7月2日 在患难中得胜
7月2日 在患难中得胜
无亏的良心与神的灵一同作工，使基督徒在遭受辱骂的时候仍能欢喜。
希伯来文中“忧伤”一词，所描绘的是一种从上压制的盾牌；据一位释经家说，它指的是一种病症：仿佛有盖子压住心脏，使心受到束缚，一切舒缓都无法进入。这就是假冒为善之人在患难中的忧伤；一旦良心苏醒，神又使他惊觉自己的罪，他便如此。然而现在让我探讨几种具体的患难，并说明纯全在每一种患难中所带来的安慰。
纯全扶持人在遭受人的羞辱时站立得住。这绝非细微的小试炼；在圣徒所受的殉道苦难中，它们被称为“戏弄”，甚至是“忍受严刑”之列，配得记在基督所受的苦难中（来11:36）。耶稣心灵无与伦比的伟大，不仅显明在祂忍受十字架，也显明在祂“轻看羞辱”，就是祂那些流人血的仇敌，用污秽舌头残忍地加在祂身上的羞辱（来12:2）。人骨子里的野心，无法承受羞辱；掌声是他伸手攀取的偶像，他情愿付出难以想象的代价来赢得它。
古希腊犬儒学派的哲学家，第欧根尼，曾赤身站立，手捧一堆雪，吸引旁观者惊奇地赞叹他的忍耐，直到有人问他：若无人观看，他是否还会做同样的事。假冒为善之人以名声为食，靠人称赞的气息而活。当这气息消失时，他的心便因失望而疼痛；但当接纳变成藐视时，他便如同死了，因为他在受人责备时，并没有神的认可。
然而，纯全扶持人的灵魂，使他能抵挡人虚浮气息所吹来的风，因为他有良心，更有神亲自为他作品格的见证，应对众人对他提出的控告。无亏的良心与神的灵一同作工，使基督徒在遭受辱骂的时候仍能欢喜。纵使人的控告如冰雹敲打门窗屋顶，也无关紧要，因为基督徒在屋内是稳妥的。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：书4章，诗129-131章，
个人灵修：赛64章，太12章
JULY 2, THURSDAY
VICTORIOUS IN AFFLICTION
A good conscience and God’s Spirit work together to make a Christian rejoice in time of reproach.
The Hebrew word for sorrow pictures a shield that covers over; according to one commentator it denotes the disease which doctors say restricts the heart as with a lid, blocking out all relief. This is the hypocrite’s sorrow in affliction, once conscience revives and God fills him with an amazing awareness of his sin. But now let me explore some particular kinds of affliction and show what comfort sincerity offers in each one.
Sincerity supports the soul under reproach from men. These are not just petty trials, they are known among the saints’ martyrdoms as “cruel mockings” worthy of being recorded in the sufferings of Christ (Hebrews 11:36). The matchless greatness of Jesus’ spirit appeared not only in His enduring the cross but in “despising the shame” which the foul tongues of His bloody enemies unmercifully loaded upon Him (Hebrews 12:2). Man’s ambitious mind cannot put up with shame; applause is the idol he reaches out for and pays unbelievably high prices to have.
Diogenes once stood naked holding a heap of snow and drew gawking spectators to admire his patience—until someone asked him whether he would do the same thing if no one were watching. The hypocrite feeds on credit; he lives on what the breath of man’s praise gives him. When that fails, his heart aches with disappointment; but when acceptance turns to scorn he dies because he does not have the approval of God while being reproached by man.
Sincerity, however, supports the soul against the wind of man’s vain breath because he has conscience and God Himself as his character witnesses at the trials brought against him. A good conscience and God’s Spirit work together to make a Christian rejoice in time of reproach. It does not matter then if the hail of man’s accusation batters the doors and roof. The Christian is secure inside.