8月15日 新生的迹象

你们必须重生。（约三7）

“人老了，如何能重生呢？”答案是在于人肯死去－－对自己的权利、德行、宗教，以及其他一切全然死去，然后接受一个他从来没有的生命。这新生命是从有意识的悔改，及不自觉的成圣中孕育出来。

“凡接待他的。”（约一12）我对耶稣的认识，是因内在属灵生命的体会，还是从听人家讲论而来？我生命中有没有什么使我与主耶稣相连，使我以他为个人救主？一切的灵性历史，都必须以个人认识作为基石。重生的意思，就是我看见了主耶稣。

“人若不重生，就不能见神的国。”（约三3）我是否在寻找天国？还是看到神的统治？重生使我有了新的异象，叫我能够体察神的统治。他的统治其实一直存在，是与他的本性相符的；如今我既接受了他，就看得见他的统治。“凡从神生的，就不犯罪。”（约壹三9）我是设法不犯罪？还是已经停止犯罪？从神生的，就有神超然的能力，可以停止犯罪。圣经从没有问：基督徒应否犯罪？圣经强调基督徒必不可犯罪。新生命的效能就是使我们不犯罪，不单是有能力不犯罪，而是根本停止去犯。约翰一书三章9节不是说我们没有犯罪的可能；乃是说我们若顺服神在我们里面的生命，就不会犯罪。

祈祷◆主啊，我似乎令你忧心－－那将会带来什么后果呢？让我在你的门口守候和等待。

August 15 Signs Of The New Birth

“Ye must be born again.” John 3:7

The answer to the question “How can a man be born when he is old?” is – When he is old enough to die – to die right out to his “rag rights,” to his virtues, to his religion, to everything, and to receive into himself the life which never was there before. The new life manifests itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness.

“As many as received Him.” (John 1:12) Is my knowledge of Jesus born of internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned by listening to others? Have I something in my life that connects me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Saviour? All spiritual history must have a personal knowledge for its bedrock. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Do I seek for signs of the Kingdom, or do I perceive God's rule? The new birth gives a new power of vision whereby I begin to discern God's rule. His rule was there all the time, but true to His nature; now that I have received His nature I can see His rule.

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” (1 John 3:9) Do I seek to stop sinning or have I stopped sinning? To be born of God means that I have the supernatural power of God to stop sinning. In the Bible it is never – Should a Christian sin? The Bible puts it emphatically – A Christian must not sin. The effective working of the new birth life in us is that we do not commit sin, not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have stopped sinning. 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin; it means that if we obey the life of God in us, we need not sin.