总题：经历、享受并彰显基督（四）
EXPERIENCING, ENJOYING, AND EXPRESSING CHRIST (4)
第五篇 生命树
The Tree of Life
读经：创二7～9，启二4～5、7，二二2、14，林后四5，五14～15
Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:7-9; Rev. 2:4-5, 7; 22:2, 14; 2 Cor. 4:5; 5:14-15
壹 基督作为生命乃是生命树的实际，而生命树是宇宙的中心；生命是神创造的目标（创一26～28、31，二7～9），也是神完整救恩的目标（约十九34，罗五10，启二二1～2、14、19）：
I. Christ as life is the reality of the tree of life, which is the center of the universe; life is the goal of God's creation (Gen. 1:26-28, 31; 2:7-9) and the goal of God's complete salvation (John 19:34; Rom. 5:10; Rev. 22:1-2, 14, 19):
一 在圣经里，生命树总是指基督，就是神一切丰富的具体化身，作我们的食物；神将人安置在生命树跟前，指明神要人借着生机的吃祂，并新陈代谢的吸收祂，而接受祂作人的生命，使神成为人之所是的构成成分—西二9，创二9，约一4，十10，十四6，十五1，六35、57、63，林前十五45下。
A. In the Bible the tree of life always signifies Christ as the embodiment of all the riches of God for our food; God's placing man in front of the tree of life indicates that God wanted man to receive Him as man's life by eating Him organically and by assimilating Him metabolically, that God might become the very constituent of man's being—Col. 2:9; Gen. 2:9; John 1:4; 10:10; 14:6; 15:1; 6:35, 57, 63; 1 Cor. 15:45b.
二 启示录二章七节的生命树是指钉十字架（由树，就是木头所含示—彼前二24）并复活（由神的生命所含示—约十一25）的基督；今天基督是在召会中，召会的终极完成乃是新耶路撒冷，在其中这位钉死并复活的基督是生命树，滋养神所有的赎民，直到永远（启二二2、14）。
B. In Revelation 2:7 the tree of life signifies the crucified (implied in the tree as a piece of wood—1 Pet. 2:24) and resurrected (implied in the life of God—John 11:25) Christ, who today is in the church, the consummation of which is the New Jerusalem, in which the crucified and resurrected Christ will be the tree of life for the nourishment of all God's redeemed people for eternity (Rev. 22:2, 14).
贰 我们需要看见神的生命在人里面所遇到的难处：
II. We need to see the obstacles that God's life encounters in man:
一 神的生命在我们里面所遇到的第一个难处，就是我们不认识我们人的观念乃是黑暗的：
A. The first problem that God's life encounters in us is that we do not realize the darkness of our human concepts:
1 我们需要看见，我们怎样对待在我们里面之活的基督，乃是基督徒生活中唯一值得关切的事—加一16，二20，四19，腓一19～21，弗四13，林后三18。
1. We need to see that the only thing that matters in the Christian life is how we take care of the living Christ in us—Gal. 1:16; 2:20; 4:19; Phil. 1:19-21; Eph. 4:13; 2 Cor. 3:18.
2 作基督徒就是不以基督以外的任何事物为标的；许多人得救后，所以有属灵生命上的难处，都是因为他们不认识生命的道路，不以基督作生命。
2. Being a Christian means not taking anything other than Christ as our aim; many people have difficulty in their spiritual life after they are saved because they do not know the pathway of life, and they do not take Christ as their life.
二 生命在我们里面所遇到的第二个难处，就是假冒—太六2、5，七5，二三13～29：
B. The second problem that life encounters in us is hypocrisy—Matt. 6:2, 5; 7:5; 23:13-29:
1 一个人是否属灵，不在于外面的表现，乃在于他如何对待内住的基督。
1. A person's spirituality is not determined by outward appearance but by how he takes care of the indwelling Christ.
2 我们天然的良善乃是假冒的属灵，这是生命的一个大拦阻；生命的彰显就是不理睬我们的天性，不管我们的爱好，简单地让基督在我们里面运行，破碎我们。
2. Our natural goodness is false spirituality and is actually a great hindrance to life; the expression of life involves the rejection of our natural disposition and preference, and simply allowing Christ to operate in us and break us.
3 若是我们凡事都凭天性、天然去作，其结果无论是什么都是假冒。
3. If we always do things according to our disposition and natural being, the outcome will always be hypocrisy.
三 生命在我们里面所遇到的第三个难处，就是悖逆：
C. The third problem that life encounters in us is rebellion:
1 基督在我们里面运行，给我们感动，叫我们明明知道祂要我们作什么，向我们要求什么，要带领我们什么，对付我们什么。
1. Christ operates and moves in us in order to make us clear about His will and requirements for us and about His leading and dealing with us.
2 然而我们若不顺服，一味地违反我们里面的感觉，不接受祂的带领，也不肯出代价，这样的反叛、顶撞，就是悖逆。
2. However, if we do not obey but go against the feeling within, not accepting His leading or paying the price, this unwillingness and opposition are rebellion.
3 我们所犯的罪，最多、最厉害的，还不是外面看得见的罪行，乃是里面那些违背基督所给我们感觉的罪恶；基督活在我们里面，祂一直给我们里面生命的感觉—罗八6，约壹二27。
3. The sin that we commit the most frequently and most severely is not outward and visible; rather, it is the sin of disobeying the sense of Christ in us; Christ is living in us, and He is constantly giving us an inward sense of life—Rom. 8:6; 1 John 2:27.
四 生命在我们里面所遇到的第四个难处，就是我们天然的干才：
D. The fourth problem that life encounters in us is our natural capability:
1 许多弟兄姊妹都非常爱主，也为主热心，实在是敬虔的；然而，他们身上最厉害的难处，就是他们的干才太大，本事太高，使得基督在他们身上没有地位，没有出路。
1. Many brothers and sisters truly love the Lord, are zealous for the Lord, and are very godly; nevertheless, their greatest problem is the strength and greatness of their capabilities and abilities; consequently, Christ has no ground or way in them.
2 我们可能有干才，有本能，却认为这不是罪恶，不是污秽；我们没有轻看这些天然的干才，反而宝贝这些干才；这在我们身上若是一直牢不可破，就会成为基督生命的难处。
2. We may be capable and talented, but we do not consider these things as sin or filthiness; instead of despising our natural capabilities, we treasure them; if they remain unbroken in us, they will become a problem to Christ's life.
五 这些难处在我们身上，只有一个解决办法，就是我们必须经过十字架，让十字架来破碎；我们要基督的生命在我们里面不受限制，就必须经历十字架的破碎，让这些难处受到对付并被除掉—太十六24～25。
E. There is one solution to all these obstacles in us—we must pass through the cross and let the cross break us; if we want Christ's life to be unhindered in us, we must experience the breaking of the cross and allow these obstacles to be dealt with and removed—Matt. 16:24-25.
叁 我们要吃基督作生命树，就必须在凡事上让基督居首位，就是以起初的爱来爱祂，受祂爱的困迫，在我们的生活中以祂为一切，接受祂作一切—启二4～5，西一18下，林后五14～15，可十二30，诗七三25～26，八十17～19：
III. In order for us to eat Christ as the tree of life, we must give Him the first place in all things, which is to love Him with the first love, being constrained by His love to regard and take Him as everything in our life—Rev. 2:4-5; Col. 1:18b; 2.Cor. 5:14-15; Mark 12:30; Psa. 73:25-26; 80:17-19:
一 以起初的爱爱主，在凡事上让祂居首位，乃是吃祂作生命树；吃基督作生命树，就是享受基督作我们生命的供应，该是召会生活中首要的事—启二7，约六57、63。
A. To love the Lord with the first love, to give Him the first place in all things, is to eat Him as the tree of life; eating Christ as the tree of life, that is, enjoying Christ as our life supply, should be the primary matter in the church life—Rev. 2:7; John 6:57, 63.
二 召会生活的内容在于享受基督；我们越享受基督，召会生活的内容就越丰富；但我们若要吃基督作生命树，享受祂作我们生命的供应，就必须用起初的爱来爱祂—启二4～5。
B. The content of the church life depends on the enjoyment of Christ; the more we enjoy Him, the richer the content will be; but to eat Christ as the tree of life, to enjoy Him as our life supply, requires us to love Him with the first love—Rev. 2:4-5.
三 一面，严格地说，启示录二章七节里吃神乐园中生命树的果子，是指在要来千年国里的新耶路撒冷，特别享受基督作我们生命的供应。
C. On the one hand, strictly speaking, to eat of the tree of life in the Paradise of God in Revelation 2:7 refers to the particular enjoyment of Christ as our life supply in the New Jerusalem in the coming millennial kingdom.
四 另一面，我们今天在召会中，正在享受钉死并复活的基督作生命树，就是在我们灵里生命的供应，作为预尝；每个地方召会都是神的乐园，在其中基督是生命树，给我们享受。
D. On the other hand, we are enjoying the crucified and resurrected Christ as the tree of life, the food supply in our spirit, as a fore-taste today in the church; every local church is a paradise of God, where Christ is the tree of life for us to enjoy.
五 当我们在凡事上让主居首位，并终日维持吃钉死并复活的基督作生命树，不管召会的情形怎样，召会要成为我们的乐园；因此，我们对召会的感觉和态度乃在于我们的光景。
E. When we give the Lord the first place in everything and maintain our eating of the crucified and resurrected Christ as the tree of life throughout the day, the church, no matter what its condition may be, becomes paradise to us; thus, our feeling and our attitude toward the church depend upon our situation.
六 “我们今天在召会生活中若不享受基督作生命树，我们必不会在国度时代有分于生命树。根据我的经历，今天在安那翰的召会，对我乃是乐园”—李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五册，活力排，二一二页。
F. "If we do not enjoy Christ as the tree of life in the church life today, surely we will not participate in the tree of life in the kingdom age. According to my experience, today the church in Anaheim is a paradise to me"—The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994–1997, vol. 5, "The Vital Groups," p. 157.
七 召会荒凉和堕落的内在原因，乃是基督没有被神的子民高举；他们没有在凡事上让祂居首位，居第一位；神的子民什么时候高举基督，让祂在他们生活的每一面居首位，就有恢复和复兴—诗八十17～19。
G. The intrinsic reason for the desolation and degradation of the church is that Christ is not exalted by God's people; they do not give Him the preeminence, the first place, in everything; when-ever God's people exalt Christ, giving Him the preeminence in every aspect of their living, there is restoration and revival—Psa. 80:17-19.
八 基督不仅必须在我们的生活中，也必须在我们一切的信息中居首位；“我们不是传自己，乃是传基督耶稣为主，也传自己为耶稣的缘故，作你们的奴仆”—林后四5，参来一3，八1，十二2，诗八十1、17～19，一一〇1～7：
H. Christ must have the first place not only in our living but also in all our messages; "we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake"—2 Cor. 4:5; cf. Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 12:2; Psa. 80:1, 17-19; 110:1-7:
1 我们作工，该时常把人拖到中心来，叫他们看见“基督是主”；我们必须把主耶稣摆在宝座上—参歌一1～4，赛六1、3，约十二41。
1. In our work we should continually draw people back to the center and let them see that "Christ is Lord"; we must give the Lord Jesus His place on the throne—cf. S. S. 1:1-4; Isa. 6:1, 3; John 12:41.
2 要传扬这样的信息，我们自己必须先被神打破摔碎，叫基督在我们身上居首位；我们的信息就是我们自己—林后四10～13，约十二24～26，参路十二49～50。
2. In order to give such a message, we ourselves must be broken by God and allow Christ to have the first place in us; our message is just our person—2 Cor. 4:10-13; John 12:24-26; cf. Luke 12:49-50.
3 主的“好”，胜过一切世人的赞美；天上的笑脸，胜过地上一切的怒脸；天上的安慰，胜过地上的眼泪—太二五21、23，耶一7～9、18～19，但四26。
3. The Lord's "well done" surpasses all the praises of the world; the smiling face of heaven surpasses all the angry faces of the earth; the comfort of heaven surpasses all the tears of the earth—Matt. 25:21, 23; Jer. 1:7-9, 18-19; Dan. 4:26.
九 要在凡事上让基督居首位，我们对祂作我们的王就必须有情深的爱，我们的舌头就会是快手的笔，照着我们对祂一切所是的经历和享受，迅速写出我们对祂的爱和赞美—诗四五1～2，林后三3、6。
I. In order to give Christ the first place in all things, we must have an affectionate love for Him as our King; then our tongue will be the pen of a.ready writer, ready to write our love for Him and our praise to Him with our experience and enjoyment of Him according to all that He is—Psa. 45:1-2; 2.Cor. 3:3,.6.
十 以起初的爱爱主，在凡事上让祂居首位，乃是以祂为我们的中心—我们维系的中心，并以祂为我们的普及—我们的一切；我们需要以祂为我们个人宇宙的中心、内容和圆周—西一17下、18下。
J. To love the Lord with the first love, to give Him the first place in all things, is to take Him as our centrality—our holding center—and our universality—our everything; we need to take Him as the center, content, and circumference of our personal universe—Col. 1:17b, 18b.
十一 以起初的爱爱主，在凡事上让祂居首位，乃是瞻仰祂的荣美，并在我们基督徒生活与工作的每个细节上求耶和华指示—诗二七4，书九14，腓四6～7。
K. To love the Lord with the first love, to give Him the first place in all things, is to behold His beauty and to ask for the counsel of Jehovah in every detail of our Christian life and work—Psa. 27:4; Josh. 9:14; Phil. 4:6-7.
十二 以起初的爱爱主，在凡事上让祂居首位，乃是受我们调和的灵所管理、管治、指引、引导和推动；借着作祂的俘虏并祷告：“主啊，征服我，使我作你的俘虏，绝不要让我得胜，要一直击败我”，而顾到我们灵里的安息—林后二13～14。
L. To love the Lord with the first love, to give Him the first place in all things, is to be dominated, governed, directed, led, and moved by our mingled spirit, caring for the rest in our spirit by being His captives and by praying, "Lord, conquer me. Make me Your captive. Never let me win. Defeat me all the time"—2 Cor. 2:13-14.
十三 以起初的爱爱主，在凡事上让祂居首位，乃是有清明的天，像可畏的水晶，其上有神蓝宝石的宝座；这意思是我们与主之间没有阻隔，并且我们被祂管治同在的属天气氛、光景和情形所充满—以祂为我们的王，并让祂在我们里面管治并作王—结一22、26。
M. To love the Lord with the first love, to give Him the first place in all things, is to have a clear sky like awesome crystal with God's sapphire throne above it; this means that there is nothing between us and the Lord and that we are filled with the heavenly atmosphere, condition, and situation of His ruling presence—taking Him as our King and allowing Him to rule and reign within us—Ezek. 1:22, 26.
十四 唯独作王的基督同着在王权上作祂帮助的得胜者在地上掌权，才能解决今天世界的问题（赛四二1～4）；基督的名要借着那些得胜并一同作王的圣徒，被万代记念并得着众民的赞美（诗四五16～17，启二26）。
N. Only Christ the King reigning on the earth with the overcomers as His helpers in the kingship can solve the problems of today's world (Isa. 42:1-4); Christ's name will be remembered in all generations and praised by the nations through His overcoming and co-reigning saints (Psa. 45:16-17; Rev. 2:26).
十五 锡安所预表的得胜者，乃是滩头堡，主要借以回来据有全地—诗四八2，但二34～35。
O. The overcomers, who are typified by Zion, are the beachhead through which the Lord will return to possess the whole earth—Psa. 48:2; Dan. 2:34-35.
十六 “众城门哪，你们要抬起头来；永久的门户啊，你们要被举起；荣耀的王将要进来。那荣耀的王是谁呢？就是刚强大能的耶和华，在争战中有大能的耶和华！……那荣耀的王是谁呢？万军之耶和华—祂是荣耀的王！”—诗二四7～8、10：
P. "Lift up your heads, O gates; . And be lifted up, O long enduring doors; . And the King of glory will come in. . Who is the King of glory? . Jehovah strong and mighty! . Jehovah mighty in battle!… . Who is this King of glory? . Jehovah of hosts—. He is the King of glory!"—Psa. 24:7-8, 10:
1 众城门是列国的城门，门户是百姓的家门；基督是万国所羡慕的（该二7）；一般说来，万国都在期待基督来临，但基督不会照着我们人的观念很快就来（彼后三8～9）；因此，我们需要抬起头来，恒切地等候并期待祂的来临。
1. The gates are of the cities of the nations; the doors are of the houses of the people, and Christ is the Desire of all the nations (Hag. 2:7); all the nations, in a general way, are expecting Christ to come, but Christ will not come quickly according to our human concept (2.Pet. 3:8-9); thus, we need to lift up our heads and await and expect His coming with long endurance.
2 荣耀的王是万军之耶和华，就是终极完成的三一神具体化身在得胜的基督里（路二一27，太二五31）；耶和华就是耶稣，耶稣就是成为肉体、钉十字架并复活的三一神，祂是刚强争战且得胜的一位（一21，启五5）。
2. The King of glory is Jehovah of hosts (that is, of armies), the consummated Triune God embodied in the victorious and over coming Christ (Luke 21:27; Matt. 25:31); Jehovah is Jesus, and Jesus is the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Triune God, who is strong in fighting and is victorious (1:21; Rev. 5:5).
3 祂要在复活里同祂的得胜者回来据有全地作祂的国—但二34～35，七13～14，珥三11，启十一15，十九13～14。
3. He is the One who will come back in resurrection with His overcomers to possess the entire earth as His kingdom—Dan. 2:34-35; 7:13-14; Joel 3:11; Rev. 11:15; 19:13-14.
十七 宝座上的这位基督，显出来的样子好像红宝石（其红色表征救赎）和碧玉（其深绿色表征丰盛的生命）；因此，当我们服从基督的元首权柄并服在祂的宝座之下，我们就成为祂在法理救赎和生机拯救上一切所是的受益者，使我们在神丰富的生命中，显出与荣耀之神相同的样子—四3，二一10～11上，罗五10。
Q. Christ as the One on the throne of God has the appearance of sardius (its red color signifying redemption) and jasper (its dark green color signifying life in its richness); thus, when we submit ourselves to Christ's headship and are under His throne, we are the beneficiaries of all that He is in His judicial redemption and His organic salvation so that we may bear the same appearance of the God of glory in His rich life—4:3; 21:10-11a; Rom. 5:10.
十八 凡用基督救赎的血洗净自己袍子的人，在永世里都有权利在圣城，就是神的乐园，享受生命树作他们永远的分—启二二14，二7。
R. Those who wash their robes in the redeeming blood of Christ have the right to enjoy the tree of life as their eternal portion in the holy city, the Paradise of God, in eternity—Rev. 22:14; 2:7.