9月14日 为他人益处追求和睦
为他人益处追求和睦
你难道对神连这点敬畏都没有，竟敢放下绊脚石，任由人跌断颈项吗？
当我们在基督里爱弟兄姊妹，使不敬虔的人看见神的真理与道路时，我们就是在为他们的得救铺平道路。
人们不敢住在邪灵出没的地方。但地狱里还能有什么比分裂的灵更可怕的呢？基督徒啊，你们若彼此同心，人数就必加增。初代基督徒“天天同心合意恒切地在殿里，且在家中擘饼，存着欢喜、诚实的心用饭”（徒2:46）。请注意，在他们相交之后发生了什么，他们“得众民的喜爱。主将得救的人天天加给他们”（徒2:47）。
当时的世界对真爱如此陌生，以至于人们起初可能觉得不可思议，随后便深感好奇，究竟是怎样属天的教义，竟能软化人心，磨平人粗糙的性情，并将他们联结成这样一个爱的大家庭。这些事劝服了许多人离开世界、进入教会。然而可悲的是，精金渐渐失色，基督徒之间的和睦逐渐消退，教会中出现了巨大的破口。这些裂痕如此明显，以至于路过的人都害怕走进去。有些外邦人几乎被劝服要接受犹太教，却因其中根深蒂固的分裂与绊跌人之事而望而却步。
基督徒啊，千万不要让分裂与争竞的罪使你的生命变得刚硬！你难道对神连这点敬畏都没有，竟敢放下绊脚石，任由人跌断颈项吗？难道你要把石头辊到罪人的坟墓上，将他封死在里面吗？既然你竭力要免去流那些死于罪中之人的血的罪，也就当谨慎，不要因基督身体内的纷争，促使不悔改之人的灵魂变得更加刚硬。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：撒下10章，林后3章，
个人灵修：结17章，约18章
SEPTEMBER 14, MONDAY
SEEK PEACE FOR OTHERS’ SAKE
Do you not fear God too much to lay a stumbling block for men to break their necks over?
We can pave a way for the salvation of the ungodly by letting them see the truth and ways of God in our love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ.
People are afraid to live in a place haunted with evil spirits. But can hell itself possibly house anything worse than the spirit of division? Christians, agree with one another, and your numbers will increase. The early Christians continued “daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46). And notice what followed their fellowship—they had “favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (v. 47).
The world was such a stranger to real love that it was probably amused at first and then curious as to what kind of heavenly doctrine could soften men’s hearts, plane their rugged natures, and join them into this family of love. And these things helped to persuade many out of the world and into the church. But tragically, the gold dulled—I mean, peace among the Christians faded—and gaping holes were seen in the church. These flaws were so obvious that passers-by were afraid to enter it. Here and there Gentiles were almost persuaded to embrace the Jewish religion, but became cautious because of the divisions and offenses embedded in it.
O Christian, do not let such sins as divisions and strifes harden your life! Do you not fear God too much to lay a stumbling block for men to break their necks over? To roll the stone over a sinner’s grave and seal him down in it? Well, even as you keep yourself free of the blood of those who die in their sin, be careful not to contribute to the hardening of impenitent souls through dissensions in the body of Christ.