第十一篇　属灵生命的带领㈢－认识十字架

　　本篇信息我们要继续来看对少年人属灵生命的带领。我们要实际讲到基督徒生活的一面，说到生命的经历。生命的经历首要是在于十字架；基督徒实际的生活，首要的是在于接受十字架。

　In this chapter we will continue to speak about leading the young people in matters related to spiritual life. The practical experience of life is related to the cross, and it involves primarily accepting the cross.

　　十字架的意义重在了结。我们要着重的说，人在神面前的一切，都需要结束；不仅是坏的，还包括好的，凡是出乎人的，都必须结束。基督徒生命的经历，和世界上道德的修养完全不同。道德的修养是把人原有的良善培养起来，而把人的恶结束。基督徒生命的经历，或说基督徒实际的生活，与此迥然不同。基督徒实际的生活就是活出基督，基督徒生命的经历就是经历基督。所以，我们要经历基督首要的条件，就是我们这个人需要解决。有我们这个人，就不能有基督；要活出基督，我们这个人就不能活着。因此，加拉太二章二十节说，“我已经与基督同钉十字架；现在活着的，不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。”我已经钉十字架，我已经了结，现在活着的，不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。当活着的不再是我时，我才能活着是基督。这话清楚地给我们看见，基督徒的实际生活，就是我不再活着，而是基督在我里面从我活出。所以，我必须解决，并且神也已经把我解决了。

　　关于这件事，新约里最少有几处圣经说得很清楚。除了加拉太二章二十节，罗马六章六节也说，我们的旧人已经与基督同钉十字架。因此，我们必须看见，我们这个人在神面前需要了结，不仅坏的要了结，好的也要了结；犯罪的部分要了结，行善的部分也要了结；恨人的心要了结，爱人的心也要了结；骄傲要了结，谦卑也要了结。我们都要看见，凡我们所是所有的，都必须钉在十字架上，并且我们已经钉在十字架上。

　　大多数基督徒，尤其是青少年，对这一点可能不太认识。所以，这一点要打得越重、越清楚越好，并且不只要讲一次，可能需要讲很多次，就是基督徒要有真实地生活，必须接受十字架。接受十字架的第一项，就是要看见我们这个人在神面前的一切，都必须了结，并且神已经把我们这人了结了。

　The most important meaning of the cross is termination. We must stress the point to the young people that in the eyes of God, everything of man must be terminated. This includes not only the evil things but also the good things in man. Whatever comes out of man must be terminated. A Christian’s experience of life is entirely different from the world’s cultivation of ethics. Ethical cultivation tries to nurture the element of good within man and to restrict the element of evil in him. A Christian’s experience of life, or we may say a Christian’s practical living, is totally different. The practical living of a Christian is to live Christ. The experience of the life of a Christian is to experience Christ. Hence, in order for us to experience Christ, we must be terminated. As long as anything of ourselves remains, Christ cannot be expressed through us. In order to live out Christ, we must be terminated. Hence, Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” We are crucified, terminated, and it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives in us. When it is no longer we who live, Christ can live out of us. This word shows that the practical living of a Christian involves Christ living His life in us, not us living our life. In order for Christ to live in us, we must be terminated; thankfully, we have already been terminated through our crucifixion with Christ.

　There are several portions in the New Testament that clearly refer to the matter of our termination. In addition to Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6 says that our old man has been crucified with Christ. Therefore, we must see that we have been terminated before God. Both what is good and what is evil in us have been terminated; not only the aspect of our nature that commits sin but also the aspect of our nature that desires to do good deeds have been terminated; not only our hatred but also our love have been terminated; not only our pride but also our humility have been terminated. Now all that we are and all that we have must be crucified in our experience because everything has been crucified with Christ in reality.

　Most Christians, especially the young people, know little of this matter; hence, the more we stress this point, the better it will be for them. The matter we should stress is that in order to have the reality of the Christian life, we must accept the cross. In order to accept the cross, however, we must realize that all we are and all we have must be terminated and that this is possible because God has already terminated us.

　　到了新约的时候，神差施浸者约翰来，他来了就带人悔改（太三1~2）。当人到施浸者约翰那里表示悔改的时候，他只作一件事，就是把人带去埋在水里（6，11）。新约的开头，就是要人有新的起头，人必须先被摆在死地，好埋葬并被了结，才能接受基督作生命，并且把基督活出来。所以，新约里神所差来的第一个仆人，所作头一个职事的工作，就是埋葬；施浸者约翰的工作，就是埋葬人。约翰为人受浸就是把人埋葬。人到施浸者约翰跟前，不仅要承认自己是一个有罪的人，并要承认自己这个人需要了结，承认自己这个人需要完全除掉。所以，凡到约翰这里来悔改的人，约翰不仅带他们悔改，更把他们埋葬，就是把他们结束了。为什么要把他们埋葬并结束？因为他们需要一个新的起头，这个新的起头就是基督。他们需要接受基督作生命，并让基督从他们里头活出来。从大的范围，整个新约的范围来说，人要有分于新约的恩典，有分于新约的生命，有分于新约一切的福分，这个人就得完全结束，完全埋葬。

　At the beginning of the New Testament, John the Baptist was sent by God to lead people to repent (Matt. 3:1-2). When people went to John and expressed their desire to repent, he buried them in water (vv. 6, 11). In order to enter into the reality of the New Testament, people must have a new beginning by being terminated and buried so that they can receive Christ as life and live Christ. Hence, the work of the first ministry by the first servant sent by God in the New Testament was to bury people. The work of John the Baptist was to bury people. John’s baptism was equivalent to a burial. When people went to John, they had to confess that they were sinners, and then they needed to be terminated. John led them to repent, and then he buried them; that is, he terminated them. He had to terminate and bury them because they needed a new beginning in Christ. They needed to receive Christ as their life so that Christ could live out from them. Anyone who desires to partake of the grace, life, and blessings of the New Testament must be completely terminated and buried.

　　所以，要作基督徒，头一件事就是受浸（二八19）。受浸也就是埋葬。人信入主之后，什么事都不用作，乃要让神作。神所要作的头一件事，就是要召会把这人埋葬，把这人解决了。认真说，一个真实基督徒的生活，就是站在这个受浸的地位上，就是死了、葬了、又活过来的地位上。我是已经死了、已经埋葬的人，我这个人已经了结了。

　After believing, the first thing one should do as a Christian is to be baptized (28:19). To be baptized is to be buried. After a person believes into the Lord, he should let God do everything, and the first thing that God will do is to ask the church to bury, to put an end, to the believer. In order to live the life of a Christian, one must stand in the position of baptism, that is, in the position of one who has died, been buried, and then been raised up.

　　我们怎样了结，怎样钉十字架呢？乃是在基督里。当神在十字架上审判基督的时候，基督是带着我们，包括着我们，在那里受审判。我们乃是在祂里面受了审判。换句话说，基督受审判，就是我们受审判，因为祂是包括着我们。当基督在十字架上，在神的审判下死了的时候，祂就包括着我们；祂死了，我们在祂里头也死了。最明显的一个预表，就是旧约里的方舟（创六14~21），带着挪亚一家八口人，经过死亡的水。方舟预表基督，挪亚和他的家人预表在基督里蒙救赎的信徒。正如方舟从死水里经过时，方舟里面的一切也都从死水里经过了。我们在基督里，也就和基督一同经历死亡。基督死的时候，我们在祂里面也已经死了；神是在基督里把我们解决了。

　God crucified and terminated us in Christ. When Christ was on the cross suffering God’s judgment, we were judged in Him. In other words, God’s judgment on Christ was also His judgment on us because He bore our sins in His body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). When Christ died on the cross under God’s judgment, we were included in Him. He died, and we also died in Him. The most obvious type concerning this is the ark in the Old Testament (Gen. 6:14-21), which carried eight people in Noah’s household through the water of death. The ark is a type of Christ, and Noah and his family typify all the believers who were redeemed in Christ. When the ark passed through the water of death, everything inside the ark also passed through the death water. Similarly, because we were in Christ, we experienced death together with Him. When Christ died, we died in Him. In Christ, God terminated us.

　　死乃是神一个最奇妙的救法；借着死，神把我们了结了。原来死是神的一个惩罚；现今在基督里，死变成了我们的一个拯救。本来神是用死刑罚犯罪的人，现今神在基督里，用死来拯救罪人；死原来是神的惩罚，现今成了神的拯救。神这个拯救的奇妙救法，就是用死来了结。凡是让死了结的人，都是经历基督的人。我们常说神的救恩是一个生命的救恩，要知道，那是第二面。神救恩的第一面，是死的救恩，神用死了结我们；另一面，祂用生命叫我们活过来。所以，凡没有让神了结的人，都是不能享受神救恩的人。

　　我们要有生命的经历，要有基督徒实际的生活，就必须看见，我们是一个需要了结的人；并且我们是一个已经了结的人，基督在十字架上已经把我们了结。当我们信入祂，受浸的时候，是承认了结的事实，承认我们是已经在死里的人。我们这已经在死地的人，一切基督徒的生活，一切基督徒的经历，都是站在这个立场上，都是根据这个而有的。我们是一个死了的人，我们一切都了结了。乃是从这里，我们才有基督徒的生活，才有生命的经历。无论对我们的亲人，还是朋友，无论是对事物，还是对人，我们生活的根据都是在死地─我们是一个死了的人，一个在基督里死了，在十字架上死了的人。我们对待一切人事物的根据、立场，乃是死地。好比我今天读书是在死地，在死里读书；我今天过婚姻生活也是这样，用一切物质的东西都是如此。我今天对我的父母、儿女、或兄弟姊妺，都是一个在死地的人。这就是福音，这就是神的救法。

　　主对我们说，要背起十字架跟从祂（太十六24）。这不是一般人所认为的吃苦，乃是在十字架的死里跟从主。一直留在十字架的死里，就是真正撇下所有的跟从主。这不是说你今天撇下一切，就什么都不作了。不，撇下不是这个意思；撇下乃是我虽然在这里读书，却是在死地里读书，在死里读书。撇下一切，不是教员不作了，而是教员照样作，但是在死的地位上作。连对我们的父母、儿女、妻子、亲人都是如此。我们是死了的人来读书，是死了的人来作教员，是死了的人来作父母、作儿女、作妻子。我们是死了的人，来对待地上一切的人事物。这就是背起十字架跟从主的意思。

　　一九六一年八月二十五日讲于台北

　Death is God’s wonderful way of salvation. Through death God terminated us. For sinners death brings in God’s punishment, but for believers death brings in God’s salvation in Christ. Apart from Christ, death is a punishment for sinners, but in Christ, death is a salvation for believers. God uses death to save sinners. In His wonderful way of salvation, God terminates everything by death. The experience of Christ is available to whoever allows himself to be terminated by death. Although we often say that God’s salvation is a salvation of life, we must realize that this refers to the second aspect of salvation. The first aspect of God’s salvation is death, that is, God’s termination of us by death. Then after death God enlivens us. Hence, anyone who is not terminated by God cannot enjoy God’s salvation.

　In order for us to have experiences of life and to have the practical living of a Christian, we must see our need for termination and also see that we have been terminated already with Christ on the cross. When we believe into Him and are baptized, we are acknowledging the fact that we have been terminated, that we are those who have been put into death. As such, we can stand on the ground of our death with Christ as the basis for our Christian living and experience. We are dead, and we have been terminated. This is the basis for our living and our experience of life. We are dead in regard to everything, including our relatives, friends, things, and even events. The basis of our living is death; we have died in Christ on the cross. The basis of our dealing with people, things, and events is that we have died. This is the way of God’s salvation.

　The Lord said that we should take up the cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). This does not refer to suffering, as most people think; rather, it speaks of following the Lord through the death of the cross. By remaining in the death of the cross, we can genuinely forsake everything and follow the Lord. This does not mean that when we forsake everything, we no longer do anything. This is not what forsaking everything means. Forsaking everything means that although we are studying, we are studying in the place of death. Likewise, forsaking everything does not mean that we cease to be a teacher. Rather, we continue to teach, but while we are teaching, we are in the place of death. It is the same with being a parent, child, or spouse. We are dead people studying; we are dead people teaching; we are dead people being parents, being children, and being spouses. In dealing with all persons, things, and events, we are dead to all that we are and all that we have so that Christ can be expressed through us. This is what it means to take up the cross and follow the Lord.