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腓立比书生命读经 · 第49篇

为著我们常时救恩之神圣、丰富的供备

THE DIVINE AND RICH PROVISION FOR OUR CONSTANT SALVATION
1读经：腓立比书二章五至十六节。在腓立比二章五至十六节，保罗不仅说到常时的救恩及其源头，他还给我们看见，为著这救恩之神圣、丰富的供备。我们要作成自己的救恩，就需要这供备。
1Scripture Reading: Phil. 2:5-16 In 2:5-16 Paul not only speaks of constant salvation and its source, but also shows us the divine and rich provision for this salvation. For the working out of our own salvation we need this provision
2二章五至十一节记载了基督的成为肉体、受死、复活和得高举。然而，这里一点没有题到基督的救赎。在这几节经文里，保罗似乎刻意不题基督的救赎。他的目的乃是要这样来陈明主耶稣和祂的成为肉体、人性生活、受死、复活和得高举，好给我们一个每日救恩的榜样。惟有基督彀资格成功救赎，我们不能有分于这工作。说我们能有分于救赎的工作，乃是一种亵渎。我们享受基督的救赎，但我们无法有分于基督救赎的工作。
2In 2:5-11 we have a record of Christ’sin carnation, death, resurrection, and exaltation. However, here nothing is said about Christ’s redemption. It seems that in these verses Paul purposely does not refer to the redemption of Christ. His purpose is to present the Lord Jesus and His incarnation, human living, death, resurrection, and exaltation in such a way as to give us a pattern for our daily salvation. Christ alone was qualified to accomplish redemption. We cannot share in this work. It would be blasphemy to say that we participate in the accomplishing of redemption. We enjoy Christ’s redemption, but we cannot participate in Christ’s work of redemption
榜样与标准
THE PATTERN AND THE STANDARD
3虽然我们不能有分于基督救赎的工作，但我们必须在祂的人性生活上，特别是在倒空自己、降卑自己、不以自己与神同等为强夺之珍而紧持不放等事上，作祂的同伴。主虽然有神的形状，且与神同等，却不以此为强夺之珍，紧持不放。祂不坚持紧守神的形状不放，反而将神的形状摆在一边，甘心倒空自己，取了奴仆的形状。我们都应当在这样倒空自己的事上，作基督的同伴。这意思是说，我们不该紧持不放我们所有的，乃该将这些事物摆在一边，并且倒空我们自己。基督倒空自己，成为人的样式，并显为人的样子，就降卑自己，甚至顺从至死，且死在十字架上。于是，神使祂从死人中复活，将祂升为至高。这里不仅有常时救恩的榜样，也有这救恩的标准。这榜样包括基督从成为肉体到钉十字架的经历；这标准包括从祂复活到被高举的经历。我们天天都需要享受这个有如此榜样和标准的救恩。
3Although we cannot share in Christ’s redemption, we need to be partners with Him in His human living, especially in His emptying Himself, humbling Himself, and in His not grasping equality with God as a treasure. Although the Lord subsisted in the form of God and was equal to God, He did not consider this equality a treasure to be grasped and retained. He did not insist on holding onto the form of God, but was willing to empty Himself by laying aside the form of God and putting on the form of a slave. We all should be partners with Christ in this self-emptying. This means that instead of grasping what we have, we should lay these things aside and empty ourselves. After Christ emptied Himself, becoming in the like ness of men and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself to such an extent that He was obedient even unto the death of the cross. Then God raised Him from among the dead and highly exalted Him. Here we have not only a pattern for our constant salvation, but also the standard for this salvation. The pattern includes Christ’s experience from incarnation through crucifixion; the standard includes His experience from resurrection to exaltation. Daily we need to enjoy a salvation which has such a pattern and standard.
4假如一位弟兄的妻子为难他，在这种景况之下，他蒙拯救的路不是坚持他是头，也不是坚持妻子要服从他。他不该认为自己是王，而妻子是臣民。他也不该用以弗所五章二十二节的话来坚持她必须服从。这样作就是紧持他作头的地位和作丈夫的地位，而不是持守主的原则；主乃是不以自己与神同等为强夺之珍，紧持不放。要一个人撇弃作头的地位并不容易，但这正是这位弟兄所必须作的，为要经历主常时的救恩。当然，神在这位弟兄里面的运行能彀拯救他；然而，腓立比二章五至八节乃是在十三节神的运行之前。神必会在弟兄里面运行以拯救他；不过，他必须先照著五至八节的榜样，甘心倒空自己，撇弃作头的地位。然而，已婚的弟兄多半紧持自己作头的地位，不愿撇在一边。这就引起发怨言、起争论，以及用苦毒的言辞彼此攻击。弟兄在这里应当接触主耶稣，并说，『主阿，你不紧持自己与神同等的地位，我也不紧持自己作头的地位。我也不紧持作丈夫的地位。靠著你恩典的怜悯，我将我作头的地位撇在一边。』他只要这样作，就经历神常时救恩的第一步。现在他还必须降卑自己，以至于死，来经历其他的步骤。他不该因为必须撇弃作头的地位而对妻子怀恨在心，反该在她面前降卑自己。这就是经历从成为肉体到死在十字架上之常时救恩的榜样。这位弟兄若有这样的经历，神就会进来叫他复活，并将他高举。这样，弟兄也就经历神常时救恩的标准。结果，他的妻子会因著为难他的丈夫感到不安，而谦卑下来。她的丈夫对她没有消极的反应，反而倒空自己，降卑自己。现在她领悟，她的丈夫在对基督的经历上，得著了高举，并且登宝座。他经历了常时的救恩，并这救恩的榜样和标准。在二章五至十六节，我们看见如何作成我们自己的救恩。我们也看见常时救恩的源头和能力。我们思想这里所题的榜样和标准时，就会看见，我们必须在基督的榜样与标准上，作祂的同伴。这是为著我们常时救恩之神圣、丰富供备的第一方面。
4Suppose the wife of a certain brother gives him a difficult time. The way for him to be saved in this situation is not to insist on his headship or on her subordination. He should not regard himself as a king and her as a subject. Neither should he use Ephesians 5:22 to insist that she submit to him. To do this would be to grasp his headship, his “husbandship.” This would not be in keeping with the principle that the Lord did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. Although it is difficult for one who has the headship to lay it aside, this is just what the brother must do in order to experience the Lord’s constant salvation. Of course, the brother can be saved by the inward operation of God. However, 2:5-8 comes before God’so per at i on, which is in verse 13. Surely God will operate in the brother to save him. Nevertheless, he must be willing to empty himself and lay aside his headship according to the pattern in 2:5-8. However, in most cases, a married brother grasps his headship and refuses to lay it aside. This may give rise to murmurings, reasonings, and bitter exchange of words. The brother here should contact the Lord Jesus and say, “Lord, You did not grasp equality with God, and I do not grasp my headship. Neither do I insist on my position as a husband. By Your gracious mercy, I lay aside my headship.” Simply by doing this, he experiences the first step of God’s constant salvation. Now he must go on to experience the rest by humbling himself, even unto death. Instead of feeling resentment toward his wife for having to lay aside his headship, he should humble himself before her. This is to experience the pattern of constant salvation from incarnation to the death of the cross. If the brother experiences this, God will come in to raise him and exalt him. Then the brother will also experience the standard of God’sin st ant salvation. As a result, his wife may be humbled, troubled by the fact that she has been giving him a difficult time. Instead of reacting to her in a negative way, her husband emptied himself and humbled himself. Now she realizes that in his experience of Christ he is exalted and enthroned. He has experienced constant salvation with its pattern and standard. In 2:5-16 we see how to work out our own salvation. We also see the source and the power for a constant salvation. As we consider the pattern and the standard found here, we see that we need to be partners with Christ in His pattern and standard. This is the first aspect of the divine and rich provision for our constant salvation.
运行的神
the operating God
5我年轻的时候，就知道二章五至八节有主降卑的七步：倒空自己、取了奴仆的形状、成为人的样式、降卑自己、成为顺从的、顺从至死、且死在十字架上。我也受教导说，我们身为基督徒，就当在这七步上效法主耶稣。然而，我越努力跟从祂、效法祂，我堕落的天性就越暴露出来。从经历中我领悟，效法基督的传统教训并不管用，因为我根本没有一种性情能这样跟从主。主耶稣是神成为肉体，是个神人，就是有神圣元素的人。而我是个堕落的人，甚至缺少正确的人性元素，并且完全没有神圣的元素，那么我怎能跟从这位神人？主耶稣既有神圣的元素，也有正确的人性元素。虽然祂将神的形状撇在一边，但祂从未撇弃神的性情。神圣性情的实际、素质、实质仍然在祂里面。因此，祂是一个充满神圣元素的人。祂能彀经过七步的降卑。但我无法效法祂。
5When I was young, I learned that in 2:5-11 there are seven steps in the Lord’s humiliation: emptying Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men, humbling Himself, becoming obedient, being obedient unto death, and being obedient unto the death of the cross. I was also taught that, as Christians, we should follow the Lord Jesus in these steps. However, the more I tried to follow Him and imitate Him, the more my fallen nature was exposed. I realized from my experience that the traditional teaching of imitating Christ does not work, for I simply did not have a nature that could follow the Lord in this way. The Lord Jesus was God incarnate, a God-man, a man with the divine element. How could I, a fallen human being, one who lacked even the proper human element and entirely lacked the divine element, follow this God-man? The Lord Jesus has both the divine element and the proper human element. Although He put aside the form of God, He never laid aside the nature of God. The reality, essence, substance, of the divine nature was still in Him. Thus, He was a man filled with the divine element. He could pass through the seven steps of His humiliation. However, I could not imitate Him
6渐渐的，我开始明白，我们若要照著腓立比二章来跟从主耶稣，必须有神在我们里面运行。我们凭著自己，绝不能跟从这神圣的榜样，也无法达到神的标准。赞美主，神一直在我们里面作工！那在主耶稣里面成为肉体的神，如今就在我们里面。这位神乃是无限、永远的神，凭著祂的话创造了宇宙。藉著成为肉体，这位永远的神来活在主耶稣里面。祂把耶稣作成一个榜样，并照著神圣的标准将祂提高。如今这同一位神也在我们里面运行。我头一次有这样领悟的时候，喜乐的不得了。因著神在我里面运行，现今我就是一个神人。所有在基督里的真信徒都必须看见，我们这些基督徒乃是神人。我们再也不必照著堕落的人性生活，因为如今神就在我们里面运行。阿利路亚，神住在我们里面，并且在我们里面运行，所以我们是神人！神在我们里面的运行，乃是常时救恩之神圣、丰富供备的第二方面。
6Gradually I began to understand that to follow the Lord Jesus according to Philippians 2, we need to have God operating within us. In ourselves we are not able to follow the divine pattern or reach God’s standard. Praise the Lord that God is working in us! The very God who became incarnate in the Lord Jesus is now in us. This God is the infinite God, the eternal God, the One who created the universe by His word. Through incarnation, this eternal God came to live in the Lord Jesus. He made Jesus a pattern and uplifted Him according to the divine standard. Now this same God is operating in us. When I first realized this, I was overjoyed. Because God is operating in me, I am now a God-man. All genuine believers in Christ need to see that, as Christians, we are God-men. No longer need we live according to our fallen humanity, for God is now operating in us. Hallelujah, because God dwells in us and is operating in us, we are God-men! This inward operation of God is the second aspect of the divine and rich provision for constant salvation
神的儿女
CHILDREN OF GOD
7第三方面是：我们是神的儿女。（二。）因著我们宣扬这个真理，竟有人错误的指控我们教导人会进化成为神。我们绝没有教导人说，人会进化成为神。我们乃是照著圣经见证一个事实，就是我们这些神的儿女乃是从神生的。狗的儿女有狗的生命和性情，人的儿女有人的生命和性情；照样，我们这些神的儿女，也有神的生命和性情。
7The third aspect is that we are children of God (2:15). Because we have proclaimed this truth, some have 15 falsely accused us of teaching evolution into God. We certainly do not teach evolution into God. According to the Bible, we testify the fact that, as children of God, we have been born of God. Just as an offspring of a dog has the life and nature of a dog, and a child has the life and nature of his parents, so as children of God we have God’s life and nature.
8倘若我们不是神的儿女，没有神圣的生命和性情，我们就无法明白神在我们里面的运行，也无法与这运行合作。我们与神的运行合作，可以比作二人三脚的竞赛。参加这种比赛的人，一条腿可以自由活动，另一条腿则与同伴的腿绑在一起。人不可能与动物绑在一起来参加这种比赛，因为动物没有人的生命和性情来与人合作。用比喻说，因著我们有神圣的生命和性情，我们就好像以神为我们的同伴而参加了二人三脚的竞赛。保罗说，『但那与主联合的，便是与主成为一灵。』（林前六17。）我们的神成为肉体，在地上生活，设立了一个救恩的榜样后，就被钉十字架，后来照著神圣的标准复活并被高举，之后祂成了赐生命的灵。（十五45。）这样的一位灵已经进到我们里面，现今祂是包罗万有、经过过程的神住在我们里面。祂在我们里面运行，乃是根据祂重生了我们，并将祂神圣的生命和性情放在我们里面的这事实。这是宇宙中最大的神迹！神树立了榜样，设立了标准之后，就将祂的生命和性情放在我们里面。现今祂照著这个榜样和标准，藉著祂神圣的生命和性情，一直在我们里面推动、运行并加力。我们呼求主，或向父祷告，就能经历这个内里的运行。我们已经看见，为著我们常时救恩之神圣供备的第一方面，是榜样和标准，第二方面是那成为肉体、在十字架上受死、复活并得高举的神在里面的运行。这位神已经进到我们里面，为要在我们身上活出这个榜样。首先祂重生了我们，将祂神圣的生命和性情分赐到我们里面，使我们成为神人，神的儿女。现今祂住在我们里面，好在我们里面不断的运行。因著我们有内住的神在我们里面运行，所以希伯来八章十一节说，『他们各人绝不用教导自己同国之民，各人也绝不用教导自己的弟兄，说，你该认识主；因为他们从最小的到至大的，都必认识我。』因著神在我们里面运行，我们就知道祂要作甚么，也知道我们当作甚么。例如，一位弟兄的妻子为难他的时候，他不需要牧师来教导他。藉著运行的神，他知道他应当撇弃作头的身分，并且照著主耶稣的榜样，甘心像奴仆一样服事妻子。
8If we were not children of God with the divine life and nature, we could not understand God’so per at i on within us or cooperate with it. Our cooperation with God’s operation can be compared to a three - legged race. In such a race, each person has one leg free and the other bound to one of his partner’s legs. It is impossible for a human being to run a three-legged race tied to an animal, because an animal does not have the life and nature to cooperate with a human being. Figuratively speaking, because we have the divine life and nature, we are running a three-legged race with God as our partner. Paul says, “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). After our God came through incarnation, lived on earth to establish a pattern of salvation, was crucified, and was raised and exalted according to the divine standard, He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). As such a Spirit, He has entered into us and now dwells in us as the all-inclusive, processed God. His operation within us is based on the fact that He has regenerated us and deposited into us His divine life with the divine nature. This is the greatest wonder in the universe! After setting up the pattern and establishing the standard, God put His life and nature into us. Now He is motivating, operating, and energizing within by His divine life and nature according to the pattern with the standard. When we call on the Lord or pray to the Father, we experience this inner operation. We have seen that the first aspect of the divine provision for our constant salvation is the pattern with the standard and that the second aspect is the inward operation of the God who became incarnate, died on the cross, and was resurrected and exalted. This God has come into us to live out this pattern in us. First He regenerated us, imparting His divine life with the divine nature into us to make us God-men, children of God. Now He dwells in us to operate in us continually. Because we have the indwelling God operating in us, Hebrews 8:11 says, “And they shall by no means teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know Me from the little one to the great among them.” Because God is operating in us, we know what He wants to do and what we should do. For example, when a brother’s wife gives him a difficult time, he does not need a pastor to instruct him. Through the operating God he knows that he should lay aside his headship and, according to the pattern of the Lord Jesus, be willing to serve her as a slave.
好像发光之体照耀
SHINING AS LUMINARIES
9在腓立比二章十五节保罗说，我们『好像发光之体显在世界里』。这里的『发光之体』，原文指返照太阳光的光体。我们既是神的儿女，有神圣的生命和性情，我们就有一个特殊的功能─照耀。因著我们有神圣的生命和性情，我们就成了返照基督这真太阳的发光体。无论何时我们照著神圣的生命和性情，与神在我们里面的运行合作，我们就以基督的光而照耀。这是常时救恩之神圣、丰富供备的第四方面。
9In verse 15 Paul says that we “shine as lights in the world.” The Greek word rendered lights denotes luminaries which reflect the light of the sun. As children of God with the divine life and nature, we have a special function—the function of shining. Because we have the divine life and nature, we have become luminaries reflecting Christ as the real sun. Whenever we cooperate with God’sin ward operation according to the divine life and nature, we shine with the light of Christ. This is the fourth aspect of the divine and rich provision for constant salvation
生命的话
THE WORD OF LIFE
10第五方面是在『将生命的话表明出来』这个短句里。（16。）一章十九节有耶稣基督之灵全备的供应，二章十六节有生命的话。这两节之间有救恩的榜样与标准、运行的神、神圣的生命和性情，以及返照基督之光的功能。何等浩大的供备！有了这么丰富的供备，我们就能不断的蒙拯救。我们感谢主给我们两大礼物：灵与话（圣经）。每个神的儿女都必须学习，如何凭著神圣的生命和性情进入神的话。这就是操练我们的灵以摸著内住的神，而来接触圣经。这种以神圣的生命和性情为基础的接触，与仅仅用心思读圣经截然不同。有些基督徒纯粹用头脑分析圣经；有些人强调背经；还有些人，特别是受过神学训练的，用道理来解释主的话。我们若只用这些方式来接触圣经，就摸不著生命的话；圣经对于我们，就是一本知识、道理、教训和神学的书。因著我们已经由那灵重生，我们就有神圣的生命和神圣的性情，甚至有神圣的人位，就是神自己，住在我们灵里。现今我们每次读主的话时，都必须运用我们的灵。倘若我们这样作，圣经的每一行、每一句、每一个字，对我们就都是生命。
10The fifth aspect is found in the phrase “holding forth the word of life” (v. 16). In 1:19 we have the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and in 2:16 we have the word of life. Between them we have the pattern of salvation with the standard, the operating God, the divine life with the divine nature, and the function of reflecting the light of Christ. What a tremendous provision! With such a rich provision we can be saved constantly. We thank the Lord for two great gifts—the Spirit and the Word, the Bible. Every child of God must learn how to get into the Word of God by the divine life and nature. This is to contact the Scripture by exercising our spirit to touch the indwelling God. Such contact, based on the divine life and nature, is very different from reading the Bible merely with the exercise of the mind. Some Christians analyze the Bible purely in a mental way, others emphasize the memorization of Bible verses, and still others, especially those with seminary training, expound the Word in a doctrinal way. If we approach the Bible only in these ways, we shall not touch the word of life. Instead, to us the Bible will be a book of knowledge, doctrine, teaching, and theology. Because we have been regenerated of the Spirit, we have the divine life, the divine nature, and even the divine Person, God Himself, dwelling in our spirit. Now we need to exercise our spirit whenever we come to the Word. If we do this, every line, phrase, and word of the Bible will become life to us
11所有与神有关的事物都是活的，所以神的话必定是活的话，生命的话。我们若用活的灵来接触圣经，我们就自然而然享受了生命的话。这样，我们就得著供应、加强、点活、光照、复苏、滋养并洗涤。当我们这样经历生命的话，我们就该向人表明、陈明、供献并应用这话。这就是向我们周围的人讲说生命的话。我们不该被反对者征服，乃该在爱里向他们说生命的话。我们讲说生命的话，就将生命的话陈明给人。我们应当是说话的子民。我们一有机会，就当为主说话。传扬主不是我们的职业，乃是我们的生活。我们必须用这种活的方式进入生命的话，使我们凭著这话而活，并且讲说这话。我们这样将生命的话表明出来，就享受常时的救恩。在本篇信息中，我们交通到为著我们常时救恩之神圣、丰富供备的五方面：榜样及其标准、神在里面的运行、神的儿女、发光之体、以及生命的话。我们若享受这几方面，我们就经历常时的救恩。那位树立榜样，并且自己就是榜样的，如今乃是内住的神，在我们里面运行。我们藉著重生，就成了神的儿女，有神圣的生命和性情。这使我们成为发光之体，具有返照基督的功能。不仅如此，我们还有生命的话，我们可以进入这话，享受话中的丰富，并向我们周围的人宣扬。这样，消极的事物就被击败，我们就享受常时救恩的得胜。
11Because everything related to God is living, God’swords must be living words, words of life. If we come to the Bible with a living spirit, spontaneously we shall enjoy the word of life. Then we shall be supplied, strengthened, quickened, enlightened, refreshed, nourished, and washed. As we experience the word of life in this way, we should hold forth the word to others, presenting it, offering it, and applying it to them. This is to speak the word of life to those around us. Far from being subdued by opposers, we should in love speak the word of life to them. By speaking the word of life, we present the word of life to others. We should be a speaking people. Whenever we have opportunity, we should speak for the Lord. Preaching is not our profession; it is our living. We need to enter into the word of life in such a living way that we live by this word and speak it. By holding forth the word of life in this way we enjoy constant salvation. In this message we have covered five aspects of the divine and rich provision for our constant salvation: the pattern with its standard, the inward operation of God, the children of God, the luminaries, and the word of life. If we enjoy all these aspects, we shall experience constant salvation. The One who set up the pattern and who Himself is the pattern now operates in us as the indwelling God. Through regeneration, we have become children of God with the divine life and nature. This makes us luminaries with the function of reflecting Christ. Furthermore, we have the word of life, and we may enter into this word, enjoy its riches, and declare it to those around us. In this way the negative things are defeated, and we enjoy the victory of constant salvation