我相信那是由於舊約的靈性復興，雖然充滿力量及革新的意味，但沒有包含足夠建立規範的元素。聖靈是靈性復興的首要媒介，但在舊約中，聖靈卻只以有限的方式運行，祂的職事既是特別、短暫，也是間歇的；來了又去，總是將力量注入臨時的任務中。再者，在舊約時代，聖靈是從外面臨到人間，並非永遠住在人們裡面，聖經這樣形容參孫：「在瑪哈尼但，就是瑣拉和以實陶中間，耶和華的靈才感動他」（士十三25）。聖靈的職事在舊約中受到限制的另一個原因，是因為當時沒有最適當的媒介讓聖靈彰顯出來。

今天的經文將這一切真理聯繫起來，經文告訴我們，只有在耶穌基督得榮耀後，聖靈才能全面賜下。為甚麼？因為只有透過耶穌的生命和死亡，人才能真正看見和明白神的能力。永恆的能力不單以預兆、奇事及神蹟出現，也在十字架、死亡、受苦和勝過罪惡中作工。在五旬節所降下的能力若要成為未來世代的模範，便不單只是能力，而是基督樣式的能力。

「永恆的能力足以勝過罪惡」

進深研究
約十六1-16，六63，十五26；羅八11

1. 試列出數件耶穌提到關於聖靈的事情。
2. 關於聖靈的能力，保羅說了甚麼？

祈禱
天父，感謝您差派耶穌來啟示我們有關聖靈和您的真理。我現在清楚的看到，不單您是基督樣式的神，聖靈也是基督樣式的聖靈。我的心靈實在充滿感恩，阿們。

Heaven-Sent Revival

Day 312

Christlike power

"Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (v.39)

Bible reading:
John 7:32-39

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.

34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

36 What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."[a]

39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Message

Yesterday we said that the pattern for revival is based on what God did for His people on the Day of Pentecost. But why could the pattern not be based on the many revivals we read about in the Old Testament such as those that took place under Nehemiah, Hezekiah or even David?

I believe it was because the Old Testament revivals, while powerful and reformative, did not contain enough ingredients on which to establish a norm. The Holy Spirit - always the prime agent in any revival - operated in a limited way. His ministry was special, temporary and intermittent. He came and went, providing temporary infusions of power for temporary tasks. Also in Old Testament times He came upon people from the outside as opposed to residing permanently on the inside. It was said of Samson: "And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan" (Judges 13:25, AV). Yet another reason why the Spirit's ministry was limited in the Old Testament is the fact there was no perfect vehicle through whom He could reveal Himself.

The passage before us today draws all these strands of truth together when it tells us that the Spirit could not be fully given until Jesus had been glorified. Why should this be so? It was because only through the life and death of Jesus could God's power be properly seen and understood. Eternal power must be seen not only in the context of signs, wonders and miracles, but at work on a cross, dying, suffering and overcoming sin. The power that fell at Pentecost, if it is to be the pattern for the centuries to come, must not be just power - but Christlike power.

"Eternal power is at work overcoming sin"

Prayer
O Father, how can I ever sufficiently thank You for sending Jesus to reveal the truth about the Holy Spirit, as well as about You? I see now so clearly that not only are You a Christlike God but the Spirit is a Christlike Spirit. I am so grateful. Amen.

Further study
John 16:1-16; 6:63; 15:26
Romans 8:11

1. List several things Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit.
2. What did Paul say concerning the power of the Holy Spirit?

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