你所托付我的事,我已成全了。(约十七4)
顺服不在于外在生活的顺服,而在于意志的顺服,这点一旦达到,一切问题都解决了。在人一生中,要面临的决定性时刻并不多;其中最决定性的时刻,就是意志的顺服。神从来不强逼人顺服他,也不会苦苦哀求人顺服,他是等候人甘心情愿把意志降服。如此,那个争战就再也不必再打。
得释放的顺服。“到我这里来,我就使你得安息。”只有在我们明白了救恩的意义后,才会把意志降服于主,得着安息。任何叫人心思困惑的事,都是对意志的呼唤--“到我这里来。”这是出于自愿的行动。
献身的顺服。“若有人要跟从我,就当舍己。”这里的降服,是指把己交给耶稣,成为一个有他安息的己。“你若愿作我的门徒,就把你自己的主权交给我。”这样,你余下的人生,就是这个降服的彰显。一旦这样降服了,就不再有什么“假如”。我们不必再理会环境,因为耶稣冲冲足足够用。
至死的顺服(约二十一18-19)。“……别人要把你束上……”你懂不懂什么叫做视死如归?当心在狂喜中对神许下顺服的愿;你很容易会收回的。要紧的是你与耶稣在他的死上联合,直至他不感兴趣的东西,你也一点不再感兴趣。
顺服之后又怎样?顺服之后的整个生命,就是渴求与神亲密无间的契合。
祈祷◆主啊,我恳求能够看见你。我一直被外院的生活所占据,远离了你;求你宽恕我,吸引我靠近你,以致我能再次与你共用罕有的相交。
September 13: After Surrender – What?
“I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” John 17:4
Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crisises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will. God never crushes a man’s will into surrender, He never beseeches him, He waits until the man yields up his will to Him. That battle never needs to be re-fought.
Surrender for Deliverance. “Come unto Me and I will give you rest.” It is after we have begun to experience what salvation means that we surrender our wills to Jesus for rest. Whatever is perplexing heart or mind is a call to the will –“Come unto Me.” It is a voluntary coming.
Surrender for Devotion. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, my self with His rest at the heart of it. “If you would be My disciple, give up your right to yourself to Me.” Then the remainder of the life is nothing but the manifestation of this surrender. When once the surrender has taken place we never need “suppose” anything. We do not need to care what our circumstances are, Jesus is amply sufficient.
Surrender for Death. John 21:18-19. “. . . another shall gird thee.” Have you learned what it means to be bound for death? Beware of a surrender which you make to God in an ecstasy; you are apt to take it back again. It is a question of being united with Jesus in His death until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.
After surrender – what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God.