6月25日 爱世界与怕世界
爱世界与怕世界
要胜过爱世界的心。这是一条顽固的根，假冒为善极易在其上滋生。
若不是世界插足在神与基督徒的灵魂之间，基督徒的纯全就不会被遮蔽。要胜过爱世界的心。这是一条顽固的根，假冒为善极易在其上滋生。若你的心贪恋世上的某样事物，并将它置于一切之上，你就会因这种渴慕而患上属灵的疾病，且极易听从撒但的怂恿，不择手段去攫取你最想要的东西。猎人为了抓住猎物，根本不在乎要走哪条路。无论是翻越树篱和沟渠，还是蹚过沼泽，他都愿意去。
一个圣徒的心既然已经浇上了基督那宝贵的膏油，竟还会对世界散发出如此浓烈的贪恋气味，这真是一个奥秘。照理说，从神应许的香料床上散发出的甜美香气，应当能打消基督徒追逐属地猎物的欲望。基督在这些应许中吹出的气息，应当如此充满圣徒的感官，以致那些低俗的属地享乐不再能取悦他。
只要基督徒属灵的感官是敞开的，这确实如此；但正如重感冒会堵住人的鼻子使其失去嗅觉，基督徒的疏忽大意也会阻塞他属天的恩典。当圣徒无法享受基督那神圣的香气时，魔鬼就会乘虚而入，立刻将某种属世的诱惑摆在他面前。很快，肉体就会循着这气味，引诱基督徒陷入一场最终只会死于忧愁与羞辱的追逐之中。也要胜过对世界的惧怕。
惧怕人会带来网罗。胆怯的人为了保全自己，什么肮脏的洞穴都愿意钻。而即便是最圣洁的圣徒，在受试探时也与常人无异。当彼得的声誉似乎受到些许威胁时，他并没有“按福音的真理行的正”（加2:14）。相反，他进退失据——有时他愿意与外邦人同吃，有时却不愿意。为什么？因为他怕“奉割礼的人”（加2:12）。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：申30章，诗119:73-96，
个人灵修：赛57章，太5章
JUNE 25, THURSDAY
THE LOVE AND FEAR OF THE WORLD
Get above the love of the world. This is a stubborn root for hypocrisy to grow on.
A Christian’s sincerity is not eclipsed without the intervening of the earth between God and his soul. Get above the love of the world. This is a stubborn root for hypocrisy to grow on. If your heart becomes attached to something else in the world, and chooses it above everything else, you will be sick with longing for it and vulnerable to take the first advice Satan offers for getting what you want most. Hunters do not care how they get in—over hedges and ditches and through marshes—just so long as they catch the rabbit.
It is a mystery how a saint, with the precious ointment of Christ poured upon his heart, could still have such a strong scent after the world. It would seem that the sweet perfume which comes from those beds of spices—God’s promises—would spoil the Christian’s desire for hunting earthly game. The breath from Christ in them should so fill the saint’s senses that gross earthly enjoyments would no longer be pleasing to him.
This is true as long as the Christian’s spiritual senses are open, but as a head cold stops up the nose from doing its job, so a Christian’s negligence obstructs his heavenly graces. And when the saint cannot enjoy Christ’s divine savor, the devil takes advantage and immediately sets some worldly attraction before him. Soon the flesh picks up the scent and takes the Christian into a chase which dead-ends in sorrow and shame. Get above the fear of the world.
Fear of man brings a snare. A coward will run into any hole, no matter how filthy, to save himself. And when the holiest saints are tempted, they are like all other men. When Peter’s reputation seemed to be in a little danger, he did not “walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14). Instead he took one step forward and another back again—sometimes he was willing to eat with Gentiles, but at other times he was not. Why? Because he feared “them which were of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:12).