7月28日 效法基督
效法基督
“在心思意念与光阴的运用上，我是否彰显了基督的样式？我眼下所行之事，是否与祂在圣经中所启示的圣洁性情相符？”
一个优秀的士兵，唯有在排长紧随统帅步伐时，才会跟随自己的排长。因此，保罗吩咐说：“你们该效法我，像我效法基督一样。”（林前11:1）
任何教导，唯有在与神的话语完全契合之时，才值得我们去遵从。教授书法的先生，不仅会为学生预备画好格线的纸张，更会亲笔写下字帖供其临摹。基督的命令是我们的准绳，祂的生命是我们的字帖。你若欲活出圣洁，不仅要行耶稣所吩咐的事，更要照着祂行事的方式去行。你必须以对基督圣洁的效法，来临摹字帖上的一笔一画，也就是你生活中的每一个行动。借着圣洁，我们彰显出神儿子的形象，在世人面前代表基督，并在所有注视我们的人眼前尊祂为圣。
若要称一物为另一物的形像，必须具备两个条件：其一，相似；其二，同源。奶与雪皆白，但我们绝不能说它们互为形像，因为它们洁白的特质并非源出彼此。然而，一幅照着某人面容、一笔一画临摹而成的肖像，却堪称那人的形像。 同理，真正的圣洁，乃是深深扎根并源自神那圣洁的儿子——那就是当我们始终将神圣言中所启示的基督，以及祂亲身垂范的榜样常置于眼前、定睛仰望时，这真正的圣洁便在我们生命中印刻出来了。
正是保守我们行在圣洁大能中，何等甘甜的途径！当你受试探而心偏向虚浮之时，当定睛于基督圣洁的脚踪，并在内心深处如此省察：“在心思意念与光阴的运用上，我是否彰显了基督的样式？我眼下所行之事，是否与祂在圣经中所启示的圣洁性情相符？祂留给我们的榜样，在言语上岂不比我如今更加敬虔谨慎？祂那充满恩典的口中，岂曾吐露过半句愚妄轻浮之言？我眼下所结交的世俗游伴，岂是那至圣者所能喜悦的？以祂那舍己的性情，岂容人为娇养肉体而一掷千金，或在一顿宴乐中挥霍掉足以让饥民果腹一周的珍馐？ 祂岂会教导人去追逐今世的浮华风尚，甚至使自己的仪容显得荒唐而冒犯神？ 祂那殷勤作主工的双手，岂会沉溺于那些徒然消磨光阴的无益消遣？既然如此，我怎敢去行任何一件事，使自己背离我主基督的样式呢？”
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：士11章，徒15章，
个人灵修：耶24章，可10章
JULY 28, TUESDAY
CHRIST AS YOUR EXAMPLE
“Am I like Him in my thoughts and in the way I spend my time? If He were physically living on earth right now, would He do what I am doing?”
The good soldier follows his platoon leader only when he himself marches after his captain. Paul commanded, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
A doctrine must be followed no further than it agrees with God’s Word. The teacher of handwriting not only provides ruled paper for the student but also writes him a copy in his own hand. Christ’s command is our rule and His life is our copy. If you want to live a holy life you must not only do what Jesus commands; you must do it as He did. You must shape every letter in your copy—each action in your life—in a holy imitation of Christ. By holiness we are the very image of God’s Son, representing Christ and holding Him forth to all who see us.
Now two things make one thing an image of another—first, likeness; and second, source. Milk and snow are both white but we cannot say they are images of each other because in neither is the likeness derived from the other. But a picture which is drawn line by line of a man’s face can be called the image of that person. Thus true holiness is derived from God’s Son, when the person sets Christ in His word and Christ in His example before him.
What a sweet way to keep the power of holiness! When you are tempted to walk toward vanity, look at Christ’s holy walk and ask yourself, “Am I like Him in my thoughts and in the way I spend my time? If He were physically living on earth right now, would He do what I am doing? Would He not choose His words more carefully than I do? Would silly speech come from His lips? Would He enjoy my friends? Would He spend a fortune pampering His body, and swallow enough food at one meal to feed hungry people for a week? Would He be fashion-conscious, even if that made His appearance ridiculous and offensive? Would His hands be busy with games that drive time away? Should I do anything that would make me unlike Christ?”