6月3日 使你的心与真理相合
使你的心与真理相合
如今，在你与真理之间，或者说，在你与基督之间，已经建立了一种永不破裂的新联合。
性情相投是爱的前提。属肉体的心是无法喜爱真理的，因为它与真理的本性截然不符。那么，一颗属地的心怎能爱慕纯洁属天的真理呢？当人的理智与情感相互冲突，判断力与意志力如此毫不相称地同负一轭时，实在令人可悲。想象一下，真理在良心中严厉地责备着内心的私欲！它们就像一对终日争吵的怨偶，或许能勉强同处一时；但内心的不满很快就会像亚哈随鲁王废黜瓦实提那样，将真理驱逐出境，转而迎娶那些不会违背其犯罪本性的原则。在这个放纵的时代，正是这种矛盾使得许多人与真理分道扬镳；他们无法既在罪中安享其乐，又同时保持纯正的判断力。
但如果真理的大能已经借着你心意的更新，将你改变成真理本身的样式，并使你结出与真理相称的果子，你就永远不会再与它分离。若要分离，你必须先丢弃神的灵在你里面所孕育的新性情。但如今，在你与真理之间，或者说，在你与基督之间，已经建立了一种永不破裂的新联合。
婚姻带有极大的约束力。两个原本素昧平生的人，一旦在爱中感情相契，在婚姻中连为一体，就能离开父母和朋友，彼此厮守。然而，灵魂与基督、灵魂与真理之间的那奥秘的婚姻，其大能远胜于此。正是同一个人，在归信之前，哪怕为基督或祂的真理连一文钱都不情愿付出；而如今，借着圣灵在他内心的隐秘工作，在与基督连为一体后，他竟能为了与主合一而撇下整个世界。
有一位逼迫者曾讥讽一位殉道者，问他是否因为太爱妻儿而舍不得死。那位基督徒回答说：“是的，我极深地爱着他们；哪怕用布伦瑞克公爵（他曾是这位公爵的臣民）所有的财富来换取他们中的任何一个，我也不愿与他们分离。但为了基督和祂的真理，我愿向他们全体告别！”
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：申7章，诗90章，
个人灵修：赛35章，启5章
JUNE 3, WENDESDAY
MAKE YOUR HEART CONFORM TO TRUTH
Now there is a new union between you and truth—or between you and Christ—which can never be broken.
Likeness is the ground of love. A carnal heart cannot like truth because it does not resemble truth. How is it possible, then, for an earthly heart to love pure heavenly truth? It is sad when men’s understandings clash with their affections, when judgment and will are so unequally yoked. Truth in the conscience scolding lust in the heart! Like a quarreling couple, they may live together for awhile; but the discontent will soon expel truth as Ahasuerus did Vashti, and espouse principles which will not cross his heart in its bent for sin. This has parted many men from truth in these licentious days—they cannot sin in peace and keep sound judgment at the same time.
But if the power of truth has transformed you into its own likeness by the renewing of your mind, and made you bear fruit like itself, you will never separate yourself from it. Before this could happen you would have to part with the new nature which the Spirit of God has formed in you. But now there is a new union between you and truth—or between you and Christ—which can never be broken.
A mighty power goes along with wedlock; two persons who have barely known each other can leave friends and parents to enjoy each other after their affections have been knit by love and their persons made one by marriage. But a mightier power accompanies the mystical marriage between the soul and Christ, the soul and truth. This is the same person who, before conversion, would not have given a penny for Christ or His truth; yet now, knit to Christ by a secret work of the Spirit, he can leave the whole world behind for oneness with Him.
A persecutor once taunted a martyr by asking him if he did not love his wife and children too much to die. “Yes,” answered the Christian, “I love them so dearly that I would not part with any of them for all that is the Duke of Brunswick—whose subject he was—is worth; but for Christ’s sake and His truth, farewell to them all!”