第十二篇　属灵生命的带领㈣－十字架的应用

　　本篇信息我们要交通十字架的应用。关于十字架，我们必须先清楚十字架在神的心意中是如何，我们才能认识十字架的真正意义。唯有当我们真认识十字架，我们才能带领人对十字架有正确的认识，因为十字架的经历完全是根据于正确、真实地认识。十字架乃是神在人身上所要的，就是要把人的一切都摆在死地。

　　如果神在人身上有所要求，或有所作为，这一切都为要把人带到死地。神不仅在人身上有这样的要求，神也实实在在完成了这一件事，就是祂在各各他山的十字架上所成功的。神不只把罪摆在十字架上解决了，神更是把人摆在十字架上解决了。所以，在宇宙间的历史里，曾有一次，神确定的把人的罪解决了；同样的，也把人解决了。这是主耶稣被钉在各各他山的十字架上，所解决的事。神要人死，神也实在把人摆到死地。我们要看见，神在人身上没有别的要求，神对人的要求就是死，并且神也已经把人摆在死地。

　In this chapter we will fellowship concerning the cross and the application of the cross. When we speak of the cross, we must be clear about God’s intention related to the cross, because only then can we lead others to have a proper knowledge of the cross. In order to experience the cross, we must have a proper and genuine understanding of it. The cross is what God wants in man; He wants all that is of man to be put to death.

　All of God’s purpose for man and all His work related to man are to bring man to the place of death. God fulfilled this purpose through the work that He accomplished on the cross at Golgotha, where He not only dealt with man’s sins but also dealt with man himself. At the cross, at this point in the history of the universe, God dealt with man’s sins, and He also dealt with man. Both man’s sins and man himself were dealt with by the Lord Jesus when He was nailed on the cross at Golgotha. God wanted man to die, and God brought man to the place of death. God’s purpose is for man to die, and God put man into such a place at the cross.

　　新约的开始，乃是开始于这一个“死”；基督徒的开始，也是开始于这一个“死”。作基督徒的头一件事，就是到浸池里受浸，那就是到死地。新约是这样开始的，基督徒的生活也是这样开始的。不仅如此，连拿撒勒人耶稣也是这样开始的。当主耶稣要出来尽职，事奉神的时候，祂还没有开始讲一篇道，还没有开始作一点工，头一件事就是到约但河里受浸。祂乃是让施浸者约翰，把祂所穿上的那个拿撒勒人耶稣，埋葬在水里。如果主耶稣仅仅是神而不是人，祂不需要经过死，不需要到水里去。然而，这位耶稣是一个人，所以祂这个人也需要死，需要埋在死地。

　　主耶稣若没有在死地，在祂里面住着的那位神，就无法从祂里面活出来。祂从头一天出来作工，就把自己交给施浸者约翰，埋在死地；从那一天起，祂就一直在死地。所以，祂能说，“子从自己不能作什么，唯有看见父所作的，子才能作。”（约五19）又说，“我在父里面，父在我里面，…我对你们所说的话，不是我从自己说的，乃是住在我里面的父作祂自己的事。”（十四10）因着父在祂里面，所以祂必须死，父才能从祂里面作自己的事。如果祂还活着，如果还是祂在那里，父就不能在祂里面作事。祂死了，父才能活着；祂在死地，父才能从祂里面作自己的事。主不仅作事是这样，祂说话也是这样。祂凭自己不能作什么，不能说什么；祂说的话，乃是父在祂里面作自己的事。主耶稣的说话、讲道，都不是祂在说话、作事，乃是父在祂里面说话、作事，因为祂已经在约但河里埋葬了。祂在那三年半的尽职里，甚至祂的一生中，都是在这一个死地里。

　The age of the New Testament began with termination brought in by John the Baptist, and the life of a Christian also begins with termination. When a Christian is baptized after believing, he is put into a place of death. This is how the New Testament age began, and this is how the Christian life begins. Death also marked the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. When the Lord Jesus was ready to carry out His ministry and serve God, He went to the river Jordan to be baptized before preaching any message and doing any work. The humanity that the Lord Jesus put on in His incarnation was buried in the water by John the Baptist. If the Lord Jesus were only God but not also a man, there would have been no need for Him to pass through death by going into the water. However, Jesus was a man, and as such, He needed to die; He needed to be buried.

　Without Jesus’ being put into the place of death, the God who indwelt Him could not have been lived out through Him. On the first day of the Lord’s work, He delivered Himself to John the Baptist to be buried in the place of death. From that day onward, He continuously remained in the position of death. This enabled Him to truthfully say, “The Son can do nothing from Himself except what He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). He also said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me...The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father who abides in Me does His works” (14:10). Because the Father was in Him, He had to die; only then could the Father do His works in Him. If the Lord still lived, the Father would not have been able to do His works in Him. He died so that the Father could live; the Lord remained in the place of death so that the Father could do His works from within Him. The Lord not only worked in this way; He also spoke in this way. He did not do anything or speak anything from Himself. When He spoke, it was the Father who did His works. When the Lord Jesus spoke and preached the word, it was the Father who was speaking and working in Him because He had been buried in the river Jordan. In His ministry of three and a half years and throughout His entire life, the Lord remained in the place of death.

　　主耶稣如果只有一个生命，祂不需要死。因为祂若只有一个人的生命，祂一死就了了，所以祂不能死。如果祂只有神的生命，祂就不需要死，因为神的生命是永远的。因着主耶稣有两个生命，有人的生命与神的生命，所以主耶稣人的生命必须死，神的生命才能从祂里面活出来；并且祂人的生命虽然死了，却还能够活着，因为祂里头还有另一个神的生命。由此我们能看见，如果祂只有一个生命，祂不需要死，死了也不能再活着；因为祂有两个生命，所以有一个必须死，另一个才能活出来；并且一个生命死了，祂还能活着，因为还有第二个生命。

　　需要死的是人的生命，需要活出来的是神的生命。人的生命必须死，并不是因为有什么邪恶、败坏的因素。在拿撒勒人耶稣的人的生命里，没有败坏，也没有邪恶。祂需要死，不是因着人的生命败坏而需要死，乃是因着是人的生命，不是神的生命，祂这个人的生命就需要死。神的生命要活出来，人的生命就需要死。人的生命不死，神的生命就不活。这不是因着人的生命败坏了，才要摆到死地。即使人的生命是好的，也需要死，因为要让神的生命占有人生命的所有地位。人的生命要让给神的生命，所以人的生命要被死挪去，好把那个地位让给神的生命。

　If the Lord Jesus had only one life, His death would have had no meaning. If He only had the human life, His death would have been the same as any other man’s death. If He only had the divine life, He would have been unable to die, because God’s life is eternal. But the Lord Jesus had two lives, the human life and the divine life. His human life needed to die so that the source of His living would be God’s life. Thus, even though His human life was terminated as the source of His living, He still lived because He had another life, God’s life. Because He had two lives, one life could die so that the other life could be lived out. Even though He lived in the place of death in regard to His human life, He was able to live because He had the divine life.

　The life that needs to die is our human life, whereas the life that needs to be lived out is God’s life. The need for man’s life to be terminated is not related to its being evil or corrupt. In the human life of Jesus the Nazarene, there was no corruption or evil, but His human life needed to die so that it would not be the source for His living. Only God’s life must be the source of our living. The human life of a man needs to be terminated in order for God’s life to be lived out. If our human life is not terminated, God’s divine life cannot be lived out of us. Hence, our need for termination is not related to corruption. Even if our humanity were not corrupt or evil, it would still need to be terminated in order for God’s life to have the first place in all the things related to our human living. Man’s life must yield to God’s life; man’s life needs to be removed by death so that God’s life can be our source.

　　神所以这样作，乃是因为祂的心意，是要叫祂的生命进到人里面，作人的生命；这是祂永远的旨意和计划。神的这个计划，乃是非常奥妙的。神明明造了一个人，有人的生命，这生命有意志、情感和思想；但是神却盼望人能凭他生命的本能，接受神的生命。然而，一旦人接受了神的生命作生命，神又要人把他生命的地位，让给神的生命。这个让位就是死，要把人的生命结束，把人的生命挪开，好让神的生命在人里头作人的生命。所以，神根本就不是要人作什么；神的意思乃是要进到人里头，使人活出祂自己。

　　因此，人必须到死地，必须经过死。可是这一个到死地，经过死，必须有两个生命。你若是只有一个生命，你不需要死，因为一死就了了。例如，王阳明只有一个生命，苏格拉底只有一个生命，王阳明活出王阳明就是了，苏格拉底活出苏格拉底就是了，他们不需要死，因为他们只有一个生命，并且他们一死就了了。然而，基督需要死，因为基督有两个生命，一个人的生命，和一个神的生命。人的生命必须死，神的生命才能活出来；并且因着有两个生命，一个死了，另一个还能活出来。

　　基督是如此，基督徒也是如此。我们今天乃是有两个生命的人，我们有一个人的生命，还有一个神的生命。这两个生命没有办法同时活着，所以有一个生命需要死。若要神的生命活，人的生命就要死，并且人的生命虽然死了，人却还能活着。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。”这里保罗说，他已经与基督同钉了十字架，现在活着的，不再是他；然而，他又活着。这是为什么？这是因为他有两个生命。神不是要你这个人行善，要你这个人温柔，要你这个人爱人，或是要你这个人有种种美德。因为这些不过都是人的故事，都只是人活出来，并不是神活出来。神的心意乃是要人死，而让祂活。

　Death is part of God’s plan because His heart’s desire is to enter into man and be man’s life. This is His eternal purpose and plan. God’s plan is very profound. He created man with a mind, emotion, and will. However, God wants man to receive His life so that His life becomes the source of man’s innate abilities. Once man receives God’s life, God wants man to yield the source of his living to the operation of His life. This yielding implies death, that is, the termination of man’s life as his source so that God’s life may become the source of his living. God’s plan is not focused on man doing something for God out from his life but on His entering into man so that His life may be lived out of man.

　This is the reason that man needs to be terminated and to pass through death. However, in order for man to be terminated and to pass through death, he must have two lives. If a man has only the human life, he will not pass through death when he dies. For example, the famous Chinese philosopher Wang Yang-ming had only one life, and Socrates also had only one life. Wang Yang-ming lived out only the life of Wang Yang-ming, and Socrates lived out only the life of Socrates. Since they had only the human life, their death was an end with no further significance. However, Christ’s human life could be terminated because He had another life, God’s life. His human life needed to be terminated so that God’s life could be lived out. The termination of His human life enabled the divine life to be lived out.

　Just as Christ needed to die, Christians need to die. Today we have two lives, the human life and the divine life. These two lives cannot be lived out concurrently; one of them must die. In order for God’s life to live, man’s life must die. Nevertheless, we must realize that even though man’s human life is terminated, he can still live by the divine life. 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.” Paul was crucified with Christ, and it was no longer he who lived. However, he still lived because he had another life. God does not want us to be good and meek or to love others by living out these virtues from our human life; God’s heart’s desire is for man to die so that all that is expressed in our living comes out of His life.

　　当主耶稣刚出来尽职时，第一件事就是去受浸，也就是到死地。从那时候起，祂就背着十字架。许多基督徒把十字架领会错了，以为背十字架就是吃苦。其实并非如此，背十字架乃是站在死地，接受死。虽然死里头也有苦，但苦并不一定是死。若以为十字架完全是指着吃苦，那就是一个不准确的观念。在圣经里，十字架的真义，乃是把人带到死地。钉十字架是有苦楚，但钉十字架并不是为着苦，而是为着死。十字架不是为着苦刑，十字架乃是死刑。许多基督徒受了苦修主义的影响，一直认为十字架是苦的，却没有看见，十字架并不重在苦，乃是重在死。背十字架不是重在吃苦，乃是接受一个死，而一直站在死地。

　　比方，有一个少年人要起来事奉主，他大学前途不要了，博士学位不要了，世界的享受也不要了，他实实在在愿意过一个苦的生活。这是不是背十字架呢？不一定。因为他作工的时候，可能非常自我，不仅脾气大，个性也很强。请问这个少年人有没有背十字架呢？可以说，他并没有背十字架，他不过是个牺牲主义者。许多革命家、政治家都有这种精神，他们可以为着完成自己的理想和主义，而不惜牺牲性命。同样，很可能有的人是为着基督教，或者好像是为着基督，放弃了他的前途，断送了他的一切，但这不一定是背十字架。那可能是一种牺牲，也是一种吃苦，但不是背十字架。背十字架乃是接受一个死到你里头，你这个人是站在死地的。

　　今天人来为主作工，若在他身上只有苦的光景，这并没有多少价值。乃是让人看出他在一个死的光景，是站在死地的人，这才有价值。主耶稣在地上生活的时候，人不是只看到一个吃苦的人，乃是看到一个死了的人。祂说，“子从自己不能作什么。”（约五19）祂乃是一个死了的人，祂一切的言行作为，都是父在祂里面作自己的事。使徒保罗也是这样。有的人不认识保罗，以为他是一个牺牲者，为主牺牲了一切，经过了各种的苦楚和患难，至终还为主殉道。实际上，保罗是一个背十字架的人，是一个到死地的人。

　　主耶稣一生背十字架，到末了实实在在是被钉在十字架上。我们和祂正好相反，我们乃是先和祂同钉十字架，从我们接受祂开始，我们就和祂同钉十字架了。以后，我们就背起自己的十字架。主是先背而后钉，我们是先钉而后背；主是背着十字架，末了才被钉；我们是在十字架上钉死了，然后走十字架的路。所以背十字架，就是一直站在死地。

　When the Lord Jesus began to fulfill His ministry, He first was baptized; that is, He was put in the place of death. This was His bearing of the cross. Many Christians have a wrong understanding of the cross; they think that bearing the cross means to suffer. Actually, this is a wrong concept. Bearing the cross means to stand in the place of death, to accept death. Even though death can involve suffering, suffering is not necessarily equivalent to death. If we think that the cross is related only to suffering, this concept is not accurate. In the Bible the real meaning of the cross is that it leads people to the place of death. Although crucifixion is not without suffering, the purpose of crucifixion is not suffering but death. The cross is not a place of torture; it is only a place of death. Many Christians, who focus on the cross as a place of pain, are influenced by asceticism, but they do not see that the stress of the cross is not on pain and suffering but on death. Bearing the cross is not mainly related to pain and suffering but to accepting death and standing in the place of death.

　For example, a young brother, who has a desire to serve the Lord, may give up his pursuit of a Ph.D. and even forsake the enjoyment of the world. In his being he may truly desire to live a suffering life, but is he bearing the cross? This is not a certainty, even if he suffers. If, while he is serving, he is self-centered and has a bad temper and a strong personality, is he bearing the cross? Rather than bearing the cross, he is simply being a martyr. Many revolutionaries and statesmen have such a thought; they are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to accomplish something related to their idealism and ideology. Similarly, it is possible for some believers to forsake their future and lose everything that they have for the sake of Christ but still not necessarily bear the cross. There may be sacrifice and suffering but not the bearing of the cross. Bearing the cross means to stand in the place of death and to accept death.

　If people can see only suffering in a person’s work for the Lord, his work will not have much value. If, however, people can see a person who is standing in the place of death, his work will be valuable. When the Lord Jesus lived on the earth, people did not see a person who was merely suffering; rather, they saw a person who was dead. The Lord said, “The Son can do nothing from Himself” (John 5:19). He was dead to Himself. In all His living and work, the Father who dwelt in Him was doing His works. This was also the case with the apostle Paul. Some people think of Paul merely as one who sacrificed everything for the Lord, passing through all kinds of sufferings and afflictions and eventually being martyred. Actually, Paul was a person who bore the cross, a person who accepted death.

　The Lord Jesus bore the cross all His life, and at the end of His life He was actually nailed to a cross. With us, we begin our life as a Christian by being crucified with Him. From the moment we receive Him, we are crucified with Him, and then we must begin to bear the cross. The Lord first bore the cross and then was crucified; with us, we first must be crucified and then bear the cross. The Lord bore the cross and then died on the cross; we first must be crucified on the cross and then walk on the way of the cross. Bearing the cross means to stand and remain in the place of death.

　　当你看见了这些，就可以在生活里，常常用十字架作试验。比方，现在你要去和弟兄交通，你要先问自己：“我是不是在死地？我是不是在十字架上死了的人？我有没有经过十字架的死去交通？我是不是在十字架的死里经过了，并且这个死还在我身上？”你这样一试验，马上发现你这个要和弟兄交通的人，是在什么地方。再比方，你要去和一个人谈话，也许是关乎要称赞他，或责备他的话，也可能是关乎你自己的话。这些你都要试验一下，看到底你这个说话的人，有没有经过十字架的死，是不是在十字架的死里？你这样一问，立刻会发现你这个人在那里。

　　或者你要在某一件事上，寻求神的旨意。你应该问：我这个寻求的人，是否是一个经过十字架，在十字架死里的人？你如果这样问自己，马上你就会发现，你是在什么地方。神的旨意只能给在十字架上、在死地里的人知道。没有经过十字架之死的人，没有办法认识神的旨意。这是一个原则，大小事都可以此作试验。你要去买一件衣服，买每一样东西，你都得在那里作一个试验，问问自己：我有没有经过十字架？我是不是在十字架的死地？我和人作朋友，甚至我和人办交涉，是不是在死地？我是不是经过十字架的人？这一问就知道你这个人，到底有没有在死地。连你讲道和带领人，都要问自己：我这个人有没有站在死地，有没有经过死？唯有这样，你才能蒙到完全的拯救，不只脱离罪，脱离世界，也脱离天然的生命；不只脱离坏，也脱离神之外的好与善。

　　这话讲起来很简单，也很容易，但许多时候我们还是不能接受。我们试验一下就知道，我们不在死地，不能接受十字架，我们执意要照自己的意思作。这时神就会兴起环境，让我们看见环境中的十字架，我们愿意也罢，不愿意也罢，神总要把我们摆在死地，让环境中的十字架来对付我们，以达到祂在我们身上的旨意，使祂能在我们身上活出来。

　　一九六一年九月一日讲于台北

　When we see these points, the cross will become a test in our daily life. For example, when we go to have fellowship with a brother, we must first ask, “Am I in the place of death? Am I a person who has died on the cross? Have I passed through the death of the cross for this fellowship? Have I passed through the death of the cross, and am I remaining in this death?” With this kind of consideration it will not be difficult to discover whether our fellowship is out from the Lord’s life or our life. When we are about to speak with another person, whether it is to praise him or to rebuke him, or even to speak concerning our situation, we should test and see if we have passed through the death of the cross and are remaining in the place of death. Such a consideration will open the way for the Lord to enlighten us about our true condition.

　When we are seeking the Lord’s will, we should check to see if we have passed through the cross and are standing in the place of death. If we ask in this way, we will know our true condition in regard to our seeking. God’s will can be made known only to those who are on the cross and remain in the place of death. Those who have not passed through the death of the cross do not have a way to know God’s will. This is a principle that we can use to test every matter, whether great or small. When we are going to buy a garment or anything else, we should ask, “Have I passed through the cross? Am I in the death of the cross?” When we make contact with others and even when we negotiate with others, are we standing in the place of death? Have we passed through the cross? When we ask in this way, we will know whether or not we are standing in the place of death. Even when we give a message or lead others, we must ask, “Am I standing in the place of death? Have I passed through death?” This will deliver us not only from sin and the world but also from our natural human life, and not only from evil but also from any form of goodness that does not come from God.

　This word may sound simple, but it is not easy to receive. By testing, we can know whether or not we are in the place of death and can receive the cross. If we insist on doing things according to our desire, God will raise up an environment and show us the cross in this environment. Whether we are willing or not, God is always working to put us into the place of death, allowing the cross in our environment to deal with us. Such an operation is not based on our willingness but on His will that He would be lived out through us.