十月十一日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/10/1011.mp3″]
经文: 豫先所定下的人又召他们来。(罗马书八:30)
使徒保罗写给摩太的信中说:“上帝救了我们,以圣灵召我们。”(提后一:9)这是一个可以用来试验我们的呼召的标准。这是圣召,不是按我们的行为,乃是照祂自己的旨意和恩典的呼召。这一呼召让我们不能有一丝依靠自己的行为,使我们只靠基督得救。接着,这呼召又将我们取死的行为炼净,得以事奉又真又活的上帝。因为呼召你的是圣洁的上帝,故此你也必须圣洁。你若真属于基督,你就能说:“教我最痛苦的是罪,我极愿除去。主啊,助我成圣。”这是你心的愿望吗?这是你靠近上帝、靠近祂圣洁旨意的实质生命吗?腓立比书第三章第十三至十四节告诉我们关于“上帝在基督耶稣里从上面而来的呼召”。你的蒙召是否教你心尊贵,定意在属天的事物上?你的蒙召是否提升你的盼望、你的爱好、你的愿望?是否提高了你的生活目的,以至你与上帝同活、为上帝而活?另一处经文是希伯来书第三章第一节:“同蒙天召的”。天召意思是从天而来的呼召。如果只有人呼召你,你是未蒙呼召的。你的呼召是从上帝而来的吗?不仅是从天而来,也是往天而去的吗?除非天堂是你的家园,你在世上只是过路客,否则你尚未得着从天而来的呼召。已经蒙召的人会宣称他们所寻求的是有根基的城,是上帝所经营、所建造的(来十一:10)。他们看自己在地上不过是异乡人和过路客。你的蒙召是否像他们一般,是圣洁的、向上的、属天的?若然,亲爱的,你己蒙上帝呼召了。
Evening, October 11
Scripture: “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.”(Romans 8:30)
In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words-“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is “an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.” Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and his divine will? Again, in Philippians, 3:13, 14, we are told of “The high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things? Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God? Another test we find in Hebrews 3:1-“Partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly? Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call his people.