恩典的事历年来被隐藏、封闭、遮蔽着。恩典是甚么？恩典是神的一些东西作到我们里面，在我们里面工作，也为我们工作。这不是外面的事。恩典是神在基督里作到我们里面，为我们生活、工作并行事。在林前十五章十节保罗说，“然而因着神的恩，我成了我今天这个人，并且神的恩临到我，不是徒然的；反而我比众使徒格外劳苦，但这不是我，乃是神的恩与我同在，”这话相当深奥。保罗不是说，“因着神的恩，我有了我所有的。因着神的恩，我有了好车子、好职业、好妻子。”他甚至也不是说，“因看神的恩，我作了我所作的。”这不是作甚么、得甚么或行甚么；这完全是是甚么。因此保罗说，“因着神的恩，我成了我今天这个人。”这意思就是，神的恩作到他里面，使他成了那样的人。
在加拉太二章二十节保罗说，“不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。”我们若把这一节和林前十五章十节放在一起，就看见恩典就是活在我们里面的基督。“这不是我，乃是神的恩。”“不再是我，乃是基督。”恩典不在我们外面，也不在我们旁边。恩典乃是一位神圣的人物，就是神自己在基督里，作到我们里面，成为我们的构成成分。因着缺少启示，基督徒误会并误解了恩典，以为恩典是外面的东西。但恩典乃是那位三一神作到我们里面，使我们成为所该是的，并且为我们生活、工作、行事，使我们能说，“因着神的恩，我成了我今天这个人。这不是我，乃是神的恩典。”
我们都受过教导，要有好行为，要彼此相爱。结果我们就想作好，爱人。但我们能不能爱别人并不要紧，因为神绝不认可我们的爱。亚伯拉罕成功的生了以实玛利，但神弃绝了以实玛利。我们若在自己里面爱别人，神绝不认可这爱，因为这爱不是出于祂的眷临。神要眷临我们，进到我们里面，为我们活着。不管你是谦卑还是骄傲，弯曲还是正直，都算不了甚么。凡在祂的眷临之外，出于你的东西神绝不认可。不是出于恩典的东西，神都不认可，都不算数。神的眷临是实际的恩典。当我凭神的眷临，而不凭自我的努力爱人并谦卑，那就是享受恩典。
每日一问：恩典是什么？恩典是神在外面给我们的祝福吗？
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
Isaac’s Experience – Receiving Grace (5) — Gal. 2:20
Throughout the years, the matter of grace has been hidden, sealed and veiled. What is grace? Grace is something of God wrought into us, working within us and working for us. This is not an outward matter. Grace is God in Christ wrought into us, living, working and acting for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all f them, yet not, but the grace of God with me.” These words are quite profound. Paul does not say, “By the grace of God I have what I have — I have a good car, a good job, a good wife.” He does not even say, “By God’s grace I did what I did.” It is not about doing something, getting something or achieving something; it is entirely about being something. Therefore Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” This means that God’s grace was wrought into him, making him what he was.
In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” If we put this verse together with 1 Corinthians 15:10, we see that grace is Christ living in us. “It is not I, but the grace of God.” “It is no longer I, but Christ.” Grace is not outside us, nor beside us. Grace is a divine Person — God Himself in Christ — wrought into us, becoming our constituent element. Due to a lack of revelation, Christians misunderstand and misinterpret grace, thinking it is something external. But grace is the Triune God wrought into us, making us what we ought to be, and living, working, and acting for us, so that we can say, “By God’s grace I am what I am today. It is not I, but the grace of God.”
We have all been taught to have good conduct and to love one another. As a result, we try to be good and to love others. But whether or not we can love others does not matter, because God will never approve our love. Abraham successfully produced Ishmael, but God rejected Ishmael. If we love others from within ourselves, God will never approve that love, because it does not come from His visitation. God wants to visit us, to enter into us, and to live for us. It does not matter whether you are humble or proud, crooked or upright — none of it counts. Whatever comes from you, apart from His visitation, God will never approve. Whatever does not come from grace, God does not approve — it does not count. God’s visitation is practical grace. When I love others and am humble by God’s visitation, and not by self-effort, that is enjoying grace.
Daily Question: What is grace? Is grace the blessings God gives us outwardly?