我们没有一个人为自己活。(罗十四7)
你有没有想过别人灵性的光景,在神面前我们是有责任要承担?例如我暗地里偏离神,四周的人都必受累。我们是“一同坐在天上”、“一个肢体受苦,所有的肢体就一同受苦”。你一旦容让肉体的私欲、思想的怠惰,德行的放松、属灵的迟钝,你的同伴就要受损。你会说:“立这样的标准,谁能当得起呢?”惟有神自己,我们所能承担的是出于神。
“你们要作我的见证”。有多少人肯把精力、智力、德性、灵性的每一分为耶稣基督摆上呢?见证这个字在神的心目中,正是这个意思。是要用时间,要耐心。神留我们在地上是为了什么?得拯救?得成圣?绝不,乃是为他。我愿否为他成为擘开的饼、倒出的酒?我甘愿被剥夺一切,完全舍弃观点立场,只为主使万人作门徒?我以生命作主工人,是对神说不尽的救恩的致谢。记住,每个人都有可能成为被废弃的银子——“……恐怕我传福音给别人,自己反被弃绝了。”
祈祷◆为着你的话——“父亲怎样怜恤他的儿女,耶和华也怎样怜恤敬畏他的人”——我赞美你。我何其认清我所领受到的,绝不是你的严苛,却全然是你的慈爱。噢,愿你向我所施的慈爱、温柔与忍耐,能够透过我向其他人表达。
February 15 Am I My Brother's Keeper?
“None of us liveth to himself.” Romans 14:7.
Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God? For instance, if I allow any private deflection from God in my life, everyone about me suffers. We “sit together in heavenly places.”“Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.” When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer. “But,” you say, “who is sufficient for these things if you erect a standard like that?”“Our sufficiency is of God,” and of Him alone.
“Ye shall be My witnesses.” How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ? That is the meaning of a witness in God's sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth – what for? To be saved and sanctified? No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him? To be spoilt for this age, for this life, to be spoilt from every standpoint but one – saving as I can disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life as a worker is the way I say “thank you” to God for His unspeakable salvation. Remember it is quite possible for any one of us to be flung out as reprobate silver – “. . . lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”