7月22日 成聖

神的旨意就是要你們成為聖潔。（帖前四3）

死的一面。在成聖的工夫上，神不但在生方面對付我們，也要在死方面對付我們。很多人在死裡停留太久，以致死氣沉沉。成聖之前，必有一場生死戰，必有某些東西拖著我們，叫我們厭惡主。當神的靈向我們啟示成聖的意思，爭戰就開始了。“人到我這裡來……若不恨（原文）自己的性命，就不能作我的門徒。”

在成聖的過程中，神的靈把我的外衣脫掉，只剩下我“自己”，就是到了死地。我甘願單做自己嗎？再沒有別的了——沒有朋友、沒有父親、沒有弟兄、沒有自我的籌算，單單準備去死，這就是成聖的條件。怪不得主耶穌說：“我來不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上動刀兵。”這就是戰爭所在，許多人就在此撲倒：我們不肯在這點上與主耶穌的死聯合。我們會說：“這個太嚴厲了，他不能冀求我這樣做。”我們的主的確是嚴厲的，他的確要求我們如此行。

我願不願意單單做“自己”，脫去一切人對我的看法，以及我自己對自己的看法，然後把這赤裸的“己”交給神？我若這樣行，神就使我全然成聖。從此，在我生命中，除了神以外，一切都變得不重要了。我若求神：“主啊，指示我成聖之道。”他就指示我。成聖就是與耶穌合而為一，他不是把一些東西放進我裡面；乃是他自己在我裡面。

July 22 Sanctification

“This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Many of us spend so much time in the place of death that we get sepulchral. There is always a battle royal before sanctification, always something that tugs with resentment against the demands of Jesus Christ. Immediately the Spirit of God begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle begins. “If any man come to Me and hate not . . his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

The Spirit of God in the process of sanctification will strip me until I am nothing but “myself,” that is the place of death. Am I willing to be “myself,” and nothing more – no friends, no father, no brother, no self-interest – simply ready for death? That is the condition of sanctification. No wonder Jesus said: “I came not to send peace, but a sword.” This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us faint. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus on this point. “But it is so stern,” we say; “He cannot wish me to do that.” Our Lord is stern; and He does wish us to do that.

Am I willing to reduce myself simply to “me,” determinedly to strip myself of all my friends think of me, of all I think of myself, and to hand that simple naked self over to God? Immediately I am, He will sanctify me wholly, and my life will be free from earnestness in connection with every thing but God.

When I pray – “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus Christ puts into me: it is Himself in me. (1 Cor. 1:30.)