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"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spoke the word of God with boldness. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection. (Acts 4:31, 33.)
CHRISTMAS Evans tells us in his diary that one Sunday afternoon he was traveling a very lonely road to attend an appointment, and he was convicted of a cold heart. He says, "I tethered my horse and went to a sequestered spot, where I walked to and fro in an agony as I reviewed my life. I waited three hours before God, broken with sorrow, until there broke over me a sweet sense of His forgiving love. I received from God a new baptism of the Holy Ghost. As the sun was westering, I went back to the road, found my horse, mounted it and went to my appointment. On the following day I preached with such new power to a vast concourse of people gathered on the hillside, that a revival broke out that day and spread through all Wales."
The greatest question that can be asked of the "twice born" ones is, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?"
This was the password into the early Church.
"O the Spirit filled life; is it thine, is it thine?
Is thy soul wholly filled with the Spirit Divine?
O thou child of the King, had He fallen on thee?
Does He reign in thy soul, so that all men may see
The dear Savior's blest image reflected in thee?
"Has He swept through thy soul like the waves of the sea?
Does the Spirit of God daily rest upon thee?
Does He sweeten thy life, does He keep thee from care?
Does He guide thee and bless thee in answer to prayer?
Is it joy to be led of the Lord anywhere?
"Is He near thee each hour, does He stand at thy side?
Does He give thee with strength, has He come to abide?
Does He give thee to know that all things may be done
Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?
Does He witness to thee of the glorified Son?
"Has He freed thee from self and from all of thy greed?
Dost thou hasten to succor thy brother in need?
As a soldier of Christ dost thou hardness endure?
Is thy hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?
Hast thou patience and meekness, art tender and pure?
"O the Spirit filled life may be thine, may be thine,
In thy soul evermore the Shekinah may shine;
It is thine to live with the tempests all stilled,
It is thine with the blessed Holy Ghost to be filled;
It is thine, even thine, for thy Lord has so willed,"
「於是耶穌對門徒說:『若有人要跟從我,就當捨己,背起他的十字架來跟從我。』」馬太福音十六章24節
基督方才首次表明祂必須受苦、被殺,並要復活,彼得接著祂的話,勸祂說:「主啊!這事必不臨到您身上!」基督回答說:「撒但!退到我後邊去吧!」彼得的意思是要基督試著逃脫十字架及其苦楚;這就是撒但引誘祂擺脫神所安排,要祂完成救贖我們之大工的詭計。
基督接著又說了今天所看的經文,第二次用到「背起十字架」。祂用了意義深長的話來啟示十字架的含意:「若有人要跟從我,就當捨己,背起他的十字架。」亞當犯罪之後,就從神所賜屬天的生命墮落到以自我為中心世俗的生命,只求自己的快樂,自滿、自高,這些成為他生命的規律。當耶穌基督降世將人贖回原來的地位,「祂本有神的形像,反到虛己,取了奴僕的樣式,謙卑自己,以至死於十字架。」祂自己如此做,也要所以渴望跟隨祂的人:「若有人要跟從我就當捨己。」
彼得不單不捨己,反倒不認主,說:「我不認識祂。」當一個人學習順服基督這條命令時,也要對自己說:「我不認識他」,一個真門徒的訣要就在背十字架,宣告治死老我,不使它有任何控制我們的特權。
「治死老我」是基督徒的標語,完全順服基督,並因此完全為週遭的人而活,這是不許可從被釘的十字架上跳下來,而要在那兒死透了。讓我們聽耶穌的聲音:「捨己」,並求藉著聖靈所賜的恩典,傚法基督的門徒治死老我,使我們能與那些與基督同釘十字架的人同列,尊釘十字架的基督為主、為王。
「豈不知我應當在我父的家裡麼?」路加福音二章49節
我們主的童年,絕不是早熟的成年:我們主的童年是永遠的事實。我是與我的主,我的救主合而為一,而為神聖潔無疵的兒女麼?我把我的生命,視為在父殿裡的生命麼?神的兒子在我裡面,如同住在祂父的殿裡麼?
神是永存的真實,祂的引導隨時可以來到。我常是與神接觸麼?我僅在環境不順的時候祈求呢?還是在生活煩擾的時候祈求呢?我在聖潔的團契裡,用別人未曾習用的方法,把自己與主聯合起來。「我應當以我父的事為念」──時時刻刻住在我父的家裡。
單就你個人的情形來看──你是與主的生命合而為一,成為神天真爛漫的兒女,不斷的與祂交談,認識萬事由祂而來麼?永生之子住在你的裡面,如同住在父的家裡麼?祂在世時的各種生活,藉著你達到你的家庭,你的事業,你的親戚麼?你曾想過你為何經過你現在所經過的事麼?不是因為你必要經過它們,乃是因為神的兒子,完成祂父使你成聖的預定使你經過的。唯願祂在你裡面進行無阻,保守與祂完全的聯合。
你主的犧牲生命必變為你的基本生命;祂在世時的生活,必是祂在你裡面的生活。
「因為知道我們的舊人,和祂同釘十字架。」羅馬書六章6節
相信我們已與主同釘十字架,完全是一件信心的事。而信心和眼見總是相差很大。有時我們不以為然,但是我們終究得承認這個事實。擁有這樣的態度很難,惟有我們在完全相信神之後,才能全心地倚靠祂的話語和祂的工作。當我們倚靠祂時,信心才能變得堅固、真實。
順服和倚靠是得到復活生命的兩個口令。藉著這兩個像是聖靈寶劍的刀刃,我們能與主一同釘十架。
順服的行為以及倚靠的信心,可說是新約人物中屬靈生命兩個危機的印記。這不是表示我們得不斷地經歷死,而是一次就能成就的奇蹟。但是我們始終得承認已與基督同釘十架,並且面對任何事都有這樣的觀點。
「……你們向罪也當看自己是死的;向神在基督耶穌裡,卻當看自己是活的。」(羅六11)