1月22日 神亲制的圣徒军装
神亲制的圣徒军装
于是，成千上万的人走向灭亡：他们自以为已经武装整齐，足以抵挡撒但、死亡与审判——殊不知从头到尾，他们都仍是可怜又赤身露体的。
你要仔细查看那“标签”：你所穿的军装，究竟是否出自神的手？现今市面上的仿冒品太多了。撒但的伎俩是：如果不能叫罪人安于赤身露体和放纵私欲的状态，他就会哄骗人披上一件轻薄虚伪的外衣——这种东西既不能让人得益，也伤不到撒但分毫。这外衣或许是定期的礼拜、某种善行，或是自设的苦修，企图以此来讨好神或博取人的称赞。这些“伪装者”信神吗？哦，他们自认为不是不信派。但他们从未审视过：自己穿的到底是什么“军装”，是从哪儿得来的，以及在灾难之日是否站得住脚。于是，成千上万的人就这样灭亡了：他们以为自己已经全副武装好，可以去迎接撒但、死亡与审判了，结果却发现自己一直处于赤身露体的悲惨状态。这样的人，比那些完全不加掩饰、赤裸裸显露羞耻之人的处境更为危险。
对大多数人而言，一幅精美的名画复刻品看起来几乎与真迹无异；但当大师本人现身时，他一眼就能分辨孰真孰伪。那自义的伪善者也是如此：他假装对神有信心、有盼望。看哪，他穿得威风凛凛，手里还攥着兵器。他用舌头当作利剑，将传道人和神的话语拒之门外，愤愤不平地质问：“谁敢说我不是圣徒？你倒是指出来，我有哪条诫命没守？哪样本分没尽？”许多人会被他表面的虔诚所迷惑。要揭穿他，唯有靠圣灵赐下的分辨之眼；即便如此，要让他知罪更是难上加难，因为撒但早已狡诈地篡改了他的心性。他必须先被卸下伪装，脱去那身污秽的自义之袍——因为神的军装，绝不可能套在人自制的破烂衣服外面。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：创23章，太22章，
个人灵修：尼12章，徒22章
JANUARY 22, THURSDAY
GOD MAKES HIS SAINTS’ ARMOR
Thus thousands perish who supposed they were armed against Satan, death, and judgment—when all along they were miserable and naked.
Look closely at the label to see whether the armor you wear is the workmanship of God or not. There are many imitations on the market nowadays. It is Satan’s game, if he cannot keep the sinner satisfied in his naked, lustful state, to coax him into some flimsy thing or other that by itself will neither do him good nor Satan harm. Perhaps it is church attendance, or good works, or some self-imposed penance by which he intends to impress both God and man. Do such impersonators believe in God? Oh, they hope they are not infidels. But what their armor is, or how they came by it, and whether it will hold up in an evil day, they never stop to question. Thus thousands perish who supposed they were armed against Satan, death, and judgment—when all along they were miserable and naked. These people are worse off than those who have not a rag of pretense to hide their shame from the world’s gaze.
To most of us, a careful copy of a masterpiece looks quite as good as the original. But when the master himself appears, he can tell in an instant which is real and which the imposter. It is the same with that self-righteous hypocrite who is a pretender to faith and hope in God. Here is a man in glittering array with his weapon in his hand. With the sharp sword of his tongue he keeps both the preacher and the Word of God at arm’s length: “Who can say I am not a saint? Name one commandment I do not keep, one duty I neglect!” he demands indignantly. Many are impressed by his seeming piety. It takes the Spirit’s discerning eye to expose him, and even then it is harder to convict him because Satan has so cleverly tampered with him already. He must first be disarmed and unclothed of his own filthy self-righteousness, because God’s armor can never be made to fit over the suit he has fashioned for himself.