彼后一10~11　所以弟兄们，应当更加殷勤，使你们所蒙的呼召和拣选坚定不移；你们行这几样，就永不失脚。这样，你们就必得着丰富充足的供应，以进入我们主和救主耶稣基督永远的国。

　　神的国乃是神圣生命的国。我们可以用人的国作例证。正如人类是属人生命的国，照样，神的国是神圣生命的国。如果我们不是人，我们就不能领会属人生命的国。比方，狗不能领会人的国，因为狗没有属人的生命。但如果狗能得着人的生命，它就能领会人的国。照样，我们是凭着神圣的生命来认识神的国，因为神的国乃是神圣生命的国（使徒行传生命读经，三二页）。

　　2 Pet. 1:10-11 Therefore, brothers, be the more diligent to make your calling and selection firm, for doing these things you shall by no means ever stumble. For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly and bountifully supplied to you.

　　We have pointed out that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of the divine life. We may use the human kingdom as an illustration. Just as mankind is a kingdom of the human life, so the kingdom of God is a kingdom of the divine life. If we were not human beings, we could not understand the kingdom of human life. Dogs, for example, cannot understand the human kingdom, because they do not have a human life. But if a dog could receive the human life, it would then be able to understand the human kingdom. In a similar way, we know the kingdom of God by the divine life because God's kingdom is a kingdom of the divine life. (Life-study of Acts, p. 28)

　　因着我们得着了神圣的生命，我们不仅认识神的国是什么，我们也成为这国的一部分。如果狗能从人的生命而生，因而成为人，这人自然就成为人国的一部分。你难道没有神圣的生命么？是的，你有神圣的生命，并且因着有这生命，你就是神国的一部分。虽然我们能领会这些事，却无法向没有重生的人解释。

　　门徒询问行传一章六节所记载的问题，显然忘了他们里面神圣的生命。他们的观念是关于复兴以色列国的事。这种传统的观念深植在所有犹太人的心思里。彼得、约翰、雅各和其他门徒都有以色列国要得复兴的观念。一天过一天，他们盼望以色列国得复兴。然而三节告诉我们，主对他们不是讲说以色列国，乃是讲说神的国。

　　认识神的国需要属灵的领悟，属灵的见识。我们若没有属灵的见识，就不可能认识神的国。那些缺少属灵领悟的人，也许以为进神的国就是上天堂。 一般来说，这是堕落人类关于神国的天然观念。

　　神的国就是神的管治、掌权，连同其一切福分和享受。神的国乃是神的福音和耶稣基督福音的目标。人要进这国，就需要为罪悔改，相信福音（可一15），使他们的罪得赦免，并由神重生，得着符合这国神圣性质的神圣生命（约三3、5）。

　　所有在基督里的信徒，在召会时代都能有分于这国，在神的公义、和平并圣灵中的喜乐里享受神（罗十四17）。这国在要来的国度时代，要成为基督和神的国，给得胜的信徒承受并享受（林前六9~10，加五21，弗五5），叫他们与基督同王一千年（启二十4、6）。然后，因这国是永远的国，所以将是神永远生命的永远福分，在新天新地里给神所有的赎民享受，直到永远（二一1~4，二二1~5、14、17）。

　　神的国乃是召会的实际，借着福音，由基督复活的生命所产生（林前四15）；重生是其入门（约三5），而信徒里面神圣生命的长大是其发展（彼后一3~11）。

　　我们已经看见，神国的入门是重生，其发展是信徒在神圣生命里的长大。神的国在今天是召会的生活，是忠信的信徒在其中生活的（罗十四17），并要发展为要来的国度，作得胜圣徒在千年国里所要承受的赏赐（加五21，弗五5）（使徒行传生命读经，三三、三五、三○至三二页）。

　　参读：使徒行传生命读经，第四至五篇。

　　As those who have received the divine life, we not only know what the kingdom of God is; we become parts of this kingdom. If a dog could be born of the human life and thereby become a human being, this human being would automatically become a part of the human kingdom. Do you not have the divine life? Yes, you have the divine life, and because you have this life you are part of the kingdom of God. Although we can understand these matters, it is impossible to explain them to unregenerated people.

　　In asking the question recorded in Acts 1:6, the disciples apparently were forgetting the divine life that was within them. Their concept was related to the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. This traditional concept was in the minds of all Jews. Peter, John, James, and the other disciples had the concept that the kingdom of Israel would be restored. Day by day they were hoping for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. However, in 1:3 we are told that the Lord spoke to them not about the kingdom of Israel but about the kingdom of God.

　　Knowing the kingdom of God requires spiritual perception, spiritual insight. Without spiritual insight, it is impossible for us to know the kingdom of God. Those who are lacking in spiritual perception may think that to enter into the kingdom of God is to go to heaven. In general, this is the natural concept of fallen mankind concerning God's kingdom.

　　The kingdom of God is the ruling, the reigning, of God with all its blessing and enjoyment. It is the goal of the gospel of God and of Jesus Christ. To enter into this kingdom people need to repent of their sins and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15) so that their sins may be forgiven and that they may be regenerated by God to have the divine life, which matches the divine nature of this kingdom (John 3:3, 5).

　　All the believers in Christ can share the kingdom in the church age for their enjoyment of God in His righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). It will become the kingdom of Christ and of God for the overcoming believers to inherit and enjoy in the coming kingdom age (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5), so that they may reign with Christ one thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6). Then, as the eternal kingdom, it will be an eternal blessing of God's eternal life for all of God's redeemed to enjoy in the new heaven and new earth for eternity (Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-5, 14, 17).

　　The kingdom of God is the reality of the church brought forth by the resurrection life of Christ through the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15). Regeneration is its entrance (John 3:5), and the growth of the divine life within the believers is its development (2 Pet. 1:3-11).

　　We have seen that the entrance into the kingdom is regeneration and that the development of the kingdom is the believer's growth in the divine life. The kingdom of God is the church life today, in which the faithful believers live (Rom. 14:17), and it will develop into the coming kingdom as an inheritance reward (Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5) to the overcoming saints in the millennium. (Life-study of Acts, pp. 28, 30, 26-28)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Acts, msgs. 4-5