里面的人却日日在更新
里面的人是我们重生的灵，以魂为其器官。灵是生命和人位，更新的魂是器官。魂的生命，就是属魂的生命，必须被否认。但魂的功用－心思、意志、情感，必须被更新。我们在教会生活中，不断经历心思的更新和心思的提高。当我们的心思被主征服，我们的心思就得着更新。这样，心思就能为我们的灵使用；我们的灵乃是里面之人的人位。
外面的人渐渐被销毁、磨损、并被治死；但是里面的人却日日在更新。销毁含示减少，更新含示扩增。因此，我们外面的人渐渐减少，里面的人渐渐扩增。外面看来，我的身体渐渐衰老，但我里面的人却越发年轻、更新。里面的人因复活生命新鲜的供应得着滋养，而得以更新。我们外面的人，我们必死的身体，因着死的杀死工作逐渐销毁；我们里面的人，就是我们重生的灵，连同我们里面的各部分，却因复活生命的供应，得以日日新陈代谢的更新。
更新与构成相似，二者都需要特别的元素。我们若要得着更新，就必须有一些元素加到我们里面。这更新我们的元素，就是隐藏在我们里面的宝贝（林后四7）。我们若要得着更新，光有宝贝在我们里面是不够的。我们还需要被杀死、毁坏、销毁、磨碾。为这缘故，我们里面有宝贝，外面有环境。藉着我们的环境，神就主宰的把我们摆在磨石之下受磨碾。
我们逃避不了神的手。你成熟了么？你破碎了么？你可能还用自己的聪明来逃避破碎和磨碾。然而，最想要逃避破碎的人，末了受的苦也最多。我们的定命就是被销毁。主凭着祂主宰的权柄，利用我们的环境来销毁我们。我们外面的人销毁，基督才能活出来并供应给别人。这是主的路。
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The Inner Man Being Renewed Day by Day – 2 Cor. 4:16
The inner man is our regenerated spirit, with the soul as its vessel. The spirit is the life and person, while the renewed soul serves as its vessel. The soulish life — that is, the natural life of the soul — must be denied. However, the functions of the soul — our mind, will, and emotion — must be renewed. In the church life, we continuously experience the renewing and uplifting of our mind. When our mind is conquered by the Lord, it becomes renewed. Then the mind can be used by our spirit; and our spirit is the person of the inner man.
While the outer man is being destroyed, worn down and put to death, the inner man is being renewed day by day. Destruction implies decrease, while renewal implies increase. Therefore, our outer man is gradually decreasing, while our inner man is gradually increasing. Outwardly, our physical body is aging, but inwardly, our inner man is becoming younger and renewed. The inner man is nourished and renewed through the fresh supply of the resurrection life. Our outer man — our mortal body — is gradually being destroyed by the killing work of death. But our inner man — our regenerated spirit, along with our inward parts — is being renewed daily through the metabolic supply of the resurrection life.
Renewal is similar to reconstitution — both require a special element. In order for us to be renewed, something must be added into us. This renewing element is the treasure hidden within us (2 Cor. 4:7). But merely having this treasure within us is not sufficient for renewal. We also need to be killed, destroyed, worn down and ground. For this reason, we have the treasure within and the environment without. Through our outward circumstances, God sovereignly places us under the grinding stone to be crushed.
We cannot escape the hand of God. Have you matured? Have you been broken? You may still be using your own cleverness to avoid brokenness and crushing. However, those who most try to escape being broken often end up suffering the most. Our destiny is to be destroyed. The Lord, in His sovereign authority, uses our environment to destroy our outer man. When our outer man is destroyed, then Christ can be lived out of us and ministered to others. This is the Lord’s way.