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歌罗西书生命读经 · 第39篇

活基督

TO LIVE CHRIST
1读经：歌罗西书2:13，3:4，约翰福音6:57，14:19，15:4-5。主耶稣在地上的时候，并没有凭祂属人的生命而活。虽然祂是一个十全十美的人，有祂自己的生命，祂却凭父的生命，不凭祂属人的生命而活。父的生命是神圣、永远的，因此主耶稣乃是凭神圣的生命而活。祂与父同有一个生命和一个生活。子凭父的生命而活，因为子的目的是要彰显父。因著子是父的像，是父的彰显，并且因著祂凭父的生命而活，子就完完全全彰显父。子活著，却是父得著彰显。
1Scripture Reading: Col. 2:13; 3:4; John 6:57; 14:19; 15:4-5 When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He did not live by His human life. Although, as a man, He was a perfect and complete individual person with a life of His own, He lived by the life of the Father, not by His human life. Since the Father’s life is divine and eternal, the Lord Jesus lived by the divine life. He and the Father had one life and one living. The Son lived by the Father’s life because the Son’sin tent i on was to express the Father. Since the Son is the image, the expression, of the Father, and since He lived by the Father, the Son expresses the Father in a full way. The Son lives, but it is the Father who is expressed
2在约翰六章五十七节，主耶稣清楚的说，活的父差祂来，祂又因父活著。父差遣子，而子在地上藉著父、因著父并凭著父活著。我更愿意说，子活父，因为父是子的生命。圣经启示，子是一粒种子，要复制在信徒里面。按照约翰十二章二十四节，这一粒麦子必须落在地里死了，好在复活里结出许多子粒来。当主耶稣在地上时，祂活父的生命。现今，在复活之后，祂成了我们的生命。祂要我们活祂的生命，不是活我们自己天然的生命。我们是独立的人，都有自己的生命，但在神的经纶里，祂不要我们活我们天然的生命；祂的心意是要我们活基督。基督怎样活父，我们也当照样活基督。
2In John 6:57 the Lord Jesus said clearly that the living Father sent Him and that He lived because of the Father. The Father sent the Son, and the Son lived on earth through, because of, or by, the Father. I prefer to say simply that the Son lived the Father, for the Father was the Son’s life. The Bible reveals that the Son is a seed who is to be reproduced in the believers. According to John 12:24, the one grain of wheat needs to fall into the earth and die in order to produce many grains in resurrection. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He lived the Father’s life. Now, after His resurrection, He has become our life. He wants us to live His life, not our own natural life. As individuals, we all have our own life. But in His economy, God does not intend that we live our natural life; He intends that we live Christ. As Christ lived the Father, so we should live Christ
文化与基督相对
CULTURE VERSUS CHRIST
3我们已经指出，基督与我们的文化相对。我们自订、自加的文化，以及我们所承继的文化，也许很不错，但只要不是基督自己，那就是我们经历基督、享受基督、以及凭基督而活的拦阻。我们若要清楚的看见这事，就需要属天的异象。我们若没有看见基督是我们的生命和一切，而想丢弃我们的文化，我们就不过是更换另一种文化而已。想要没有文化，也就成为另一种文化。文明人有一种文化，未开化的人也有一种文化，虽然形式很不相同。我们若有这样的体会，就会看见，光是决定丢弃我们的文化是没有用的。离了基督，我们的所是和所作，多少都与文化有关。每一个人都有文化。文化有的是高度发展的，有的是未发展的，有的高，有的低，但是无论怎样总是文化。使徒写歌罗西书的时候，希利尼人有自己的文化，犹太人也有自己的文化。历世历代以来，每个种族、每个国家都有自己特别的文化。这里的重点是，每一种文化都与基督相对，而基督也与每一种文化相对。不论那一种文化，都是与基督相对的。在祂以外，每一种人类的产品和发展都是文化的一部分。
3We have pointed out that Christ is versus our culture. Our self-made and self-imposed culture, as well as the culture we have inherited, may be excellent, but as long as it is not Christ Himself, it is a hindrance to our experience of Christ, to our enjoyment of Christ, and to our living by Christ. In order to see this clearly, we need a heavenly vision. If we try to drop our culture without seeing that Christ is our life and our everything, we shall succeed only in exchanging one kind of culture for another. To be uncultured is also to have a culture. Those who are cultured have a culture, and those who are uncultured also have a culture, although of a very different kind. If we realize this, we shall see that it is of no avail simply to decide to drop our culture. Apart from Christ, whatever we are and whatever we do is related to culture in some way. Every human being has culture. The culture may be developed or undeveloped, high or low, but it is nonetheless a culture. At the time the book of Colossians was written, the Greeks had their culture and the Jews had theirs. Throughout the thousands of years of history, every race and nationality has had its particular kind of culture. The crucial point here is that every kind of culture is versus Christ and that Christ is versus every kind of culture. Any culture, no matter what kind of culture it is, is versus Christ. Apart from Him, every human product and development is part of culture.
神经纶的目的
GOD’SIN TENT I ON IN HIS ECONOMY
4我们不该想要凭自己对付我们里面的文化。最重要的是，我们需要看见神经纶的异象。神的经纶乃是将基督那活的、包罗万有的人位作到我们里面。根据歌罗西书的启示，基督是众圣徒的分、一切受造之物的首生者、不能看见之神的像、身体的头、从死人中复活的首生者、一切的丰满乐意居住在其中的那一位、神经纶的奥秘、神的奥秘、一切正面事物的实际、以及新人的成分。基督是一切：祂是生命、光、大能、权能、力量、公义、圣别、恩慈、以及其他一切神圣的属性和人性的美德。因为基督是我们的一切，所以祂是包罗万有的。神经纶的目的，乃是要将这位包罗万有者作到我们里面。基督这位包罗万有者所达到的是最高的。祂已经升上诸天，且被高举到宇宙的最高处。现今祂坐在神的右边。基督已经登宝座，祂已经成为万有的主和元首。不仅如此，祂也得著了一切，因为万有都成为祂的。这个人位带著祂所达到、所得著的一切，就是神渴望作到我们里面的那位。你真信这样一位包罗万有活的人位，已经作到你里面了么？我怀疑有多少基督徒，包括在主恢复中的圣徒们，真相信这件事。
4We should not try in ourselves to do anything about the culture within us. What is of vital importance is that we see the vision of God’secon o my. God’secon o my is to work the living, all-inclusive Person of Christ into us. According to the revelation in the book of Colossians, Christ is the portion of the saints, the firstborn of all creation, the image of the invisible God, the Head of the Body, the firstborn from among the dead, the One in whom all the fullness is pleased to dwell, the mystery of God’secon o my, the mystery of God, the reality of all positive things, and the constituent of the new man. Christ is everything: He is life, light, power, might, strength, righteousness, holiness, kindness, and every other divine attribute and human virtue. Because Christ is everything to us, He is all-inclusive. God’sin tent i on in His economy is to work this all-inclusive One into us. As the all-inclusive One, Christ has the highest attainments. He has ascended to the heavens and has been exalted to the highest place in the universe. He is now sitting at the right hand of God. Christ has been enthroned, and He has become the Lord and Head over all. Furthermore, He has obtained everything, for all things have become His. This Person with all He has attained and obtained is the very One that God desires to work into our being. Do you truly believe that such an all-inclusive living Person has been wrought into you? I doubt that very many Christians, including those in the Lord’s recovery, actually believe this
5基督必须是我们的生命包罗万有的基督要作我们的生命。（西三4。）基督若没有成为我们的生命，祂所是、所达到、并所得著的一切，就仍是客观的。祂是祂，我们是我们。若是那样，祂实际上就与我们毫不相干，我们与祂也无分无关。所以，在我们实际日常的经历中，基督必须是我们的生命。然而，我们也许有点圣经中的道理知识，知道基督是我们的生命，却没有天天实际的凭基督而活。我们没有凭基督活，反倒太多的时间凭我们天然的生命而活。
5THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST BEING OUR LIFE The all - inclusive Christ is to be our life (3:4). If Christ does not become our life, then all He is and all He attained and obtained remain objective. He is He, and we are we. In that case He has nothing to do with us in a practical way, nor we with Him. Therefore, in our actual daily experience, Christ must be our life. However, we may have the doctrinal knowledge from the Bible that Christ is our life without living by Christ in a practical way day by day. Instead of living by Christ, we live too much of the time by our natural life.
6我们都当乐意承认，我们爱我们自己的生命，我们天然人的生命。我们也许宣告说，我们恨我们的生命，但实际上我们却非常宝爱我们的生命。即使你见证你恨恶你天然的生命时，你深处仍然珍赏自己的生命，并认为你的比别人的还要好。譬如，一位姊妹可能深处觉得她的生命比她丈夫的生命要好。当然，弟兄对他的妻子也会有类似的感觉。我们都一样高估我们天然的生命。
6We all should be willing to admit that we love our own life, our natural human life. We may claim to hate our life, but actually we love it very much. Even as you testify of your hatred for your natural life, deep within, you still appreciate your life and consider it better than that of others. For example, deep within, a sister may feel that her life is better than her husband’s life. Of course, a brother will have similar feelings toward his wife. We all are alike in thinking highly of our natural life
改良天然的生命
REFINING THE NATURAL LIFE
7我们除了珍赏自己天然的生命之外，还习惯运用天然的生命，也就是习惯凭天然的生命而活。多年来我们已经习惯凭自己的生命而活。再者，我们甚至竭力改良天然的生命。藉著我们在家庭里所受的训练，我们天然的生命多多少少受了改良。藉著教育与宗教，我们天然的生命受到更进一步的改良。我们必须承认，我们天然的生命，甚至因著我们加入地方召会而受了改良。一个在召会中多年的弟兄，的确比进到召会生活以前改良多了。在召会生活里，可以找到这个国家中最有涵养的人。然而，召会不是要推广这种改良的工作，召会应当了结且埋葬天然的生命。但是我们多半还没有被召会埋葬，反而受了改良。你进入召会生活以前，看起来也许像一块未琢磨的铜；但是现在你受了召会生活的磨练，就好像一块闪闪发光的铜。发亮的铜看起来虽然像金子，却不是金子。照样，我们天然的生命也许经过改良、修饰，却仍然不是基督。在召会中，有太多发亮的铜，却太少金子了。有太多天然的生命，却没有太多的基督。
7In addition to appreciating our natural life, we all are in the habit of using it, that is, of living according to it. Over the years we have become accustomed to living by our own life. Moreover, we have even endeavored to refine the natural life. Through the training we have received at home, our natural life has been somewhat refined. It has been refined further through education and religion. We must admit that the natural life has even been refined by our participation in the local church. A brother who has been in the church for several years truly is much more refined than he was before coming into the church life. Some of the most refined people in this country are to be found in the church life. However, instead of carrying on such a refining work, the church should terminate and bury the natural life. But most of us have not been buried by the church; instead, we have been refined. Before you came into the church life, you may have been like unpolished copper. But now that you have been refined by the church life, you are like shiny, polished copper. Although polished copper may look like gold, it is not gold. Likewise, although our natural life may be refined and polished, it is still not Christ. In the churches, there is too much refined copper and too little gold. There is too much of the natural life and not that much of Christ
8基督教的传道人常给人错误的劝告，他们像开错了药方的医生。在我早年尽职时，我会告诉那些将要结婚的人说，他们需要受平衡、被折服。我告诉他们说，主会使用他们的丈夫、妻子、儿女来折服他们。我真懊悔说出这样的教训，因为这引导人天然生命更受改良，而不是引导人凭基督而活。在我早期尽职时，我还不能清楚分辨金子和磨光磨亮的铜。现在我看见，不管铜怎样经过磨炼、打光，还是不能变成金子。同样的原则，改良我们天然的生命，不会使其变化成为基督。神所渴望的乃是我们活基督。祂没有意思要我们仅仅改良属人的生命。
8Christian preachers often give people the wrong kind of advice. They may be like doctors who prescribe the wrong medicine. In the early years of my ministry, I would tell those who were about to get married that they needed to be balanced and subdued. I told them that the Lord would use their husband or wife and their children to subdue them. I regret having given out that kind of teaching, for it leads to the refinement of the natural life, not to living by Christ. In my early ministry I could not clearly discern between gold and copper that had been refined and polished. Now I see that no matter how much copper is refined and polished, it will not become gold. In the same principle, refining our natural life will not transform it into Christ. What God desires is that we live Christ. He has no intention merely to refine our human life.
9当我们不活基督时，我们就照著我们自己的哲学而活。当我告诉圣徒说，他们需要在婚姻生活中受平衡、被折服时，我乃是把哲学供应给他们，而不是把基督的丰富供应给他们。那时候我的哲学，是由圣经与我从小所受的伦常教训混杂而成。因此，我交通给圣徒关于婚姻生活的事，乃是文化，不是基督。在一些方面，我的哲学相当好。我可以拿新约中吩咐妻子要服从丈夫，丈夫要爱妻子的经节来辩护。我的哲学对我来说，似乎在一些方面比孔子的好得多。孔子从来没有教导人说，妻子需要接受丈夫的平衡，丈夫需要藉著背负妻子儿女的重担而被折服。我们若离开基督来看婚姻生活，也许会同意这种哲学。然而，即使这种哲学是对的，却不是基督，不过只是改良天然的生命而已。
9When we do not live Christ, we live according to our own philosophy. When I told the saints that in their married life they needed to be balanced and subdued, I was ministering philosophy to them, not the riches of Christ. My philosophy at that time was a mixture of the Bible and certain ethical teachings according to which I had been raised. Thus, what I shared with the saints concerning married life was culture; it was not Christ. In certain respects my philosophy was quite good. I could defend it by appealing to those verses in the New Testament which charge wives to submit to their husbands, and husbands to love their wives. It seemed to me that in some ways my philosophy was better than that of Confucius. Confucius never taught that a wife needs to be balanced by her husband and that a husband needs to be subdued by bearing the burden of his wife and children. If we consider the matter of married life apart from Christ, we may agree with this philosophy. Nevertheless, even if this philosophy is right, it is not Christ, and it serves only to refine the natural life
供应基督
MINISTERING CHRIST
10连我们这些在召会生活中的人，也缺少神渴望我们活基督的属天异象。由于异象不彀清楚，我们花了很多时间改良我们属人的生命，却没有活基督。所以，我有负担指出，地方召会不该是作改良工作的场所；反之，召会该是供应基督的地方。现在青年人来找我交通婚姻的事情时，我会告诉他们，他们需要经历基督作他们的恩典。我不再告诉他们说，他们需要照著神在他们婚姻生活里主宰的安排受平衡、被折服。我盼望告诉所有的圣徒说，我们惟一的需要就是基督。基督活在我们里面，我们与祂成为一灵。哦！我们今天的需要乃是内住的基督！
10Even we in the church life have been short of the heavenly vision concerning God’s desire that we live Christ. Because the vision has not been clear, we have spent a good deal of time refining our human life instead of living Christ. Therefore, I am burdened to point out that the local church should not be a place where the work of refinement is carried out. Rather, the church should be a place where Christ is ministered. When the young people come to me for fellowship about marriage, I now tell them that they need to experience Christ as their grace. I no longer tell them that they need to be balanced and subdued according to God’s sovereign arrangement in their married life. I wish to tell all the saints that our unique need is Christ. Christ lives in us, and we are one spirit with Him. Oh, our need today is for the indwelling Christ!
11我们若要与基督成为一灵来享受祂并经历祂，就需要从一切我们为自己所定的标准、规则、规矩与原则转向祂。告诉别人说，他们需要受平衡、被折服，这是照著一个标准来与别人交通。今天，我不是供应标准─我只供应基督。我要鼓励众圣徒不再设立标准和规矩，乃要不断的接触基督那赐生命的灵。你若是一个慢的人，就不要想去快；你若是一个快的人，也不要想慢下来。不要平衡你自己，只要活基督。让基督作你的标准、规矩、原则与目标。
11If we would enjoy Christ and experience Him by being one spirit with Him, we should turn from all the standards, rules, regulations, and principles we have made for ourselves. To tell others that they need to be balanced and subdued is to fellowship with them according to a standard. Today I do not minister standards—I simply minister Christ. I would encourage all the saints to no longer set up standards and regulations, but continually contact Christ as the life- giving Spirit. If you are a slow person, do not try to be quick; if you are quick, do not try to slow down. Instead of trying to balance yourself, just live Christ. Let Christ be your standard, regulation, principle, and goal
留在祷告的气氛里
REMAINING IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF PRAYER
12我们若要经历基督并活基督，就需要留在祷告的气氛里。我们很多人可以见证，藉著祷告，我们就被带进灵里，在灵里我们与主是一，并接受祂作我们的生命。这个经历太宝贵了，因此当我们这样享受时，我们不愿意停下来。我们喜欢留在灵里，与主是一。然而，只要我们祷告的时间过了，我们多半又回到天然生活的方式里。我们不再在祷告的气氛里，反而又自动的开始竭力想要圣别、属灵、得胜。每当我们失败了，我们就悔改，向主认罪，决心重头再来一遍。这不是过基督徒生活的路。相反的，我们日常的生活应当与我们在真正祷告里的经历一样。当我们把自己祷告到灵里，我们就与主是一，享受祂的同在，并且自然而然的活祂。我们用不著努力，就能圣别、属灵且得胜；我们没有难处，也没有罣虑。我信我们在祷告里都有类似的经历。
12If we would experience Christ and live Him, we need to remain in an atmosphere of prayer. Many of us can testify that by prayer we are brought into the spirit, where we are one with the Lord and take Him as our life. This experience is so precious that when we are enjoying it, we do not want it to end. We like to remain in spirit to be one with the Lord. However, as soon as our time of prayer is over, most of the time we revert to our natural way of living. We are no longer in an atmosphere of prayer. Automatically we begin to try once again to be holy, spiritual, and victorious. Whenever we fail, we repent, confess to the Lord, and resolve to try again. This is not the way to live the Christian life. On the contrary, our daily living should be the same as our experience in genuine prayer. When we pray ourselves into the spirit, we are one with the Lord, we enjoy His presence, and we spontaneously live Him. Without exerting any effort, we are holy, spiritual, and victorious. We have no problems and no anxieties. I believe we all have had experiences like this in prayer
13这些真实祷告的经历，应当是我们每天对主经历的模型。这意思是说，我们日常生活中的经历，应当和祷告中的经历一样。然而我们多半还是照著天然的生命而活，不是照著基督而活。要活基督就需要持续的祷告，不住的祷告。我们需要留在祷告的气氛里。在此我们与主成为一灵。祂是我们的生命，我们活祂，自然而然就能圣别、属灵且得胜。我们没有平衡自己的念头。我们没有标准、原则、规矩，只在经历上和实际上得著基督。每当我们在这样祷告的气氛里，我们就与基督是一，祂就是我们的生命。这就是活基督的意义。
13These experiences of genuine prayer should be the model for our daily experience with the Lord. This means that our experience in our daily life should be the same as that in prayer. However, most of the time we live according to the natural life, not according to Christ. To live Christ it is necessary to persevere in prayer, to pray without ceasing. We need to stay in the atmosphere of prayer. Here we are one spirit with the Lord. He is our life, we live Him, and we are spontaneously holy, spiritual, and victorious. We have no thought of balancing ourselves. Instead of standards, principles, and regulations, we have Christ experientially and in a practical way. Whenever we are in such an atmosphere of prayer, we are one with Christ, and He is our life. This is what it means to live Christ
14我多年前所说受平衡、被折服的教训，不是供应基督，也没有把圣徒带到与基督直接、活的接触里。我们所需要的不是改良，乃是一种让基督能直接活出来的生活。神没有把圣别、得胜、或属灵赐给我们。祂乃是把基督这位活的、包罗万有的人位赐给我们。神所要的是这个人位，不是任何美德或属性。所以，我们的需要是在祷告中接触这活的人位。然后我们需要留在祷告的气氛里。我们若这样作，就自然而然的活基督。不仅如此，我们会从我们的文化中得释放，不再去调整自己、改正自己。每一件基督之外的东西都将消逝。基督是我们的一切所需：生命、亮光、恩典、安慰、健康、力量、谦卑、忍耐、恩慈、温柔。当我们有了祂，我们就有了一切神圣的属性与人性的美德。不仅如此，在我们的经历里，圣经要成为活的，并且满了亮光。
14The teachings I gave out many years ago about being balanced and subdued did not minister Christ, and they did not bring the saints into direct, living contact with Christ. Instead of refinement, we need a kind of living in which Christ is lived out directly. God has not given us holiness, victory, or spirituality. He has given us Christ as a living, all-inclusive Person. What God desires is this Person, not any virtues or attributes. Therefore, our need is to contact this living Person in prayer. Then we need to remain in an atmosphere of prayer. If we do this, we shall live Christ spontaneously. Furthermore, we shall be freed from our culture without trying to adjust or correct ourselves. Everything other than Christ will fade away. Christ will be whatever we need: life, light, grace, comfort, health, strength, humility, patience, kindness, meekness. When we have Him, we have all the divine attributes and the human virtues. Furthermore, in our experience the Bible becomes living and full of light
基督从我们里面活出来
CHRIST LIVED OUT FROM WITHIN US
15我在本篇信息中的负担，乃是我们的眼睛要被开启，看见神所要的乃是基督从我们里面活出来。祂所关心的，不是我们要受平衡，而是我们要与基督是一，并活基督。神要我们活基督。也许你是一个青年人，但是你应当活基督，不是活典型青年人的生活。受平衡、被折服或改良，都不是活基督的路。活基督的路乃是在祷告中接触那在我们里面作赐生命之灵的基督。当我们把自己祷告到真正祷告的气氛里，我们就自然而然的活基督。我能见证，这是真的，并且我们都能经历。经历内住基督的路，就是真正的祷告。我们不需要为好工作或好家庭祷告，那种祷告会拦阻我们经历基督。我们需要那种带我们与主接触的祷告，就是那种促使我们在灵里与祂是一的祷告。我们若这样祷告，我们就享受基督，经历祂作我们的生命，并且活基督。我们不要竭力作甚么样的人，也不要活出甚么样的标准、甚么样的规矩。我们只当接触基督，与祂是一，并且活基督。我们的目标应当是认识基督，并且单单认识基督，而不是知道要作甚么或去那里。当我们享受主并经历祂的时候，祂就要作我们的生命，我们也要活祂。太奇妙了！这就是保罗在腓立比一章二十一节所说『因为在我，活著就是基督』的意义。
15My burden in this message is that our eyes would be opened to see that what God wants is Christ lived out from within us. His concern is not that we be balanced, but that we be one with Christ and live Christ. God wants us to live Christ. You may be a young person, but you should live Christ, not the life of a typical young person. To be balanced, subdued, or refined is not the way to live Christ. The way to live Christ is in prayer to contact Christ as the life - giving Spirit within us. As we pray ourselves into an atmosphere of genuine prayer, we shall live Christ spontaneously. I can testify that this is real and that we all can experience it. The way to experience the indwelling Christ is to pray in a genuine way. We do not need to pray for a better job or home. That kind of prayer hinders us from experiencing Christ. We need the kind of prayer which brings us into contact with the Lord, prayer that causes us to be one with Him in our spirit. If we pray in this way, we shall enjoy Christ, experience Him as our life, and live Him. Instead of trying to be a certain kind of person and instead of trying to live up to certain standards and regulations, we should simply contact Christ, be one with Him, and live Him. Our goal should be to know Christ and Christ alone, not to know what to do or where to go. As we enjoy the Lord and experience Him, He will be our life and we shall live Him. How marvelous! This is what Paul means in Philippians 1:21: “For to me to live is Christ.”
16我们要活基督，就需要不住的祷告。只要我们一不祷告，我们就不活基督。我盼望一再指出，惟有在祷告的气氛里，才有可能活基督。所以，我们日常生活的每一面都必须带到这样的气氛里；在其中我们与基督真是一。在这样的气氛里，基督是真实的、实在的、实际的，甚至是摸得著的。在这样的气氛里，基督实实际际是我们的生命。我们在此活祂，并且享受祂之于我们的一切所是。这位基督是追测不尽，也是无限无量的。在我们的经历里，我们与祂是一，我们接触祂，并享受祂一切的丰富。这样，我们就自然而然的活基督。
16In order to live Christ, we need to pray without ceasing. As soon as we stop praying, we stop living Christ. I wish to point out again and again that only in an atmosphere of prayer is it possible to live Christ. Therefore, every aspect of our daily living must be brought into such an atmosphere, where we and Christ are truly one. In this atmosphere Christ is real, substantial, practical, and even touchable. It is in this atmosphere that Christ is our life in a practical way. Here we live Him and enjoy all He is to us. This Christ is unsearchable and unlimited. In our experience we are one with Him, we contact Him, and we enjoy all His riches. In this way we spontaneously live Christ