0204 祂不可抗拒威嚴之大能
基督的愛激勵着我們。《哥林多後書 5:14》
保羅說他被「基督的愛」所制伏、征服、掌握，好像是被老虎鉗緊緊夾住；我們很少有人真正知道在神愛老虎鉗中被緊緊夾住的含義，我們往往容易只受自己的經驗所控制。排除其他一切，只有一件事抓住並制伏保羅，那就是神的愛。「基督的愛激勵我們… 」，當你從某男人或女人的生活中聽到這句話時，它是不可置疑的，你會知道神的靈在那個人的生命中是完全無阻礙的。
當我們被神的靈重生時，我們的見證完全是基於神為我們所做的一切，這是正確的。一旦「聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得着能力…」（使徒行傳 1:8）。那種見證就會改變並永遠消失；只有到那時，你才會開始明白，當祂繼續說「你們要作我的見證」是何意， 不是見證耶穌能做什麼——這是基本的且可以被理解的，而是「見證我… 」。我們會接受所發生的一切好像是發生在耶穌身上一樣，無論我們是受到讚美還是責備，迫害或獎勵。人若不是被耶穌基督權能的威嚴所激勵，就不能為耶穌基督採取這一立場。這是唯一重要的事情，但奇怪的是，這是我們基督工人最後意識到的。保羅說他被神的愛所抓住，這就是他如此作為的原因。人們可能認為他瘋狂或神智正常——他都不在乎。他只為一件事活着，就是要勸說人們相信神即將到來的審判，並告訴他們「基督的愛」。這種對「基督的愛」完全的降服，是唯一能在你的生命中結出果子的事情。它總是會留下神的聖潔和大能的標誌，從不引起人們對你個人聖潔的關注。
來自章伯斯的智慧
耶穌基督總是不向我對自己的權利妥協。我們的主關於門徒訓練的所有教導，唯一必須的要素就是放棄，沒有算計，沒有自我利益的痕迹。《真的門徒》
0204 The Compelling Majesty of His Power
The love of Christ compels us… —2 Corinthians 5:14
Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us….” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “…you shall be witnesses to Me….” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me….” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane— he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. –Disciples Indeed