0202 呼召的不可抗拒的力量
若不传福音，我便有祸了。《哥林多前书 9:16》
要提防拒绝听神的呼召；每个得救的人都被呼召去证明他得救的事实，然而这与传道的呼召不同，只是在传道中可以使用的一个例证。在这节经文中，保罗是指传福音的呼召不可抗拒力量在他里面所生的刺痛。永远不要试图将保罗所说关于传道的呼召应用到那些被呼召到神面前得救的灵魂身上，得救是再容易不过的，因为这完全是神的主权作为— 「仰望我，就必得救。」（以赛亚书 45:22）。我们的主对门徒训练的要求条件，与得救的条件从来就不相同。我们是透过基督的十字架而得救，但作门徒是带有选择的 — 「若有人…」（路加福音 14:26）。
保罗的话与我们成为耶稣基督的仆人有关，我们要做什么或要去哪里，从未征得我们的许可。神使我们如同擘开的饼和倾倒的酒，以讨祂自己喜悦。被「特派传神的福音」意味着能够听到神的呼召（罗马书 1:1）。一旦某人听到那个呼召，一种配为基督之名受苦就产生了。突然间，每一个野心、每一个生命的欲望、以及每一个展望，都被完全抹掉和熄灭了，只剩一件事：「特派传神的福音」。一旦呼召临到，却试图走向其他方向的灵魂有祸了。圣经学院的存在，是为了让你们每一个人知道，神是否有一个真正关心传扬祂福音的男人或女人，并看看神是否为此目的抓住了你。一旦神的呼召抓住你，要当心其它竞争的呼召。
来自章伯斯的智慧
我们在黑暗中才是真实的我们；其他一切都是名誉。神看的是我们在黑暗中的所是：我们思维中的想象，内心的思想，身体的习惯；这些是在神眼中标记我们的事情。《神的爱——不被注意的事工》
0202 The Compelling Force of the Call
Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16
Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was referring to the stinging pains produced in him by the compelling force of the call to preach the gospel. Never try to apply what Paul said regarding the call to preach to those souls who are being called to God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely God’s sovereign work— “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22). Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But discipleship has an option with it— “If anyone…” (Luke 14:26).
Paul’s words have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated to the gospel” means being able to hear the call of God (Romans 1:1). Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— “…separated to the gospel…” Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. The Bible Training College exists so that each of you may know whether or not God has a man or woman here who truly cares about proclaiming His gospel and to see if God grips you for this purpose. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God’s sight. –The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 669 L