| 聖靈的明證 | |
| 經文: 「並且有聖靈作見證，因為聖靈就是真理。」（約翰壹書五：7） | |
| 屬靈的生命需要聖靈的滋養，猶如肉體的生命需要空氣來供應氧氣一般。上帝吹了一口靈氣在我們裡面，這聖靈有上帝聖潔的本質（但不是上帝本身），藉著祂在心中的運行，我們得以與上帝連合，和祂溝通且得蒙祝福。 有人問我們如何得知聖靈的引導，這就像你知道你什麼時候餓了，什麼時候高興；這些生理的感覺、情緒的變化，我們都很熟悉，聖靈的引導也可以是這樣的。 上帝有無限的忍耐、無限的恩慈，既柔和又謙卑，祂是愛和良善的化身，祂樂意與人為友，不留下一樣好處不給人，在祂裡面毫無黑暗罪惡。這就是上帝的性情、上帝的本質。若你被聖靈感動，或被聖靈引導，你就會急切地嚮往像天父那般完全，這就是聖靈同在的明證。 換句話說，你渴望擁有忍耐恩慈的生命，渴望擁有柔和謙卑的特質，渴望擁有上帝那般的性情，並且樂意與人分享心中的善意；顯然地，聖靈已內住在你心中，而且過著由祂引導的生活。若你現在缺少這些特質、這些性情，心思意念也沒有放在這些事情上，心中對聖靈引導這件事，覺得模糊沒把握，那麼切切地向上帝求，向祂要這些聖靈的明證，直到上帝的這些性情本質內化成形在你心中，你才能安心地如使徒約翰所說：「並且有聖靈作見證，因為聖靈就是真理。」（約壹五：8） 讓我們相信聖靈與我們同做見證，並給我們上帝同在的確據，對那些單純信賴上帝，並願意完全順服的人，必定能意識到聖靈的同在與引導，並相信上帝要幫助我們的生活，力上加力、榮上加榮。 | |
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| THE PROOF OF THE SPIRIT | |
| Scripture: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."--1 John 5:7 | |
| "The Holy Spirit of God is as necessary to our Divine life as the air of this world is necessary to our animal life; and is as distinct from, and as much without us, as the air of this world is distinct from the creatures that live in it. And yet our own good spirit is the very Spirit of God moving and stirring in us, and yet not God, but the Spirit of God breathed into a creaturely form; and this good Spirit, Divine in its origin, and Divine in its nature, is that alone in us that can reach God, unite with Him, be moved and blessed by Him. "You ask how you may know in how far you are led by the Spirit of God. As every man knows of himself when he is hungry or pleased, so too with regard to the Spirit of God. for the Spirit of God is more distinguishable from all other spirits and tempers than any of your natural affections are from one another. Let me show you this. " 'God is unwearied patience, a Meekness that cannot be provoked. He is an everduring Mercifulness; He is unmixed Goodness, universal Love; His delight is in the communication of Himself, His own happiness, to everything according to its capacity. He is the Good from which nothing but good comes, and resisteth all evil only with goodness.' This is the nature and Spirit of God, and here you have your infallible proof, whether you are moved and led by the Spirit of God. If it be the earnest desire and longing of your heart to be merciful as He is merciful, to be full of His unwearied Patience, to dwell in His unalterable Meekness; if you long to be like Him in universal impartial Love; if you desire to communicate every good to every creature that you are able, you have the utmost certainty that the Spirit of God lives, dwells, and governs in you. Now if you lack any of these tempers, if the whole bent of your heart and mind is not set upon them, all pretences to an immediate inspiration and continual operation of the Spirit of God in your soul are vague and groundless. Keep within the bounds here set you; call nothing a proof of the Spirit or work of God in your soul, but these tempers, and the works which they produce, and then, and not till then, you may safely say with St. John, 'Hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.' " Let us believe that the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit and gives us the assurance of His own presence. To the soul who yields itself in childlike trust and obedience, the consciousness will not be withheld, that we are indeed led by Him, and transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. | |
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