创二9　 ……园子当中有生命树，还有善恶知识树。

　　　　17 只是善恶知识树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。

　　什么叫作跟从是非的原则？我们行事为人，我们在那里问一个问题，就是有一件事，我这样作，到底对不对？是不是？……你在那里问善恶的问题，你问你自己：我这样作是是的呢，或者是非的呢？许多人在那里考虑：这一件事是善的呢，或者是恶的呢？许多人在那里考虑：这一件事我可以作呢，或者我不可以作？……你就以为：我这样作基督徒是很好了，因为我特别拣那些善的，特别拣那些对的，特别拣那些是的去作。……达到极点，还不过是分别善和恶；达到极点，还不过是挑选拒绝—拒绝恶的，挑选善的。这不是基督徒的信仰。……这是旧约，这是律法，这是全世界的宗教，这是人的道德、人的伦理（倪柝声文集第三辑第十册，一八八页）。

　　Gen. 2:9 …The tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

　　17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

　　If our conduct is controlled by the principle of right and wrong, then we ask if something is right or wrong whenever we have to make a decision…When we ask whether it is good, we are, in effect, asking ourselves, “Am I right to do this or not?” Many people consider much whether something is good or evil. They consider whether they can or cannot do a certain thing… By taking care to decide whether or not something is good and right, they consider themselves to be good Christians. At the most, this practice is only a discerning of good from evil. At best, it is merely choosing and rejecting—choosing good and rejecting evil. This is not Christianity… It is the Old Testament, the law, worldly religions, human morality, and human ethics. (CWWN, vol. 56, “Two Principles of Living,” pp. 420-421)

　　基督徒的信仰是生命，……不是你在那里问：这件事是对，或者不对。……〔而〕是说，你作这件事，你里面的生命怎么说？神所赐给你的新生命，在你里面对于这件事怎么说？有一件事顶希奇，就是：有许多人所看见的不过是一个标准，善恶的标准，外面的标准而已。但神所赐给我们的，不是外面的一个标准。基督徒的信仰不是得着一个新的十条诫命，……〔也〕不是问对不对，不是问善恶是非，乃是：你作一件事，你里面有生命，生命觉得爬起来，生命对你说话，里面觉得对，里面有生命，里面有力量，里面有膏油，你知道说有生命。许多的事，凭着人的眼光来看是对的，凭着人的眼光来看是是的，是善的；但是，顶希奇，里面那一个生命不响应，里面那一个生命冷下去，里面那一个生命萎下去。

　　我们基督徒的生活是凭着里面的生命，不是凭着外面是非的标准。世界的人，没有得救的人，他们生活的原则达到极点的时候，不过是是非；如果你，如果我，生活的原则也不过是是非，就我们和世界的人一样了。我们和世人的不同就在这里：我们不是凭着外面的标准，我们不是凭着外面的律法，我们不是讲人的道德、人的观念，我们不是凭着人的批评、人的看法来看这是对的，或者这是不对的。今天我们只有一个问题，就是里面的生命如何？那一个生命在我里面有能力，是活着的，我就能够作；那一个生命在我里面是冷的，是萎的，我就不能作。我生活的原则是凭着里面，不是凭着外面。……乃是因为神的圣灵在你里面运行的时候，你才能看出什么真是对的。里面有生命的，才是对的；里面没有生命的，就是不对的。对不对，不是凭着外面的标准，乃是凭着里面的生命。

　　这一个问题解决了，你就立刻看见，作基督徒的人，不只是恶事不能作，并且连仅仅是善的事也不能作；作基督徒的人，只能作出乎生命的事。你看见在这里有恶事，你看见在这里有善事，你看见在这里有生命的事。不是说，作基督徒要作善事和生命的事；乃是说，作基督徒不能作善事和恶事。神说，“善恶知识树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。”〔创二17〕善和恶是摆在一起，善和恶是在一条路上；生命是在另外一条路上。不只恶是基督徒所该拒绝的，连善也是基督徒所该拒绝的。在这里有一个标准比善的标准还要高，这一个标准叫作生命的标准（倪柝声文集第三辑第十册，一八九至一九一页）。

　　参读：生命信息，第二十六章。

　　Christianity is life… [It is] not a matter of asking whether something is right or wrong… [but] of checking with the life inside us whenever we do something. What does the new life which God has given us tell us inwardly about this matter? It is very strange that many people have only seen an outward standard, the standard of good and evil. But God has not given us an outward standard. Christianity is not a new set of Ten Commandments… [and] does not require that we ask whether something is right or wrong, good or evil. On the contrary, whenever we do anything, there is a life within us which rises up to speak with us. When we feel right inwardly, when we feel the life inside of us moving, when we are strong within and sense the anointing, we know that we have life. Many times something is right and good in the eyes of man, but strangely the inner life has no response and grows cold and retreats.

　　Our Christian living is based on an inner life, not an outward standard of right and wrong. Many worldly people, who are not saved, live according to the best standard of living they can attain: the principle of right and wrong. If you or I also live by the principle of right or wrong, we are the same as worldly people. Christians are different from non-Christians because we do not live by an outward standard or law. Our subject is not human morality or concepts. We do not determine whether something is right or wrong by subjecting it to human criticism or opinion. Today we have only one question: What does our inner life say? If the life is strong and active within us, we can do this; if the life is cold and retreating within us, we should not. Our principle for living is inward instead of outward…We can only see what is really right when the Spirit of God operates within us. If we feel that there is life inwardly, then that matter is right. If we do not feel the inward life, then the matter is wrong. Right and wrong are not decided by an outward standard but by the inner life.

　　Once this matter is resolved, we can see that we must not only avoid all that is evil but also all that is merely good. Christians can only do that which comes out of life. We can see that there are evil things, good things, and things of life. We are not saying that Christians should only do things that are good and things that are of life. Rather, we are saying that Christians must not do good things or evil things. God said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” [Gen. 2:17]. Note that “good and evil” are put together here as one way, while “life” is another way. Christians should not just refuse evil; they should even refuse good. There is a standard that is higher than the standard of good; it is the standard of life. (CWWN, vol. 56, “Two Principles of Living,” pp. 421-422)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 2, “Life Messages, Volume 1,” ch. 26