当神应许亚伯拉罕要有后裔的时候，亚伯拉罕立刻相信神这应许（创十五6）。当亚伯拉罕相信神关于后裔的应许时，他的信对神十分宝贵，神就将这信算为他的义。那时，亚伯拉罕本于信得称义，就是本于相信神要给他后裔以达成神永远目的的那信。亚伯拉罕这样相信神，神就喜悦他。然而，此后神又应许亚伯拉罕要给他地的时候，他信心不足，对主说，“主耶和华阿，我怎能知道必得这地为业呢？”（创十五8）。虽然亚伯拉罕能相信神关于后裔的应许，却不能相信祂关于地的应许。
今天原则也是一样。信基督是后裔很容易，但信基督是地却很难。信基督是我们的生命，比信基督能成为我们的教会生活容易。很多基督徒对于基督是他们的生命，他们相信神；但一谈到教会生活，就是美地，在此我们能安息，杀败仇敌，并给神立场建立祂的国度，建造祂的居所，他们便说，今天我们不可能有这事。我们和亚伯拉罕一样，我们发现，相信神给我们后裔较为容易，但相信神给我们地却很难。你有基督作后裔么？你也有基督作地么？有基督作地给我们活在其中，使我们有教会生活，使神有祂的国度同祂的居所，作祂的彰显和代表，这不是那么简单的事。
多年前，在我们进入教会生活之前，我们讲到凭基督活着，但我们自己却不在安息里。我们流荡不安息，直到有一天靠着祂的恩典，进入教会中。我们一进入教会中，就开始感觉我们是在安息里。在我们进入教会生活之前，我们要杀败仇敌非常困难，但在进入教会生活以后，我们发现很容易就把他们全杀尽了。在教会生活中，神的国被建立，神的居所被建造，神就得着彰显并代表。这是今天神永远目的的达成。
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God’s Covenant with Abraham (2) — Gen. 15:7-8
When God promised Abraham that he would have a seed, Abraham immediately believed God’s promise (Gen. 15:6). When Abraham believed God’s promise concerning the seed, his faith was very precious to God, and God reckoned it to him as righteousness. At that time, Abraham was justified by faith — the faith that believed God would give him a seed to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. Because Abraham believed God in this way, God was pleased with him. However, when God later promised to give him the land, his faith was insufficient, and he said to the Lord, “O Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I will possess it?” (Gen. 15:8). Although Abraham could believe God’s promise concerning the seed, he could not believe His promise concerning the land.
The principle is the same today. It is easy to believe in Christ as the seed, but difficult to believe in Christ as the land. It is easier to believe that Christ is our life than to believe that Christ can become our church life. Many Christians believe in God regarding Christ being their life; but once the church life is mentioned — which is the good land where we find rest, defeat the enemy, give God the standing to establish His kingdom and build His dwelling place — they say this is impossible today. Like Abraham, we find it easier to believe God for the seed but difficult to believe Him for the land. Do you have Christ as the seed? Do you also have Christ as the land? To have Christ as the land in which we live, so that we may have the church life for God to have His kingdom and His dwelling place as His expression and representation, is not such a simple matter.
Many years ago, before we entered the church life, we spoke of living by Christ, yet we ourselves were not at rest. We wandered without rest until one day, by His grace, we entered the church. As soon as we entered the church, we began to feel that we were at rest. Before entering the church life, it was very difficult for us to defeat the enemy, but after entering the church life, we found it very easy to finish them off. In the church life, God’s kingdom is established, God’s dwelling place is built, and God is expressed and represented. This is the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose today.