長大像祂兒子一樣Growinginto Conformity
[每日靈修] 9/22/2018,
駱鴻銘編譯
現代對於「屬肉體的基督徒」和「聖靈充滿的基督徒」之間所作的區別是危險的。如果一個屬肉體的基督徒被定義為是一個其墮落的本性尚未被恩典改變的人，那就是一個語義上的矛盾。如果一個人是「屬肉體的」，意思是說，聖靈住在一個人裏面，卻對他的內在組成沒有絲毫的影響，那麼他根本就不是個基督徒。把重生視為不會在人身上產生任何真正的改變，是嚴重扭曲了「重生」的定義。在這種定義裏，聖靈住在人裏面，卻沒有轉變人的內心。
如果一個「被聖靈充滿的基督徒」被定義為完全沒有血氣的人，那麼被聖靈充滿的基督徒，就只能是那些現在已經在天上的聖徒。在這世上，每個基督徒在某種程度上都是屬肉體的，因為肉體的殘餘仍然存在，不斷在引發戰爭。在這個意義上，使徒保羅在回轉之後，仍然是一位屬肉體的基督徒。每個基督徒也都是屬靈的，因為聖靈內住在他裏面，在他裏面、藉著他、在他身上運行。
合乎聖經的觀點涉及到一位神聖位格（divine person）內住在一個被神聖位格真正重生的人類位格（human person）裏面。人的位格發生了變化。他的舊本性正在日漸消亡，藉著與聖靈的恩典合作，新人正在成長，變得與基督相似。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
為聖靈的職事感謝上帝，祂在你裏面，藉著你，也在你身上運行。
進一步研讀：
羅八1～4 如今，那些在基督耶穌裏的就不定罪了。 因為賜生命聖靈的律，在基督耶穌裏釋放了我，使我脫離罪和死的律了。 律法既因肉體軟弱，有所不能行的，神就差遣自己的兒子，成為罪身的形狀，作了贖罪祭，在肉體中定了罪案， 使律法的義成就在我們這不隨從肉體、只隨從聖靈的人身上。
Growing into Conformity
The modern distinction between the “carnal
Christian” and the “Spirit-filled Christian” is a dangerous one. If a carnal
Christian is described as one whose fallen nature has not yet been changed by
grace, it is a contradiction in terms. If a person is carnal in the sense that
the Holy Spirit resides in him without affecting his constituent nature in any
way, then he is simply not a Christian. To view regeneration as not effecting
any real change in the person is a serious distortion of regeneration. Here the
Holy Spirit indwells but does nothing to effect change in the person.
If a Spirit-filled Christian is defined as one in
whom the flesh is absent entirely, then the only Spirit-filled Christians are
those now in heaven. Every Christian is to some degree carnal in this world,
insofar as the remnants of the flesh are still there provoking warfare. In this
sense, the Apostle Paul, after his conversion, was a carnal Christian. Every
Christian is also spiritual in that the Holy Spirit indwells him and works in
him, through him, and on him.
The biblical view involves the indwelling of a
divine person within a human person who has been truly regenerated by the power
of the divine person. The human person has changed. His old nature is dying,
and by cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the new man is growing
into conformity to Christ.
Coram Deo
Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit
working in, through, and on you.
Passages for Further Study
Romans 8:1–4