5月17日 彻底的心灵转化
彻底的心灵转化
一个与世界联姻的人，或许会在口头上承认基督；但当他被迫在基督与撒但之间作出抉择时，他很快就会显露出自己的本相。
神有主权赏赐祂看为好的一切，也有主权收回。如果你还不是基督徒，或许你对神的事在头脑上有一定的认识，但即便如此，最终你仍可能在缺乏那使人得救的真知识中走向灭亡。
一个与世界联姻的人，或许会在口头上承认基督；但当他被迫在基督与撒但之间作出抉择时，他很快就会显露出自己的本相。当撒但用世上的财宝作为贿赂，诱使他放弃对救主的认信，他便会像底马一样，显明出他的心到底爱的是什么。或者，当私欲发出召唤时，他必会尾随而去，全然不顾自己曾经的认信、良心的责备、神的警戒以及一切的拦阻。希律虽然惧怕施洗约翰，但情欲之爱强于恐惧。他对希罗底的爱胜过了对施洗约翰的惧怕，这使他不仅砍下了施洗约翰的头，也掐灭了自己良心中尚存的一丝希望。如果一个人的灵魂本色是亵渎与不敬，即便他的脸上因着某些外在因素暂时涂抹着一层宗教的色彩，这本色最终也必会暴露无遗。
缺乏彻底的心灵转化，是一切最终背道的根源。背道者并非失去了他原有的恩典，而只是显明出他从未真正拥有过恩典。许多人凭着虚假的理由僭称圣徒，并利用他人对自己的好评所建立的声誉，在神的真子民中间经营自己的宗教买卖。这些虚假的认信者自以为是基督徒，仅仅是因为别人也这样看他们。他们的全部名声都建立在外在的宗教表现之上。事实证明，他们内里并没有坚实的恩典作为根基来维持这种认信，这最终成了他们败坏的原因。
因此，让我们省察：我们究竟是基于什么而作出的信仰宣告？我们的内心是否存有与外在热心相称的实质？我们是否已经立下了美好的根基？我们的属灵建筑是否头重脚轻，远远超出了那软弱根基所能承受的范围？一棵树的根在地下延展多远，它的枝子在地上就相应伸展多远，真正的恩典亦是如此。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：民26章，诗69章，
个人灵修：赛16章，彼前4章
MAY 17, SUNDAY
A THOROUGH CHANGE OF HEART
A man engaged to the world may profess faith in Christ,but he will quickly show his true colors when forced to make a choice between Christ and Satan.
All that God chooses to give, He can also choose to deny. If you are not a Christian, you may have some knowledge of the things of God, but, even so, you may die without saving knowledge at last.
A man engaged to the world may profess faith in Christ, but he will quickly show his true colors when forced to make a choice between Christ and Satan. When Satan bribes him with worldly treasures to abandon his profession of the Savior, he will, like Demas, show where his love lies. Or if his lusts call him, he must go, in spite of profession, conscience, God, and all. Herod feared John the Baptist, but love is stronger than fear His love for Herodias overcame his fear of John, and made him cut off not only John’s head but the hopeful buddings of his conscience as well. If the complexion of the soul is profane, it will finally show itself, though for a while there may be some religious color in a man’s face from some external cause.
The lack of a thorough change of heart is the root of all final apostasy. The apostate does not lose the grace he had, but only discovers he never had any. Many take up their sainthood upon a false pretense, and use the credit they have gained from others’ opinions of them to establish their trade among God’s true saints. These false professors assume they are Christians because others suppose them to be. Their whole reputation is built on an outward show of religion. The fact that they have no stock of solid grace within to maintain them in their profession proves their undoing at last.
Let us therefore consider upon what basis we take up our declaration of faith. Is there anything within us that is proportionate to our outward zeal? Have we laid a good foundation? Is the superstructure top-heavy, jutting too far beyond the weak foundation? The roots of a tree spread as far underground as the branches do above; so does true grace.