第四週■週二
晨興餧養
羅九15 ～ 16『因爲祂對摩西說，「我要向誰施憐憫，就向誰施憐憫；要對誰動憐恤，就對誰動憐恤。」這樣看來，這不在於那定意的，也不在於那奔跑的，只在於那施憐憫的神。』
我們是蒙憐憫得尊貴和榮耀的器皿，照着神主宰的憐憫蒙祂揀選。（羅九11 ～ 16。）…作蒙憐憫的器皿不是我們揀選的結果，乃是起源於神的主宰權柄。神把我們造成蒙憐憫的器皿，盛裝祂自己，這是出於神的主宰。祂的主宰是祂揀選的基礎。
神甚至在我們出生以前，事實上，是在創立世界以前，就揀選了我們。（弗一4。）人的揀選在於人本身是怎樣的人。那些善良可愛、前途光明、或大有成就的人，可能被揀選。但神的揀選不在於我們的所是，而完全在於神的主宰和祂的願望。
羅馬九章給我們看見神主宰憐憫的〔一個〕描繪，就是窰匠和泥。…神這窰匠對泥土有權柄。〔20 ～21。〕祂若願意，祂能拿一塊作成貴重的器皿，又拿一塊作成卑賤的器皿。這不在於我們的揀選—這乃在於祂的主宰。（新約總論第五册，一四五至一四六頁。）
信息選讀
在羅馬九章二十三至二十四節保羅接着問：『且要在那些蒙憐憫、早豫備得榮耀的器皿上，彰顯祂榮耀的豐富；這器皿就是我們這蒙祂所召的，不但從猶太人中，也從外邦人中，這有甚麼不可？』一切在於神的權柄。神有權柄把我們，就是祂所揀選並呼召的，作成蒙憐憫的器皿盛裝祂，使祂榮耀的豐富得着彰顯、顯明。照着祂主宰的權柄，祂早已豫備我們得榮耀。我們被祂的主宰所豫定，作祂的容器，就是蒙憐憫得尊貴和榮耀的器皿，以彰顯祂。這件事全然是神主宰的憐憫。（新約總論第五册，一四六至一四七頁。）
我們若要在神新約的經綸裏事奉神，就需要認識這完全是在於神主宰的憐憫。經過多年的經歷，我堅定也深刻的相信，我們遭遇的每件事，都是出於神的憐憫。一切都是神的憐憫。我們越看見這點，就自然越在主面前背負責任。然而，甚至背負責任也是出於神的憐憫。爲甚麼有些信徒願意背負責任，有些信徒不願意？答案在於神的憐憫。〔羅九15。〕因着神的憐憫，我們對福音有反應而別人沒有反應，我們接受關於基督是生命的話而別人拒絕接受，我們走主恢復的路而別人退後不走這條路。…就着神的恢復來說，神向祂所要施憐憫的人施了憐憫。我們在主的恢復裏，…完全是由於神的憐憫。你若想想主如何將你帶進主恢復裏的召會生活，就要爲祂的憐憫敬拜祂。就着福音、生命的職事、和召會生活來說，神已經憐憫了我們。我們必須爲着祂主宰的憐憫讚美祂，爲着祂的憐憫敬拜祂！
〔在以弗所二章四節〕我們看見，神因祂向着我們的大愛，富於憐憫。愛的對象應該是在可愛的光景裏，但憐憫的對象總是在可憐的光景裏。因着神的愛，神的憐憫臨到了我們。神愛我們，因爲我們是祂揀選的對象；然而我們因着墮落變得極爲可憐，甚至死在過犯並罪之中，所以我們需要神的憐憫臨到我們。因着祂的大愛，神是富於憐憫的，把我們從可憐的地位，救到適合祂愛的光景。神這搆得最遠的屬性，該使我們的心回應祂的愛。（新約總論第一册，一一六至一一七頁。）
參讀：新約總論，第一百一十篇。
WEEK 4 — DAY 2
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 9:15-16 For to Moses He says, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
As vessels of mercy unto honor and glory, we were chosen by God according to His sovereign mercy (Rom. 9:11-16)…Being a vessel of mercy is not the result of our choice; it originates with God’s sovereignty. It is of God’s sovereignty that He created us vessels of mercy to contain Himself. His sovereignty is the basis of His selection.
God chose us even before we were born, in fact, before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Human selection depends on what people are in themselves. Those who are good, promising, or successful are likely to be selected. God’s selection, on the contrary, does not depend on what we are; it depends entirely on God’s sovereignty and His desire.
[An] illustration of God’s sovereign mercy found in Romans 9 is that of the potter and the clay…As the potter God has authority over the clay [vv. 20- 21]. If He wills, He can make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor. This does not depend on our choice—it depends on His sovereignty. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1184-1186)
Todays Reading
In Romans 9:23 and 24 Paul goes on to [say], “In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory, even us, whom He has also called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles.” All depends on God’s authority. God has the authority to make us, whom He has selected and called, vessels of mercy to contain Him so that the riches of His glory may be made known, manifested. According to His sovereign authority, He before prepared us unto glory. We were predestinated by His sovereignty to be His containers, vessels of mercy unto honor and glory to express Him. This is altogether a matter of God’s sovereign mercy.
If we would serve God in His New Testament economy, we need to know that it is wholly a matter of God’s sovereign mercy. Through many years of experience I have become strongly and deeply convinced that everything that happens to us is of God’s mercy. All is a matter of God’s mercy. The more we see this, the more we shall spontaneously bear our responsibility before the Lord. However, even the bearing of responsibility is of God’s mercy. Why is it that some believers are willing to bear their responsibility and that others are not? The answer lies in God’s mercy [Rom. 9:15]…Because of God’s mercy we responded to the gospel when others did not respond, we
received a word about Christ as life when others refused to receive it, and we took the way of the Lord’s recovery when others drew back from taking this way. Regarding His recovery, God has mercy on whom He will have mercy… Our being here is altogether due to the mercy of God. If you consider how the Lord brought you into the church life in the Lord’s recovery, you will worship Him for His mercy. Concerning the gospel, the ministry of life, and the church life, God has had mercy on us. How we must praise Him for His sovereign mercy, and worship Him for His mercy!
[In Ephesians 2:4] we see that God is rich in mercy because of His great love toward us. The object of love should be in a lovable condition, but the object of mercy is always in a pitiful situation. God’s mercy reaches us for His love. God loves us because we are the object of His selection. But we became pitiful by our fall, even dead in our offenses and sins. Therefore, we need God’s mercy to reach us. Because of His great love, God is rich in mercy to save us from our wretched position to a condition that is suitable for His love. This most far-reaching attribute of God should cause our heart to react to His love. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1186, 100)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 110
