基督徒曾经把圣灵(Holy Spirit)称为“Holy Ghost”。我们放弃了Ghost这个词,可能因为鬼是可怕的,而圣灵可以是我们最好的朋友和持续的伙伴。但也许撇弃“鬼”这个词会让我们失去一些灵里面生命的奥秘。
有一个在我们意外的神秘的灵性世界,超出了我们眼睛看到的,以及耳朵听到的。但是,当我们把自己的生命交托给基督,并在圣灵中被更新的生命充满时,我们就能与那个世界相通。
圣经解释说,属世的人不能理解属灵的事,因为它们是属灵的事物。当我们只追求物质的祝福时,我们就错过了最大的祝福。当我们只关注我们周围的世界时,我们就错过了一个近在咫尺、真实存在的属灵现实:在灵里的生命。
来探索这个由神在圣经中启示并显明的神秘现实吧!来见见神的灵。神的灵是有位格的存在,祂想与你建立个人关系。神的灵要充满你,赋予你力量,教导你,启发你,带领你,与你一起叹息,透过你祷告,藉着你歌唱。
圣灵为你预备了奇妙的恩赐,还有你周围人所渴想的美德的果子。
耶稣的灵,请开启我的眼睛,看见灵性的生命。愿我不因满足于周围自然世界的微光而错过神奥妙的智慧。阿们。
哥林多前书 2:6-16
6然而,在完全的人中,我们也讲智慧,但不是这世上的智慧,也不是这世上有权有位将要败亡之人的智慧。
7我们讲的,乃是从前所隐藏、神奥秘的智慧,就是神在万世以前预定使我们得荣耀的。
8这智慧,世上有权有位的人没有一个知道的,他们若知道,就不把荣耀的主钉在十字架上了。
9如经上所记:“神为爱他的人所预备的,是眼睛未曾看见,耳朵未曾听见,人心也未曾想到的。”
10只有神藉着圣灵向我们显明了。因为圣灵参透万事,就是神深奥的事也参透了。
11除了在人里头的灵,谁知道人的事?像这样,除了神的灵,也没有人知道神的事。
12我们所领受的,并不是世上的灵,乃是从神来的灵,叫我们能知道神开恩赐给我们的事。
13并且我们讲说这些事,不是用人智慧所指教的言语,乃是用圣灵所指教的言语,将属灵的话解释属灵的事。
14然而,属血气的人不领会神圣灵的事,反倒以为愚拙;并且不能知道,因为这些事唯有属灵的人才能看透。
15属灵的人能看透万事,却没有一人能看透了他。
16“谁曾知道主的心,去教导他呢?”但我们是有基督的心了。
"'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'— . . . these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Christians used to refer to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Ghost. We probably dropped that term because ghosts are scary, while the Holy Spirit can be our best friend and continuous companion. But maybe we lost some of the mystery of life in the Spirit when we left the word "ghost" behind.
There is a mysterious spiritual world out there beyond what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears. But we can connect with that world when we surrender our life to Christ and are filled with new life in the Holy Spirit.
The Bible explains that the natural person cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned. When we seek only material blessings, we miss the greatest blessing of all. When we look only at the world around us, we miss a spiritual reality that is close, real, and available: life in the Spirit.
Come and explore this mysterious reality made concrete by God's revelation in the Bible. Come and meet the person of the Spirit of God. The Spirit is a person, and he wants a personal relationship with you. The Spirit of God wants to fill you, empower you, teach you, enlighten you, lead you, groan with you, pray through you, and even sing through you.
The Holy Spirit has marvelous gifts for you and tasty fruit that people around you will crave.
Spirit of Jesus, open my eyes to life in the Spirit. May I not miss the hidden wisdom of God by settling for mere glimmers in the natural world around me. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳