约壹三14　　我们因为爱弟兄，就晓得是已经出死入生了。不爱弟兄的，仍住在死中。

　　约五24　　…那听我话，又信差我来者的，就有永远的生命，不至于受审判，乃是已经出死入生了。

　　死是出于神的仇敌魔鬼撒但，撒但是由带来死的善恶知识树所表征；生命是出于神这生命的源头，神是由发出生命的生命树所表征（创二9、16~17）。死与生命不仅分别出于撒但和神这两个源头，也是两种素质、两种元素、两个范围。出死入生就是从死的源头、素质、元素和范围出来，进入生命的源头、素质、元素和范围。这是在我们重生时发生在我们身上的。我们晓得这事，对这事有里面的知觉，乃是因为我们爱弟兄。对弟兄的爱（神的爱）是这件事有力的证明。相信主是我们出死入生的路，爱弟兄是我们已经出死入生的证明。信是接受永远的生命，爱是凭着永远的生命而活，并将这生命彰显出来。

　　不爱弟兄就证明没有凭着神圣之爱的素质和元素而活，并没有留在它的范围中；反而是活在撒但死的素质和元素里，并且住在它的范围中（约翰一书生命读经，二八七至二八八页）。

　　1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. He who does not love abides in death.

　　John 5:24 …He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life.

　　Death is of the devil, God’s enemy Satan, signified by the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which brings death. Life is of God, the source of life, signified by the tree of life, which issues in life (Gen. 2:9, 16-17). Death and life are not only of these two sources, Satan and God; they are also two essences, two elements, and two spheres. To pass out of death is to pass out of the source, the essence, the element, and the sphere of death into the source, the essence, the element, and the sphere of life. This took place in us at our regeneration. We know (oida) this, we have the inner consciousness of this, because we love the brothers. Love (agape—the love of God) toward the brothers is a strong evidence of this. Faith in the Lord is the way for us to pass out of death into life; love toward the brothers is the evidence that we have passed out of death into life. To have faith is to receive the eternal life; to love is to live by the eternal life and express it.

　　Not loving the brothers is evidence of not living by the essence and element of the divine life and not remaining in its sphere. It is living in the essence and element of the satanic death and abiding in its sphere. (Life-study of 1 John, pp. 236-237)

　　借着重生，我们已经从死的源头、素质、元素和范围出来，进入生命的源头、素质、元素和范围。…首先有源头，然后从源头流出素质，素质形成元素，末了这元素变成范围。因此关于生命，首先有生命的源头，从这生命的源头流出生命的素质；这素质形成生命的元素；然后这生命的元素成为生命的范围。

　　我们可以用泉源来说明生命的源头、生命的素质、生命的元素、以及生命的范围。水从泉源流出，成为一道河。泉源是源头。我们可以说氧化氢（H2O）是从泉源流出之物的素质；这素质取了水的形状；涌流的水成为一道河。这里有泉源作源头，氧化氢作素质，水作元素，河流作范围。因此，在河流的范围里有水作元素；这元素的素质是氧化氢；这一切的源头乃是泉源。

　　我们神的儿女已经从神接受了神圣的生命。神是神圣生命的源头，泉源。神圣生命的素质就是神的所是。因此，神的所是，神的素质，是我们所接受作为神圣生命之灵水的素质。这生命也是我们能凭以并在其中生活的元素。当我们在神圣生命的元素里生活，神圣的生命就成为我们生活的范围。现今我们在神圣生命的范围里生活，拥有神圣生命的元素，并且享受神圣生命的素质。不仅如此，当我们享受神圣生命的素质，我们与作这生命源头的神就有了生机的联结。这就是为什么我们说，神圣的生命有源头、素质、元素和范围。

　　在原则上，死也是一样。…我们（曾）在死的范围里生活，有死的元素，受死的素质苦害。不仅如此，我们也与撒但（死的源头）联结。因此，我们在重生以前，经历且遭受死的源头、素质、元素和范围的苦害（约翰一书生命读经，二九八至三○○页）。

　　参读：约翰一书生命读经，第二十八、三十四篇；生命经历的基本原则，第一至四章；神圣的经纶，第四至五章。

　　Through regeneration we have passed out of the source, essence, element, and sphere of death into the source, essence, element, and sphere of life…. First we have the source. Then out of the source comes the essence. The essence forms an element, and eventually this element becomes a sphere. Therefore, regarding life, we first have the source of life. Out of this source of life comes the essence of life. The essence forms the element of life, and this element of life then becomes the sphere of life.

　　We may use a fountain to illustrate the difference between the source of life, the essence of life, the element of life, and the sphere of life. Water flows out of a fountain and becomes a river. The fountain is the source. We may say that H2O is the essence of what comes out of the fountain. This essence then takes the form of water, and the flowing water becomes a river. Here we have the fountain as the source, the H2O as the essence, the water as the element, and the river as the sphere. Therefore, in the sphere of the river we have the water as the element, and the essence of this element is H2O. The source of it all is the fountain.

　　As children of God, we have received the divine life from God. God is the source, the fountain, of the divine life. The essence of the divine life is the very being of God. Hence, God’s being, His essence, is the essence of the spiritual water we have received as the divine life. This life also is an element by which and in which we can live. When we live in the element of the divine life, the divine life becomes the sphere of our living. Now we are living in the sphere of the divine life, possessing the element of the divine life, and enjoying the essence of the divine life. Furthermore, as we enjoy the essence of the divine life, we are organically joined to God as the source of this life. This is the reason we say that with the divine life we have the source, the essence, the element, and the sphere.

　　The principle is the same with death….We were living in the sphere of death, possessing the element of death, and suffering the essence of death. Moreover, we were joined to Satan, the source of death. Therefore, before regeneration, we were experiencing and suffering the source, essence, element, and sphere of death. (Life-study of 1 John, pp. 245-246)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 John, msgs. 28, 34; CWWL, 1963, vol. 3, “Basic Principles of the Experience of Life,” chs. 1-4; CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “The Divine Economy,” chs. 4-5