害怕死去的麦子
恩上加恩
经文
约翰福音一1-17
1太初有道，道与神同在，道就是神。
2这道太初与神同在。
3万物是借着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是借着他造的。
4生命在他里头，这生命就是人的光。
5光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光。
6有一个人，是从神那里差来的，名叫约翰。
7这人来，为要作见证，就是为光作见证，叫众人因他可以信。
8他不是那光，乃是要为光作见证。
9那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。
10他在世界，世界也是借着他造的，世界却不认识他。
11他到自己的地方来，自己的人倒不接待他。
12凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄，作神的儿女。
13这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。
14道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满的有恩典有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。
15约翰为他作见证，喊着说：这就是我曾说：那在我以后来的，反成了在我以前的，因他本来在我以前。
16从他丰满的恩典里，我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。
17律法本是借着摩西传的；恩典和真理都是由耶稣基督来的。
信息分享
今天我们尝试思考一个问题：神带领我们进入一些不能确定、含糊不清的境况有甚么目的？神这样做的目的是让我们学习倚靠祂而不是靠我们自己；在孤单的时候，我们要学习察觉祂的同在；在不能确定的时候，我们要学习察觉祂的能力。
我们的生命不结果子的主要原因在于：我们倚靠自己的力量多于神的力量。神如何教导我们倚靠祂？就是使我们置身于不能确定的境况下，来促使我们选择沮丧或者是信心的道路。如果我们从这些境况中退缩，便会错过宝贵的属灵教导，我们的生命便会显得肤浅和幼稚。
我曾听过一句话，这话总结了我对所有含糊和不确定的看法。那句话是：「神的目的总是借此来赐下能力。」换句话说，神引领你进入陌生和不确定的境况时，祂也许不会让你知道祂的目的，但祂不会令你缺少祂的恩典。神的目的和神的恩典是一个硬币的两面。如果你接受那目的，你便得到那恩典；如果你拒绝那目的，你便失却那恩典。无论神在你生命中定下甚么目的，祂都会给你足够的恩典去完成。今天的经文提到「恩上加恩」，我认识一位传道人将经文翻译为：「运用我给你的恩典，并肯定将来还会源源不绝地赐下。」
「神的目的相等于神的能力」
进深研究
林后十二1-10；弗二6-7；腓四19
1. 保罗怎么看「他肉体中的刺」？
2. 他的态度怎么样？
祈祷
天父，求您帮助我懂得掌握今天的教训，活出神所应许「恩上加恩」的人生。愿荣耀和尊贵都归与您那无可比拟和宝贵的名字。阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Grace upon grace'
Bible reading:
John 1:1-17
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'")
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Message
Today we ask: What purpose does God have in leading us into situations which are uncertain and ambiguous? He does so in order that we might learn to depend on Him and not on ourselves. Just as in times of loneliness we learn to realise His presence, so in times of uncertainty we learn to realise His power.
The major reason why our lives are unfruitful lies right here: we depend more on our own strength than we do on His. How can God teach us dependence unless He puts us into situations which are so uncertain that we are compelled either to choose the way of frustration or the way of faith? And if we draw back from entering such situations, we will miss a valuable spiritual education and our lives will become barren.
A statement I came across some time ago sums up what I want to say concerning ambiguity and uncertainty. It is this: "God's purposes are always God's enablings." In other words, when God steers you into strange and uncertain situations, He will keep you very much in the dark concerning His purposes, but He will not leave you bereft of His grace. The purpose of God and the grace of God are two sides of the one coin. If you accept the purpose, you get the grace; if you refuse the purpose, you annul the grace. Anything God purposes for you, He gives you the grace to perform. John speaks in our text for today of "grace upon grace". One preacher I know translates that text like this: "Use the grace I give you and rest assured - there will always be more to follow."
"God's purposes are always God's enablings"
Prayer
O Father, how wonderful it would be if I could master this lesson today, and become a living illustration of "grace upon grace". May it be so, to the honour and glory of Your peerless and precious Name. Amen.
Further study
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Ephesians 2:6-7
Philippians 4:19
1.How did Paul view his "thorn in the flesh"
2. What was his attitude?
本文英文版权属 CWR 所有，承蒙允准刊载。
背景音乐版权属 赞美之泉音乐事工 所有，承蒙允准使用。