基督徒必需的经历
基督徒走神的道路，必须接受一切从基督来的。可是，我们如果光是作以撒，那还是不够的。我们是以撒，同时我们也是雅各。我们需要神来摸着我们的大腿窝，把我们弄软弱了，叫我们扭筋了。总得有这一天，神摸着我们的大腿窝。我们不能一直这样慢慢的进步。如果我们就是这样慢而又慢的进步，那就是再过二十年，能不能走到伯特利还是一个问题。神管教你已经有二十年了，现在需要神来把你的大腿窝弄脱节，使你在神面前再也强硬不起来。
每一个基督徒都有他的大腿窝。有的基督徒的天然的能力寄托在他的计谋里，有的基督徒的天然的能力寄托在他的才干里，有的基督徒的天然的能力寄托在他的情感里，有的基督徒的天然的能力寄托在他的自爱里。每一个基督徒都有他特别的那一点，他天然的能力就寄托在那一点里。那一点被神摸着了，也就是他天然的能力被神摸着了。我们不能告诉你，你天然的能力寄托在那里；但是我们能说，每一个基督徒都有他特别的那一点；他生活的各方面，都受他那一点的支配，那一点就是这里所说的大腿窝。
有的基督徒的天然的生命最喜欢显露，喜欢把属灵的事拿来显露。他的所谓“作见证”，其实不是真的为主作见证，而是夸耀自己，而是显露自己。
有的基督徒的天然的能力寄托在他的自爱里。他无论作什么都是以自爱作出发点。有学习的人能看得出，他这样作是因为爱自己，他那样作也是因为爱自己，他这样说是因为爱自己，他那样说也是因为爱自己。你能从各种各样的情形中，找出他有一个大腿窝，就是自爱。我们的天然的生命，总有一个中心，总有一个厉害的能力在那里。总得主有一天把那一个拆毁了，然后我们这一个人才能结出圣灵的果子来。不然的话，那就什么都是从我们自己出来的。
有的基督徒的天然的生命寄托在他那一个很大的头脑里。不论你和他说什么，他总是想：这个有道理或者没有道理，这个讲得通或者讲不通。不管什么事，一碰着他，他就完全用头脑去分析。他的头脑太活泼了，他的头脑太大了。他一直活在头脑里，他不思想一下就不能活，他不分析一下就不能活，他的头脑变作他的生命了。结果，他能够在外面对付许多事情，但是他在神的手里没有用处。总得有一天，神来摸着他这一个头脑，神在他身上的目的才能达到。
神所注意的，还不是外面许多枝枝节节的现象；神所注意的，乃是要摸着天然生命的集中点，叫人有一个根本上的改变。感谢神，神把雅各的大腿窝摸了一把，经过这一摸，雅各这一个人就扭筋了，雅各这一个人就软弱了，雅各这一个人就失败了，就不能再摔跤了。
信息重点：神要摸着天然生命的根，而不是仅仅改变外面的行为。
应用祷告：主耶稣，求你摸着我天然生命的根，除去我对自己的倚靠，使我不凭天然活着，乃让基督的生命在我里面显明。阿们。
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The Breaking of Jacob’s Natural Life (3) — Gen. 32:27-28
The Experience Every Christian Needs
In walking God’s path, a Christian must receive everything that comes from Christ. But if we are only Isaac, that is still not enough. We are Isaac, and at the same time we are also Jacob. We need God to touch our thigh, to make us weak, to dislocate our sinew. There must come a day when God touches our thigh. We cannot go on progressing this slowly forever. If we continue at such a slow pace, then even twenty more years may not be enough to bring us to Bethel. God has been disciplining you for twenty years already; now God needs to dislocate your thigh, so that you will never again be able to stand stiff-necked before Him.
Every Christian has his own thigh. Some Christians’ natural ability is lodged in their scheming; some Christians’ natural ability is lodged in their talent; some Christians’ natural ability is lodged in their emotions; some Christians’ natural ability is lodged in their self-love. Every Christian has his own particular point, and his natural ability is lodged in that point. When that point is touched by God, his natural ability is touched by God. We cannot tell you where your natural ability is lodged; but we can say that every Christian has his own particular point, and every aspect of his life is governed by that point — that point is what is meant here by the thigh.
Some Christians’ natural life loves most to display itself, loves to take spiritual things and put them on display. Their so-called “testimony” is, in reality, not a genuine testimony for the Lord, but self-glorification, self-display.
Some Christians’ natural ability is lodged in self-love. Whatever they do, they act out of self-love as the starting point. Those who are experienced can see that they do this thing because they love themselves, and they do that thing also because they love themselves; they say this because they love themselves, and they say that because they love themselves. From all kinds of situations you can discover that their thigh is self-love. Our natural life always has a center, always has a formidable ability lodged there. There must come a day when the Lord tears that down, and only then can we, as persons, bear the fruit of the Spirit. Otherwise, everything that comes out of us is simply from ourselves.
Some Christians’ natural life is lodged in their great mind. No matter what you say to them, they are always thinking: does this make sense or not, does this line of reasoning hold up or not. Whatever the matter, the moment it touches them, they immediately analyze it entirely with their mind. Their mind is too active, too large. They live constantly in their mind; they cannot live without thinking things over, they cannot live without analyzing — their mind has become their life. As a result, they can handle many things outwardly, but they are of no use in God’s hand. There must come a day when God touches this mind of theirs, and only then can God’s purpose in them be reached.
What God pays attention to is not the outward, peripheral phenomena; what God pays attention to is touching the concentrated point of the natural life, bringing about a fundamental change in the person. Thank God, God touched Jacob’s thigh, and through this touch Jacob’s sinew was wrenched, Jacob became weak, Jacob was defeated, and could no longer wrestle.
Message Main Points: What God wants to touch is the root of the natural life, not merely to change our outward behavior.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, touch the root of my natural life. Remove my reliance on myself, so that I no longer live by my natural self, but let the life of Christ be manifested in me. Amen.