SELF-CRUCIFIXION 自我釘死

To die to our own comforts, ambitions and plans is of the very essence of Christianity.

對我們的舒適、野心及計畫死，是基督教最基本的要素。

Life offers only two alternatives: crucifixion with Christ or self-destruction without him.

生命只有兩個選擇：與基督同釘十字架或是沒有基督的自我毀滅。

The concept of resurrection is welcomed by all, but the prior concern of self-crucifixion is a higher price than most men are willing to pay.

人人樂意接受復活的念頭，可是復活之前的自我釘死的代價可是個高過一切人願意付出的。

Kill sin before it kills you.

Richard Baxter

在罪惡至你於死地之前先至之於死地。

The cross must be borne, carried; we are not at liberty to step over it, or go round to avoid it.

Richard Baxter

我們必須背負十字架；我們沒有自由踏過或繞過十字架。

The mortification of the flesh is the quickening of the spirit.

John Calvin

肉體的羞辱是靈命的得力。

Taking up the cross is the conscious choice of a painful alternative motivated by love for Christ.

Walter J. Chantry

背起十字架是有意識的藉著愛基督而激起的痛楚選擇。

Without a cross there is no following Christ.

Walter J. Chantry

沒有十字架就沒有所謂的跟隨基督。

All Christians lead a dying life; it is the secret of their strange vitality.

John Cordelier

所有的基督徒都邁向死亡；那是他們得力的秘訣。

Crucifixion is something that is done to us; it is not something that we do to ourselves. We can only initiate it by picking up the crossbar, that is, by a complete honest determination.

Arthur C. Custance

釘死十字架是為我們成就的事情；那不是我們能為自己做成的。我們所能做的只是主動的撿起十字架的橫木，也就是我們全然真誠的抉擇。

The cross is easier to him who takes it up than to him who drags it along.

J. E. Vaux

比起那些拖著十字架前行的人，背著十字架前行的人輕省多了。

There is no other way to live this Christian life than by a continual death to self.

Francois Fenelon

再沒有比自我不斷死亡能活出基督徒生活的方法了。

No man has a velvet cross.

John Flavel

沒有人有個天鵝絨般柔軟的十字架。

We are bid to take, not to make our cross. God in his providence will provide one for us.

William Gurnall

我們被吩咐背起十字架，而不是自己做個十字架。在上帝的供應中也提供我們一個十字架。

God creates out of nothing. Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.

Martin Luther

上帝從無中生有。因此除非一個人變得無有，上帝不能從他造出甚麼。

Mortified Christians are the glory of Christ.

Thomas Manton

受羞辱的基督徒是基督的榮耀。

'Crucified' is the only definitive adjective by which to describe the Christian life.

J. Furman Miller

「釘十字架」是描寫基督徒生命的關鍵形容詞。

There was a day when I died to George Muller; his opinions and preference, taste and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends; and since then I have striven only to show myself approved unto God.

George Muller

有這麼一天，我對喬治慕勒死了；他的意見及愛好，品味及意志；對世界死了，它的贊同或非難；甚至對我的弟兄姊妹的認同或責備；如此一來，我所努力的就是得到上帝的稱許。

What does it means for me to be 'crucified'? I think the answer is best summed up in the words the crowd used of Jesus: 'Away with him!'

Watchman Nee

對我而言「釘在十字架」是甚麼意思？我想可以用群眾對耶穌講的一句話概括之：「把他帶走！」

Be killing sin or it will be killing you.

John Owen

消滅罪惡或是讓它消滅你。

He who ceases from mortification lets go all endeavours after holiness.

John Owen

不再受羞辱的人如同停止追求聖潔的一切努力。

Christ's cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bear; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird or sails to a ship.

Samuel Rutherford

基督的十字架是我擔負過最甜美的擔子；這負擔就像鳥的雙翼或像船的風帆。

Christianity has a secret unknown to communists or capitalists...how to die to self. This secret makes us invincible.

W. E. Sangster

基督教有個共產主義或資本主義不知道的秘密...如何對自己死。這秘密使我們不被征服。

Prepare yourselves, my younger brethren, to become weaker and weaker; prepare yourselves for sinking lower and lower in self-esteem; prepare yourselves for self-annihilation - and pray God to expedite the process.

C. H. Spurgeon

我年輕的弟兄們，預備你自己變得越來越弱；預備你自己在自尊中沈得越來越深；預備你自己去摧毀自己 - 並祈求上帝一路幫助你。

To be sweet-smelling to God, we must be broken and poured out, not merely containers of a sweet smell.

C. T. Tudd

要讓上帝聞到芬芳的味道，我們必須被破碎並倒出來，而不光是一個盛著芬芳的瓶子。

When you put your life on the altar, when you make ready and accept to die, you are invincible. You have nothing any more to lose.

Josif Ton

當你將自己的生命擺在祭壇上，當你預備妥當接受死亡之際，你變成不能被征服的。因為你已經沒有甚麼可以再損失了。

Among the plastic saints of our times Jesus has to do all the dying and all we want to hear is another sermon about his dying.

A. W. Tozer

耶穌在我們這充滿塑膠聖人的時代要在為我們而死，而我們要聽的只是關於祂死的另一篇信息。