第五章 謙卑顯于耶穌門徒身上 Chapter 5–Humility in the Disciples of Jesus

你們裏頭……為首領的，倒要像服事人的。(路廿二26)
“Let him that is chief among you be as he that doth serve.” -Luke 22:26.

我們已經讀過謙卑顯於耶穌身上並出現在他的教訓中，現在讓我們從他所揀選的同伴–十二個門徒身上來看這件事。一開始我們看見他們身上缺少謙卑，與基督本身成為強烈的對比，這會使我們讚歎五旬節時那一百八十度的轉變，證明人可以真正有份於基督的謙卑，完全勝過撒但吹入人裏面之驕傲的毒氣。

我們在前一章已看見這些門徒在某些場合十足缺少謙卑。有一次他們在路上爭論著誰為大，又有一次西庇大的兒子們同著他們的母親去向主求首位–主左右的高位；以後在吃最後晚餐的那一夜，他們再度爭論誰為大。他們並非沒有在主面前真正自卑的時候。比方彼得會呼喊著：”主啊！離開我，我是個罪人。”(路五8）當耶穌使風止住時，門徒們都俯伏拜他(參太十四24－33）。但這種偶爾特別謙卑的表現，只會更多顯露他們的本相。他們已習慣給己的權勢留地步，所以在其他場合裏會自然而然地顯露出來。思想這些事，會學到一些重要的功課。

1．謙卑仍那麼缺乏時，信仰仍會披著何等熱切與活潑的外貌–讓我們從門徒們身上來探討。他們熱切地追隨耶穌，為他撇下了一切。父啟示他們他就是神的基督。他們信他、愛他、服從他的命令，撇下一切來跟隨他。當其他人都退後離開主時，他們仍然緊隨他，準備與他同死。但有一個黑暗的權勢，深深地隱蔽在這一切的背後，而他們幾乎沒有覺察到它的存在與可怕性，除非它被除滅、被逐出去，否則他們無法見證耶穌拯救的大能。即使在現今這個世代，仍然如此。我們看見很多教授、傳道人、福音使者、工人、宣教士、教師身上有諸般聖靈的恩賜彰顯出來，成為祝福群眾的導管。但是當試驗來臨時，或是藉著親密的交往而更深地認識他之後，會很痛心地發現他缺少謙卑這項恩典，謙卑尚未成為他身上恒常不變的特性。大家都願意承認謙卑是最重要、最高的德行之一，但也是最難學會的功課之一，所以需要花費最大的心力，當作首要目標來追求。藉著豐滿的聖靈，我們能與內住的基督有份，只有當他住到我們裏面來時，謙卑才會在權能中來臨。

2．想要藉著外面的教導與個人的努力，來制服驕傲或帶下柔和謙卑的心，是何等徒勞無益–門徒們有三年的時間在耶穌手下受訓，他告訴他們所當學的第一樣功課是：”我心裏柔和謙卑，你們當學我的樣式。”他一次又一次地對他們、法利賽人和群眾提到，謙卑乃通往神榮耀的唯一途徑。他不但在他們面前活出神羔羊那屬天謙卑的樣式，而且不只一次向他們揭露他生命中最深的奧秘：”人子來不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人。””我在你們中間如同服事人的。”只洗他們的腳，並告訴他們要效法他的榜樣。但這一切的果效微乎其微。在最後晚餐時，他們仍爭論著誰為大。他們一定常常努力要學好這功課，也下定決心不要再傷他的心，然而一切終歸徒然。藉此他們和我們都上了一堂必修課，深知趕出驕傲之魔不是藉著外面的教導，連基督自己都辦不到；不是藉著辯論，不管論證多麼具說服力；不是使人感覺到謙卑的美麗，不管這感覺多麼深刻，也不是靠個人的決心與努力，不管這人是多麼地誠心而認真。若撒但趕逐撤但，只會帶進更大的潛勢力。只有藉著聖靈的權能，神把屬天謙卑的新性情啟示在我們裏面以取代老舊的性情，並讓這新性情那麼真實地成為我們自身的一部分，如同老舊的性情那般根深蒂固時，才能帶來果效。

3．只有藉著內住的基督，帶著他屬天的謙卑住到我們裏面來時，我們才會真的謙卑下來。我們的驕傲是從一個人–亞當來的，照樣謙卑也必須從另一個人來。驕傲在我們裏面，用一種可怕的勢力轄管著我們，因為它就是我們的己、我們的天性。謙卑也一樣必須在我們裏面，成為我們的己、我們的天性。過去我們怎樣自然而然、輕而易舉地表現出驕傲來，照樣我們也必須，也一定可以表現出謙卑來。正如經上所應許的：罪在”那裏”(包括心)顯多；恩典就更顯多了(羅五20)。基督給門徙的一切教導，以及門徒一切枉然的努力乃必經步驟，使他能夠在神聖的權能裏進入他們裏面，賜予並作成他所教導他們要追求的。他藉著死敗壞了魔鬼的權勢，挪除了罪，成全了永遠的救贖。在他的復活裏，他從父那裏領受了一個全新的生命，是帶著神權能的人的生命，能交通給人、進入人裏面，以屬天的權能更新並充滿他們的生命。他一升天，就領受了父的靈，從此以後他可以藉著聖靈做他在地上時不能做的事，只能夠與他所愛的人合而為一，實際地為他們活出應有的生命來，以致他們能夠像他一樣謙卑地活在父面前，因為是他自己活在他們裏面，一呼一吸都是他。五旬節那一天，他在聖靈裏顯降，並佔有他們。以往一切的預備工作，使他們悔改、相信，藉著教導激發他們的渴慕與盼望，如今藉著五旬節經歷所帶來的巨大轉變而得以成全。雅各、彼得和約翰的生命與書信，都見證出他們的改變，受苦耶穌的柔和謙卑之靈，實實在在地佔有他們。

對這些事我們當說什麼呢？在我的讀者群眾當中，一定反應不一。有些人也許從未特別思想這件事，故無法立刻瞭解這生命問題對教會和其每一個成員事關重大。也許有些人因著自己的缺乏而產生定罪感，試盡各樣方法要努力解決這問題，結果卻失敗了，以致灰心喪志。其他人也許能夠快樂地見證說他們得著了屬靈的祝福與能力，卻從未悔悟到他們身上有缺欠，是周圍的人看得清清楚楚的。也許還有一些人能夠見證主已給他們這恩典，使他們得著釋放與勝利，然而他仍必須指教他們所當學的何其多，他們可以從耶穌的豐滿裏領受得更多。不管我們是哪一種人，我都要極力地籲請所有的人更深地認定謙卑在基督教信仰裏，佔有獨一無二的地位，只要他的謙卑尚未被認為是他最大的榮耀、最首要的命令、最高的福祉，則教會與信徒根本不可能成為基督所要的樣式。讓我們深深地思想這件事：當門徒們仍那麼缺少謙卑這項恩典時，外表卻看起來大有長進，所以求神不要叫我們滿足於其他的恩賜，免得我們永遠無法領悟神不彰顯其權能、不動大工的秘密原因是–缺少謙卑這項恩典。只有當我們像神兒子一樣，真正知道且表現出憑著自己不能做什麼時，神才作一切。

當內住的基督在信徒的經歷裏占著應有的地位時，教會才會披上美麗的外袍，教師和信徒身上才會表現出謙卑這神聖、美麗的性情來。

（取自慕安得烈所著之《謙卑》）

Chapter 5–HUMILITY IN THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS

“Let him that is chief among you be as he that doth serve.” -Luke 22:26.

We have studied humility in the person and teaching of Jesus; let us now look for it in the circle of His chosen companions—the twelve apostles. If, in the lack of it we find in them, the contrast between Christ and men is brought out more clearly, it will help us to appreciate the mighty change which Pentecost wrought in them, and prove how real our participation can be in the perfect triumph of Christ’s humility over the pride Satan had breathed into man.

In the texts quoted from the teaching of Jesus, we have already seen what the occasions were on which the disciples had proved how entirely wanting they were in the grace of humility. Once, they had been disputing the way which of them should be the greatest Another time, the sons of Zebedee with their mother had asked for the first places–the seat on the right hand and the left. And, later on, at the Supper table on the last night, there was again a contention which should be accounted the greatest. Not that there were not moments when they indeed humbled themselves before their Lord. So it was with Peter when he cried out, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” So, too, with the disciples when they fell down and worshipped Him who had stilled the storm. But such occasional expressions of humility only bring out into stronger relief what was the habitual tone of their mind, as shown in the natural and spontaneous revelation given at other times of the place and the power of self. The study of the meaning of all this will teach us most important lessons.

First, How much there may be of earnest and active, religion while humility is still sadly wanting.- See it in the disciples. There was in them fervent attachment to Jesus. They had forsaken all for Him. The Father had revealed to them that He was the Christ of God. They believed in Him, they loved Him, they obeyed His commandments. They had forsaken all to follow Him. When others went back, they clave to Him. They were ready to die with Him. But deeper down than all this there was a dark power, of the existence and the hideousness of which they were hardly conscious, which had to be slain and cast out, ere they could be the witnesses of the power of Jesus to save. It is even so still. We may find professors and ministers, evangelists and workers, missionaries and teachers, in whom the gifts of the Spirit are many and manifest, and who are the channels of blessing to multitudes, but of whom, when the testing time comes, or closer intercourse gives fuller knowledge, it is only too painfully manifest that the grace of humility, as an abiding characteristic, is scarce to be seen. All tends to confirm the lesson that humility is one of the chief and the highest graces; one of the most difficult of attainment; one to which our first and chiefest efforts ought to be directed; one that only comes in power, when the fullness of the Spirit makes us partakers of the indwelling Christ, and He lives within us.

Second, How impotent all external teaching and all personal effort is, to conquer pride or give the meek and lowly heart.-For three years the disciples had been in the training school of Jesus. He had told them what the chief lesson was He wished to teach them: “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Time after time He had spoken to them, to the Pharisees, to the multitude, of humility as the only path to the glory of God.He had not only lived before them as the Lamb of God in His divine humility, He had more than once unfolded to them the inmost secret of His life: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve”; “I am among you as one that serveth.” He had washed their feet, and told them they were to follow His example. And yet all had availed but little. At the Holy Supper there was still the contention as to who should be greatest. They had doubtless often tried to learn His lessons, and firmly resolved not again to grieve Him. But all in vain. To teach them and us the much needed lesson, that no outward instruction,not even of Christ Himself; no argument however convincing; no sense of the beauty of humility, however deep; no personal resolve or effort, however sincere and earnest,-can cast out the devil of pride. When Satan casts out Satan, it is only to enter afresh in a mightier, though more hidden power. Nothing can avail but this, that the new nature in its divine humility be revealed in power to take the place of the old, to become as truly our very nature as that ever was.

Third, It is only by the indwelling of Christ in His divine humility that we become truly humble.We have our pride from another, from Adam; we must have our humility from Another too. Pride is ours, and rules in us with such terrible power, because it is ourself, our very nature. Humility must be ours in the same way; it must be our very self, our very nature. As natural and easy as it has been to be proud, it must be, it will be, to be humble. The promise is, “Where,” even in the heart, “sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly.” All Christ’s teaching of His disciples, and all their vain efforts, were the needful preparation for His entering into them in divine power, to give and be in them what He had taught them to desire. In His death He destroyed the power of the devil, He put away sin, and effected an everlasting redemption. In His resurrection He received from the Father an entirely new life, the life of man in the power of God, capable of being communicated to men, and entering and renewing and filling their lives with His divine power. In His ascension He received the Spirit of the Father, through whom He might do what He could not do while upon earth, make Himself one with those He loved, actually live their life for them, so that they could live before the Father in a humility like His, because it was Himself who lived and breathed in them. And on Pentecost He came and took possession. The work of preparation and conviction, the awakening of desire and hope which His teaching had effected,was perfected by the mighty change that Pentecost wrought. And the lives and the epistles of James and Peter and John bear witness that all was changed, and that the spirit of the meek and suffering Jesus had indeed possession of them.

What shall we say to these things? Among my readers I am sure there is more than one class. There may be some who have never yet thought very specially of the matter, and cannot at once realize its immense importance as a life question for the Church and its every member. There are others who have felt condemned for their shortcomings, and have put forth very earnest efforts, only to fail and be discouraged. Others, again, may be able to give joyful testimony of spiritual blessing and power, and yet there has never been the needed conviction of what those around them still see as wanting. And still others may be able to witness that in regard to this grace too the Lord has given deliverance and victory, while He has taught them how much they still need and may expect out of the fullness of Jesus. To whichever class we belong, may I urge the pressing need there is for our all seeking a still deeper conviction of the unique place that humility holds in the religion of Christ, and the utter impossibility of the Church or the believer being what Christ would have them be, as long as His humility is not recognized as His chief glory, His first command, and our highest blessedness. Let us consider deeply how far the disciples were advanced while this grace was still so terribly lacking, and let us pray to God that other gifts may not so satisfy us, that we never grasp the fact that the absence of this grace is the secret cause why the power of God cannot do its mighty work. It is only where we, like the Son, truly know and show that we can do nothing of ourselves, that God will do all.

It is when the truth of an indwelling Christ takes the place it claims in the experience of believers, that the Church will put on her beautiful garments and humility be seen in her teachers and members as the beauty of holiness.

(taken from Humility by Andrew Murray)

第四章 謙卑顯於耶穌的教訓中 Chapter 4–Humility in the Teaching of Jesus

我心裏柔和謙卑，你們當負我的軛，學我的樣式。(太十一29）
“Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart. “-Matt. 11:29.

你們中間……誰願為首就必作你們的僕人，正如人子來，……乃是要服事人(太廿26-28）。
“Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of Man came to server.” Matt.20:26-28.

我們已經看過謙卑顯於耶穌的生活裏，正如他自己所表明的心跡，所以讓我們來聆聽他的教訓，看看他怎樣論到謙卑，怎樣深深地期待人(尤其是他的門徙)要像他一樣的謙卑。請細讀底下的話，我所能做的就是直接引用經文，盼望你從其中得著一個很深的印象：主常常多麼熱切地要教導人謙卑這件事，這樣或許有助於瞭解他所要求於我們的。

1．在他服事的起頭，就宣告了登山寶訓裏的美福：”虛心（靈裏貧窮）的人有福了，因為天國是他們的。……溫柔的人有福了，因為他們必承受地土。”(太五3、5）他這段開場白指出了進入天國的唯一門路。虛心（貧窮）的人毫無所有，因此天國就臨到他們；溫柔的人不為自己謀求什麼，因此地上是他們的。天地一切的美福都是為謙卑人預備的。謙卑乃蒙福之秘訣，是在天在地的生活準則。

2．”我心裏柔和謙卑，你們當負我的軛，學我的樣式。”基督扮演著教師的角色，這位教師把他的心態告訴我們，並要我們向他學習、從他領受。而他所告訴我們的唯一心態就是柔和謙卑，藉此我們的靈魂得著完全的安息。謙卑成了我們的拯救。

3．門徒們彼此爭論誰在天國為大，最後同意去問夫子(參路九46；太十八1－3）。耶穌便叫一個孩子來站在他們當中，說：”凡自己謙卑像這小孩子的，他在天國裏就是最大的。”(太十八4)”天國裏誰是最大的？”這實在是個難解的問題。究竟天國裏最重要的特質是什麼呢？除了耶穌以外，沒有人可以給予答案。天堂最大的榮耀，最首要的恩典，真正屬天的心思，就是謙卑。”你們中間最小的，他便為大。”(路九48)

4．西庇太的兒子們曾經要求耶穌把天國裏他寶座左右的最高位賜給他們。耶穌說這不是他可以賜的！乃是父為誰預備的，就賜給誰。他們的眼目不當注定這高位，也不當為此祈求，所當思想的就是主所喝的羞辱之杯與主所受的屈辱之洗。所以他又補充道：”誰願為首，就必作你們的僕人，正如人子來………乃是要服事人。”(參太二十20－28）謙卑既是從天而降之基督身上的標誌，當然也是量度天上榮耀的唯一準則：最卑微的人最靠近神。教會的首位是要給那最卑微的人。

5．耶穌對眾人和門徒提到法利賽人喜愛首位時，再次說道：”你們中間誰為大，誰就要作你們的用人。”(太廿三11）謙卑是唯一登向神國度之榮耀的階梯。

6．又有一次，耶穌在一個法利賽人家裏說到請客的比喻，提及一位客人被請去坐上座，然後加上一句話：”凡自高的必降為卑，自卑的必升為高。”(參路十四1－11）這要求決無更改的餘地，此外沒有第二條路可走。惟有自卑的，才能升為高。

7．在法利賽人和稅吏的比喻裏，耶穌再次說道：”凡自高的必降為卑，自卑的必升為高。”(參路十八9－14）在聖殿和神面前的敬拜，必須深深地浸潤於對神、對人真正的謙卑裏，否則一切毫無價值。

8．當那穌洗完了門徒的腳之後，他說：”我是你們的主、你們的夫子，尚且洗你們的腳，你們也當彼此洗腳。”(約十三14）發命令的那一位，自己作榜樣，而且論到順從或效法他的每一個思想，皆以謙卑為作門徒的首要條件。

9．設立聖餐的那一夜，門徒仍在爭論他們中間哪一個可算為大。耶穌說：”你們裏頭為大的，倒要像年幼的，為首領的，倒要像服事人的。……我在你們中間如同服事人的。”在此耶穌向我們披露他走過何樣的路徑，他用什麼樣的能力與態度成全了救恩，並拯救我們進入其中。自始至終就是謙卑使他成為眾人之僕。

多麼少人傳這信息，也多麼少人操練這件事，而覺察並承認缺少謙卑的人又何其少！我並不是說很少人達到某種程度像耶穌一樣的謙卑，我乃是說很少人繼續不斷地渴望謙卑，並為此禱告，一直以此為明確的追求目標。世人很少看見謙卑，甚至在教會內部也很少看到。

“誰願為首，就必作你們的僕人。”但願神使我們滿心相信這話正是耶穌的心意。我們都知道一個忠實的奴僕意味著什麼樣的性格–獻身于對主人有利的事，體貼主人的心意，小心地討主人的歡心，因著主人的興隆、尊榮與幸福而快樂。我們可以在地上看見這種僕人，對他們而言，”僕人”這名稱乃是一項榮耀。我們中間卻還有許多人尚未明白這種基督徒生命中的新喜樂：把自己交給神，作他的奴僕服事他，結果發現服事他成了我們最高的自由–脫離罪與己。不但如此，我們還須學另一樣功課–耶穌呼召我們彼此服事，如果我們衷心地接受這項呼召，這樣的服事也會成為最大的祝福、更完全的新自由，得以脫離罪惡與老我。一開始學習時似乎很難，那不過是因為驕傲作祟、自尊、自恃。一旦我們明白在神面前持著一無所有的態度，是受造者的榮耀，是耶穌的靈(態度)，也是天上的喜樂時，我們便會全心歡迎這種訓練，甚至去服事那些磨難我們、激怒我們的人。當我們專注於這種真正使人成聖的學習時，就能用嶄新而熱切的態度去讀耶穌論自卑的話語，也會發現沒有一種地位是太低下、太過份地屈辱自己，也沒有一種服事是太卑賤、太冗長而不值得繼續做下去。因為我們是與”我在你們中間如同服事人的”那一位相交，而服事人證明我們與他有份。

弟兄們！這是通往更高生命的途徑–低下，低而又低！這是耶穌對那些想要在天國為大，坐在主左右的門徒們說過的話。不要追求或要求升高，那是神的事；你自己要守住自卑、謙卑的地位，在神和人面前一直以僕人自居，這是你的事；但願這是你的目標和禱告。神是信實的，正如水總是流向並充滿最低的地方，照樣神的榮耀和能力總是流入謙卑和倒空的受造者，使之升高並賜下祝福。凡自卑的(這必須是我們唯一關切的事)–必升為高(這是神關心的事，他要按著他的大愛，藉著他的大能成就這事)。

有時候人以為柔和謙卑會使我們失去男子漢大丈夫的尊貴氣概。喔，不！但願所有的人都相信謙卑乃天國的尊貴樣式，也是天國君王的高貴氣派；自卑、成為眾人之僕才像神，而且會帶來主同在的喜樂與榮耀，使他的能力時常停留在我們身上。

耶穌–柔和謙卑的那一位–呼召我們效法他走這條通向神的路徑。讓我們默想前面所說的話，直到我們的心被一個意念抓住：我需要謙卑。而且我們可以相信他必賜予他所指示我們的事，並讓我們有份於他所是的一切。柔和謙卑的那一位要進來，住在一顆渴慕的心中。

（取自慕安得烈所著之《謙卑》）

Chapter 4–HUMILITY IN THE TEACHING OF JESUS

“Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart. “-Matt. 11:29. “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of Man came to server.” Matt.20:26-28.

We have seen humility in the life of Christ, as He laid open His heart to us: let us listen to His teaching. There we shall hear how He speaks of it, and how far He expects men, and specially His disciples, to be humble as He was. Let us carefully study the passages, which I can scarce do more than quote, to receive the full impression of how often and how earnestly He taught it: it may help us to realize what He asks of us.

I. Look at the commencement of His ministry. In the Beatitudes with which the Sermon on the Mount opens, He speaks:”Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” The very first words of His proclamation of the kingdom of heaven reveal the open gate through which alone we enter. The poor, who have nothing in themselves, to them the kingdom comes. The meek,who seek nothing in themselves, theirs the earth shall be. The blessings of heaven and earth are for the lowly. For the heavenly and the earthly life, humility is the secret of blessing.

2. “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”Jesus offers Himself as Teacher. He tells what the spirit both is, which we shall find Him as Teacher, and which we can learn areceive from Him. Meekness and lowliness the one thing He offers us; in it we shall find perfect rest of soul. Humility is to be a salvation.

3. The disciples had been disputing who would be the greatest in the kingdom, and had agreed to ask the Master (Luke 9:46; Matt. 18:3). He set a child in their midst and said, “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, shall be exalted. ” “Who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The question is indeed a far-reaching one. What will be the chief distinction in the heavenly kingdom? The answer, none but Jesus would have given. The chief glory of heaven, the true heavenly-mindedness, the chief of the graces, is humility. “He that is least among you, the same shall be great. ”

4. The sons of Zebedee had asked Jesus to sit on His right and left, the highest place in the kingdom. Jesus said it was not His to give, but the Father’s, who would give it to those for whom it was prepared. They must not look or ask for it. Their thought must be of the cup and the baptism of humiliation. And then He added, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came to serve. ” Humility, as it is the mark of Christ the heavenly, will be the one standard of glory in heaven: the lowliest is the nearest to God. The primacy in the Church is promised to the humblest.

5. Speaking to the multitude and the disciples, of the Pharisees and their love of the chief seats, Christ said once again (Matt. 23:11), “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Humiliation is the only ladder to honor in God’s kingdom.

6. On another occasion, in the house of a Pharisee, He spoke the parable of the guest who would be invited to come up higher (Luke 14:1-11), and added, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The demand is inexorable; there is no other way. Self-abasement alone will be exalted.

7. After the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Christ spake again (Luke18: 14), “Everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” In the temple and presence and worship of God, everything is worthless that is not pervaded by deep, true humility towards God and men.

8. After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said (John 13:14), “If I then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The authority of command, and example, every thought, either of obedience or conformity, make humility the first and most essential element of discipleship.

9. At the Holy Supper table, the disciples still disputed who should be greatest (Luke 22:26). Jesus said, “He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. I am among you as he that serveth.” The path in which Jesus walked, and which He opened up for us, the power and spirit in which He wrought out salvation, and to which He saves us, is ever the humility that makes me the servant of all.

How little this is preached. How little it is practised. How little the lack of it is felt or confessed. I do not say, how few attain to it, some recognizable measure of likeness to Jesus in His humility. But how few ever think, of making it a distinct object of continual desire or prayer. How little the world has seen it. How little has it been seen even in the inner circle of the Church.

“Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Would God that it might be given us to believe that Jesus means this! We all know what the character of a faithful servant or slave implies. Devotion to the master’s interests, thoughtful study and care to please him, delight in his prosperity and honor and happiness. There are servants on earth in whom these dispositions have been seen, and to whom the name of servant has never been anything but a glory. To how many of us has it not been a new joy in the Christian life to know that we may yield ourselves as servants, as slaves to God, and to find that His service is our highest liberty,-the liberty from sin and self? We need now to learn another lesson,-that Jesus calls us to be servants of one another, and that, as we accept it heartily, this service too will be a most blessed one, a new and fuller liberty too from sin and self. At first it may appear hard; this is only because of the pride which still counts itself something. If once we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, the spirit of Jesus, the joy of heaven, we shall welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who try to vex us. When our own heart is set upon this, the true sanctification, we shall study each word of Jesus on self-abasement with new zest, and no place will be too low, and no stooping too deep, and no service too mean or too long continued, if we may but share and prove the fellowship with Him who spake, “I am among you as he that serveth”.

Brethren, here is the path to the higher life. Down, lower down! This was what Jesus ever said to the disciples who were thinking of being great in the kingdom, and of sitting on His right hand and His left. Seek not, ask not for exaltation; that is God’s work. Look to it that you abase and humble yourselves, and take no place before God or man but that of servant; that is your work; let that be your one purpose and prayer. God is faithful. Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless. He that humbleth himself-that must be our one careshall be exalted; that is God’s care; by His mighty power and in His great love He will do it.

Men sometimes speak as if humility and meekness would rob us of what is noble and bold and manlike. Oh that all would believe that this is the nobility of the kingdom of heaven, that this is the royal spirit that the King of heaven displayed, that this is Godlike, to humble oneself, to become the servant of all! This is the path to the gladness and the glory of Christ’s presence ever in us, His power ever resting on us.

Jesus, the meek and lowly One, calls us to learn of Him the path to God. Let us study the words we have been reading, until our heart is filled with the thought: My one need is humility. And let us believe that what He shows, He gives; what He is, He imparts. As the meek and lowly One, He will come in and dwell in the longing heart.

(taken from Humility by Andrew Murray)

第三章 謙卑顯於耶穌身上 Chapter 3 –Humility in the Life of Jesus

我在你們中間如同服事人的。（路廿二27）
“I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.” Luke 22: 27.

在約翰福音裏，我們可以窺見主所過的內在生活，他不時地提到他與父的關係、他蒙引導的動機，還有他知道他是依據聖靈的能力而行事。雖然”謙卑”這名詞沒有出現在約翰福音裏，但這卷書最清楚地表明了他的謙卑，遠超過其他卷書。我們已說過其實這項恩典不過是受造者同意讓神成為一切，因而把自己交給他，讓他獨行其事。在耶穌身上，我們看見這位既是在天的神子，同時又是在地的人子，如何全然依附神而活，使神得著當得的尊崇與榮耀。他所經常教導的，正是他自己的真實經驗：”自卑的必升為高。”（太廿三12）而就如經上所記：”他自己卑微，……所以神將他升為至高。”（腓二8、9）

請留意主怎樣提到他與父的關係，他不斷地論到自己”不……”。保羅提到他與基督的關係時，也和主一樣用”不”這個字眼(“不再是我”)。

子憑著自己不能作什麼。（約五19）

子憑著自己不能作什麼，……我的審判也是公平的，因為我不求自己的意思。(約五30）

我不受從人來的榮耀。(約五41）

我從天上降下來，不是要按自己的意思行。(約六38）

我的教訓不是我自己的。(約七16）

我來並不是由於自己。(約七28）

我沒有一件事是憑著自己作的。(約八28）

我……並不是由著自己來，乃是他差我來。(約八42）

我不求自己的榮耀。(約八50）

我對你們所說的話，不是憑著自己說的。(約十四10）

你們所聽見的道不是我的。(約十四24）

這些話揭露了基督的生活與服事最深之根源，使我們明白為何全能的神能夠藉著他成全偉大的救贖之工。基督藉著這些話表明他作為父神之子的心態，以指教我們他所成全、現今所交通給我們的救贖之恩中，最基本的性情與生命。總括一句話就是：他是無有，神是一切。他把他的意志和能力完全交給父神，使父能隨意作工在他裏面。論到他自己的能力、意思、榮耀、事工、教訓時，他說這一切都不是出於我，我算不了什麼，我已把自己交給父，讓父來作；我是無有，父是一切。

基督因著完全放棄自我，絕對附從父的意願，全然依賴父活著，就找著了完美的平安與喜樂。他把一切都交給神，但自己並沒有因此而失去什麼。神悅納他的信靠，並為他作成一切，然後把他升到自己的右邊同享榮耀。因著基督在神面前謙卑俯伏，而神也始終在他眼前，所以他一樣可以在人面前謙卑俯伏，成為眾人之僕。他的謙卑表現在使自己單單降服於神，容許神在他裏面作成一切神所喜悅的，全然不理會周圍的人怎麼說他、怎麼對待他。

就是這種心態、這種性情使基督的救贖產生功效與價值，我們也被帶入這種性情裏，好與基督一同得份。這種真實的否定自我正是基督呼召我們要效法的，我們必須認定在自我裏頭毫無良善，它只能作一個需要神來充滿的空器皿。一刻也不要讓它成為別種器皿或有絲毫活動–這是首要之事，先於其他一切，藉此得與基督聯合，讓神成為一切，自己則一無所是、一無所能。

這是真正謙卑的根源與本質，而因著我們不明白或不追求，以致我們的謙卑如此膚淺、虛浮。我們必須效法耶穌，他心裏多麼柔和謙卑。他教導我們真正的謙卑發源於何處，從何找著謙卑的力量：在於認識神成全一切的一切，我們的地位就是完全讓位給他、降服于他並全然依賴他，而且完全同意自己一無所是，絕對不憑著自己作什麼。這正是基督所啟示給我們、要我們有份的生命–藉著向罪死、向己死而得以向神活著。如果我們覺得這生命高不可攀，應該促使我們更要在他裏面追求，因為內住的基督要在我們裏面活出這種柔和謙卑的生命。如果我們渴望得著這生命，首要之事是認識神是怎樣的一位–他每一時刻都在成全一切的一切–此乃神聖之奧秘，這奧秘顯在宇宙萬有和神兒女身上時，他們都要見證說：我們不過是空器皿、是導管，讓永生神藉著我們彰顯他豐富的智慧、能力和良善。一切的德行、恩典、信心、蒙悅納的敬拜皆根源於我們知道自己一無所有，我們所有的都是領受來的，因而在最深的謙卑中，俯伏在神面前，等候他賜下一切。

這種謙卑不是一時興起的情緒，也不是一想到神才俯伏下來，乃是耶穌整個生活的態度、生命的情操，所以他與人交接時，就如同與神相交一般的謙卑。他覺得自己是神的僕人，為要服侍神所造、所愛的人，因此他視自己為眾人之僕，神能藉著他施行慈愛之事。他沒有一個時刻想要尋求自己的榮耀，也沒有一個時候維護自己的權利或為自己辯護。他一直活在降服於神的狀態裏，讓神在裏面獨行其事。基督徒必須認識耶穌的謙卑正是他救贖的本質，是神兒子的生命所含的福氣，是他與父唯一真實的關係，既然我們與他有份，它必將這恩典賞給我們，使我們因著缺少真實、明顯、屬天的謙卑而憂傷，因而裏面生出一個負擔，要撇下日常履行的宗教儀文，致力於追求基督在我們裏面的首要標記。

弟兄們！你們是否已穿上謙卑？要省察自己的日常生活，讓耶穌、你的朋友們和世人鑒察你，並為著神在基督裏向你所開啟的屬天謙卑而讚美他，藉此前所未知之謙卑，你必能品嘗前所未嘗之屬天福份。

（取自慕安得烈所著之《謙卑》）

Chapter 3 –HUMILITY IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

“I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.” Luke 22: 27.

In the Gospel of John we have the inner life of our Lord laid open to us. Jesus speaks frequently of His relation to the Father, of the motives by which He is guided, of His consciousness of the power and spirit in which He acts. Though the word humble does not occur, we shall nowhere in Scripture see so clearly wherein His humility consisted. We have already said that this grace is in truth nothing but that simple consent of the creature to let God be all, in virtue of which it surrenders itself to His working alone. In Jesus we shall see how both as the Son of God in heaven, and as man upon earth, He took the place of entire subordination, and gave God the honor and the glory which is due to Him- And what He taught so often was made true to Himself: “He that humbleth him: shall be exalted.” As it is written, “He humbled Himself, therefore God highly exalted Him.”

Listen to the words in which our Lord speaks of His relation to the Father, and how unceasingly He uses the words not, and nothing, of Himself. The not I, in which Paul expresses his relation to Christ, is the very spirit of what Christ says of His relation the Father.

“The Son can do nothing of Himself” (John 5: 19).

“I can of My own self do nothing; My judgment is just, because I seek not Mine own will” (John 5: 30).

“I receive not glory from men” (John 5: 41).

“I am come not to do Mine own will” (John 6:38).

“My teaching is not Mine” (John 7:16)

“I am not come of Myself” (John 7:28)

“I do nothing of Myself” (John 8:28)

“I have not come of Myself, but He sent Me” (John 8: 42).

“I seek not Mine own glory” (John 8:50)

“The words that I say, I speak not from Myself” (John 14: 10).

“The word which ye hear is not Mine” (John 14: 24).

These words open to us the deepest roots of Christ’s life and work. They tell us how it was that the Almighty God was able to work His mighty redemptive work through Him. They show what Christ counted the state of heart which became Him as the Son of the Father. They teach us what the essential nature and life is of that redemption which Christ accomplished and now communicates. It is this: He was nothing, that God might be all. He resigned Himself with His will and His powers entirely for the Father to work in Him. Of His own power, His own will, and His own glory, of His whole mission with all His works and His teaching,of all this He said, It is not I; I am nothing; I have given Myself to the Father to work; I am nothing, the Father is all.

This life of entire self-abnegation, of absolute submission and dependence upon the Father’s will, Christ found to be one of perfect peace and joy. He lost nothing by giving all to God. God honored His trust, and did all for Him, and then exalted Him to His own right hand in glory. And because Christ had thus humbled Himself before God, and God was ever before Him, He found it possible to humble Himself before men too, and to be the Servant of all. His humility was simply the surrender of Himself to God, to allow Him to do in Him what He pleased, whatever men around might say of Him, or do to Him.

It is in this state of mind, in this spirit and disposition, that the redemption of Christ has its virtue and efficacy. It is to bring us to this disposition that we are made partakers of Christ. This is the true self-denial to which our Saviour calls us, the acknowledgment that self has nothing good in it, except as anempty vessel which God must fill, and that its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus consists, the being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all.

Here we have the root and nature of true humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and so feeble. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility takes its rise and finds its strength-in the knowledge that it is God who worketh all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing of ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart -a life to God that came through death to sin and self. If we feel that this life is too high for us and beyond our reach, it must but the more urge us to seek it in Him; it is the indwelling Christ who will live in us this life, meek and lowly. If we long for this, let us, meantime, above everything, seek the holy secret of the knowledge of the nature of God, as He every moment works all in all; the secret, of which all nature and every creature, and above all, every child of God, is to be the witness,-that it is nothing but a vessel, a channel, through which the living God can manifest the riches of His wisdom, power, and goodness. The root of all virtue and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know that we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.

It was because this humility was not only a temporary sentiment, wakened up and brought into exercise when He thought of God, but the very spirit of His whole life, that Jesus was just as humble in His intercourse with men as with God. He felt Himself the Servant of God for the men whom God made and loved; as a natural consequence, He counted Himself the Servant of men, that through Him God might do His work of love. He never for a moment thought of seeking His honor, or asserting His power to vindicate Himself. His whole spirit was that of a life yielded to God to work in. It is not until Christians study the humility of Jesus as the very essence of His redemption, as the very blessedness of the life of the Son of God, as the only true relation to the Father, and therefore as that which Jesus must give us if we are to have any part with Him, that the terrible lack of actual, heavenly, manifest humility will become a burden and a sorrow, and our ordinary religion be set aside to secure this, the first and the chief of the marks of the Christ within us.

Brother, are you clothed with humility? Ask your daily life. Ask Jesus. Ask your friends. Ask the world. And begin to praise God that there is opened up to you in Jesus a heavenly humility of which you have hardly known, and through which a heavenly blessedness you possibly have never yet tasted can come in to you.

(taken from Humility by Andrew Murray)

第二章 謙卑是成全救贖的秘訣 Chapter 2–Humility: The Secret of Redemption

你們當以基督耶穌的心為心，他……虛己取了奴僕的形象，……自己卑微，存心順服以至於死，……所以神將他升為至高。（腓二5-9）
“Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who emptied Himself; taking the form of a servant; and humbled Himself; becoming obedient even unto death. Wherefore God also highly exalted Him.” Phil. 2: 5-9.

樹只能長在其所從出的根上，它的生存惟賴存於種子的生命。我們若全盤瞭解這事實，並應用在首先的亞當和末後的亞當身上，必十分有助於我們明白耶穌救贖之必要性與本質。

必要性–古蛇的邪惡本性就是驕傲，因而被逐出天庭；它在夏娃的耳朵旁說些試探的話，這些話帶著地獄的毒氣。當夏娃聽從了它，渴望並定意要像神一樣能知道善惡時，毒氣就進入了她的靈魂、血液和生命裏，永遠摧毀了有福的謙卑與對神的倚靠–這原本是我們無窮的福祉。於是她的生命與從她而出的族類都因著撒但自己驕傲的毒氣而敗壞，整個根部都爛掉了，因驕傲乃一切罪惡與咒詛之源。現今世界的淒慘光景–國與國之間的戰爭、殺人流血、自私、苦難、野心、嫉妒、破碎的心靈、悲慘的生活、不快樂的日子–皆源於那遭咒詛的驕傲，是我們自己和別人裏面地獄般的可怕驕傲所造成的。驕傲使救贖成為必須，我們需要從驕傲中被救拔出來更甚於其他一切。因此我們對進入我們裏面的邪惡勢力之認識有多少，會決定我們對救贖的必要性之認識有多深。

樹只能長在其所從出的根上。撒但從地獄帶出來的勢力時刻侵入人的生命裏，而且那股大能大力時刻運行在世上，人深受其苦而引以為懼，與之爭戰且試圖逃避它。然而他們並不知道它從哪里來，為什麼具有那麼可怕的至高權勢，難怪他們不知從何克服之。驕傲之勢力紮根於靈界可怕的權勢裏，遍佈於我們的裏裏外外。我們必須承認自己的本相就是驕傲並為此懊悔，但同時也必須知道它源出於魔鬼。這樣當我們深覺無力克服它、趕出它時，就會速速奔向唯一能釋放我們的超然能力–神羔羊之救贖。當我們無望地與運行在裏面的己和驕傲苦鬥時，一想到隱藏在背後的黑暗權勢只會使我們更加絕望；但當我們全然絕望時，正適於瞭解並接受在我們自身以外的一種能力與生命–神的羔羊已把天上的謙卑帶下來，與我們相近，可以趕逐撒但與驕傲。

樹只能長在其所從出的根上。我們必須注意第一個亞當是怎麼墮落的，藉此來認識我們裏面那罪惡之權勢；同樣地，我們也必須好好地認識第二個亞當和他的能力，他在我們裏面所賜下之謙卑的生命就像驕傲之生命那般真實、常存、具有壓倒性的勢力。在我們裏面這源出於基督、在基督裏的生命，就如那源出於亞當、在亞當裏的生命那麼真實，甚至有過之而無不及。我們是”在他裏面生根”、行走，”持定元首，全身……因神大得長進”(西二6、19)。神的生命化作肉身進入人性裏作我們的根，我們立於斯、長於斯，一度運行在耶穌身上，使他從死裏復活的大能大力，每天也照樣運行在我們裏面。我們必須思想、認識並信靠這生命，它曾經彰顯在基督身上，如今卻成為我們的生命，正等著我們同意讓它佔有並管理我們全人。

因此非常要緊的是，我們應當正確地認識基督是怎樣的一位，是什麼因素使他成為基督，尤其重要的是，作為救贖主的他，到底什麼是他最主要的特性，他品格的精髓是什麼，他紮根於何處。答案只有一個：謙卑。什麼是道成肉身？就是他屬天的謙卑，虛己、成為人的樣式。他在地上的生活就是謙卑．”取了奴僕的形像”，他的救贖也是謙卑–“自己卑微，存心順服以至於死”，還有他的升天、得榮耀–仍是謙卑使他升到寶座那裏，戴上榮耀的冠冕–他”自己卑微……所以神將他升為至高”。謙卑是一切，存于原先他與父同在天堂時，也存於他的出生、他的一生、他的死和他的坐寶座為王–這一切都是謙卑。基督乃神的謙卑具體彰顯於人性裏，無窮永愛自己卑微，披上柔和謙卑之外袍，來贏取我們、服事我們並拯救我們。神的慈愛和謙卑使他成為一切人的施恩者、幫助者和僕人。所以耶穌是”謙卑”來成了肉身，至今他仍然是神柔和謙卑的羔羊站立在寶座中。

由根而出的樹，必能從枝葉和果實上看見根的性質。謙卑既是耶穌生命中居首位且包含一匆的恩典，是他成全救贖的秘訣，則我們靈命的康健與力量全在乎我們也把這恩典置於首位，使之成為耶穌身上我們所最羡慕、最切求之事；並且犧牲其他一切為要得著這一位(參注二)。

基督徒的生命常如此軟弱、不結果子，不就是因為忽略或不知道基督的生命之根嗎？人沒有感覺到豐滿的救恩之樂，不就是因為很少追求謙卑嗎？而耶穌自己是在謙卑裏找到喜樂，並在謙卑裏帶下喜樂。除非我們因著謙卑，不求別的，只求向自己死，使己來到盡頭，像耶穌一樣放棄了一切人的榮耀，單單尋求從神來的榮耀，絕對算自己毫無所有，好使神成為一切，惟獨主被高舉；除非我們尋求在基督裏的這種謙卑過於其他使人最感興趣的事，並樂意為此付上任何代價，否則我們的信仰沒有征服世界的希望。

如果我的讀者們還未留意到自己裏面和周圍那些蒙召作基督徒的人身上何等缺少謙卑，缺少神羔羊那柔和謙卑的態度，那麼我大聲疾呼也不為過。想想看那一切缺少愛心的表現，對別人的需要、感覺和軟弱漠不關心，常常急速、犀利地下斷語而自以為誠實正直，發脾氣、焦躁易怒、一切苦毒與不和睦的感覺等，皆源於驕傲和唯我獨尊。你若思想這些，就會看見地獄般黑暗的驕傲如何潛入每一個地方，連聖徒的聚會也不例外。再反過來想想看，如果自己和周圍同作聖徒的人，以及全世界的信徒，真正且永遠被耶穌的謙卑引導著，那麼結果又如何呢？喔！我們的全心靈怎能不晝夜呼籲著：願耶穌的謙卑製作在我裏面和我周圍所有的人身上！讓我們專心而誠實地面對自己缺少謙卑這問題(這謙卑是藉著基督生命的樣式，在救恩之本質裏顯示出來的)，我們便開始覺得自己似乎從未真正認識基督和他的救恩。

信徒們！要思想耶穌的謙卑。這是你蒙救贖的秘訣與隱藏之根源。務必日日更深浸入其中，並全心相信神所賜給你的基督，帶著他屬天的謙卑要為你成這事，他要進來住在你裏面，也要作工在你裏面，使你成為父所要的樣式。

附注二

有兩件事是我們必須認識的：第一，我們的得救完全在於從己的天性中被拯救出來；第二，除了神那無以言喻的謙卑外，在萬物一切的本性裏，找不到一樣可以成為我們的拯救和救主。因此救主與墮落的人所立的第一項永不改變之條約是：除非人捨己(否定自己)，否則不能作我的門徒。己乃邪惡之墮落天性的總合。自我否定的程度即得救的程度；謙卑是我們的救主。……己是我們墮落狀態中諸般邪惡的樹根、樹枝與樹幹。墮落的天使和人所表現出來的一切邪惡，皆源於己的驕傲。反之，一切屬天生命所表現出來的美德就是謙卑的德行。橫在天堂與地獄之間那道無法跨越的鴻溝即是謙卑。那麼這場永生之大競賽的角逐者是誰呢？就是驕傲與謙卑，這兩個主要的權勢、這兩個國度都等著要永遠地佔有人。謙卑只有一種(永遠不會有其他種謙卑，以前未曾有，將來也不會有)，那就是基督的謙卑。驕傲和己不會撤離它們所佔據的地盤(我們的全人)，直等到人的全所有皆從基督而來。因此人所要打的唯一美仗就是，靠著基督帶進他裏面的超自然的謙卑，把亞當傳留下來的自我崇拜之習性置於死地。(摘自羅威廉所著的Address to the Clergy,P.52)

（取自慕安得烈所著之《謙卑》）

 

Chapter 2–HUMILITY: THE SECRET OF REDEMPTION

“Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who emptied Himself; taking the form of a servant; and humbled Himself; becoming obedient even unto death. Wherefore God also highly exalted Him.” Phil. 2: 5-9.

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. Through all its existence it can only live with the life that was in the seed that gave it being. The full apprehension of this truth in its application to the first and the Second Adam cannot but help us greatly to understand both the need and the nature of the redemption there is in Jesus.

The Need.- When the Old Serpent, he who had been cast out from heaven for his pride, whose whole nature as devil was pride, spoke his words of temptation into the ear of Eve, these words carried with them the very poison of hell. And when she listened, and yielded her desire and her will to the prospect of being as God, knowing good and evil, the poison entered into her soul and blood and life, destroying forever that blessed humility and dependence upon God which would have been our everlasting happiness. And instead of this, her life and the life of the race that sprang from her became corrupted to its very root with that most terrible of all sins and all curses, the poison of Satan’s own pride. All the wretchedness of which this world has been the scene, all its wars and bloodshed among the nations, all its selfishness and suffering, all its ambitions and jealousies, all its broken hearts and embittered lives, with all its daily unhappiness, have their origin in what this cursed, hellish pride, either our own, or that of others, has brought us. It is pride that made redemption needful; it is from our pride we need above everything to be redeemed. And our insight into the need of redemption will largely depend upon our knowledge of the terrible nature of the power that has entered our being.

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. The power that Satan brought from hell, and cast into man’s life, is working daily, hourly, with mighty power throughout the world. Men suffer from it; they fear and fight and flee it; and yet they know not whence it comes, whence it has its terrible supremacy. No wonder they do not know where or how it is to be overcome. Pride has its root and strength in a terrible spiritual power, outside of us as well as within us; as needful as it is that we confess and deplore it as our very own, is to know it in its Satanic origin. If this leads us to utter despair of ever conquering or casting it out, it will lead us all the sooner to that supernatural power in which alone our deliverance is to be found – the redemption of the Lamb of God. The hopeless struggle against the workings of self and pride within us may indeed become still more hopeless as we think of the power of darkness behind it all; the utter despair will fit us the better for realizing and accepting a power and a life outside of ourselves too, even the humility of heaven as brought down and brought nigh by the Lamb of God, to cast out Satan and his pride.

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. Even as we need to look to the first Adam and his fall to know the power of the sin within us, we need to know well the Second Adam and His power to give within us a life of humility as real and abiding and overmastering as has been that of pride. We have our life from and in Christ, as truly, yea more truly, than from and in Adam. We are to walk “rooted in Him,” “holding fast the Head from whom the whole body increaseth with the increase of God.” The life of God which in the incarnation entered human nature, is the root in which we are to stand and grow; it is the same almighty power that worked there, and thence onward to the resurrection, which works daily in us. Our one need is to study and know and trust the life that has been revealed in Christ as the life that is now ours, and waits for our consent to gain possession and mastery of our whole being.

In this view it is of inconceivable importance that we should have right thoughts of what Christ is, of what really constitutes Him the Christ, and specially of what may be counted His chief characteristic, the root and essence of all His character as our Redeemer.There can be but one answer: it is His humility. What is the incarnation but His heavenly humility, His emptying Himself and becoming man? What is His life on earth but humility; His taking the form of a servant? And what is His atonement but humility? “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death.” And what is His ascension and His glory, but humility exalted to the throne and crowned with glory? “He humbled Himself, therefore God highly exalted Him.” In heaven, where He was with the Father, in His birth, in His life, in His death, in His sitting on the throne, it is all, it is nothing but humility. Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us. As the love and condescension of God makes Him the benefactor and helper and servant of all, so Jesus of necessity was the Incarnate Humility. And so He is still in the midst of the throne, the meek and lowly Lamb of God.

If this be the root of the tree, its nature must be seen in every branch and leaf and fruit. If humility be the first, the all-including grace of the life of Jesus,- if humility be the secret of His atonement,-then the health and strength of our spiritual life will entirely depend upon our putting this grace first too, and making humility the chief thing we admire in Him, the chief thing we ask of Him, the one thing for. which we sacrifice all else. 1-See Note B (at end of this chapter)

Is it any wonder that the Christian life is so often feeble and fruitless, when the very root of the Christ life is neglected, is unknown? Is it any wonder that the joy of salvation is so little felt, when that in which Christ found it and brings it, is so little sought? Until a humility which will rest in nothing less than the end and death of self; which gives up all the honor of men as Jesus did, to seek the honor that comes from God alone; which absolutely makes and counts itself nothing, that God may be all, that the Lord alone may be exalted,-until such a humility be what we seek in Christ above our chief joy, and welcome at any price, there is very little hope of a religion that will conquer the world.

I cannot too earnestly plead with my reader, if possibly his attention has never yet been specially directed to the want there is of humility within him or around him, to pause and ask whether he sees much of the spirit of the meek and lowly Lamb of God in those who are called by His name. Let him consider how all want of love, all indifference to the needs, the feelings, the weakness of others; all sharp and hasty judgments and utterances, so often excused under the plea of being outright and honest; all manifestations of temper and touchiness and irritation; all feelings of bitterness and estrangement,have their root in nothing but pride, that ever seeks itself, and his eyes will be opened to see how a dark, shall I not say a devilish pride, creeps in almost everywhere, the assemblies of the saints not excepted. Let him begin to ask what would be the effect, if in himself and around him, if towards fellowsaints and the world, believers were really permanently guided by the humility of Jesus; and let him say if the cry of our whole heart, night and day, ought not to be, Oh for the humility of Jesus in myself and all around me! Let him honestly fix his heart on his own lack of the humility which has been revealed in the likeness of Christ’s life, and in the whole character of His redemption, and he will begin to feel as if he had never yet really known what Christ and His salvation is.

Believer! study the humility of Jesus. This is the secret, the hidden root of thy redemption. Sink down into it deeper day by day. Believe with thy whole heart that this Christ, whom God has given thee, even as His divine humility wrought the work for thee, will enter in to dwell and work within thee too, and make thee what the Father would have thee be.

Note B.-

“We need to know two things: 1. That our salvation consists wholly in being saved from ourselves, or that which we are by nature; 2. That in the whole nature of things nothing could be this salvation or saviour to us but such a humility of God as is beyond all expression. Hence the first unalterable term of the Saviour to fallen man: Except a man denies himself, he cannot be My disciple. Self is the whole evil of fallen nature; selfdenial is our capacity of being saved; humility is our saviour … Self is the root, the branches, the tree, of all the evil of our fallen state. All the evils of fallen angels and men have their birth in the pride of self. On the other hand, all the virtues of the heavenly life are the virtues of humility. It is humility alone that makes the unpassable gulf between heaven and hell. What is then, or in what lies, the great struggle for eternal life? It all lies in the strife between pride and humility: pride and humility are the two master powers, the two kingdoms in strife for the eternal possession of man. There never was, nor ever will be, but one humility, and that is the one humility of Christ. Pride and self have the all of man, till man has his all from Christ. He therefore only fights the good fight whose strife is that the self-idolatrous nature which he hath from Adam may be brought to death by the supernatural humility of Christ brought to life in him.”-W. Law, Address to the Clergy, p. 52. [I hope that this book of Law on the Holy Spirit may be issued by my publisher in the course of the year.]

(taken from Humility by Andrew Murray)

第一章  謙卑是受造者的榮耀 Chapter 1–Humility: The Glory of the Creature

把他們的冠冕放在寶座前說：我們的主，我們的神，你是配得榮耀尊貴權柄的，因為你創造了萬物，並且萬物是因神的旨意被創造而有的。（啟四：11）
“They shall cast their crowns before the throne, so saying: Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory, and the honour and the power: for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will then are, and were created. “ Rev. 4:11

神創造宇宙有一個目的，要使受造者分享他的完全與福氣，從而彰顯出神的愛、智慧與能力之榮耀。神盼望將他自己啟示在受造者裏面，並藉著受造者彰顯他自己，他按著受造者所能領受的程度，把他自己的美善和榮耀交通給他們。但此種交通不是賜予受造者某樣可以據為己有的東西(比方某種生命或美善之物)，使受造者有管理權並隨意支配。決非如此！神既是永活、永在、永遠行動著的那一位，常用他權能的命令托住萬有，而萬有也靠他而立，因此受造物與神之間只有一種關係–受造物必須不住地、絕對地、毫無例外地倚靠神。神怎樣用他的能力一次創造了萬有，照樣他每一時刻都藉此能力托住萬有。受造者不僅在回溯其起源與最初存在時，承認一切都是出於神，而今受造者最關切的事、最高的德行與唯一的福祉是–使自己成為倒空的器皿，讓神居住並彰顯他的能力和榮美，從今直到永遠。

神不是只一次賜下生命就一勞永逸了；他時刻藉著大能大力賜下他的生命，永不停息。所以就萬物的本質而言，謙卑–全然倚賴神的地位，是受造者的首要職責與最高德行，也是各樣美德之根本。

驕傲，或失去謙卑，乃各樣罪惡之源。如今已墮落的天使們起初就是以自滿的態度看自己，而走向悖逆、不順服，從天上的榮光掉進外面的黑暗裏。同樣地，當蛇把驕傲的毒氣(“你們便如神”)，吹入第一對先祖的心中時，他們也從尊貴的地位落入現今人類淒慘的境遇。不論在天上或地上，驕傲、自我抬舉乃地獄之源、地獄之門與地獄之咒詛(參注一)。

因此我們所得著的救贖就是得回所失去的謙卑，此乃受造者與神之間原有的唯一真正關係。所以耶穌把謙卑帶回這地上，使我們與謙卑有份，並藉著謙卑拯救我們。他從高天虛己，成為人的樣式。我們在他身上所看見的謙卑，是他在天上原本的性情。這謙卑把他帶到地上來，同時他也把天上的謙卑帶了來。在這地上”自己卑微，存心順服，以至於死”（腓二8）；他的謙卑使他的死有價值，因而成了我們的救贖。如今他所賜給我們的救恩不是別的，乃是使我們有份於他的生命和他的死、他的性情和他的靈、以及他的謙卑–這是他與父神的基本關係，也是他成全救贖大工的根基。耶穌基督藉著他全然謙卑的生命，取了受造者的地位與定命。他的謙卑成了我們的拯救，他的救恩成了我們的謙卑。

得救之聖徒身上應有這種從罪中得釋放，完全得回原初地位的印記；謙卑應滲透生命和生活的每一部分，成為人與神之間的唯一關係，否則人無法真正住在神的同在裏，也無法經驗神的恩惠與聖靈的能力，而信心、愛、喜樂和力量也無法長存。恩典只能紮根於”謙卑”這塊土壤，所以各樣缺陷與失敗都在證明人缺少謙卑。謙卑不能與其他恩典或德行並論，它是根本，是受造物在神面前唯一正確的態度–真正尊他為神，使他能自由地行作一切。

神造人是有理性的，當我們愈真切地領悟到”命令”的意義、絕對性與必要性，我們就愈準備好要完全順從。今日的教會太不重視”謙卑”這呼召，因為人太不瞭解”謙卑”的真實意義與重要性。它不是一種我們要帶到神面前的東西，也不是他要賜下的東西；謙卑乃是意識到自己毫無所有，真正看見神是一切，遂讓路以便讓神成為一切。一旦受造者明白這是真正尊貴之事，同意作一個空器皿，讓神的生命和榮耀作工，並彰顯在他的意志、思想、感情中，他就會發現謙卑不過是承認他作為受造者的真正地位–降服於神。

在那些追求聖潔、自認為聖潔的熱心基督徒身上，謙卑應當是首要標誌。但常常有人不以為然。也許有一個原因是教會沒有把有關謙卑的教訓與榜樣放在應有的最高、最重要之地位。而這種情形又歸因於人們忽略一項事實：縱然罪的強大力量足以構成人要謙卑的動機，但有一個更廣、更大的力量，使得天使們、耶穌和天上最聖潔的聖徒們謙卑俯伏；受造者身上的首要標誌與蒙福之秘訣就是–謙卑下來，成為一無所有，讓神自由地成為一切的一切。

我相信許多基督徒有和我一樣的經歷，雖然早已認識主，卻不明白作為“主”的門徒最顯著的特徵是心裏柔和謙卑。這種謙卑不會自動來臨，必須成為我們追求、禱告、相信、操練之目標。當我們讀聖經時，會發現耶穌再三對門徒強調這事，而他們對他所說的話，理解得何等遲鈍。所以讓我們在開始默想這件事時，先承認驕傲比其他所有的一切更根深蒂固地隱伏在人裏頭，沒有比驕傲更難辦、更危險的東西了。只有堅忍地操練等候神和基督，才會發現自己何等缺少謙卑這項恩典，也無力去得著我們所尋求的。讓我們仔細思想基督的品格，直到我們全心愛慕並讚賞他的謙卑。當我們覺察自己的驕傲，又因著無力對付驕傲而慟哭時，讓我們相信耶穌基督自己要進到我們裏面來，把這恩典賜給我們，作為它奇妙生命的一部分。

附注一

驕傲可以把最高的天使降為魔鬼，而謙卑可以使墮落的血肉之體升上天使的寶座–這真理將顯明至永永遠遠。神最終的目的是要從墮落的天使所掌管的國度裏興起一批新的族類來。於是這批新族類成為爭戰的焦點，介於墮落天使的驕傲氣焰與神羔羊的謙卑之間；當末後號筒吹響時，這偉大的真理將顯明永永遠遠。邪惡起源于驕傲，終止於謙卑，驕傲必須在你裏面死掉，否則屬乎天堂的一切不會活在你裏面。你必須在這項真理的旗幟下，降服於聖者耶穌柔和謙卑的靈。你必須種下謙卑，否則在天堂無以收成。不要以為驕傲只是一種不合宜的脾性，也不要以為謙卑不過是一項高尚的品德。前者是死亡，後者是生命，前者全然是地獄，後者完全是天堂。你裏面有多少驕傲，就表示有多少墮落的天使活在你裏面。 你具有多少真實的謙卑，就表示神羔羊在你要面有多少。如果你能看見每一樣驕傲的活動對你造成什麼後果，你將不惜失去一隻手或一隻眼，只求能夠從身上扯掉這條毒蛇。如果你能看見謙卑帶來何等甘甜、神聖的改變能力，如何驅散了你天性中的毒氣，使神的靈能住在你裏面的空處，你將寧願被全世界踏在腳底下，也不願失去一點點的謙卑。(摘自The Spirit of Prayir,Pt. Ⅱ,P.73,Edition of Moreton, Canterbury,1893.)

（取自慕安得烈所著之《謙卑》）

 

Chapter 1–HUMILITY: THE GLORY OF THE CREATURE

“They shall cast their crowns before the throne, so saying: Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory, and the honour and the power: for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will then are, and were created. “ Rev. 4:11

When God created the universe, it was with the one object of making the creature partaker of His perfection and blessedness, and so showing forth in it the glory of His love and wisdom and power. God wished to reveal Himself in and through created beings by communicating to them as much of His own goodness and glory as they were capable of receiving. But this communication was not a giving to the creature something which it could possess in itself, a certain life or goodness, of which it had the charge and disposal.By no means. But as God is the ever-living, ever-present, ever-acting One, who upholdeth all things by the word of His power, and in whom all things exist, the relation of the creature to God could only be one of unceasing, absolute, universal dependence. As truly as God by His power once created, so truly by that same power must God every moment maintain. The creature has not only to look back to the origin and first beginning of existence, and acknowledge that it there owes everything to God; its chief care, its highest virtue, its only happiness, now and through all eternity, is to present itself an empty vessel, in which God can dwell and manifest His power and goodness.

The life God bestows is imparted not once for all, but each moment continuously, by the unceasing operation of His mighty power. Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue.

And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil. It was when the now fallen angels began to look upon themselves with self-complacency that they were led to disobedience, and were cast down from the light of heaven into outer darkness. Even so it was, when the serpent breathed the poison of his pride, the desire to be as God, into the hearts of our first parents, that they too fell from their high estate into all the wretchedness in which man is now sunk. In heaven and earth, pride, self-exaltation, is the gate and the birth, and the curse, of hell. (See Note “A” at end of chapter.)

Hence it follows that nothing can be our redemption, but the restoration of the ‘lost humility, the original and only true relation of the creature to its God. And so Jesus came to bring humility back to earth, to make us partakers of it, and by it to save us. In heaven He humbled Himself to become man. The humility we see in Him possessed Him in heaven; it brought Him, He brought it, from there. Here on earth “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death”; His humility gave His death its value, and so became our redemption. And now the salvation He imparts is nothing less and nothing else than a communication of His own life and death, His own disposition and spirit, His own humility, as the ground and root of His relation to God and His redeeming work. Jesus Christ took the place and fulfilled the destiny of man, as a creature, by His life of perfect humility. His humility is our salvation. His salvation is our humility.

And so the life of the saved ones, of the saints, must needs bear this stamp of deliverance from sin, and full restoration to their original state; their whole relation to God and man marked by an allpervading humility. Without this there can be no true abiding in God’s presence, or experience of His favor and the power of His Spirit; without this no abiding faith, or love or joy or strength. Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure. Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him as God to do all.

God has so constituted us as reasonable beings, that the truer the insight into the real nature or the absolute need of a command, the readier and fuller will be our obedience to it. The call to humility has been too little regarded in the Church because its true nature and importance has been too little apprehended. It is not a something which we bring to God, or He bestows; it is simply the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all. When the creature realizes that this is the true nobility, and consents to be with his will, his mind, and his affections, the form, the vessel in which the life and glory of God are to work and manifest themselves, he sees that humility is simply acknowledging the truth of his position as creature, and yielding to God His place.

In the life of earnest Christians, of those who pursue and profess holiness, humility ought to be the chief mark of their uprightness. It is often said that it is not so. May not one reason be that in the teaching and example of the Church, it has never had that place of supreme importance which belongs to it? And that this, again, is owing to the neglect of this truth, that strong as sin is as a motive to humility, there is one of still wider and mightier influence, that which makes the angels, that which made Jesus, that which makes the holiest of saints in heaven, so humble; that the first and chief mark of the relation of the creature, the secret of his blessedness, is the humility and nothingness which leaves God free to be all?

I am sure there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own in this, that we had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart are to be the distinguishing feature of the disciple as they were of the Master. And further, that this humility is not a thing that will come of itself, but that it must be made the object of special desire and prayer and faith and practice. As we study the word, we shall see what very distinct and oft-repeated instructions Jesus gave His disciples on this point, and how slow they were in understanding Him. Let us, at the very commencement of our meditations, admit that there is nothing so natural to man, nothing so insidious and hidden from our sight, nothing so difficult and dangerous, as pride. Let us feel that nothing but a very determined and persevering waiting on God and Christ will discover how lacking we are in the grace of humility, and how impotent to obtain what we seek. Let us study the character of Christ until our souls are filled with the love and admiration of His lowliness. And let us believe that, when we are broken down under a sense of our pride, and our impotence to cast it out, Jesus Christ Himself will come in to impart this grace too, as a part of His wondrous life within us.

NOTE A–

“All this is to make it known the region of eternity that pride can degrade the highest angels into devils, and humility raise fallen flesh and blood to the thrones of angels. Thus, this is the great end of God raising a new creation out of a fallen kingdom of angels: for this end it stands in its state of war betwixt the fire and pride of fallen angels, and the humility of the Lamb of God, that the last trumpet may sound the great truth through the depths of eternity, that evil can have no beginning but from pride, and no end but from humility. The truth is this: Pride may die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you. Under the banner of the truth, give yourself up to the meek and humble spirit of the holy Jesus. Humility must sow seed, or there can be no reaping in Heaven. Look not at pride only as an unbecoming temper, nor at humility only as a decent virtue: for the one is death, and the other is life; the one is all hell, the other is all heaven. So much as you have of pride within you, you have of the fallen angels alive in you; so much as you have of true humility, so much you have of the Lamb of God within you. Could you see what every stirring of pride does to your soul, you would beg of everything you meet to tear the viper from you, though with the loss of a hand or an eye. Could you see what a sweet, divine, transforming power there is in humility, how it expels the poison of your nature, and makes room for the Spirit of God to live in you, you would rather wish to be the footstool of all the world than want the smallest degree of it.” –Spirit of Prayer, Pt.II, p.73, Edition of Moreton, Canterbury, 1893.

(taken from Humility by Andrew Murray)