經歷超自然的喜樂Experiencing Supernatural Joy
[每日靈修] 8/31/2018駱鴻銘編譯
在約翰福音裏，耶穌闡釋祂所作的宣告，祂是葡萄樹，我們是枝子：「這些事我已經對你們說了，是要叫我的喜樂存在你們心裏，並叫你們的喜樂可以滿足。」（約十五11）
這節經文表明，基督徒的喜樂不是人類生活中天然的喜樂。它是一種超自然的喜樂，因為它擁有超自然的來源。這是基督在我們心裏的工作。儘管耶穌說到這是祂存在我們心裏的喜樂，但只要它是在我們裏面，就還是我們的喜樂。基督是這喜樂的來源和動力，但它仍是我們的喜樂。
耶穌也說到祂存在我們裏面的喜樂的目標或目的，即我們的喜樂可以滿足。「滿足 [full]」（新譯本作：滿溢）這個詞是指一種程度，在這句話裏是最高的程度。沒有比滿溢的喜樂更大的喜樂了。我們會經歷到部分的喜樂，或比滿溢的喜樂更少的喜樂，不是因為耶穌的喜樂會有上下起伏，而是因為我們在基督裏面的程度會有上下起伏。
我們不會落在基督以外，但是在成聖的過程裏，我們緊緊抓住祂會有鬆緊不一的程度。若我們蒙召要住在基督裏，我們的意志就是很重要的。
禱告：
求神讓我們的生活裏滿溢著超自然的喜樂。
進一步閱讀：約十五11；賽六1、3，六一7。
Experiencing
Supernatural Joy
In
John’s Gospel, Jesus expounded His declaration that He is the vine and we are
the branches: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
This
text indicates that the joy of the Christian is not the natural joy of human
life. It is a supernatural joy insofar as it has a supernatural source. It is
the work of Christ within us. Though Jesus spoke of His joy being in us, it is
still our joy once it is in us. He is its source and its power, but it is still
our joy.
Jesus
also spoke of the end or purpose of His joy remaining in us, namely, that our
joy may be full. The term full speaks of a degree, in this case an ultimate
degree. There is no more joy than full joy. Yet we can experience partial joy
or less than full joy, not because there are fluctuations in Jesus’ joy, but
because there are fluctuations in the degree of our abiding in Christ.
We cannot
fall out of Christ, but in the process of sanctification we experience greater
and/or lesser degrees of clinging closely to Him. Here our wills are important
in that we are called to abide in Christ.
Coram
Deo
Ask
God for supernatural joy to flood your life.
Passages
for Further Study
John
15:11 Isaiah 61:1, 3 Isaiah 61:7