昨天結束時，我們說由於保羅已經向所有私慾死去，他因此不受模糊不清以及不能確定的情況所影響。他對神肯定，也對將來肯定。你明白嗎？如果你不降服於神，不要以為你就沒有降服於其他的事情。每個人都會降服於一些東西，如果你不降服於神，你就會降服於別的，例如：你的情緒、你的環境、你的恐懼、你自我中心的關注等等。如果是這樣的話，結果就只會變得沮喪、理想幻滅。

有一位醫生被請去為一名病人看病，那是一位哮喘病越來越嚴重的大公司主管。醫生不能在生理上找出任何導致他哮喘的原因，於是問他：「有沒有甚麼事情困擾著你呢？」病人回答：「醫生，沒有，我是一間教會的會友，事實上我也是教會的職員，沒有事情困擾著我。」

第二天，病人要求再見醫生，並對他說：「昨天我告訴你沒有事情困擾著我，但是我和神談了一個晚上。我望著天花板，看到這句話：『先求神的國。』醫生，我一直在尋求自己的國，我是一個完全以自我為中心的人。但昨晚有些事情發生在我身上，我現在懂得先求神的國了。」那醫生後來說：「我不禁流出了眼淚。我看到一個心靈的誕生。」降服不單表示一個心靈誕生，更表示一切都有了新生──新的關係、對生命的全新看法、面對一切的新力量，以及穩定、歸屬的新感覺；所有一切都是新的。

「每個人都會降服於一些東西」

進深研究
林後八1-9；太十九21；林前十24；腓二4

1. 基督的榜樣是甚麼？
2. 我們當如何效法基督？

祈禱
天父，我知道除非我的信心是放在終極的您裡面，否則我不能對事情作出及時的應對。求您幫助我完全降服，因為降服於您，我就不用再降服於別的東西。阿們。

The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die

Day 273

"Talking to God all night"

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation..." (v.17)

Bible reading:
2 Corinthians 5:14-21

14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Message

We ended yesterday by saying that because Paul had died to all self-interest, he was not at the mercy of ambiguity and uncertainty. Sure of God, he was sure of the future. You see, if you don't surrender to God, don't think you don't surrender. Everybody surrenders to something. If you don't surrender to God, then you will surrender to something else - your moods, your circumstances, your fears, your self-centred concerns. And if you do, you will end up becoming downcast and disillusioned.

A doctor tells of being called to see a patient, the head of a large company, who was having increasing attacks of asthma. The doctor could find no physical basis for the asthma, and so he asked the man: "Is there anything troubling you?" The patient replied: "No, doctor, I'm a member of a church, in fact an official in the church - nothing is troubling me."

The next day the patient again sent for the doctor and said to him: "Yesterday I told you nothing was troubling me, but I've been talking to God all night. I looked at the ceiling and saw the words: 'Seek first the kingdom of God.' Doctor, I've been seeking my own kingdom. I've been a completely self-centred man. But last night something happened to me. I'm seeking first the kingdom of God." The doctor said: "I went away with tears streaming down my cheeks. I had seen the birth of a soul." Surrender means not just the birth of a soul, but the birth of everything - new relationships, new perspectives on life, new power to face whatever comes, and a new sense of certainty and belonging - a new everything.

"Everybody surrenders to something"

Prayer
O Father, it is obvious that unless my confidence is placed in the Ultimate, then I will not be able to cope with the immediate. Help me to be a fully surrendered person. For surrendered to You, I need surrender to nothing else. Amen.

Further study
2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Matthew 19:21
1 Corinthians 10:24
Philippians 2:4

1. What was Christy example?
2. How can we imitate Him?

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