11月16日，道德与从众
11月16日，主日
道德与从众
神将祂的灵赐给我们，从此就知道我们是住在祂里面，祂也住在我们里面。（约翰壹书4:13）、
这段经文提醒我们：要重新思考基督徒生活的本质。我越来越确信，我们许多属灵的困惑与挣扎，其实来自于我们对“什么是基督徒生活”有着过于贫乏狭窄的理解。我不是在说教会以外的人，而是在说我们这些在教会里的人。我自己也必须不断提醒自己：什么才是基督徒生活的本质。第一世纪的信徒也一样有这问题，这就是为什么有书信写下来，因为人总容易把基督徒生活想得太浅，太表面。正因为有这个倾向，使徒才在圣灵的默示和带领下写信，给出了奇妙的教导。
那么，什么是基督徒生活呢？作为基督徒的生活，不仅仅是过一种有道德的生活，也不仅仅是做一个善良、端正的人。当然，道德与端正是必要的，但这不是基督徒生命的全部。我们难道看不见吗？今天很多人非常认真地把基督徒等同于“没有做坏事的人”。许多人主日来教会，只因为自己没有犯某些罪，他们就认定自己是基督徒。但我会回答他们：“神将祂的灵赐给我们，从此就知道我们是住在祂里面，祂也住在我们里面。”这样，我们那一点点的道德感，立刻就缩减得微不足道。道德很重要，但我们绝不能把这荣耀的生命缩减成只是“做个好人”。
也有人把基督教看成只是宗教上的从众遵行，按传统走流程。但如果把这当作基督信仰的全部，我们就完全错过了新约所启示的那荣耀、深邃、超越的真理。
默想主题：
作为基督徒的生活，不仅仅是过一种有道德的生活，也不仅仅是做一个善良、端正的人。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代上7-8章，来11章
个人灵修：摩5章，路1:1-38
November 16, Sunday
MORALITY AND CONFORMITY
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 JOHN 4:13)
We are reminded here of the nature of the Christian life. I am increasingly convinced that most of our troubles arise from the fact that our whole conception of the Christian life tends to be inadequate. I am not referring to people outside the church at the moment, but to Christian people. I speak for myself when I say that there is nothing of which I have to remind myself more constantly than the very nature of the Christian life. We are all the same; the first Christians were the same as well, and that is why the epistles were written. It was because of this constant tendency to think and conceive of the Christian life in an inadequate manner that the apostles were led and moved by God to write their letters with their wonderful instruction.
What is the Christian life? Living as a Christian does not just mean moral living, nor just being good and decent. Of course it includes those things, but that is not the whole of the Christian life. Is it not obvious that there are large numbers of people who think seriously that constitutes the Christian life? There are many people attending morning services in church who say that just because they are not guilty of certain things, they are true Christians. To which I reply, “Hereby we know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit”; then our little morality shrivels into nothing. Morality is essential, but God forbid that we should reduce this glorious life to just a little decency and morality!
Then there are those who think of Christianity just as a matter of religious conformity. But to regard that as the whole of Christianity is to miss the splendor of this great thing that is expounded in the New Testament.
A Thought to Ponder: Living as a Christian does not just mean moral living, nor just being good and decent.