5月15日 竭力作神的仆人
竭力作神的仆人
“我看重祢的一切命令，就不至于羞愧。”（诗119:6）
天堂并非靠华丽的辞藻或勇敢的表白就能赢得，而是借着那“成就了一切”的顺服。没有顺服的祭物，无异于亵渎。一个人的信仰若只有口头认信，却无法从圣洁生活中出具见证，他的信仰便是徒然的。当夸口的基督徒跌倒时，唯有身体力行的基督徒才能站立得稳。那些能说不能行的人，夺取了神最看重的荣耀。曾有一位伟大的将军责打手下的士兵，因那士兵只顾咒骂仇敌；将军直言，他给士兵的命令不是大喊大叫，而是冲锋陷阵。同样，在祷告或谈话中痛斥魔鬼是不够的；你若要讨神喜悦，就必须采取实际行动，抵挡牠并治死肉体的私欲。
难道自称是天国君王的儿女，是一件可以轻忽的小事吗？你岂能以为无需证明自己对神的热心和对罪的恨恶，就能获得这尊贵的身份？使徒说：“不是听了就忘，乃是实在行出来，就在他所行的事上必然得福”（雅1:25）。请注意，经上不是说“因”他的行为得福，而是说“在”他的行为中得福。当他在顺服中行事时，必会与福分相遇。假冒为善的人是令人失望的，因为人见他枝繁叶茂，以为他必有果子，却在他那里一无所获。最终，他也令自己失望——他满心以为自己能进天堂，结果却与之无份。
此外要留意，神对祂儿女的怜悯是何等浩大。只要我们的努力是出于真诚与恒忍，纵然软弱，神也乐意接纳。当人的内心是正直的，神就接纳这些行为，就如同它们是因全然顺服而行出来的。这就是为何圣徒被称为已经“成就了一切”（弗6:13）。啊，谁不愿服事这样一位神呢？你或许听过仆人抱怨主人刻薄，他们无论如何尽力都无法令其满意；但这样的指控绝不能加在神身上。你只要尽心竭力，神必会宽赦你最软弱之处。大卫深知主的恩慈怜恤，所以他说：“我看重祢的一切命令，就不至于羞愧。”（诗119:6）。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民24章，诗66-67章，
个人灵修：赛14章，彼前2章
MAY 15, FRIDAY
DO YOUR BEST AS HIS SERVANT
“Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments” (Psalm 119:6).
Heaven is not won with good words or a bold profession, but with “having done all.” Sacrifice without obedience is sacrilege. His religion is in vain whose profession brings no letters of testimony from a holy life. The doing Christian is the one who shall stand when the boasting Christian shall fall. Such braggarts rob God of that which He values most. A great captain once smote one of his own soldiers for railing at the enemy, saying that his orders were not to rant and rave, but to fight and kill him. To cry out against the devil, to rail against him in prayer or conversation, is not enough. You must take action against him and mortify him if you want to please God.
Is claiming sonship to the King of heaven so small a matter that you think you can obtain it without giving a real proof of your zeal for God and hatred of sin? “Not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man,” says the apostle, “shall be blessed in his deed” Games 1:25). Notice he does not say by his deed, but in his deed. He shall meet blessedness as he walks obediently. The hypocrite disappoints others who, seeing the leaves on his tree, expect fruit but find none. And at last he disappoints himself. He expects to reach heaven, but will miss it entirely.
Observe also that God’s mercy to His children is so great that He gladly accepts their weak efforts to please Him as long as those efforts are joined with sincerity and perseverance. When the heart is right, God accepts the works as if they were done in full obedience. This is why the saints are said to have “done all.” Oh, who would not serve such a God! You hear servants sometimes complain that their masters are so unreasonable they can never please them, even when they do their best. Such a charge can never be brought against God. Only do your best, and God will pardon your worst. David knew the indulgence of the Lord when he said, “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments” (Psalm 119:6).