃是照著我们已蒙拣选、豫定、重生、并蒙恩赐的事实。神喜悦我们，不是因我们在自己里面，乃是因我们在祂的爱子里面。
8Finally, 1:6 says that God has graced us in the Beloved. Here Paul does not say “in Christ” or “in Him”; he says “in the Beloved.” The Beloved is God’s beloved Son in whom He delights (Matt. 3:17; 17:5). We have seen that for God to grace us is to make us an object in whom He delights. This is altogether a pleasure to God. In Christ we have been blessed by God with every blessing. In the Beloved we were graced, made the object of God’s favor and pleasure. As such an object we enjoy God, and God enjoys us in His grace in His Beloved, who is His delight. In His Beloved we also become His delight. God delights in the Beloved, and He delights also in us. The phrase “in the Beloved” conveys the full delight, satisfaction, and enjoyment God the Father has in us because we have been made the object of His grace and delight. In this sense we should all appreciate ourselves and ever esteem ourselves highly because we are the object of God’s delight. You should say, “Because God delights in me, I appreciate myself. I even esteem myself highly because I have been positioned in grace and made the object of God’s grace.” We should have such a view about ourselves, not according to our natural state, but according to the fact that we have been chosen, predestinated, regenerated, and graced. God delights in us, not in ourselves, but in His Beloved