达成神目的所需要的两件事物—第二项是地
神应许给亚伯拉罕的地是甚么？亚伯拉罕需要一个地方，使他能在那里生活，并靠那地而活。因此，地是神的子民生活其中且凭以生活的地方。此外，在亚伯拉罕的时代，地也是他能击败一切仇敌，使神能在地上得着国度的地方。再者，地是神能有一个居所来彰显祂自己的地方。所以，关于地我们看见五点：神的子民生活的地方，神的子民赖以维生的地方，神的仇敌被击败的地方，神能得着祂国度的地方，神能得着居所来彰显祂自己的地方。至终，在这地上，神的国被建立，圣殿被建造作为神的居所，并且神的荣耀得着显明。这一切都是神目的之达成的小影。这与亚伯拉罕的生存完全不同。
今天我们的地是甚么？毫无疑问，这地就是基督；祂活在我们里面，我们也活在祂里面。今天我们必须活在基督里，并靠基督而活。但许多基督徒没有实行这事。他们既不关心基督作到他们里面为后裔，也不关心活在作那地的基督里面，以达成神的目的。对他们而言，基督既不是他们生活其中且凭以生活的地，也不是他们杀败一切仇敌的地。我们能在那里杀败我们的仇敌？在基督这块地上。基督也是为着神国度的地，使神的居所能在那里得着建造。我们若看见这事，就知道今天大多基督徒只寻求神的祝福，真是大大偏离了目标。我们不需要太关心神的祝福，因我们的父知道我们的需要。
在神的目的这件事上，我们不该倚赖我们的所有或所能作的。我们所有的是以利以谢，我们所能作的是以实玛利。以利以谢是亚伯拉罕所有的，以实玛利是亚伯拉罕所能作的，二人都不能算为神目的的达成。我们的所有并所能作的都不算数，必须是神自己才算数。若干时日以后，我们真成了无有，那时神就要将祂自己作到我们里面，而祂所作到我们里面的，要生出基督为后裔，并要将我们带进作那地的基督里面。基督该是我们里面的后裔，基督也该是我们生活其中的那地。今天地也是教会，因为教会是基督的扩大。基督的身体，教会，是基督的扩充。
后裔和地都是基督。后裔是我们里面的基督，地是我们活在其中的基督。基督是后裔，活在我们里面；基督是地，我们活在祂里面。祂是达成神永远目的的后裔和地。
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Seed and Land (6) – Gen. 15:6
Two Things Needed to Fulfill God’s Purpose — The Second Item is the Land
What is the land God promised to Abraham? Abraham needed a place where he could live and upon which he could depend for his living. Therefore, the land is the place where God’s people live and by which they live. Furthermore, in Abraham’s time, the land was also the place where he could defeat all enemies so that God could have a kingdom on earth. Moreover, the land is the place where God can have a dwelling to express Himself. Thus, concerning the land, we see five points: the place where God’s people live, the place upon which they depend for sustenance, the place where God’s enemies are defeated, the place where God obtains His kingdom, and the place where God has a dwelling to express Himself. Ultimately, on this land, God’s kingdom is established and the temple is built as God’s dwelling, where God’s glory is manifested. All of this is a miniature of the fulfillment of God’s purpose. This is entirely different from Abraham’s existence.
What is our land today? Without a doubt, this land is Christ; He lives in us, and we live in Him. Today we must live in Christ and live by Christ. But many Christians do not practice this. They neither care for Christ being worked into them as the Seed, nor do they care for living in Christ as the Land to fulfill God’s purpose. To them, Christ is neither the land in which they live and by which they live, nor the land where they defeat all enemies. Where can we defeat our enemies? In this land of Christ. Christ is also the land for God’s kingdom, so that God’s dwelling can be built there. If we see this, we will realize that most Christians today only seek God’s blessing, which is a great departure from the goal. We do not need to care too much for God’s blessing, for our Father knows our needs.
In the matter of God’s purpose, we should not rely on what we have or what we can do. What we have is “Eliezer”. and what we can do is “Ishmael”. Eliezer is what Abraham had, and Ishmael is what Abraham could do; neither counts toward the fulfillment of God’s purpose. What we have and what we can do do not count; only God Himself counts. After a period of time, when we truly become nothing, God will work Himself into us. What He works into us will bring forth Christ as the Seed and bring us into Christ as the Land. Christ should be the Seed within us, and Christ should also be the Land in which we live. Today, the land is also the church, because the church is the enlargement of Christ. The Body of Christ, the church, is the expansion of Christ.
Both the Seed and the Land are Christ. The Seed is Christ within us, and the Land is Christ in whom we live. Christ is the Seed, living in us; Christ is the Land, and we live in Him. He is the Seed and the Land for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.