經文: 「我們既因信稱義，就藉著我們的主耶穌基督得與上帝相和。」(聖經·羅馬書 5章1節)「用和平彼此聯絡，竭力保守聖靈所賜合而為一的心。」 (聖經·以弗所書 4章3節)
只要是有頭腦的生物，無論是天使或人類，若沒有雙重的生命，就不會快樂幸福。這雙重的生命是指什麼呢？一個是肉身的生命，一個是裡頭有上帝的生命；因為一個人若沒有感情、理智及意志，就僅僅算是擁有肉體的生命。然而上帝不會只造一個空有軀殼的生命，讓它裡面是空虛飢渴的；不但如此，上帝更巴望這軀殼裝滿更高層次、更豐盛的生命，這樣的生命惟有上帝的內住其中方藉著與上帝神聖生命的結合，人就可與上帝的性情有份，就如看不見的上帝，道成了肉身，藉著我們活在世上；這是墮落亞當後裔的惟一救贖之道，就是與上帝和好，將自己與祂神聖的生命結合。
若沒有接受神子耶穌為他個人的救主，人就無法有幸福良善可言，如經上所記，只要相信耶穌，祂就成為我們的智慧、公義、救贖與平安，因為這一切只有在上帝裡面才可尋見。
這偉大的真理向我們清楚顯示，內在的聖潔與外在儀文的遵守是迥然有別。先知律法、或是聖經教會的規章，只告訴我們如何過一個聖潔完全的生活，卻沒有辦法賜我們力量去過這樣的生活。我們只有棄絕自己肉體的生命，藉著信心與盼望，渴望恢復始祖墮落前與上帝生命連結的和好狀態，如此才能有力量過聖潔完全的生活。
願上帝將這真理銘記我心，因為一切的聖潔良善都在上帝裡面，我惟一的盼望就是與上帝時時刻刻緊密連合，上帝也渴望佔有我的心，但願這成為我不斷的禱告-上帝和祂的愛永遠住在我心中。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
(每日靈修 8月17日)
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
『 The Twofold Life 』
Scripture: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” — (Romans 5:1) “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” — (Ephesians 4:3)
“No intelligent creature, whether angel or man, can be good and happy, but by partaking of and having in himself a twofold life. Now there is in the nature of things, an absolute necessity of this twofold life in every creature that is to be good and happy. The twofold life is this: it must have the life of nature and the life of God in it. It cannot be a creature, and intelligent, but by having the life and properties of nature, that is, by finding itself to be a life of various sensibilities that has a power of Understanding, Willing and Desiring. This is its creaturely life which, by the creating power of God, it has in and from nature. God Himself cannot make a creature to be in its self, or as to its own nature anything else but a state of emptiness, of want, of appetite. The highest life therefore, that is natural and creaturely, can go no higher than this; it can only be a bare capacity for goodness and happiness, and cannot possibly be a good and happy life but by the life of God dwelling in and in union with it.
“There can be no goodness and happiness for any intelligent creature but in and by this twofold life; and therefore the union of the Divine and human life, or the Son of God incarnate in man, to make man again a partaker of the Divine nature, is the one only possible salvation for all the sons of fallen Adam, that is, of Adam dead to, or fallen from, his first union with the Divine life.
“A plain demonstration that there can be no happiness, blessing and goodness for any creature in heaven or on earth, but by having, as the Gospel says, Jesus Christ made unto it Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Peace with God. The reason is this: it is because goodness and happiness are absolutely inseparable from God, and can be nowhere but in God.
“This great truth clearly gives the solid distinction between inward holiness and all outward, creaturely practices. All the dispensations of God, whether by the law or the prophets, by the Scriptures or ordinances of the Church are only helps to a holiness which they cannot give, but are meant to turn the creaturely life from itself and its own working to a faith and hope, a hunger and thirst after that first union with the life of the Deity, which was lost in the fall of the first father of mankind.”
May God bring us to be possessed by the great truth, that because goodness and happiness are absolutely inseparable from God, our only hope is to be found in the unceasing fellowship with Himself, and that Love which longs to have complete possession of us. Let this be our one desire and continual prayer—the life and the love of God dwelling in our hearts.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 17 August 」
