God’s Purpose for the Church (1) To Have the Divine Sonship in Full through Sanctification for the Corporate Expression of God 神对召会的定旨（一） 借圣别得着完满的神圣儿子名分， 作神团体的彰显 (Day1)
Samuel Lin
Eph. 1:4-5 Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
10 Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.
There are three main items concerning the church in the economy of God. The first is that the church might have the sonship and that God might be expressed through this sonship. Ephesians 1:5 says that God predestinated us unto sonship. What does this word sonship mean, and what does it include? Briefly, it means the birth, plus the growth, plus the birthright. First of all, we must be born of God. By this divine birth we become the sons of God because we have the life of God. This is the very beginning of God’s mingling with us. But it is only through the growth of this life that we can enjoy the birthright. Birth is one thing, but the birthright is quite another. Esau and Jacob both had the same birth, but only one obtained the birthright. Esau had the life of the son, but he did not have the sonship because the sonship includes both the birth and the birthright. We may have the birth but not the birthright. In Romans 8:14-17, there is a real difference made between the children and the heirs. The children are the ones who have only the birth, but the heirs have not only the birth but also the birthright. First of all, we must become the children of God; then through growth we will become the heirs. We may be a child without the birthright and therefore not have the full sonship. (God’s Purpose for the Church, pp. 5-6)
Today’s Reading
The first item of God’s purpose for the church [is] to express Himself through many matured sons....The second item of the purpose of God for the church is to deal with His enemy. In chapter 1 of Ephesians there is the positive side of God’s purpose for the sonship; and in chapter 3 there is the negative side against the enemy, that the enemy may be subdued and come to know God’s multifarious wisdom. God is not sorry that there is such an evil one as Satan, because without such a one, God’s multifarious wisdom could not be manifested. It is through all the troubles originating from Satan that God has a chance to show forth His wisdom. Suppose you have a car, and this car never gives you any trouble. If this is the case, no one could know how wise you are. A car without problems would not demonstrate your wisdom. But if you have a car that needs wisdom to handle, your wisdom will be brought to light, and all your passengers will marvel. It is a problem car, but what a wonderful driver! The whole universe has been damaged by Satan, but God needs such a one in order that His wisdom might be shown.
The church was predestinated to the sonship of God, and it was also purposed to subdue the enemy. The church is built up by the sonship, and through the building up of the church, the enemy is subdued and God’s wisdom is displayed. There is a real order here. The more life we have, the more built up we will become as a display to Satan. This is a real challenge to the enemy, a shame to him, and a glory to God.
The third main aspect of the church in God’s economy is the heading up of all things in Christ. We have seen that the first item of the sonship is for the church positively. The second item is that the church might make known to the rulers and the authorities the multifarious wisdom of God, in defeating the enemy negatively. Now the third item is the heading up of all things in Christ universally. The church has to have the sonship, Satan has to be subdued and cast out, and the whole creation has to be brought into the proper order and oneness. (God’s Purpose for the Church, pp. 12-15, 20)
Further Reading: God’s Purpose for the Church
晨兴喂养
弗一4 ～5 就如祂在创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在爱里，在祂面前，成为圣别、没有瑕疵；按着祂意愿所喜悦的，预定了我们，借着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，归于祂自己。
10 为着时期满足时的经纶，要将万有，无论是在诸天之上的，或是在地上的，都在基督里归一于一个元首之下。
在神的经纶中，关于召会有三方面：首先，召会要有儿子的名分，而借着这儿子的名分，神就得着彰显。以弗所一章五节说，神预定我们得儿子的名分。“儿子的名分”是什么意思，它包括了什么？简单地说，它的意思包括出生，加上长大，加上长子的名分。首先，我们必须从神而生。因着这神圣的出生，我们有了神的生命，因此我们就成了神的儿子。这是神与我们相调的开始。但唯有借着生命长大，我们才能享受长子的名分。出生是一件事，长子的名分又是另一件事。以扫和雅各有同样的出生，但只有一个人得着长子的名分。以扫有儿子的生命，却没有儿子的名分，因为儿子的名分包括出生和长子的名分。我们也可能只有出生而没有长子的名分。罗马八章十四至十七节给我们看见，作儿女和作后嗣有何等的不同。作儿女只要出生就可以了；但是作后嗣不仅有出生，还有长子的名分。首先我们必须成为神的儿女，然后我们借着长大才能成为后嗣。我们可能是儿女，却没有长子的名分，因此也就没有得着完满的儿子名分（召会的异象与建造，四页）。
信息选读
神对召会之定旨的第一项，就是借着许多成熟的儿子来彰显祂自己。……神对召会之定旨的第二项，是要对付祂的仇敌。
以弗所一章是说到神对召会定旨积极的一面，就是儿子的名分；三章是说到消极的一面，对抗神的仇敌，使仇敌被征服，得知神万般的智慧。有这样一个邪恶的撒但，神并不觉得难过，因为若没有这样一个仇敌，神万般的智慧就无法彰显。乃是借着撒但所发起的一切难处，神才有机会显出祂的智慧。假设你有一部车，这部车从来没有给你带来麻烦；若是这样，就没有人知道你多有智慧。一部没有毛病的车，无法表现你的智慧。但是你的车若是需要智慧才能操纵，你的智慧就有机会展露出来，你车上的乘客都会惊叹。这是一部有毛病的车，却有一位了不起的驾驶！全宇宙都被撒但破坏了，但神却需要这样一个撒但，使祂的智慧得以表明。
神预定召会要得着祂儿子的名分，也定意召会要征服仇敌。召会乃是借着儿子的名分被建造起来；并且借着召会的建造，神的仇敌就被征服，神的智慧也要得着展示。不过在这里有一个实在的原则。我们越有生命，就越有建造可以显示给撒但看。这对仇敌是真正的挑战，这要羞辱他，却要荣耀神。
在神的经纶中，召会的第三个主要方面乃是将万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下。我们已经看过，第一项是儿子的名分，那是关于召会积极的一面。第二项是召会要在消极一面击败仇敌，使执政的、掌权的，现今得知神万般的智慧。现在第三项，是将万有在基督里全面的归一于一个元首之下。召会必须得着儿子的名分，撒但必须被征服，被扔出去；并且所有受造之物必须被带进正确的秩序与一里面（召会的异象与建造，八至一○、一三页）。
参读：召会的异象与建造，第一章。
周 一
壹 神对召会的定旨有三要项：
一 召会必须有完满的儿子名分—弗一4～5。
二 借着召会，使仇敌得知神万般的智慧；召会成了神的诗章，作基督一切所是的智慧展示—三10，二10，林前一30。
三 神的定旨是要借着召会，将万有在基督里归一于一个元首之下—弗一10、19～23。
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