9月10日 真道的干粮
真道的干粮
然而，随着恩典越发刚强，福音在基督徒心中越发得胜，爱与合一的灵也会随之增长。
基督徒若在成圣的事上尚未完全与神和好，他们还能被紧密焊接在一起，实现合一吗？福音在我们心中治死私欲、坚固恩典的作为越少，我们中间的平安与爱就越发软弱。
从哥林多基督徒中间的纷争，保罗断定他们在恩典中的成长还没有越过被喂奶的阶段。“我是用奶喂你们，没有用饭喂你们。那时你们不能吃，就是如今还是不能。你们仍是属肉体的。”（林前3:2-3）他认为他们的行为就是明证：“因为在你们中间有嫉妒、纷争，这岂不是属乎肉体，照着世人的样子行吗？”然而，随着恩典越发刚强，福音在基督徒心中越发得胜，爱与合一的灵也会随之增长。
俗话说“姜还是老的辣“，表明了年长就更有智慧。孩童年幼时容易争吵打闹，但年龄与智慧能赋予人力量，使人胜过微不足道的分歧。例如，当亚伯拉罕和罗得的仆人发生争执时，亚伯拉罕这位更年长、更刚强的基督徒，无论付出多大代价，都定意要与各方面都不及自己的侄子保持和睦。保罗是另一个榜样。作为一位远超众人的基督徒，他论到自己时说：“并且我主的恩是格外丰盛，使我在基督耶稣里有信心和爱心。”（提前1:14）
加尔文指出，保罗的信心胜过了他从前作法利赛人时顽梗的不信；他在耶稣里的爱，胜过了他从前去大马士革迫害基督徒时所暴露的残忍。他如今满有信心，正如他从前满心不信；他如今满有火热的爱，正如他从前满怀仇恨。这正是我盼望你们看到的，这两种恩典总是齐头并进、一同滋长；一个大有信心的基督徒，也必然大有爱心。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：撒下4-5章，林前15章，
个人灵修：结13章，约14章
SEPTEMBER 10, THURSDAY
THE MEAT OF THE WORD
But as grace strengthens, and the Gospel prevails in the hearts of Christians, love and a spirit of unity increase with it.
Can Christians be soldered together in unity, as long as they are not fully reconciled to God in regard to their sanctification? The less progress the Gospel has made in our hearts to mortify lust and strengthen grace, the weaker the peace and love among us.
From the contentions among Christians at Corinth, Paul concluded that they had not grown in grace beyond the spoonfeeding stage. “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:2–3): he conceived their behavior to be clear evidence. “For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” But as grace strengthens, and the Gospel prevails in the hearts of Christians, love and a spirit of unity increase with it.
We say “older and wiser”—when children are very young they quarrel and fight, but age and wisdom furnish strength to overcome petty differences. For instance, in the controversy between the servants of Abraham and Lot, Abraham—the elder and stronger Christian—was determined, no matter what it cost him, to have peace with his nephew, who was inferior to him in every way. And Paul is another example. As a Christian who was head and shoulders above the others, he said of himself, “The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14).
Calvin points out that Paul’s faith opposed his former obstinate unbelief as a Pharisee; his love in Jesus overcame the cruelty he expressed against Christians on his persecuting errand to Damascus. He was as full of faith as he had been of unbelief before; and as full of fire-hot love as he had been of hatred. This is what I want you to see—this pair of graces thrive and grow together; a Christian who has abundant faith will also have abundant love.