六月五日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/06/0605.mp3″]
经文: 没有爱心的就不认识上帝。(约翰一书四:8)
基督徒的特微是对基督的爱充满信心,和对基督的热爱满有深度。首先,信心能使心灵附和使徒说:“上帝的儿子,祂是爱我,为我舍己。”(加二:20)然后,因着爱而向耶稣回报以感激和爱。“我们爱,因为上帝先爱我们。”(约一四:19)早期教会,也是基督徒信仰的英雄时期,在耶稣所有的信徒身上可以清楚见到这双重记号。他们对主之爱不是一种平静的情绪,隐藏在他们心灵的密室中;不是在主日崇拜时所论及的,或在圣诗中歌颂之基督耶稣;乃是以他们的激情和消耗一切的能量所表现出来的热爱。在他们的行动中可见到,在他们的交谈中可听到,即使对他们随意一瞥,也可以从他们闪耀的眼光中看到。他们对耶稣的爱像点燃在心中的火焰。这火直燃至他们的外体,照亮了周围。因为依靠对基督的爱,他们才大大地放胆;因为对基督的爱,他们才大有作为。现在也是一样。上帝的儿女受控于他们内心至深处的爱。“基督的爱激励我们”(林后五:14)。因为靠着赐给他们的圣灵,上帝的爱从他们的心中散发出来。因为充满感激,他们以清洁的心,热列地爱这位救主。你爱祂吗?请你入寝以前,给这重要的问题一个诚实的答案。
Evening, June 5
Scripture: “He that loveth not knoweth not God.”(1 John 4:8)
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ, and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me and gave himself for me.” Then love gives the countersign, and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love him because he first loved us.” In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ, and rested upon it as a man leaneth upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. The love which they felt towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in the secret chamber of their souls, and which they only spake of in their private assemblies when they met on the first day of the week, and sang hymns in honour of Christ Jesus the crucified, but it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy, that it was visible in all their actions, spoke in their common talk, and looked out of their eyes even in their commonest glances. Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being; and, therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man, and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence upon Christ’s love they dared much, and because of their love to Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love-the love of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently. My reader, do you love him? Ere you sleep give an honest answer to a weighty question!