11月26日 神秘主义
11月26日，周三
神秘主义
“神对我们的爱，我们已经明白了，而且相信了。神就是爱；住在爱里面的，就住在神里面，神也住在他里面。”（约翰壹书4:16）
约翰在他的书信中一再强调神的爱，你会注意到，他在这个主题上从不厌倦，也丝毫不为重复而感到尴尬。约翰此前已经说过： “神差遣祂的独生子到世上来，使我们藉着祂而活；神的爱就在我们中间显明了。”（约壹4:9）“父差遣子作世人的救主，这是我们见过的，并且现在作见证。”（约壹4:14）而现在在第16节，他又再次强调了同样的真理。 为什么约翰要如此反复说明呢？因为在他所处的时代，有许多所谓的“神秘宗教”或“灵性派别”存在，他们也谈论“神的爱”，并且教导说：人可以直接认识神的爱，不需要中保，也不需要经过基督。 而这正是神秘主义的危险之处： 神秘主义最致命的特色，就是绕过耶稣基督。任何绕开基督、试图直接与神建立关系的信仰，都绝不是基督教。无论其外表看起来多么高尚、深刻、热情或者震撼人心，如果绕开基督，它就不是从神来的。约翰清楚地指出，基督才是神的爱在历史中的真实显明。
因此，我毫不犹豫地说： 凡是在我心中产生、与神有关的任何的所谓“属灵感受”，若不是建立在耶稣基督的位格和工作之上，我就必须怀疑它。 因为神是在基督里显明祂的爱的： “唯有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，神对我们的爱就在此显明了。”（罗5:8） 既然如此，我就必须说：无论用何种方法，我绝不可尝试绕过基督去“认识神”，也不可试图让自己“爱神”，却不是藉着基督、也不在基督里这样做。我必须拒绝任何试图直接接近神的方式，也必须拒绝任何不通过基督而与神直接交通的宗教体验。
默想主题：
任何绕过基督的信仰，都绝不是基督教。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代上22章，彼前3章
个人灵修：弥1章，路10章
November 26, Wednesday
MYSTICISM
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 JOHN 4:16)
John has gone on repeatedly writing about the love of God, and you notice how he never tires of doing so. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). Now [verse 16] he repeats it again. This is because he knew that in his own day and age there were all those so-called mystery religions or curious cults that talked about the love of God; and they all tried to teach that you can know the love of God directly. That is always the characteristic of mysticism; what finally condemns mysticism is that it bypasses the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. I do not care what it is, however good, however uplifting or noble; it is Christ who is the manifestation of the love of God, says John.
I do not hesitate, therefore, to aver and to add strongly as follows: I must distrust any emotion that I may have within me with respect to God unless it is based solidly upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him God manifested His love. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, I say that I must never attempt by any means or method to get to know God or to try to make myself love God except in and through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must avoid every other direct approach to God, every direct dealing with God.
A Thought to Ponder: Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian.