2月11日 罪的深重与合神心意的忧伤
罪的深重与合神心意的忧伤
受试探的灵魂啊，当撒但控告你“不够谦卑”，逼你在忧伤中不断沉沦时，你务要看清自己得救的指望：基督才是那座脚踏的小桥，唯有靠着祂，你才能安稳地跨过罪恶的滔滔洪流。
玛拿西曾是个大罪人，对他而言，寻常的忧伤确实不够；他“在他列祖的神面前极其自卑”（代下 33:12）。撒但这时会说：“瞧，把你的罪和忧伤放在天平上称一称吧；你的哀恸能抵得上你的罪恶吗？你多年与全能者为敌，践踏祂的律法，将祂的恒久忍耐逼至极限；你用罪的匕首刺伤基督，让祂的灵担忧，又拒绝祂的恩典。难道你以为现在掉几滴泪，像飘过的云彩落点雨星，就能弥补了吗？不，既然你曾深陷罪中，现在就必须深埋在忧伤里。”
要识破这个谎言，我们必须分清“忧伤与罪相称”有两种不同意义上的“相称”。
第一种，是忧伤在程度和本质上，必须与罪的邪恶及其应受的刑罚完全相称。这其实是做不到的，因为哪怕最小的罪，因其冒犯的是无限的神，其伤害也是无限的。
第二种，是忧伤与福音的法则相称。那么，福音的法则是怎样的呢？那就是：真正忧伤痛悔的心，才是福音的忧伤——“众人听见这话，觉得扎心”（徒 2:37）。这种忧伤确实是那“叫人得生命的悔改”，是圣灵藉着福音赐下的，为要让你得着安慰与释放。
受试探的灵魂啊，当撒但控告你“不够谦卑”，逼你在忧伤中不断沉沦时，你务要看清自己得救的指望：基督才是那座脚踏的小桥，唯有靠着祂，你才能安稳地跨过罪恶的滔滔洪流。如果你想靠自己的忧伤来抵偿罪债，那你必死无疑；因为你很快就会沉入深水，淹死在自己的眼泪里，却连最小的罪也洗不掉。能带你进天堂的，不是你忧伤的程度，而是那颗真正忧伤痛悔的心。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：创44章，可14章，
个人灵修：伯10章，罗14章
FEBRUARY 11, WENDESDAY
GOD’S SORROW IN PROPORTION TO SIN
Oh, tempted soul, when Satan says you are not humbledenough and tells you to keep wallowing in your ownsorrow, see how you may be saved. Christ is the footbridge bywhich you may safely cross the raging river of your sins.
Manasseh was a great sinner, and an ordinary sorrow would not do for him. He “humbled himself greatly before … God” (2 Chronicles 33:12). “Now,” says Satan, “weigh your sin in the balance with your sorrow; are you as great a mourner as you have been a sinner? For many years you have waged war against the Almighty, making havoc of His laws, loading His patience to the breaking point, wounding Christ with the dagger of your sins while you grieved His Spirit and rejected His grace. And now do you think a little remorse, like a rolling cloud letting fall a few drops of rain, will satisfy? No, you must steep in sorrow as you have soaked in sin.”
To show you the flaw in his thesis, we must distinguish between two kinds of proportion in sorrow.
First, an exact proportion of sorrow to the inherent nature and demerit of sin. This is not feasible; the injury done in the least sin is infinite, because done to an infinite God.
Second, a relative proportion of sorrow to the law and rule of the Gospel. And what is the law of the Gospel concerning this? That genuine heart-sorrow is gospel-sorrow: “They were pricked in their heart”(Acts 2:37). This gospel sorrow is indeed repentance unto life, given by the Spirit of the Gospel for your relief. Oh, tempted soul, when Satan says you are not humbled enough and tells you to keep wallowing in your own sorrow, see how you may be saved. Christ is the footbridge by which you may safely cross the raging river of your sins. You are a dead man if you think to answer your sin with your own sorrow; you will soon be above your depth, and drown yourself in your own tears, but never be rescued from the least sin you have committed. The strength of your sorrow is not what carries you to heaven—but true heart repentance.