9月13日 身处仇敌之地
身处仇敌之地
人的灵魂若被纷争的火焰吞噬，就无法兴盛，正如身体发烧时无法安舒。
你岂不是活在仇敌中间吗？亚伯拉罕的牧人与罗得的牧人相争，周围外邦人的存在更使这场争竞雪上加霜：“亚伯兰的牧人和罗得的牧人相争。那时迦南人与比利洗人在那地居住。”（创13:7）神的百姓在拜偶像者的旁观下争吵，只会沦为街头巷尾粗俗的谈资，既羞辱了他们自己，也亵渎了他们所信的真道。
请告诉我，在神的子民彼此内耗的这些年间，一直潜伏在我们这地的人究竟是谁？撒但的探子一直带着好奇心，窥探基督徒中间每一丝不得体的行为，并将其大肆宣扬给全世界。这些属肉体的人心怀恶意，极擅长利用这种纷争来达到他们不敬虔的目的。事实上，他们正踮起脚尖，急不可耐地要彻底瘫痪那些已经彼此伤害的圣徒。他们真心企图以此来毁灭我们；然后，他们会借口“医治”我们的伤口，却刺下更深的一刀，直刺我们生命的要害，连同福音一并刺透。
基督徒啊，你们竟要让希律和彼拉多使你们蒙羞吗？他们尚且能用虚假的和平联手，好壮大敌挡基督的势力。难道你们不愿联合起来，抵挡主耶稣共同的仇敌吗？当仇敌正在船底钻洞时，同船的人却在彼此争吵，这是何等悲惨的时刻。请深思纷争的后果。
现在我们必须省察基督徒纷争带来的主要恶果，那就是你们拦阻了恩典的成长。人的灵魂若被纷争的火焰吞噬，就不能兴盛，正如身体发烧时无法安舒。正如必须扑灭骨中的热病，使身体恢复安和；基督徒中间那有违恩慈的烈火，也必须被彻底熄灭。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：撒下8-9章，林后2章，
个人灵修：结16章，约17章
SEPTEMBER 13, SUNDAY
CONSIDER WHOSE TERRITORY YOU ARE IN
A person’s soul cannot prosper when it is inflamed with strife any more than a physical body can enjoy a fever.
Are you not living in the midst of enemies? The rivalry between Abraham’s herdmen and Lot’s was aggravated by the presence of neighboring heathens: “And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abraham’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land’” (Genesis 13:7). For God’s people to quarrel while idolaters look on provides vulgar street talk which dishonors both them and their religion.
Now tell me—who are these people who have been in our land all the time God’s men have been scuffling among themselves? Satan’s spies have curiously observed every shred of uncomely behavior among Christians and have told the whole world about it. And these carnal ones are equipped with plenty of malicious ability to use this contention for their own ungodly purposes. They stand on tiptoes, in fact, to get on with the work of completely disabling saints who have wounded one another. They sincerely hope to undo us in this way; then they will cure us of our own wounds by inflicting one so deep that it pierces the heart of our life, Gospel and all.
O Christians, will you let Herod and Pilate disgrace you? They joined forces in a facade of peace to strengthen their hands against Christ. Are you unwilling to unite against the common enemy of the Lord Jesus? It is a tragic time for shipmates to argue when an enemy is drilling a hole in the bottom of the ship. Consider the consequences of contention.
It is now time for us to examine the major results of Christian contention. You put a stop to the growth of grace. A person’s soul cannot prosper when it is inflamed with strife any more than a physical body can enjoy a fever. Just as this fire in the bones must be quenched and brought down to a normal temperature again, so must the unkindly fire among Christians be put out.