3月27日 神话语上的帕子
3月27日 神话语上的帕子
处于罪恶状态中的人，正遭受着同样的灾病。除非神从他灵魂中挪去这黑暗，否则他绝无办法行出任何真正有益的事。
对于罪人而言，真理之光比沙漠正午的烈日还要灼人（参 约3:19）。他唯恐避之不及，绝不肯行在光中；一旦暴露在光下，他会不惜一切代价寻求解脱。撒但总是在他身旁伺机而动，随时预备帮他寻找遁词，好躲避那穿透人心的光束。
当他在一篇大有能力的讲道中听见真理时，撒但会坐在他身旁的席位上，向他耳边低语一些废话来分散他的注意力。也许撒但会叫他想想晚饭吃什么，或者明天的日程如何安排。若是讲道讲得太“扎心”，魔鬼还会使他的感官迟钝，让他打瞌睡，直到聚会结束。假如一个人的良心开始倾向真理，撒但接着可能会把他引向一位“不温不火”的讲道人；那人的空洞絮语只会迎合他的喜好，却不会刺痛他的良心。哦，那人也许是在讲神的话语，但却讲得小心翼翼、轻描淡写。他太胆怯，不敢按着圣灵宝剑原本的大能与锋利去使用这些神的话语，生怕“得罪”了会众中的某些人。许多人敢于谈论真理，甚至欣赏它安稳收在鞘里的样子；但若真看见真理被拔出，赤裸地显明出来，恐怕当场就要昏倒了。
罪恶与黑暗都会带来痛苦。当埃及人身处黑暗之灾时，除了呆坐着并盼望灾难过去，还能做什么呢？处于罪恶状态中的人，正遭受着同样的灾病。除非神从他灵魂中挪去这黑暗，否则他绝无办法行出任何真正有益的事。每一个不肯悔改的罪人，其墓碑上都可以恰当地写下这样一句话：“这里躺着一个从未为神真正作过一小时工的人。”
而且，如果他在黑暗中不能服事神，他也同样无法自救。可怜那人吧！黑暗遮蔽了他的双眼，使他看不见自己对灵魂造成的损害。他就像一个无助地站在漆黑地窖里的人，以为自己被困死在此；但若点燃一支蜡烛，他就会发现，门的钥匙其实就在触手可及之处。基督就是那支蜡烛，照亮人走出黑暗的道路。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：出38章，约17章，
个人灵修：箴14章，腓1章
MARCH 27, FRIDAY
A VEIL OVER THE WORD
A man in a state of sin is under the same plague. He can do nothing profitable until God lifts the darkness from his soul.
To a sinner, the light of truth is more blistering than a desert sun at mid-day (John 3:19). He shuns to walk where it is shining, and when exposed to it, will spare no expense to get relief. Satan is always at his elbow, ready to help him find a way to hide from its penetrating rays.
Does he hear the truth in a powerful sermon? Satan will sit alongside him in the pew and whisper nonsense to distract him. He may ask his plans for dinner, or what is on the docket for tomorrow. And if the sermon gets too hot, the devil will dull his senses and get him to doze until the service is over. Suppose a man’s conscience strains toward the truth. Satan may then send him to hear a cool preacher, whose senseless prattle will tickle his fancy rather than prick his conscience. Oh, he may preach from the word of God, but he does it gingerly. He is too cowardly to use the Sword of the Spirit in all its might and power, lest he “offend” some members of his congregation. Many who dare to handle the truth and even admire it when encased in a scabbard would faint on the spot to see it drawn and bared.
Both sin and darkness cause distress. What could the Egyptians do under the plague of darkness but sit still and hope it would pass? A man in a state of sin is under the same plague. He can do nothing profitable until God lifts the darkness from his soul. The epitaph of every impenitent sinner could fitly read: “Here lies one who never did an hour’s work for God.”
And if he can do God no service while kept in darkness, neither can he help himself. Pity the man whose darkness hides the disservice he does to his own soul! He is like one who stands helplessly in a dark cellar, supposing himself trapped and doomed to die. But if a candle were lit, he would find the key to the door within easy reach. Christ is the candle that lights the way out of man’s darkness.