我相信那是由于旧约的灵性复兴，虽然充满力量及革新的意味，但没有包含足够建立规范的元素。圣灵是灵性复兴的首要媒介，但在旧约中，圣灵却只以有限的方式运行，祂的职事既是特别、短暂，也是间歇的；来了又去，总是将力量注入临时的任务中。再者，在旧约时代，圣灵是从外面临到人间，并非永远住在人们里面，圣经这样形容参孙：「在玛哈尼但，就是琐拉和以实陶中间，耶和华的灵才感动他」（士十三25）。圣灵的职事在旧约中受到限制的另一个原因，是因为当时没有最适当的媒介让圣灵彰显出来。

今天的经文将这一切真理联系起来，经文告诉我们，只有在耶稣基督得荣耀后，圣灵才能全面赐下。为甚么？因为只有透过耶稣的生命和死亡，人才能真正看见和明白神的能力。永恒的能力不单以预兆、奇事及神迹出现，也在十字架、死亡、受苦和胜过罪恶中作工。在五旬节所降下的能力若要成为未来世代的模范，便不单只是能力，而是基督样式的能力。

「永恒的能力足以胜过罪恶」

进深研究
约十六1-16，六63，十五26；罗八11

1. 试列出数件耶稣提到关于圣灵的事情。
2. 关于圣灵的能力，保罗说了甚么？

祈祷
天父，感谢您差派耶稣来启示我们有关圣灵和您的真理。我现在清楚的看到，不单您是基督样式的神，圣灵也是基督样式的圣灵。我的心灵实在充满感恩，阿们。

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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