林后三5~6 并不是我们凭自己够资格……；我们之所以够资格，乃是出于神；祂使我们够资格作新约的执事，这些执事不是属于字句，乃是属于灵，因为那字句杀死人，那灵却叫人活。

　　一9 自己里面也断定是必死的，叫我们不信靠自己，只信靠那叫死人复活的神。

　　什么样的人能在主面前给主用呢？……第一，他必须是个爱主、要主的人。不爱主，不要主的人根本谈不到给主用。……第二，他总得有一点遇着主，总得有一点看见了主。他总得有一个启示，看见说，神永远的旨意就是要把基督作到人里面来，并且要把基督彰显在人身上。……第三，他的自己，他这个人总归碰着了一点十字架。他看见说，凡是出乎他的，凡是他自己的，都不能带到主的事奉上来。……只有看见你自己不过是荆棘，不过是大麻风，是天然的人，是属肉体的，你才宝贝十字架的经历。这一个叫作天然的启示也可以，叫作十字架的启示也可以。有了爱主的心之后，起码你要看见两个启示，一个是关乎基督的，一个是关乎自己的，也就是关乎十字架的。

　　但是光有这三步还不行。光有这三步，你能作有价值的，但是你不能作够多的。……你定规是把基督作出去的，你定规是把基督事奉出去的。但是……也许你一年只能一次把基督服事出去，也许你半年只能把基督服事给一个人（性格，五○至五一页）。

　　2 Cor. 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves…; but our sufficiency is from God, who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

　　1:9 Indeed we ourselves had the response of death in ourselves, that we should not base our confidence on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

　　What kind of person is useful to the Lord?… First, he must love and desire the Lord. Do not even talk about being used by the Lord if you do not love and desire Him…. Second, he must have a vision of the Lord and an encounter with Him. He needs to have a revelation that God’s eternal purpose is to work Christ into us and to express Christ through us…. Third, his self, his person, must have been dealt with by the cross. He must realize that whatever he has and whatever comes out of him cannot be brought into the Lord’s service…. Only when you have seen that you are fleshly and nothing but a thornbush, a leper, and a natural man will you treasure the experience of the cross. This can be called the revelation of the natural man or the revelation of the cross. After you have a heart to love the Lord, you must have at least two revelations, one concerning Christ and the other concerning the self, which also concerns the cross.

　　However, these three aspects are not sufficient. With these you can do something valuable but nothing extensive. You will surely dispense Christ and minister Christ, though perhaps only once a year, or to one person in six months. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “Character,” p. 577)

　　（第四个）问题完全是出在性格上（的乖僻）。……我们不是把我们的性格给人，乃是用性格把基督托出去。

　　（比方说），一位弟兄记性不强，性格善忘，请问这一个善忘的性格，能不能代表这位弟兄里面所认识的基督？不能。但是这一个性格影响他的事奉实在大。他要合于主的使用，就必须补上这一个东西。他要学习记事情，身上要带着小册子，把该作的事都记在上面。

　　我们今天既是奉献给主的人，前途也不要了，什么都不要了，就是为着事奉主，我们就应该有相当的功用。但是很可惜，我们显出来的功用太少了，我们受个性的限制太大了。若是我们不把老旧的个性翻掉，我们在主手中的用处恐怕就到此为止。

　　有的弟兄个性非常自信，自信他能作什么，他这个自信就叫他看不见光。他在一个地方作工，过了一年、两年，什么也没有作出来。……但是他一直不觉得是自己不行，只觉得别人不行。……你翻掉你的自信就有用处了。……若是我们能冲破个性的界限，我们工作的果效……应该加三倍还不止。……有的人……若是环境不齐备、条件不够，他就不作。要知道，在我们这个工作里头要环境齐备是很难的。……（乃）在于你随机应变，……你非要就环境不可。……不要有一个个性，一定要怎样才能作工（性格，五二至五三、六四至六五页）。

　　新约的执事……是靠着生命（不是任何恩赐）与神同工，这生命是全丰全足、全然成熟的，能适应一切处境，忍受任何对待，接受各样环境，在各种情形里作工，并把握各种机会，好完成他们的职事（圣经恢复本，林后六1注1）。

　　参读：性格，第三、五至七篇；事奉主者的存心、配搭与功用，第三至四篇。

　　The fourth aspect [is] the aspect of character… We do not minister our character to others, but we bear Christ to them by our character. For example, a certain brother may be absent-minded and forgetful. Can his forgetful character replace the Christ whom he knows inwardly? Not at all. But his character greatly affects his service. He must make up this lack if he wants to be suitable for the Lord’s use. He must learn to remember things. He should carry a pocket notebook to record things that need to be done. This is just a small example.

　　Since we have consecrated ourselves to the Lord and have given up our future and everything to serve Him, we should be very useful. Unfortunately, we are extremely limited by our disposition and, as a result, too little of our function is manifested. If we do not overthrow our old disposition, I am afraid that our usefulness in the hand of the Lord will cease.

　　The disposition of some brothers reflects a strong self-confidence. They believe that they can do anything and are thus blinded by their self-confidence. After working in one place for a year or two, they may have accomplished nothing…. However, they always feel that this is because of others’ shortage and never their own…. You will be useful only if such confidence is overthrown…. If we can break through the constraints of our disposition, the effectiveness of our work will more than triple. Some people do not know how to utilize their environment … [but] expect their environment to suit them. They refuse to work as long as the circumstances are not perfect or the conditions are not adequate. You must realize that in our work it is almost impossible to have a perfect environment…. It all depends on how flexible we are to adapt to our circumstances and adjust to all environments…. Reject the disposition that requires a particular environment before you can work. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “Character,” pp. 578-579, 588-589)

　　The ministers of the new covenant…worked together with God by a life (not by any gift) that was all-sufficient and all-mature, able to fit all situations, that is, able to endure any kind of treatment, to accept any kind of environment, to work in any kind of condition, and to take any kind of opportunity, for the carrying out of their ministry. (2 Cor. 6:1, footnote 1)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “Character,” chs. 3, 5-7; CWWL, 1968, vol. 2, pp. 225-241, 449-454