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约翰壹书生命读经 · 第38篇

神圣出生的美德

The Virtues of the Divine Birth
以胜过世界、死、罪、魔鬼和偶像(三)
to Overcome the World, Death, Sin, the Devil, and the Idols (3
1读经:约翰一书五章十四至十七节。
1Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:14-17
知道某种罪是至于死的
KNOWING THAT A PARTICULAR SIN IS UNTO DEATH
2在约壹五章十六、十七节约翰说,『人若看见他的弟兄犯了不至于死的罪,就当为他祈求,将生命赐给他,就是给那些犯了不至于死之罪的。有至于死的罪,我不说当为那罪祈求。一切的不义都是罪,也有不至于死的罪。』这些经节指明,我们若看见弟兄犯了不至于死的罪,就当为他祈求,将生命赐给他。但我们怎能知道某种罪是否至于死?假设一位弟兄犯了罪,也生病了,我们若不知道这罪是否至于死,我们怎能为这种光景祈求?我们已经看见,五章十四至十七节与在永远生命交通里的祷告有关。在神圣生命的交通里,神照著祂每个儿女的属灵光景,施行祂行政的对付。在神行政的对付里,有些神的儿女由于某种罪,被命定肉身要在今世死亡,有些由于别的罪,也被命定肉身要死亡。是不是至于死的罪,乃在于神照著各人在神家中的地位和光景而有的审判。虽然我们可能在原则上清楚这事,但我们要怎样分辨弟兄是不是犯了至于死的罪?我们要有这种辨别力,就需要是个绝对与主是一的人。事实上只有主自己知道某种罪是不是至于死。因此,我们若不与主是一,就无法知道弟兄是不是犯了至于死的罪。然而,我们若深深的与主是一,住在主里面,并与主是一灵,就自然会知道某种罪是不是至于死。我们就不需要努力去知道这事。
2In 5:16 and 17 John says, “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and he will give life to him, to those sinning not unto death. There is sin unto death; I do not say that he should make request concerning that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not unto death.” These verses indicate that if we see a brother sinning a sin not unto death, we should ask concerning that one and give life to him. But how can we know if a particular sin is unto death? Suppose a brother has sinned and also has become ill. If we do not know whether or not this sin is unto death, how shall we be able to make request concerning the situation? We have seen that 5:14-17 is related to prayer in the fellowship of eternal life. In the fellowship of the divine life there is the governmental dealing of God according to the spiritual condition of each of His children. In God’s governmental dealing, some of His children may be destined to physical death in this age due to a certain sin, and others may be destined to physical death due to other sins. Whether a sin is unto death or not depends on God’s judgment according to each one’s position and condition in the house of God. Although we may be clear concerning this matter in principle, how are we to discern whether or not a particular brother has sinned unto death? In order to have this kind of discernment, we need to be a person who is absolutely one with the Lord. Actually, only the Lord Himself knows whether a certain sin is unto death. Therefore, if we are not one with the Lord, we cannot know whether or not a brother has sinned unto death. However, if we are deeply one with the Lord, if we abide in the Lord, and if we are one spirit with Him, spontaneously we shall know whether or not a particular sin is unto death. There will be no need for us to try to know this matter
摩西的事例
THE CASE OF MOSES
3我们不该认为某种罪很严重,是至于死的,而另一种罪不严重,不至于死。我们可以看民数记二十章摩西的事例。摩西被激怒,作了一件不照著神旨意的事;他第二次击打磐石。击打磐石两次,是违背神的基本原则。磐石表征基督,神没有意思要基督被击打两次。摩西头一次击打磐石是照著神的话,(出十七1~6,)但他第二次击打磐石不是照著神的话。神叫摩西吩咐磐石,但摩西因著被激怒,第二次击打磐石。摩西虽然与神这么亲密,但由于那个错误,就不得进入美地:『耶和华对摩西、亚伦说,因为你们不信我,不在以色列人眼前尊我为圣,所以你们必不得领这会众进我所赐给他们的地去。』(民二十12。)根据申命记三十二章四十八至五十二节的记载,耶和华吩咐摩西上山去,死在那里,因为他和亚伦得罪了耶和华,『在寻的旷野,加低斯的米利巴水,在以色列人中没有尊我为圣。』(申三二51。)我们也许认为摩西只犯了小错,但是照著神行政的对付,这是至于死的罪。摩西的例子说明一个事实,我们凭自己不彀资格(或不能)分辨怎样的罪是至于死的。惟独我们绝对与主是一的时候,才会有这种辨识力。
3We should not think that a particular sin is serious and is unto death and that another sin is not serious and is not unto death. Consider the case of Moses in Numbers 20. Moses was provoked, and as a result he did something that was not according to God’s will: he struck the rock a second time. Striking the rock twice was against God’s basic principle. The rock typifies Christ, and God had no intention for Christ to be smitten twice. The first time Moses struck the rock according to God’sword (Exo. 17:1-6). But the second time that Moses struck the rock was not according to God’sword. God told Moses to speak to the rock. But, being provoked, Moses struck it a second time. Due to that mistake, Moses, although he was so close to God, was not allowed to enter into the good land: “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Num. 20:12). According to Deuteronomy 32:48-52, the Lord told Moses to go up to the mountain and die because he and Aaron had trespassed against the Lord “among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel” (v. 51). We may think that Moses made only a small mistake. But according to God’s governmental dealing, it was a sin unto death. The case of Moses illustrates the fact that in ourselves we are not qualified or able to discern what kind of sin is unto death. We can have such discernment only when we are absolutely one with the Lord.
在神圣生命交通里的分赐生命
LIFE-IMPARTING IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE DIVINE LIFE
4约壹五章十四至十七节论到分赐生命的祈求所描述的,只有那些在主里很深的人才会经历到。约翰在十四节说到照神旨意的祷告。我们要有这样的祷告,就必须与主是一。我们若深深的与主是一,就会认识祂的旨意,也会知道那犯罪者的光景。因为他是我们的弟兄,是在主里与我们非常亲近的人,所以我们会知道他在主面前真实的情形。这件事是很深的。你若与主是一,知道犯罪弟兄在主面前的光景和情形,你就会明白主的旨意,能照祂的旨意祷告。因为你明白主的旨意,你也就知道这位弟兄是否会因著他的罪而死。这些经节指明,我们有永远生命的人,能将这生命传给人。这就是说,我们能成为永远的生命所藉以供应给人的管道。我们能成为管道,让永远的生命从我们里面流出,并流到别人里面。五章十六节说到这点。在这节,祈求的人也就是将生命赐给犯罪弟兄的人。这指明祈求的人会将生命赐给他所代求的人。这位住在主里面,与主是一,并与主在一灵里祈求的人,成了神赐生命之灵能将生命赐给他所代求之人的凭藉。这是一件在神圣生命的交通里,分赐生命的事。
4What is described in 5:14-17 concerning the life-giving petition can be experienced only by those who are deep in the Lord. In verse 14 John speaks of prayer that is according to God’s will. In order to pray this kind of prayer, we must be one with the Lord. If we are deeply one with Him, we shall know His will, and we shall also know the situation of the one who is sinning. Because this one is our brother, someone very close to us in the Lord, we shall know his real situation before the Lord. This matter is deep. If you are one with the Lord and know a sinning brother’s condition and situation before the Lord, you will then know the Lord’s will and be able to pray according to His will. Because you know the Lord’s will, you will also know whether or not this brother will die because of his sin. These verses indicate that we who have eternal life can pass this life on to others. This means that we can be a channel through which eternal life is supplied to others. We can be a channel for eternal life to flow out of us and into others. Verse 16 refers to this. In this verse the one who asks is also the one who gives life to the sinning brother. This indicates that the one who asks will give life to the one concerning whom he asks. The asker, who is abiding in the Lord, who is one with the Lord, and who is asking in one spirit with the Lord, becomes the means through which God’s life- giving Spirit can give life to the one for whom he asks. This is a matter of life-imparting in the fellowship of the divine life.
5请注意约翰在五章十六节说到人看见『他的弟兄』犯了罪。『他的弟兄』一辞是指一位与他亲近的弟兄,亲近到一个地步,成为他的一部分。你若有一位与你这样亲近的弟兄,而你不知道这弟兄是否会因他的罪而死,那你在主里就不深,你若在主里真是深的,并且与主是一,当你思量那弟兄的情形时,就会进到主的心里,明白祂的旨意。你会知道这位与你那样亲密的弟兄,是否会因他的罪而死。于是你会知道怎样为他祷告。你会知道是否要为他祷告,叫他得赦免并得医治。这位弟兄的罪若至于死,你会晓得不该祈求将生命分赐到他里面,反倒会有负担从另一个角度为他祷告。在本篇信息里,我的负担是要给你们看见,我们里面永远的生命是真实而实际的。一面我们能享受我们里面这永远的生命。另一面我们能将这永远的生命传给人。我们能成为管道,让永远的生命从我们或藉我们流到别人里面。然而,成为管道让永远的生命流出给人的经历是很深的,不能肤浅的去作。我们若要成为永远的生命流出给人的管道,就必须在主里是深的,也必须因著在主的心里而认识主的心。我们若进到主里面到这样的程度,自然就会明白主对这位与我们亲近、犯了罪的弟兄的旨意如何。因为我们知道主对这位弟兄的光景旨意如何,我们就知道怎样为他祷告。
5Notice that in verse 16 John speaks of someone seeing “his brother” sinning. The words “his brother” point to a brother who is close to him, someone who is so close to him that he is a part of him. If you have a brother close to you in this way and do not know whether this brother will die because of his sin, then you are not deep in the Lord. If you are truly deep in the Lord and are one with Him, as you consider the brother’s situation, you will enter into the Lord’she art and know His will. You will know whether this brother, who is so intimate to you, will die because of his sin. Then you will know how to pray for him. You will know whether or not to pray for him to be forgiven and healed. If this brother’ss in is unto death, you will realize that you should not pray to impart life into him. Instead, you may be burdened to pray for him from another angle. My burden in this message is to show you that the eternal life within us is real and practical. On the one hand, we can enjoy this eternal life within us. On the other hand, we can pass on this eternal life to others. We can be a channel for eternal life to flow out from us, or through us, to others. However, the experience of being a channel for eternal life to flow out to others is a deep matter. This cannot be done in a superficial way. If we would be a channel for eternal life to flow out to others, we must be deep in the Lord, and we must know the Lord’she art by being in His heart. If we have entered into the Lord to such a degree, spontaneously we shall know the Lord’s will concerning a brother close to us who has sinned. Because we know the Lord’s will concerning the brother’s situation, we shall know how to pray for him
个人经历的见证
TESTIMONY OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
6我并不是宣称自己在主里很深,但我能见证,历年来我知道一些弟兄犯了至于死之罪的事例。有一位与我很亲近的弟兄陷在某种罪里,我在与主交通的过程中,深觉主要把这位弟兄取去。我晓得这位弟兄会因他的罪而死,至终他真的为这缘故死了。我曾为这位弟兄祷告。起初我有意为他得医治祷告,但在我里面的那灵禁止我那样祷告。我怎么知道那灵禁止我为这位弟兄得医治祷告?因为我为他祷告的时候,里面有膏油涂抹。但是当我要为他得医治祷告时,膏油涂抹就停止了。我乃是这样领悟不该为那位弟兄得医治祷告。同时我开始领会主可能不医治他,他可能要因他的罪而死。然后带著从主而来厚厚的膏油涂抹,我从另一个角度为这位弟兄祷告。我求主安慰他和他的妻子,并且照顾他的家。
6Although I do not claim to be so deep in the Lord, I can testify that through the years I have known some cases of brothers who sinned unto death. A certain brother, who was very close to me, fell into a certain kind of sin. During the course of fellowship with the Lord, I had the deep sense that the Lord would take this brother away. I realized that this brother would die because of his sin, and eventually he did die for this reason. I prayed for this brother. First, I had the intention to pray for his healing. But the Spirit within me prohibited me from praying in that way. How do I know that I was prohibited by the Spirit to pray for this brother’s healing? I knew because as I was praying for him, I had the anointing within me. But when I was about to pray for his healing, the anointing stopped. It was in this way I realized I should not pray for that brother’s healing. Simultaneously, I began to understand that probably the Lord would not heal him, that he would probably die as a result of his sin. Then with much anointing from the Lord, I prayed for this brother from another angle. I prayed for the Lord to comfort him and his wife and to care for his family.
7在另一些事例中,我想要为这样的弟兄得医治祷告,就受主的责备。主对我说,『你是照著你自己的意愿祷告。这位弟兄与你亲近,你爱他,要他活得久些。你的祷告不是照著神的旨意,乃是照著你自己的愿望。』我知道不能再那样祷告,我开始领悟主可能要把那位弟兄取去。这是我已过对一些事例的经历。约翰在五章十四至十七节给我们看见,永远的生命是实际的,能给我们深深的经历。我们在这些经节中看见,我们需要活在神圣的生命里到一个地步,绝对与主是一。这样当我们祷告的时候,就会知道我们的祷告里有没有膏油涂抹。若是有膏油涂抹,我们就该继续照著膏油涂抹为弟兄祷告。但若是没有膏油涂抹,我们就可能是在自己里面祷告。我们有这些经历,就知道永远的生命是真实且实际的。
7In some cases, when I tried to pray for the healing of such a brother, I was rebuked by the Lord. The Lord said to me, “You are praying according to your own wish. This brother is close to you, and you love him and want him to live longer. You are praying not according to the will of God, but according to your own desire.” Knowing that I could not continue to pray in that way, I came to realize that the Lord would probably take the brother away. This has been my experience with some cases in the past. In 5:14-17 John shows us that eternal life is practical and can be experienced by us in a deep way. In these verses we see the need to live in the divine life to such an extent that we are absolutely one with the Lord. Then as we pray we shall know whether or not there is the anointing in our prayer. If there is the anointing, we should go on to pray for a brother according to the anointing. But if there is no anointing, we may be praying in ourselves. When we have these experiences, we know that eternal life is real and practical
罪的难处
THE PROBLEM OF SIN
8约翰一书论到神圣生命的交通。一章、三章和五章有力的指明罪是我们的难处。一章论到罪性与罪行。根据这一章所说,罪破坏我们在神圣生命里的交通。
8The Epistle of 1 John is on the fellowship of the divine life. Chapters one, three, and five indicate strongly that sin is a problem to us. In chapter one sin and sins are dealt with. According to this chapter, sin damages our fellowship in the divine life
9约翰在三章说,犯罪的是出于魔鬼,(约壹三8,)凡从神生的,就不犯罪。(约壹三9。)然后约翰在二十节说,我们的心若责备我们,神比我们的心大,一切事祂都知道。他在二十一节接著说,我们的心若不责备我们,我们就可以向神坦然无惧了。我们的心责备我们,意思是我们在某方面错了。这指明罪使我们的良心不安。因此,我们需要使我们的良心没有亏欠。
9In chapter three John says that he who practices sin is of the Devil (v. 8), and that everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin (v. 9). Then in verse 20 John says that if our heart blames us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. In verse 21 he goes on to say that if our heart does not blame us, we have boldness toward God. For our heart to blame us means that we are wrong in some way. This indicates that sin causes trouble to our conscience. Therefore, we need to have our conscience void of offense.
10在五章我们看见关于罪更严重的事。罪不仅打断我们的交通,使我们的良心没有平安;罪甚至使我们的肉身死亡。照著人的观念,来赴主的筵席而不分辨主的身体,(林前十一29,)好像不大要紧。事实上,人带著分裂的灵来赴主的筵席,因而不分辨那身体,这是极其严重的。因著哥林多许多信徒没有分辨那身体,有些人就软弱了。那是一种警告。有些不注意这警告的人就生了病,至终,不注意那警告的人甚至死亡。以我们的看法,他们可能没有犯甚么大罪,然而从神行政的观点来看,某些哥林多人犯了至于死的罪。我们可以从不同的角度来看罪、失败、错误、过犯。从人的观点来看,有些错误似乎不严重。但是从神的观点,特别是从神行政的观点来看,某些在我们眼中并不严重的事,实在是非常严重的。比方说,根据神的行政,摩西犯了大错。在以色列人眼中,他所作的并不严重。然而,摩西在神的行政上犯了严重的错误。我们藉此看见,从甚么角度来看人的罪或失败,会造成相当的差别。
10In chapter five we see something even more serious regarding sin. Sin not only interrupts our fellowship and causes our conscience to have no peace; sin may even cause physical death. According to the human concept, it may seem insignificant to come to the Lord’stable without discerning the Lord’s body (1 Cor. 11:29). Actually, it is extremely serious to come to the Lord’stable with a divisive spirit and thereby fail to discern the body. Because many of the believers at Corinth failed to discern the body, some became weak. That was a warning. Some who did not pay attention to this warning became ill. Eventually, those who would not heed even that warning died. In our opinion, they might not have committed a gross sin. Nevertheless, from the point of view of God’s government, certain of the Corinthians committed a sin unto death. Sins, failures, mistakes, and trespasses may be viewed from different angles. From the human point of view, certain mistakes may seem minor. But from God’s point of view, especially from the perspective of His government, certain matters which are not serious in our sight are very serious indeed. For example, according to God’s government, Moses made a great mistake. In the sight of the Israelites, what he did was minor. However, Moses made a serious mistake in relation to God’s government. By this we see that it makes a difference from what angle someone’ss in or failure is viewed
11我实在没有意思要吓唬人,我只是要指出关于罪的严重性这个真理。你若研究那些背叛召会之人的情形,就会看见反对召会,想要破坏召会,或背叛召会的权柄,是非常严重的事,这样的背叛至少造成个人属灵生命重大的损失。我在五十多年召会生活的经历中,从来没有看见一个跟召会出问题的人,还继续享受他该享受的属灵祝福。若有人不想跟召会走,他最好不要跟召会有牵涉。但人一消极的摸著召会,他就要受亏损。我这样说不是咒诅任何人。相反的,我只是忠信的说实话。历史证明,凡想破坏或背叛召会的,总没有益处。我要劝众圣徒,特别是青年弟兄姊妹,绝不要疏忽或轻忽罪,绝不要认为罪是微不足道的事。我们都该避开有罪的事物。罪使我们的交通中断,使我们的良心没有平安,甚至使我们失去肉身的生命。罪若不是导致人肉身的死亡,必然会造成属灵的死亡。因此,我们要学习在罪的事上敬畏神。愿我们也学习与主有深的交通。我们若与主有深的交通,我们就是在主心里的人,并且认识祂对我们以及身体上同作肢体者的旨意。这样,我们就能帮助我们周围的人,甚至从主那里,藉著圣灵,将生命分赐给他们。这就是说,我们能成为管道,让神圣的生命从我们里面流出,并流入同作肢体者的里面。最近有人问我,是不是所有的疾病都是由于罪。我们想想人的经历和属灵的经历,我们必须说,不是一切的疾病都由于罪。我在这里要强调一个事实,靠著主的怜悯和恩典,我们是祂的儿女,有祂的生命,并且享受祂的性情。现今对于和我们日常生活有关的每件事:饮食、接触人、用钱,我们都必须谨慎。我们若凡事谨慎,就会尽我们的一分,使我们蒙保守不生病或不软弱。我们需要在属灵、精神、肉身、物质各方面,对神对人都是合宜的。我们尤其不该甘愿或故意作违背主的事。故意违背主是极其严重的。
11I definitely do not have the intention of frightening anyone. I simply want to point out the truth concerning the seriousness of sin. If you study the situation of those who have rebelled against the church, you will see that to oppose the church, to try to damage the church, or to rebel against the authority of the church is a very serious matter. At least, such rebellion causes great loss to one’s spiritual life. In more than fifty years’ experience in the church life, I have never seen anyone who was not right with the church who continued to enjoy spiritual blessing as he should. If someone does not want to go along with the church, it is better for that one not to be involved with the church. But as soon as someone touches the church in a negative way, that person will suffer loss. In saying this I am not pronouncing a curse on anyone. On the contrary, I am simply being faithful to speak the truth. History proves that it is not a profit for anyone to seek to damage the church or rebel against it. I would urge all the saints, especially the young brothers and sisters, never to be negligent or careless concerning sin. Never think that sin is an insignificant matter. We all should stay away from sinful things. Sin causes our fellowship to be broken, it causes us to have no peace in our conscience, and it may even cause the loss of physical life. If sin does not lead to one’s physical death, it will certainly cause spiritual death. Therefore, let us learn to fear God regarding sin. May we also learn to become deep in fellowship with the Lord. If we are deep in our fellowship with the Lord, we shall be those who are in the Lord’she art and know His will both concerning ourselves and concerning the fellow members of the Body. Then we shall be able to help those around us and even impart life to them out of the Lord and by the Holy Spirit. This means that we shall be able to be a channel for the divine life to flow out of us and into our fellow members. Recently I was asked if all sickness is due to sin. As we consider human experience and spiritual experience, we must say that not all sickness is due to sin. Here I would emphasize the fact that by the Lord’s mercy and grace, we are His children possessing His life and enjoying His nature. Now we need to be careful about everything related to our daily living: eating, drinking, contacting people, spending money. If we are careful concerning all things, then we shall do our part to be preserved from becoming sick or weak. In every way—spiritually, psychologically, physically, and materially—we need to be proper with God and man. In particular, we should not willingly and knowingly do anything that is against the Lord. It is extremely serious knowingly to go against the Lord