5月8日 恩典的衰微
恩典的衰微
当你与基督的关系理顺了并归回正位时，你与主内的众弟兄姊妹都将同得益处，而天父也因此得着荣耀。
当你里面的恩典处于衰微状态时，你会感到自己远离了神，远离了天国；你甚至会开始怀疑自己是否真的得救。
请试想，若你因监护一个孩子而拥有一份产业，一旦这孩子夭折，产业便会被收回，我毫不怀疑，你会竭尽所能地照看他。你绝不会让他离开你的视线，哪怕他只是轻微头痛，你也会立刻奔向医生。我们对天上产业唯一的凭据，就是当我们接待基督为主和救主时，那“恩典之子”就来居住在我们里面；因此，当这个“恩典之子”软弱或患病时，我们务要竭力使用一切属灵的蒙恩途径，使他重新强健起来。
若神的恩典在你里面处于病态，你在今生和来世都难以寻见喜乐。正如一个患有慢性病的人对任何事都提不起兴致：饮食无味，睡眠不安，既无力工作，也无心娱乐。若基督的形象在你里面渐渐模糊，你便处于属灵的慢性病之中。你将尝不到应许的甘甜，也无法在主里面得着安息；你只会步履蹒跚，痛苦地履行每一项本分，心中不断怀疑自己是否有力量坚持到底。与此同时，你忧伤的心也会在沉重的担子下不断发出叹息。
何等可悲！我们自身的疏忽竟常常给撒但留下可乘之机。我们属灵上的懈怠，如同亲自将杖交在撒但的手中，亲自将论据放在牠口中，使牠借此质疑我们的救恩。然而，当我们的信心活泼有力时，神的应许对我们而言是何等甘甜！当基督徒不被罪疚折磨，力量也不因着恩典衰微而削弱时，主的轭是何等轻省。当你与基督的关系理顺了并归回正位时，你与主内的众弟兄姊妹都将同得益处，而天父也因此得着荣耀。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民16章，诗52-54章，
个人灵修：赛6章，来13章
MAY 8, FRIDAY
DECLINING IN GRACE
When your relationship to Christ is set aright, you and your brothers and sisters in Christ are alike benefited, and your heavenly Father is glorified.
When your graces are in a state of decline, you do feel far from God and heaven; you do begin to wonder whether you were ever really saved.
Imagine that you held an estate because of having custody of a child, upon whose death the estate would be taken away from you. I have no doubt that the child would be well looked after. You would never let him out of your sight, and the slightest headache would send you running for a physician. The only claim we have to our heavenly estate is the child of grace that comes to dwell within us when we accept Christ as Savior and Lord. So when this “child of grace” is sick or weak, we had better use every means to make it well again.
If God’s grace in you is sickly, you will find little joy in life, present or future. A person with a chronic illness gets no pleasure from anything else. His food is tasteless; he sleeps fitfully; he has no energy to work or play. If the image of Christ in you has faded, you are chronically ill. You will not taste the sweetness of the promise, nor enjoy any rest in Him. You will limp painfully to every duty, wondering whether you have strength enough to see it through. All the while, your disconsolate heart will be crying out at the heavy load you make it carry.
How sad that our own carelessness so often gives Satan the advantage! By our own spiritual complacency we put a staff in his hand and an argument in his mouth which he uses to question our salvation. But how sweet is the promise to our faith when it is active and vigorous! How easy the yoke when the Christian is not galled with guilt, nor his strength enfeebled by declining grace! When your relationship to Christ is set aright, you and your brothers and sisters in Christ are alike benefited, and your heavenly Father is glorified.