THE STREAM OF FELLOWSHIP
From this picture of the stream in the Scriptures, we may realize that it is also a stream of fellowship. Consider the situation of the New Jerusalem. In the whole city there is only one street, and in the midst of that street is the stream of living water. By contemplating this scene we realize that this stream is the stream of fellowship. It flows throughout the entire city, and the whole city can only have fellowship through or by this stream of living water. This reveals that the fellowship of the Body of Christ is the stream of divine life. Wherever the stream of the divine life flows, there is the fellowship of the Body of Christ. What is the fellowship of the Church? It is the flowing of the divine life. As the stream of the divine life flows within us, there is the fellowship of the Body among us. This fellowship started from the day of Pentecost, and from Jerusalem it flowed to Antioch, to Asia, to Europe, and then to America and throughout the world. The fellowship of the Body which we are enjoying is such a tremendous thing. We are in this stream of the fellowship of the Body, and this flowing is ever increasing and being enriched. The more it flows, the greater and the richer it becomes.
THE STREAM OF TESTIMONY
Where this stream flows, there is also the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know that this is so? Consider again the situation of the New Jerusalem and suppose that you are one who is coming into the city from the outside. When you enter the gate, you immediately come upon the one street of the city in which is flowing the stream of living water. If you follow the stream, it will bring you to the place where the Lord Jesus is. This means that the stream will bring you into contact with the Lord. In other words, this stream of living water will cause you to know something of Christ; it will testify to you something of Christ. Where could you find Christ? Where could you meet Christ? Here is the channel; here is the way; here is the means by which you can touch Christ, by which you can experience Christ. The testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, is with the very stream of divine life. Where the stream of the divine life flows, there is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then we must ask, What does it testify? The answer is most significant. It testifies that there is a Lamb, that within the Lamb is God Himself, and that this Lamb is on the throne. This is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the redeeming One; He is the Lamb of God Who was slain for our sins. He was crucified on the cross, shedding His blood for our redemption. After accomplishing redemption, He was resurrected and exalted to the heavens, to the throne. In the Lamb on the throne is God Himself. These three items are the summary of the testimony of the Lord Jesus?the Lamb on the throne with God in Him. The stream of the divine life brings this testimony to us. It is the testimony of the Lord Jesus.
트랙백주소: Reading (American Standard Version): Gen. 2:8-12; Psa. 36:8-9; John 4:10, 14; 7:38, 39; I Cor. 10:4; Rev. 21:6; 7:17; 22:1-2; 21:23; Ezek. 47:1, 5, 7-9, 12
The Scriptures reveal to us that man's need is met in God alone. To all of man's need God Himself is the supply, the only supply, and all the supply. God's intention is to be life to man, for it is as life to man and the life of man that God could be the supply to all of man's need. Thus in order to be life to man, God must come to man and enter into him as the living supply. Only in such a way can man enjoy Him and live by Him.
THE STREAM OF LIFE
In the beginning of Genesis we see that after man was created he was placed in the Garden of Eden beside a tree called the tree of life. Near it there was a river. By the help of further revelations of the Scripture, we understand that this is a picture which shows how God comes to man. He comes just as the flowing of a stream to be contacted and received by man. In Psalm 36:8-9 the Psalmist praises God saying: "Thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life..." This means that with God is the fountain of life, from which flows the river of God's pleasures. God is a fountain of life, and from this fountain of life flows the river of God's pleasures. Man may drink of this divine river and enjoy the pleasures of God and be satisfied. The pleasures of God and the fatness of God go along with the flowing of this divine river. If we drink of this river we will enjoy the pleasures of God and be satisfied with the fatness of God.
God as life to man firstly flows out in His Son, our Lord Jesus. Thus the Lord can give us the living water, and the water He gives shall become in us a well of water, springing up unto eternal life (John 4:14). God flows out in His Son and through His Son. God is the spring of the divine water of life, and the Lord Jesus is the fountain or the well. He is the Rock smitten for us that out of Him may flow the living water of the divine life to be taken by us.
Secondly, God flows out as the living water in His Spirit and through His Spirit. The Lord tells us that he who believes on Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within him. He spoke this of the Spirit (John 7:37-39). By this we know that the Holy Spirit is the second channel by which God Himself flows out as the living water to us.
Hence, the Scriptures show us that God comes to us as life just as the flowing of living water. The Scripture tells us that whoever is thirsty may come to the Lord and drink the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17), and that in eternity the Lord will be our Shepherd and lead us unto fountains of waters of life (Rev. 7:17). The water of life is God Himself as our life. We drink of Him, we enjoy His pleasures, and we are satisfied with His fatness.
The book of Revelation tells us that this stream of living water flows out of the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). This is another picture showing us the source of this living water. It means that the life of God flows out of God Himself in the redeeming Savior, the Lamb, with ruling authority to be life to us now.
Within this stream is the life of God. We read that in the river of living water is growing the tree of life, yielding its fruit every month (Rev. 22:2). This shows that the life which supplies all our need is something growing in the river of living water. Thus it proves to us that the river of living water is the supply of the divine life. In the book of Ezekiel we see that in this river of life there is the power to swallow up death, for where it flows it heals the salty water and makes it fresh. It has healing power. We also see that it has the power to produce, for where it goes vegetable life as well as animal life is produced. Where it flows all kinds of trees grow, yielding various kinds of fruits. Moreover, the waters themselves are swarming with living creatures. This is a most meaningful picture (Ezek. 47:6-12). By meditating on it we realize its significance. Here is a stream which flows out of God Himself to bring life to supply all our need. This is a stream which will both heal and produce, both swallow up death and supply us with life. This is the stream of life.
하나님의 의는 어떤 용도를 갖고 있습니까? 두 가지 큰 용도를 갖고 있습니다. 첫번째 용도는 우리 마음에 평강을 주는 것입니다. 감정은 믿을만한 것이 못 됩니다. 우리는 하나님의 감정을 믿지 못할 수도 있습니다. 사랑은 믿을만한 것이 아닙니다. 만일 어떤이의 사랑이 변한다면 그것에 근거하여 그를 반대할 수 있는 사람은 아무도 없습니다. 우리는 의를 붙잡고 의에 근거하여 말할 수는 있습니다.
하나님이 우리를 사랑하실 때 그분은 우리 죄에 대해 심판을 내리지 않고 소홀히하신 채 그냥 통과시키실 수 있습니다. 그러나 만일 어느 날 하나님이 죄를 소홀히 하지 않으시고 기분이 좋지 않으시면 어떻게 하겠습니까? 만일 하나님이 우리를 사랑하지 않으시고 노를 발하시며 우리에 대해 불쾌한 감정을 갖고 계신다면 우리는 죄값을 받아야 합니다. 만일 이렇다면 우리는 하나님에 대해 확신을 잃게 되고 우리 마음에는 평강이 없게 됩니다.
그러나 이제 하나님께서 그분의 의를 우리에게 주셨기 때문에 우리는 평강을 갖게 되었습니다. 이는 그리스도께서 이미 심판받은 것을 알기 때문입니다. 이로써 우리는 하나님 앞에서 담대한 양심을 갖고 분명한 확신을 가질 수 있게 되었습니다. 그러므로 우리의 마음에도 평강이 있습니다. 평강은 사랑으로 인해 얻어지는 것이 아니라 의로 인해 얻어지는 것입니다. 하나님의 사랑이 믿을만한 것은 사실이나, 우리 사람의 눈으로 볼 때 이것은 하나님의 의에 비해 신뢰할 만한 것이 못됩니다. 하나님을 믿기 시작할 때 하나님의 사랑을 믿기보다 하나님의 의를 믿는 것을 배워야 합니다. 나중에 더 진보했을 때 하나님의 의보다 하나님의 사랑을 믿는 것을 배워야 합니다.
