以撒长大——基督成形在我们里面
出生以后，就需要长大。二十一章八节说，“孩子渐长，就断了奶；以撒断奶的日子，亚伯拉罕设摆丰盛的筵席。”单单生出基督还不够。我们所生出的基督必须长大。在已过的几年，我们许多人已经生出基督，但我不晓得这基督有没有长大，是否到了断奶的时候？以撒长大，就断了奶，离开母亲的乳养。他不再是婴孩，乃成了童子。在他断奶那天，亚伯拉罕设摆丰盛的筵席。在教会生活中，当我们看见基督在一些弟兄姊妹里面长大，我们众人就都喜乐，并且有丰盛的筵席，就是丰盛的享受。
要有以撒的出生或长大，很不容易。照样，要有基督的出生或长大，也不容易。在教会生活中，我们需要有基督的出生和长大。我感谢神，基督已经在我们中间生出来，但我没有把握，基督已经长大了多少。看见基督在一位青年弟兄里面生出来，真是美妙；但我们还盼望看见基督在他里面长大。虽然在某个弟兄里面的基督还不是长成的，但我们要看见祂是强壮的童子。基督不仅必须成形在我们里面，也必须成形在我们中间（加四19）。在我们的日常生活和教会生活中，我们都需要彰显成形的基督；然后我们就会有丰盛的筵席，来享受神的恩典。
以实玛利戏笑以撒
照着创世记二十一章，惹起麻烦的不是以撒的出生，乃是以撒的长大。以撒出生时，夏甲和她儿子以实玛利没有受到多少困扰。但以撒长大以后，以实玛利开始戏笑他（创二一9）。在圣经的意义上，这就是以实玛利在逼迫以撒。神甚至将以实玛利逼迫以撒算为祂子民受逼迫四百年的起头（创十五13，徒七6）。以实玛利的戏笑是严肃的事，因为以撒是神命定的后裔，而以实玛利是仿冒品。仿冒的总是恨恶命定的。我们这些命定的后裔，为假冒的所恨恶。正如保罗在加拉太四章二十九节所说，“当时那按着肉体生的，怎样逼迫了那按着灵生的，现在也是这样。”
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Isaac Growing Up – Christ Being Formed in Us – Gen. 21:8-9
After birth, there is the need for growth. Genesis 8:21 says, “The child grew, and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.” Merely bringing forth Christ is not enough. The Christ we have brought forth must grow. In the past few years, many of us have brought forth Christ, but I do not know whether this Christ has grown or whether He has reached the time of weaning. When Isaac grew up, he was weaned, leaving the milk of his mother. He was no longer a babe, but became a boy. On the day he was weaned, Abraham made a great feast. In the church life, when we see Christ growing in some brothers and sisters, we all rejoice, and there is a rich feast, which is a rich enjoyment.
It is not easy to have the birth or the growth of Isaac. Likewise, it is not easy to have the birth or the growth of Christ. In the church life, we need the birth and growth of Christ. I thank God that Christ has been born among us, but I do not have the assurance as to how much Christ has grown. To see Christ born in a young brother is truly wonderful; but we still expect to see Christ grow in him. Although the Christ in a certain brother is not yet full-grown, we want to see Him as a strong boy. Christ must not only be formed in us, but also formed among us (Gal. 4:19). In our daily life and church life, we all need to manifest the formed Christ; then we will have a rich feast to enjoy the grace of God.
Ishmael Mocking Isaac
According to Genesis 21, it was not the birth of Isaac that caused trouble, but the growth of Isaac. When Isaac was born, Hagar and her son Ishmael were not disturbed very much. But after Isaac grew up, Ishmael began to mock him (Gen. 21:9). In the biblical sense, this is Ishmael persecuting Isaac. God even counted Ishmael’s persecution of Isaac as the beginning of the four hundred years of the affliction of His people (Gen. 15:13; Acts 7:6). Ishmael’s mocking was a serious matter because Isaac was the seed ordained by God, whereas Ishmael was a counterfeit. The counterfeit always hates the ordained. We, the ordained seed, are hated by the counterfeit. As Paul said in Galatians 4:29, “But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.”