《静夜亮光》十月十四日

十月十四日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/10/1014.mp3″]
经文: 不要效法这个世界。(罗马书十二:2)

基督徒若效法世界而仍然得救,必定是要经过火炼。你若想得到如此片面的救恩,亦当存同样恐惧的心。你希望在痛苦温床的黑暗中离开这个世界进入天堂,如同遭海难的船员攀上自己家园的岩石吗?那么效法这个世界吧!与黑暗的世界为一体,也可拒绝带着基督的谴责离开你的基督徒同伴。还是你宁愿享有在地如在天的生活?你想要荣耀地进入主的喜乐吗?那么,“你们务要从他们中间出来,与他们分别,不要沾不洁净的物,我就收纳你们。”(林后六:17)你的灵是否渴望信心的完全确据?你若与罪人相交就不能得到。你的心是否希望被爱的火焰燃烧?你的爱会被不敬虔社会所浸透而潮湿熄灭。现在你可能只是恩典的婴儿,倘若你向世人的价值和哲理让步,你就永不可能在基督耶稣里成为完全的人。天国的继承者与地狱的承受人为友实在是极大的危险。二者即使只有些微不调和也是危险的。一根小刺能导致大脓泡、一只小飞蛾能咬坏美好衣裳、些微的轻妄或戏谑会夺去信心中的千种喜乐。信徒啊,你不能明白因为效法世界而失去的福乐。你本应奔跑,它却割断你的肌腱,以致你只能爬行。为了你自己的安舒,也为了你能在恩典中成长,倘若你是一位基督徒,就作一个特殊的、分别出来的基督徒吧!

Evening, October 14
Scripture: “And be not conformed to this world.”(Romans 12:2)

If a Christian can by possibility be saved while he conforms to this world, at any rate it must be so as by fire. Such a bare salvation is almost as much to be dreaded as desired. Reader, would you wish to leave this world in the darkness of a desponding death bed, and enter heaven as a shipwrecked mariner climbs the rocks of his native country? then be worldly; be mixed up with Mammonites, and refuse to go without the camp bearing Christ’s reproach. But would you have a heaven below as well as a heaven above? Would you comprehend with all saints what are the heights and depths, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge? Would you receive an abundant entrance into the joy of your Lord? Then come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Would you attain the full assurance of faith? you cannot gain it while you commune with sinners. Would you flame with vehement love? Your love will be damped by the drenchings of godless society. You cannot become a great Christian-you may be a babe in grace, but you never can be a perfect man in Christ Jesus while you yield yourself to the worldly maxims and modes of business of men of the world. It is ill for an heir of heaven to be a great friend with the heirs of hell. It has a bad look when a courtier is too intimate with his king’s enemies. Even small inconsistencies are dangerous. Little thorns make great blisters, little moths destroy fine garments, and little frivolities and little rogueries will rob religion of a thousand joys. O professor, too little separated from sinners, you know not what you lose by your conformity to the world. It cuts the tendons of your strength, and makes you creep where you ought to run. Then, for your own comfort’s sake, and for the sake of your growth in grace, if you be a Christian, be a Christian, and be a marked and distinct one.