9月9日 自己做

又将人所有的心意夺回,使他都顺服基督。(林后十5)

这是信徒成圣须竭尽心力的另一面。保罗说:“我将所有计划都封锁,使它们都归服于基督。”(摩法特译本)今天多少基督徒的事工是没有纪律,只出于一时冲动的!主每一件事都律己,遵照父的旨意。他没有一丝行动,是脱离父的旨意,出于私意的冲动--“子凭自己不能作什么。”

再看看我们自己--有活现的宗教经历,就立刻冲动地把计划付诸行动,而不是把它约束在对基督的顺服里。这时代太强调实际工作,以致那些为主把计划俘掳的人,被批评为不热心为神,也不爱灵魂。真心的热诚在于顺服神,而不在于人性、不受约束的事奉热诚。圣徒还未把每一计划俘掳,就按本性--未经定志律己而来的属灵性情--怂动去作神的工作,这虽是不可思议,却确有其事。

我们很容易会忘记人不单要在救恩上归服基督,也要归服于基督对神、对世界、对罪、对魔鬼的观点。这就是说,他必须藉心意的更新而改变。

祈祷◆主啊,我来到你面前。求你将你的生命丰盛地赐给我,直至我的理解力、想像力和言语,都全属于你。你更新了我的灵,使我重获救恩之乐,你是何等伟大!

September 9 Do It Yourself

“Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

This is another aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul says, “I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ.” (Moffatt.) How much Christian work there is to-day which has never been disciplined, but has simply sprung into being by impulse! In Our Lord's life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was not a movement of an impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father's – “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” Then take ourselves – a vivid religious experience, and every project born of impulse put into action immediately, instead of being imprisoned and disciplined to obey Christ.

This is a day when practical work is overemphasized, and the saints who are bringing every project into captivity are criticized and told that they are not in earnest for God or for souls. True earnestness is found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that is born of undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not bringing every project into captivity, but are doing work for God at the instigation of their own human nature which has not been spiritualized by determined discipline.

We are apt to forget that a man is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation; he is committed to Jesus Christ's view of God, of the world, of sin and of the devil, and this will mean that he must recognize the responsibility of being transformed by the renewing of his mind.