2003感恩节
总题：主对生命的恢复并借生命的恢复
第三篇　生命─长大、发展、成熟、果子
Message Three Life—Growth, Development, Maturity, and Fruit
读经：可四26~29，彼后一5~7，来六1，加五22~23，约十五16
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:26-29; 2 Pet. 1:5-7; Heb. 6:1; Gal. 5:22-23; John 15:16
壹　主的恢复乃是恢复真理和生命─约十八37下，十10下：
I.　The Lord's recovery is a recovery of the truth and of life—John 18:37b; 10:10b:
一　基督教所以落下去，就是因为失去了真理和生命，（提后二25，一10，）结果许多人的办法和世界的组织就都产生了：─引用经文
A.　The decline of Christianity is due to the fact that it has lost both the truth and the life (2 Tim. 2:25; 1:10); the loss of truth and life has produced many human methods and worldly organizations:
1　基督教团体是靠组织、靠人工，召会却是只靠真理的光，以享受主的生命─多一1~2，提前二4，三15，六19。
1.　Whereas Christianity relies on organization and human work, the church relies solely on the light of the truth for the enjoyment of the Lord's life— Titus 1:1-2; 1 Tim. 2:4; 3:15; 6:19.
2　召会里的一切内容，都必须是基督作真理、作生命，而从我们里面长出来的─约十四6。
2.　The entire content of the church must be the growth of Christ in us as truth and life—John 14:6.
二　真理和生命，二者都是基督自己，但各有不同的讲究─八32，36，十四6，十一25：
B.　Both the truth and the life are Christ Himself, but they are two different aspects of what He is—8:32, 36; 14:6; 11:25:
1　真理是外在的解释、说明;生命是里面、内在的内容。
1.　The truth is the outward definition and explanation, and life is the inward and intrinsic content.
2　基督在我们里面作生命，（西三4，）这个经历需要一个说明，这说明就是真理。─引用经文
2.　Christ is in us as our life (Col. 3:4), but the experience of life needs an explanation; this explanation is the truth.
三　经历主作生命，乃是包藏在祂的真理里─约十四6，十一25：
C.　The experience of the Lord as life is contained in the Lord as the truth—John 14:6; 11:25:
1　我们若要经历主作生命，就必须认识真理─八32，36。
1.　In order to experience the Lord as life, we must know the truth—8:32, 36.
2　我们若对真理不清楚、不明白、不认识，就无法享受主作我们的生命─西一5，三4。
2.　If we are not clear about the truth and do not understand or know the truth, we will have no way to enjoy the Lord as our life—Col. 1:5; 3:4.
3　凡经历过的基督徒都承认，没有一个人不认识圣经，不懂得圣经中的真理，而能享受基督作生命─约十七17，3。
3.　All experienced Christians realize that we cannot enjoy Christ as life if we do not know the Bible or understand the truth in the Bible—John 17:17, 3.
贰　我们要对生命有正确的认识，就必须知道什么是生命的长大：
II.　If we would have the proper knowledge of life, we need to know what the growth of life is:
一　生命的长大不是行为的改善，不是敬虔的表现，不是热心的事奉，不是知识的加增，不是恩赐的显多，不是能力的加大。
A.　The growth of life is not the improvement of behavior, the expression of piety, zealous serving, the increase of knowledge, to abound in gifts, or the increase of power.
二　生命的长大是神成分的加多，（西二19，）是基督身量的增长，（弗三17上，四13，）是圣灵地位的开展，（五18，）是人成分的减少，是天然生命的破碎，是魂的各部分被征服。（提后一7。）─引用经文
B.　The growth of life is the increase of the element of God (Col. 2:19), the increase of the stature of Christ (Eph. 3:17a; 4:13), the expanding of the ground of the Holy Spirit (5:18), the decrease of the human element, the breaking of the natural life, and the subduing of every part of our soul (2 Tim. 1:7).
叁　主的恢复不是运动，乃是基督自己这生命的种子撒在我们全人里面─太十三3~4上，19：
III.　The Lord's recovery is not a movement; the recovery is Christ Himself as the seed of life sown into our being—Matt. 13:3-4a, 19:
一　神的国乃是三一神成为肉体，种到祂的选民里面，并在他们里面生长，发展成为国度─可四26~29。
A.　The kingdom of God is the Triune God in His incarnation sown into His chosen people to grow and develop in them into a kingdom—Mark 4:26-29.
二　神的国是借着种子的繁增而产生的─26节：
B.　The kingdom of God is produced by the multiplication of the seed—v. 26:
1　撒种者撒种，种子长大并繁增，最终种子的繁增成了国度的构成成分。
1.　The sower sows the seed, the seed grows and multiplies, and eventually the multiplication of the seed becomes the constituent of the kingdom.
2　国度的建造，不是借着工作，乃是借着生命种子的繁增。
2.　The kingdom is not built by work but by the multiplication of the seed of life.
三　国度是基督的扩大，是基督这种子撒在我们里面的繁增─路十七20~21，八5~8：
C.　The kingdom is the enlargement of Christ, the multiplication of Christ as the seed sown into us—Luke 17:20-21; 8:5-8:
1　撒种者自己是种子，种子的繁增就是撒种者的繁增。
1.　The sower Himself is the seed, and the multiplication of the seed is the multiplication of the sower.
2　耶稣基督是神国的种子，这种子已经撒到相信祂的人里面;如今这种子正在信徒里面生长、发展─可四26~29。
2.　Jesus Christ is the seed of the kingdom of God, and this seed has been sown into those who believe in Him; now this seed is growing and developing within the believers—Mark 4:26-29.
肆　彼后一章五至七节，是国度种子从信到爱的发展：─引用经文
IV.　In 2 Peter 1:5-7 we have the development of the seed of the kingdom from faith to love:
一　我们需要运用信，使神圣生命的美德得着发展，达到成熟─5节。
A.　Our faith needs to be exercised that the virtue of the divine life may be developed to reach its maturity—v. 5.
二　信可比喻为种子：
B.　Faith may be compared to a seed:
1　在彼前一章二十三节，种子乃是话，有基督在其中作生命。─引用经文
1.　In 1 Peter 1:23 the seed is the word with Christ in it as life.
2　在彼后一章，这种子成为我们的信，就是“同样宝贵之信”;（1;）这信与作种子的基督是一。─引用经文
2.　In 2 Peter 1 this seed becomes our faith, which is "faith equally precious" (v. 1); this faith is one with Christ as the seed.
三　从信到爱的发展，包括美德、知识、节制、忍耐和敬虔─5~6节。
C.　The development from faith to love includes virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, and godliness—vv. 5-6.
四　至终，我们有完全的发展和成熟，从信的种子，经过美德和知识的根，节制的干，以及忍耐和敬虔的枝子，到弟兄相爱和爱的花和果子─7节。
D.　Eventually, we have the full development and maturity from the seed of faith, through the roots of virtue and knowledge, the trunk of self-control, and the branches of endurance and godliness, to the blossom and fruit of brotherly love and love—v. 7.
伍　变化是我们在天然的生命里新陈代谢的改变，而成熟是我们被那改变我们的神圣生命所充满─来六1：
V.　To be transformed is to be metabolically changed in our natural life, whereas to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us—Heb. 6:1:
一　变化的最后阶段是成熟，就是生命达到丰满：
A.　The last stage of transformation is maturity, the fullness of life:
1　神永远的定旨，只能借着我们的变化和成熟得着完成─创一26，西一28，二19，弗四13。
1.　God's eternal purpose can be accomplished only through our transformation and maturity—Gen. 1:26; Col. 1:28; 2:19; Eph. 4:13.
2　成熟乃是我们一再得着神圣生命的分赐，直到我们有了生命的丰满─约十10下，林后五4下。
2.　Maturity is a matter of having the divine life imparted into us again and again until we have the fullness of life—John 10:10b; 2 Cor. 5:4b.
二　生命的丰满乃是祝福，就是生命满溢到别人里面─创四七7，10，四九28，约壹五16。
B.　The fullness of life is blessing, which is the overflow of life into others—Gen. 47:7, 10; 49:28; 1 John 5:16.
三　神要主宰的用人事物，把充满我们的一切东西倒空，把原先占有我们的一切东西除去，使我们的度量增加，好被神充满─罗八28，路一53，太五6：
C.　God will sovereignly use persons, things, and events to empty us of everything that has filled us and to take away every preoccupation so that we may have an increased capacity to be filled with God—Rom. 8:28; Luke 1:53; Matt. 5:6:
1　成熟的信徒学知神是怜悯的，也是全足的，能在每一种情况中应付他的需要─创四三14，十七1，腓一19~21上，四11~12。
1.　A mature believer has learned that God is merciful and all-sufficient to meet his needs in every kind of situation—Gen. 43:14; 17:1; Phil. 1:19-21a; 4:11-12.
2　成熟信徒的信靠和安息，完全在于全足之神的怜悯，不在于他自己和他的能力─罗九16。
2.　The trust and rest of a mature believer are altogether in the mercy of his all-sufficient God, no longer in himself or in his ability—Rom. 9:16.
陆　果子是指彰显和繁增;我们需要出于神圣生命的两类果子─基督徒之美德的果子和凭着神圣生命重生之人的果子─加五22~23，约十五16。
VI.　Fruit denotes both expression and multiplication; we need two kinds of fruit out of the divine life—the fruit of Christian virtues and the fruit of persons regenerated with the divine life—Gal. 5:22-23; John 15:16.