第二週 • 週二
晨興餧養
可十29~30 …人為我〔耶穌〕和福音，撇下…，沒有不在今世得百倍，…且要在來世得永遠生命的。
啟二10 …務要至死忠信，我就賜給你那生命的冠冕。
來世得永生，是在將來千年國的時候，只關係我們在國度時得賞賜，並不關係我們永遠得救。
主耶穌在〔馬可十章二十九至三十節〕說到今世和來世。今世就是現今的世代，也就是我們今天所處的這恩典時代。來世是將來的世代，也就是將要來的國度時代。主在這裏應許說，我們若為祂和福音撇下一切，必在來世得永遠的生命。這給我們看見，來世得永遠的生命，乃是一個賞賜，是需要我們出代價—就是為主和福音撇下一切—纔能得着的。…前面所看的，…是一信就得着永遠的生命；這是在今世撇下一切，等到來世纔得着永遠的生命。所以這不關係我們永遠得救，乃關係我們在國度時得賞賜（李常受文集一九三二至一九四九年第三冊，三○一至三○二頁）。
信息選讀
這個需要我們撇下一切，換得在來世纔得着的永遠生命，必是主在千年國時，所給我們的賞賜。這是告訴我們，主是把千年國時，人對永遠的生命一段時期的享受，特別劃出來，作為那些忠心跟從祂者的賞賜。
主…應許說，祂要把生命的冠冕，賜給為祂至死忠信的人〔啟二10〕。冠冕乃是作王的榮耀的表號。生命的冠冕，就是在生命中作王之榮耀的表號。…這個在生命中作王的榮耀，乃是主賜給為祂至死忠信的人的，所以是為主至死忠信所換得的。這不是因信白白在今世得到的永生的恩賜，乃是因出了極大的代價，換得在來世得到的永生的賞賜。這個賞賜，就是得以在將來享受在生命中作王的榮耀。這自然是在千年國的時候。
〔啟示錄二章七節〕所說的神的樂園，裏面有生命樹。所以這樂園就是將來的新耶路撒冷，因為將來只有新耶路撒冷裏有生命樹（二二2）。新耶路撒冷和其中的一切福分，是神為我們所有蒙恩的人所豫備的，要我們在永世裏—就是在新天新地時—享受。但主在這裏（二7）卻應許，要把新耶路撒冷裏生命樹的果子，當作賞賜，賞給得勝的信徒喫。…主是要在千年國的時候，先把新耶路撒冷裏生命樹的果子，當作賞賜，賞給祂的得勝者。這就叫我們知道，雖然所有的信徒將來在新天新地時，都得享受新耶路撒冷和其中的福分，但只有得勝的信徒，纔能在千年國時，得豫嘗新耶路撒冷裏生命樹的果子。喫生命樹的果子，就是享受永生的福分，也就是享受永生。豫嘗生命樹的果子，就是豫先享受永生的福分。這永生福分的享受，到新天新地時，是所有蒙恩的人都得有分的。但這永生福分的豫享豫嘗，只是得勝的信徒在千年國時所能有分的。新天新地還未來到之前，主在千年國的時候，先把永生的福分—就是生命樹的果子—的新鮮，當作賞賜，給得勝的信徒豫嘗豫享。所以這是在來世得享永生，和在今世得永生，或在永世享永生，都是不同的（李常受文集一九三二至一九四九年第三冊，三○二至三○四頁）。
參讀：約翰一書生命讀經，第四篇。
WEEK 2 — DAY 2
Morning Nourishment
Mark 10:29-30 …There is no one who has left…for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now at this time…and in the coming age, eternal life.
Rev. 2:10 …Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Obtaining life in the coming age, which is the time of the millennial kingdom, is related only to the matter of reward in the kingdom age; it is not related to our eternal salvation.
In Mark 10:29-30 the Lord Jesus speaks of the present age and the coming age. The present age is the age today; it is the age of grace in which we live. The coming age is the next age; it is the age of the coming millennial kingdom. The Lord promised that if we leave everything for His sake and for the gospel’s sake, we will obtain eternal life in the coming age. This shows that obtaining eternal life in the coming age is a reward for which we must pay a price, the price of leaving everything for the Lord’s sake and for the gospel’s sake…Previously, we gained eternal life by believing, but in these verses we will obtain eternal life in the coming age only if we leave everything. Therefore, this obtaining is not related to eternal salvation; instead, it is related to our reward in the coming kingdom age. (CWWL, 1932- 1949, vol. 3, “Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Volume 1,” pp. 224-225)
Todays Reading
Since obtaining eternal life in the coming age requires us to leave everything in this age, it must be related to the reward that the Lord gives in the millennial kingdom. This shows that the Lord especially designated the kingdom age as a period of enjoyment of eternal life as a reward for those who faithfully follow Him.
The Lord promises to give the crown of life to those who are faithful unto death [Rev. 2:10]. A crown is a symbol of the glory of reigning as a king. The crown of life is a symbol of the glory of reigning in life…The glory of reigning in life is given to those who are faithful unto death; it is bought at the price of being faithful unto death. This is not related to the free, gracious gift of eternal life obtained by faith in this age; rather, it is the reward of eternal life obtained in the coming age for paying the highest price. This reward is to enjoy the glory of reigning in life in the coming age. This will be in the
millennial kingdom.
The Paradise of God spoken of [in verse 7] has the tree of life. Therefore, this Paradise must be the future New Jerusalem because the coming New Jerusalem has the tree of life (22:2). The New Jerusalem and all its blessings have been prepared for us by God and are for our enjoyment in eternity in the new heaven and new earth. In 2:7 the Lord promised that to eat of the fruit of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem would be a reward to the overcoming believers…The Lord will give the fruit of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem as a reward to the overcoming believers in the millennial kingdom. Although all believers will enjoy the New Jerusalem with its blessings in the new heaven and new earth, only the overcomers will have a foretaste of the fruit of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom. To eat the fruit of the tree of life is to enjoy the blessing of eternal life, to enjoy eternal life itself. To have a foretaste of the fruit of the tree of life is to have an early enjoyment of the blessing of eternal life. This enjoyment of the blessing of eternal life is something every saved one will partake of in the new heaven and new earth. However, only the overcomers will enjoy the foretaste of the blessing of eternal life in the millennial kingdom. Before the coming of the new heaven and new earth, the Lord first gives the freshness of the blessing of eternal life, the fruit of the tree of life, as a reward to the overcomers as a foretaste and early enjoyment in the millennial kingdom. Thus, enjoying eternal life in the coming age is different from obtaining eternal life in the present age and enjoying eternal life in eternity. (CWWL, 1932-1949, vol. 3, “Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Volume 1,” pp. 225-226)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 John, msg. 4
