昨天结束时，我们说由于保罗已经向所有私欲死去，他因此不受模糊不清以及不能确定的情况所影响。他对神肯定，也对将来肯定。你明白吗？如果你不降服于神，不要以为你就没有降服于其他的事情。每个人都会降服于一些东西，如果你不降服于神，你就会降服于别的，例如：你的情绪、你的环境、你的恐惧、你自我中心的关注等等。如果是这样的话，结果就只会变得沮丧、理想幻灭。

有一位医生被请去为一名病人看病，那是一位哮喘病越来越严重的大公司主管。医生不能在生理上找出任何导致他哮喘的原因，于是问他：「有没有甚么事情困扰着你呢？」病人回答：「医生，没有，我是一间教会的会友，事实上我也是教会的职员，没有事情困扰着我。」

第二天，病人要求再见医生，并对他说：「昨天我告诉你没有事情困扰着我，但是我和神谈了一个晚上。我望着天花板，看到这句话：『先求神的国。』医生，我一直在寻求自己的国，我是一个完全以自我为中心的人。但昨晚有些事情发生在我身上，我现在懂得先求神的国了。」那医生后来说：「我不禁流出了眼泪。我看到一个心灵的诞生。」降服不单表示一个心灵诞生，更表示一切都有了新生──新的关系、对生命的全新看法、面对一切的新力量，以及稳定、归属的新感觉；所有一切都是新的。

「每个人都会降服于一些东西」

进深研究
林后八1-9；太十九21；林前十24；腓二4

1. 基督的榜样是甚么？
2. 我们当如何效法基督？

祈祷
天父，我知道除非我的信心是放在终极的您里面，否则我不能对事情作出及时的应对。求您帮助我完全降服，因为降服于您，我就不用再降服于别的东西。阿们。

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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