1月23日 信心与知识
信心与知识
撒但在向你撒谎时从不挑剔；只要能诱使你相信，任何谎言对牠来说都同样有效，都能产生致命的杀伤力。
神设计全副军装的每一部分都有其特定的用途，因此，圣徒必须穿戴整齐。换言之，你不能用头盔去护心，也不能把盾牌挡在护心镜该在的位置。事实上，各种属灵美德（Graces）构成了一个彼此关联的系统，每种美德都有其独特功用，为灵魂带来生命与健康——这正如体内纵横交错的血管网，将血液输送到全身。若刺破其中某一条血管，全身的鲜血都可能随之流尽；同样，若忽略了某一项本分，所有美德的力量都可能因此尽失。
使徒彼得劝勉基督徒，要在各样的恩赐和美德上全面长进。当整个身体都兴旺时，不才是真正的健康吗？信心是引领这支队伍前行的元帅。你若有信心，就当加上德行。正如彼得所说：“正因这缘故，你们要分外地殷勤；有了信心，又要加上德行”（彼后 1:5）。这些美德彼此受益：善行与属灵的行动从信心获得生命，而信心反过来又在行为中得着滋养并壮大——这正是马丁·路德的教导。
你的行为或许能结出看似诱人的果子，但除非你在德行上加上知识，否则你仍难免受到魔鬼的侵害。知识之于信心，好比阳光之于农夫；没有知识，信心就看不清工作的方向；而工作即便完成，在半真半假的昏暗光线中也无法被正确审视。若你不在福音真理中扎根，撒但就会利用你的无知来阻碍你的灵命成长。牠针对每种处境都准备了狡诈的诡计。有时，牠会诱使你相信自己还不够谦卑，让自责的杂草扼杀救恩的确据；另一些时候，牠又会奉承你，让你对自己的“谦卑”产生虚假的骄傲，自义的瘟疫就会因此毁掉圣灵在你生命中所结的果子。撒但在向你撒谎时从不挑剔；只要能诱使你相信，任何谎言对牠来说都同样有效，都能产生致命的杀伤力。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：创24章，太23章，
个人灵修：尼13章，徒23章
JANUARY 23, FRIDAY
FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE
Satan is not particular what lie he tells you; one will work as powerfully as another if he can get you to believe it.
God designs each part of the armor for a particular purpose; therefore, the saint must be properly attired. In other words, it will not do to cover the heart with the helmet, or to hold the buckler where the breastplate ought to be. Indeed, there is a series of graces, each with a special function to bring life and health to the soul—much like the network of veins and arteries which carries blood through the body. Prick one vein, and the blood of the whole man may spill from that outlet; neglect one duty, and the strength of all the graces may be lost.
The apostle Peter urged Christians to increase the whole body of grace. Is this not true health—when the whole body thrives? Faith is the grace which leads the procession. If you have faith, then add virtue: “Add to your faith virtue,” says Peter (2 Peter 1:5). These graces are of mutual benefit to one another. Good works and gracious actions get their life from faith; faith, in turn, fattens and becomes strong on works—so says Martin Luther.
Your works may bear luscious-looking fruit, but you are not safe from the devil’s blight unless you add to your virtue knowledge. Knowledge is to faith as sunshine is to the farmer. Without it, faith cannot see to do her work. Nor can the work, once finished, be adequately inspected in the dim light of half-truths. If you do not ground yourself in the truth of the Gospel, Satan will play upon your ignorance to thwart your spiritual growth. He has a clever proposition for every occasion. In one instance he may try to persuade you that you are not humble enough, and cause the weeds of self-condemnation to choke out the assurance of your salvation. Another time, he will flatter you into a false sense of pride in your humility, and the pestilence of self-righteousness will wipe out the Spirit’s crop of fruit in your life. Satan is not particular what lie he tells you; one will work as powerfully as another if he can get you to believe it.