11月17日 认识神
11月17日，周一
认识神
神把祂的灵赐给我们，我们就知道我们是住在祂里面，祂也住在我们里面。（约翰壹书4:13）
我们可以、也应当确实知道，我们与神有这样的关系，并且我们拥有祂所赐的生命。这正是基督徒生命的本质。约翰说：“我们知道，我们确定无疑。”约翰写这封书信的目的，就是要基督徒拥有这确据：“我把这些事写给你们信神的儿子之名的人，是要你们知道自己有永生。”（约壹5:13）
因此，我们如今应当得着这样的认识，我们绝不应该满足于停留在任何模糊不清或不确定的状态里。对我来说，这份“知道”就是整个新约教导的核心。圣经所赐给我们的，就是这份真实而确切的知识：神住在我们里面，我们也住在祂里面。我们不该停在半途，而是要继续追求，直到得着这确据。圣经说，我们没有理由在这些事上保持不确定——“是要你们知道”。一个仍然在这件事上摇摆、犹疑的基督徒，其实是在羞辱基督的福音、羞辱主在十字架上成就的救恩与祂荣耀的复活。
我们必须继续寻求，直到我们得着完全明确的确据和坚定的信心，以及因这确据而生出的喜乐与欢腾。整本新约就是为要让神的儿女得着这样的确据。我甚至认为这是必然的结果。我无法理解一个人不仅缺少这确据，还会反对基督徒拥有这样的确据。
我们以前不信的时候是死的，没有属灵生命。一个人成为基督徒，必须重生——藉着信——使神的生命进入自己的生命。那么，我们里面若已经有了神的生命，我们怎么可能却毫无察觉呢？我要说，这是绝不可能的！
默想主题：
我们必须继续寻求，直到我们得着完全明确的确据和坚定的信心，以及因这确据而生出的喜乐与欢腾。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代上9-10章，来12章
个人灵修：摩6章，路1:39-80
November 17, Monday
KNOWING GOD
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 JOHN 4:13)
We may know, and should know, that we are in a relationship to God and that we possess His life. That is the nature of the Christian life. “Hereby,” says John, “know we”—we know it, and we are certain of it. John’s whole business in writing this letter is that we may have this knowledge: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
Now we all possess this knowledge, and we must never be satisfied with anything less than that. This knowledge is to me the very essence of the New Testament teaching. What the Bible offers us is nothing less than this knowledge that God is in us and we in Him, and we should not rest for a moment until we have it. We have no right to be uncertain—“that ye may know.” Christians who are uncertain of these things are doing dishonor to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the work of Christ upon the cross, and to His glorious resurrection. We must not rest until we have full and certain assurance, confidence, and jubilation. The whole of the New Testament has been written in order that we may have it, and I argue that this is something that really must be inevitable. I cannot understand anyone who not only lacks this certainty, but who would even be prepared to argue against such a certainty.
As unbelievers we were dead; we had no spiritual life. A Christian must be born again, by faith, in order to have the life of God in his soul. So is it possible that we can have such life in us and not know it? I say that is impossible!
A Thought to Ponder: We must not rest until we have full and certain assurance, confidence, and jubilation.