💜《神的心意》20210819『兩種知識-Two Kinds of Knowledge』— 慕安德烈

經文: 「你們若被聖靈引導,就不在律法以下。」— (聖經·加拉太書 5章18節)

世上的各樣美德與良善,可以是頭腦的知識,也可以內化成裡面的生命;前者頂多因一時的感動,暫時改變外在的行為,但維持不了多久,誠如使徒保羅所說:「律法不能使人完全。」但話說回來,律法猶如福音的教師,能叫人知罪,叫人明白如何得到救恩,叫人如何找到真光的源頭,教導人如何藉著在耶穌裡有信心,得著新生命過著聖潔、得勝的生活,因此律法還是有它特定的功能。

很自然地,對屬靈的美德與良善,若只擁有外在頭腦的認知,你會因地制宜,在某種場合就表現出適合這情境應有的謙和或愛的行徑,但實際上卻表裡不一。

反之,若你將屬靈的美德或良善,內化成你裡面的新生命,藉著聖靈的光照和引導,你就能活出禱告的生活、愛的生活,與謙卑的生活,那是一種內在重生的新生命,絕非外在律法要求下的勉強行為表現及虛偽的假象。

「主啊!在教會當中,我們不斷有屬靈律法的教導,但求主明亮我們的眼睛,讓我們全心相信聖靈恩膏的工作,惟有藉著祂作工在我們裡面,才能把頭腦的知識化為屬靈的內在生命。奉主耶穌基督聖名,阿們!」

—《 神 的 心 意 》
(每日靈修 8月19日)
作者:慕安德烈
編輯:榮華興

『Two Kinds of Knowledge』

Scripture: “But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” — (Galatians 5:18)

“Every kind of virtue and goodness may be brought into us by two different ways. They may be taught us outwardly by men, by rules and precepts; and they may be inwardly born in us as the genuine birth of our own renewed spirit. In the former way, they at best only change our outward behaviour, putting our passions under a false restraint. Now this way of learning and attaining goodness, though thus imperfect, is yet absolutely necessary, and must have its time and work in us; yet it is only for a time, as the law was a schoolmaster to the Gospel. But of all this outward instruction, whether from good men, or the letter of Scripture, it must be said as the Apostle says of the law, that ‘it maketh nothing perfect.’ And yet it is highly necessary in order to perfection. All the Scriptures have no other good or benefit in them, but as they lead to a salvation, not to be had in themselves, but from faith in Christ Jesus. Their teach Ping is only to teach us where to seek and to find the fountain and source of all light and knowledge. They can only direct us to something that is better than themselves, that can be the true Light, Life, and Power of Holiness in us.

“From this twofold life or teaching there naturally arises a twofold state of virtue and goodness. If you learn virtue and goodness only from outward means, from men or books, you will be virtuous or good, according to time and place and outward forms. You may do works of humility, works of love, use times and forms of prayer; all this goodness is suitable to this kind of teaching, and may very well be had in it. But the Spirit of Prayer, the Spirit of Love, the Spirit of Humility, are only to be obtained by the operation of the Light and Spirit of God, not outwardly teaching, but inwardly bringing forth a new-born spirit within us.”

Alas, how much there is in the Church of the outward teaching with its intermittent states of goodness. Let us with our whole heart believe in that immediate teaching and working of the Holy Spirit, which brings the life of heaven as a new-born spirit within us.

— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 19 August 」