Luke 6:27 (NKJV) “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Jesus asked us to love our enemies. However, God would be unjust if He asked us to do something that we are unable to do. When we are born again, we are completely new. This newness is not found in the physical or soulish realm. Instead, it is located in the heart, the spirit, or the inner man. We are completely new in the spirit being.
The old things, or ways of living and behaviour, should disappear. We shouldn’t continue living our old lifestyles, but rather renew our minds to live in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. We should no longer walk like the unbelievers who are under the influence of the god of this age, but should begin feeding and yielding to the Holy Spirit. We are a three-part being, comprising spirit, soul, and body. Whomever we feed, either the soul or the spirit man, will be stronger or more dominant in our lives. Therefore, we should starve the soul by disallowing it to dictate how we behave, and instead feed our spirit with the Word so it can grow strong. The more we yield to our inner man that’s empowered by the Holy Spirit, the more we crucify the works of the flesh in our lives.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We must also acknowledge that we have the nature of God within us. This divine nature includes love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control in our hearts. The fruit of the Holy Spirit will grow when we feed the inner man by listening to the Word and yielding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The precious blood of Jesus Christ washes us. Therefore, we have a clean and clear conscience, enabling us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit regarding the right thing to do, even when we do not yet have a deep understanding of the Word of God. We will be conscious of what is right and wrong because we are very sensitive to God, particularly regarding matters of love.
When we yield to the Holy Spirit as born-again believers, we are operating in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This enables us to do what Jesus requires of us concerning how we treat our enemies. There is an enablement through the new creation and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Series: Dying to Self
使命必达
路加福音6:27 但是我告诉你们这听道的人：要爱你们的仇敌，善待那些恨你们的人
哥林多后书5:17 所以，若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了
主耶稣吩咐我们要爱仇敌。但神是公义的，祂绝不会要求我们去做力不能及的事。当我们重生得救时，就完全成为新造的人。这种更新不是外在肉体或魂的层面，而是在内心、灵命深处或内在灵人中。在属灵的生命里，我们已被全然更新。
旧有的生活方式和行为模式应当消失。我们不再效法从前，而要心意更新，活出基督里的新生命。我们不再像未信者那样行事，受这世界的神蒙蔽的影响，而应开始喂养并顺服圣灵。人是三部分构成的活物：灵、魂、体。我们喂养哪一部分——魂或属灵的生命——那一部分就会在我们里面更强壮、更主导。因此，当拒绝让魂的私欲支配行为，不让它主导我们的行为；同时用神的话语喂养灵命，使其刚强。我们越顺服圣灵内住的新生命，就越能治死肉体的邪情私欲。
彼得后书1:3-4 神的神能已经将一切关乎生命和虔敬的事赐给我们…因此，他已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫我们既脱离世上从情欲来的败坏，就得与神的性情有份
我们必须确认：神的性情已在我们里面。这神圣的性情包括爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制。当我们勤读圣经、顺服圣灵感动时，圣灵的果子便自然生长。因此，基督的宝血已洗净我们，使我们存着无亏的良心，即便对神的话语认识尚浅，也能敏锐察验神对是非的指引——尤其在关乎爱心的事上。
我们既是重生得救的人，若常顺服圣灵，就是在“赐生命圣灵的律”中行事。这使我们能成就耶稣“爱仇敌”的教导。这不是靠己力，乃是靠新造生命的恩典与圣灵的大能。
讲章系列：治死老我
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