12月4日 敵對的律

得勝的……（啟二7）

不管天然生命或是在恩典中的生命，都不可能沒有爭戰。物質、精神、道德、以及屬靈生命的基礎，在於敵對。這是生命中顯而易見的事實。健康就是物質生命與外在自然界之間的平衡。人必須內在有足夠的活力，對抗外界的東西，才能維持健康。外在的東西，可以危害肉體的生命，置我於死地。在我生時養活我的東西，在我死後把我分化。我若有足夠的戰鬥力，就有健康的平衡。精神生活也是如此，若要保持強健的智力，必須鬥爭，然後心智的平衡－－思想－－才能產生。

在道德方面，都是我裡面德行的敵人。我能否得勝，生髮善行，就視乎我道德的力量如何了。只要我一爭戰，在那一事上，我就有了道德。沒有人的德行是自然而然的；德行是要經後天的奮鬥而取得的。

靈性方面，亦是如此。耶穌說：“在世上你們有苦難。”任何不屬靈的東西，都是於我有害。但“你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。”我要學習勝過那些敵對我的，這樣就可以產生聖潔的平衡；而面對敵擋，也成了興奮的事。聖潔就是我的性情與神藉耶穌基督所表現的律，二者之間的平衡。

祈禱◆主耶穌啊，你在兩千年前曾“道成肉身”，來到這世上。願你今天再次臨到這裡，藉著我的肉身彰顯你自己－－“基督在你裡面，成為榮耀的盼望”。

December 4 The Law Of Antagonism

“To him that overcometh. . . .” Revelation 2:7

Life without war is impossible either in nature or in grace. The basis of physical, mental, moral, and spiritual life is antagonism. This is the open fact of life.

Health is the balance between physical life and external nature, and it is maintained only by sufficient vitality on the inside against things on the outside. Everything outside my physical life is designed to put me to death. Things which keep me going when I am alive, disintegrate me when I am dead. If I have enough fighting power, I produce the balance of health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a vigorous mental life, I have to fight, and in that way the mental balance called thought is produced.

Morally it is the same. Everything that does not partake of the nature of virtue is the enemy of virtue in me, and it depends on what moral calibre I have whether I overcome and produce virtue. Immediately I fight, I am moral in that particular. No man is virtuous because he cannot help it; virtue is acquired.

And spiritually it is the same. Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” i.e., every thing that is not spiritual makes for my undoing, but – “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I have to learn to score off the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness; then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.

Holiness is the balance between my disposition and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.