9月9日 与神真实相交
9月9日 与神真实相交
“我要使他们有合一的心，也要将新灵放在他们里面。”（结11:19）
几个世纪前，一位异教徒曾说，真正的爱与友谊只可能存在于善人之间，可惜他并不知道究竟是什么使人成为善人。当神的怜悯定意要成就合一时，祂首先使人更新。“我要使他们有合一的心，也要将新灵放在他们里面。”（结11:19）真平安是圣灵的果子，它必然先使人成圣，然后才使人联合。
最后，我们看到罪人之爱的每一个部分、每一个目的，全都是属肉体的，而非属灵的。奥古斯丁哀怜西塞罗生命中没有耶稣基督，这远胜过钦佩他的雄辩才华。因此，在属肉体之人的平安与合一上，必须划上一道沉重的黑线，因为其中完全没有神，也没有基督。
属肉体的人会以神的荣耀为目的吗？将他们维系在一起的是基督的命令吗？绝非如此。其中固然有一种声音在起作用，但这绝不是神的声音。他们自身的安逸或属肉体的利益才是首要动机。平安与合一是如此受人欢迎的宾客，又为自己的下榻支付了如此丰厚的报酬，以致那些毫无恩典的人，也会被驱使着在彼此间维持表面的和睦。简而言之，恶人的平安难以长久，因为它缺乏坚固的黏合剂。石头可以在没有灰浆的情况下暂时堆叠，却无法持久。唯有耶稣的宝血，才是使爱持久的黏合剂。
和平的福音，本是一个奇妙的主题，竟有人能从中讲出纷争来。然而，保罗确实提到过这类事：“有的传基督是出于嫉妒纷争。”（腓1:15）这些人似乎忘了，差遣他们的主自己就是和平的君！他们的工作绝非吹响混乱的号角，或是拉响争战的警报，而是呼吁人欢喜地撤离那对抗神、也彼此相咬相吞的可怕战场。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：撒下3章，林前14章，
个人灵修：结12章，约13章
SEPTEMBER 9, WENDESDAY
TRUE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within” (Ezekiel 11:19).
Centuries ago a heathen said that true love and friendship can appear only between good men, but unfortunately he did not know what makes a good man. When God’s mercy intends to accomplish oneness, He first makes the people new. “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within” (Ezekiel 11:19). Genuine peace is a fruit of the Spirit—it inevitably sanctifies before it unites.
Finally, we see that every part and purpose of the sinner’s love is carnal, not spiritual. Augustine pitied Cicero for not having Jesus Christ in his life far more than he admired him for his eloquence. This, then, is what draws a heavy black line through the carnal man’s peace and unity—there is nothing of God and Christ in it.
Do carnally minded people aim at the glory of God? Is it Christ’s command which binds them together? No, there is still a voice involved—but it is not God’s. Their own relaxation or fleshly favor is the primary motive. Peace and unity are such welcome guests, and pay so well for their lodging, that they motivate men with no grace at all to keep up an external peace among themselves. In a word, the peace of the wicked will not last long because it lacks strong cement. Stones may lie together for a while without mortar, but not for long. The only lasting cement for love is the blood of Jesus.
The Gospel of peace is a strange text to preach contention from, yet Paul speaks of this very thing: “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife” (Philippians 1:15). These men seem to have forgotten that their Lord who sent them is Himself the Prince of peace! Their work is not to blow a trumpet of confusion or sound an alarm to battle but rather to call for a joyful retreat from the dreadful fight against God and one another.