12月19日 神在我们里面的工作
12月19日，周五
神在我们里面的工作
“我把这些事写给你们信神的儿子之名的人，是要你们知道自己有永生。”（约翰壹书5:13）
我心里有一个确据：既然神在我心里已经开始动工，祂就必亲自成全到底。如果我已经得着了永生，那么我就“知道”，有一天我必定会毫无瑕疵、无可指摘没有斑点皱纹地站在神荣耀的面前。也因此，当我在今世不断遇见试探和罪恶的时候，我就明白，我不是被丢在一旁、任凭自己挣扎。我不再只是觉得无助和挫败，而是可以这样对自己说：“如果神住在我里面，如果神已经为我预备了那样的结局，那么，就算整个地狱所有的魔鬼都起来攻击我，祂仍要来扶持我、托住我。”
这正是一位像马丁·路德那样的改教家心中紧紧抓住的强大论据。正因为他确知自己已经有永生，他才能以那样藐视和无畏的态度去面对仇敌。凡心中怀有这盼望的人，都可以这样说：
“就算这世界到处都是魔鬼，
个个虎视眈眈要吞吃我们，
我们也不必因此惊慌失措，
因他们终究不能胜过我们。”
如果我们有永生，并且知道自己有永生，我们也就知道：神在我们心灵里所做的工作，必然会持续下去，直到最终在荣耀里完全成全。保罗在罗马书第八章那段有力的逻辑论证中这样说：“所召来的人，又称他们为义；所称为义的人，又使他们得荣耀。”（罗8:30）。你看，这“跳跃”多么惊人：“所称为义的人，又使他们得荣耀。”——祂若开始，就必完成；祂既已称人为义，就必带他们进入荣耀。真正蒙恩重生的人，必被神保守到底。既然这生命已经在我里面，我就可以确信，将来的荣耀必是属于我的。
正因有这样的应许，我绝不会以此为借口去放纵犯罪、轻看恩典；反而恰恰相反，在今生、在今世，我要这样说，也是像约翰所说的那样：“凡对祂存着这盼望的，就洁净自己，像祂一样的洁净”（约壹3:3）。既然神已经应许要把我带到完全的荣耀中去，那我今天就更愿意为祂而活，离弃罪，追求圣洁，好叫现在的生命与将来必得的荣耀相称。
默想主题：
神在我们心灵里所做的工作，必将持续下去，直到最终完全成全、带领我们进入那永远的荣耀。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代下22-23章，启10章
个人灵修：亚6章，约9章
December 19, Friday
GOD’S WORK IN US
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 JOHN 5:13)
I have the assurance that if God’s work in me has begun, the work will end. I “know” that if I have eternal life, I shall stand one day faultless and blameless, without spot and blemish, in the presence of God’s glory. So as I meet temptation and sin in this world, I realize that I am not left to myself. I cease to feel helpless and frustrated. I say, “If God is in me, if God has destined me for that, then He will come and hold me though all hell and the devils be opposed to me.” That was the mighty argument of a man like Martin Luther. It was because he knew he had eternal life that he could defy all those enemies the way he did, and all those who have this hope in them can say the same thing.
And were this world all devils o’er
And watching to devour us,
We lay it not to heart so sore;
Nor they can overpower us.
If we have eternal life and know that we have it, we know that God’s work in our souls will be carried on until it ends in ultimate perfection and glory. As Paul puts it in that mighty bit of logic in the middle of the eighth chapter of Romans, “Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom”—you see the jump—“he justified, them he also glorified.” If He starts, He will finish; so if the life is in me, I can be certain of the glory. Far from presuming on that in order to sin, while I am in this life and world I rather say with John, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
A Thought to Ponder: God’s work in our souls will be carried on until it ends in ultimate perfection and glory.