7月11日 神崇高的目的
神崇高的目的
圣经说，与其日后图谋逃避对神许下的愿，倒不如起初就不向祂许愿，也不将自己奉献给祂（传5:5）。
重生的心是神亲自成就的“工作”（弗2:10）。祂为何要作如此满有怜悯的工匠呢？我们在经上读到，祂的圣徒乃是“在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是神所预备叫我们行的”（弗2:10）。
因此，神对人那崇高的目的，更加凸显了圣徒犯罪的不义，并使他的罪比旁人的罪招致更严厉的判决，因为这罪是直接冒犯了圣灵如此大能的作为。同样的一项罪，若犯在圣殿中，就比一个犹太人在自己家里犯更为严重，因为圣殿是分别为圣之地。同理，因圣徒是分别为圣之人，他那不圣洁的行为便是亵渎神的殿。属血气之人的罪是偷窃，因为他夺取了本该归给神的荣耀；而圣徒的罪则是亵渎圣物，因为他夺取了自己在信仰宣告中所立誓要献给神的圣洁。
毫无疑问，与其从悔改中退后（为自己的悔改而后悔），倒不如一开始就不曾悔改。圣经说，与其日后图谋逃避对神许下的愿，倒不如起初就不向祂许愿，也不将自己奉献给祂（传5:5）。人若这样做，就是向世界撒下了一个极其恶毒的谎言，借此宣告他在神里面发现了某种软弱或不义，以致改变了自己跟随神的心意。
总之，圣灵已经将圣徒分别出来归给神，并赋予他从神而来的新生命：“你们死在过犯罪恶之中，他叫你们活过来。”（弗2:1）当神将有理性的灵魂吹入人里面时，祂的目的乃是要人照着祂那圣洁与公义的原则而活，而不是效法属肉体之人的生活方式。神已经清楚表明了祂的心意：“你们既然接受了主基督耶稣，就当遵他而行。”（西2:6）
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：书14-15章，诗146-147章，
个人灵修：耶7章，太21章
JULY 11, SATURDAY
GOD’S EXALTED PURPOSE
Scripture says it is better for us not to vow and dedicate ourselves to Him than later to scheme so we can sidestep that promise (Ecclesiastes 5:5).
A regenerate heart is the “workmanship” of God Himself (Ephesians 2:10). And why has He been such a compassionate Artisan? We read that His saints are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (v. 10).
God’s exalted purpose for man, then, underscores the unrighteousness of a saint and hands down a more serious verdict upon his sin than upon the sin of others because it has been committed against such a mighty work of His Spirit. A sin in the temple was more grave than that same sin committed by a Jew in his house, because the temple was a consecrated place. Because the saint is a consecrated person, then, his unholy acts profane God’s temple. The sin of a natural man is theft because he robs God of the glory due to him; but the sin of a saint is sacrilege because he robs God of the sacredness which his profession of faith has vowed to Him.
Surely it is better not to repent at all than to repent of our repentance. Scripture says it is better for us not to vow and dedicate ourselves to Him than later to scheme so we can sidestep that promise (Ecclesiastes 5:5). To do this, the person must tell the world a baneful lie—that he has found some weakness or iniquity in God which changed his mind about following Him.
In a word, the Holy Spirit has consecrated the saint to God and also endues him with new life from God: “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). When God breathed a rational soul into man, he purposed that he should live up to His principles of holiness and righteousness and not follow the ways of life of carnal men. God clearly spoke His mind—“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Colossians 2:6).