0624 自己與罪的事實和解
…現在卻是你們的時候，黑暗掌權了。 《路加福音 22:53》
不與罪的事實和解——不承認它並拒絕處理它——會產生生活中的一切災難。你可以談論人性的崇高美德，但人性中有某個東西，在你所擁有的每個原則面前，它會當面嘲笑你。如果你拒絕承認人類內心存在着邪惡和自私，某個徹底可恨和錯誤的東西，當它攻擊到你的生活時，你不會與它們和解，反而會向它們妥協，並說與它爭戰是沒有用的。你是否考慮過「這個時候，黑暗掌權」，或者你對自己的看法，包括了不承認任何罪之類的東西？在你的人際關係和友誼中，你是否已經承認罪的事實？如果沒有，就在下一個轉角處，你會發現自己被困住，且你會與它妥協。但如果你接受罪的事實，你就會立即意識到危險，並說：「是的，我明白這個罪意味着什麼。」承認罪並不會破壞友誼的基礎——它只是建立了一種對事實的相互尊重：就是罪惡生活的基礎是災難性的。永遠要警惕任何不承認罪惡事實的生活評估。
耶穌基督從不相信人性，但祂也從不憤世嫉俗，也不多疑，因為祂絕對相信自己為人性所能做的一切。純潔的男人或女人，是被庇護而免受傷害的人，而不是無辜的人。所謂無辜的人永遠不會安全。男人和女人不應該試圖表現得無辜；神要求他們純潔、有美德。無辜是孩童的特徵。任何人如果不願意接受罪的事實，是該受到責備的。
來自章伯斯的智慧
我沒有權利說我相信神，除非我把我的生活安排在祂全知的眼下。《真的門徒》
0624 Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin
This is your hour, and the power of darkness. —Luke 22:53
Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.
Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
I have no right to say I believe in God unless I order my life as under His all-seeing Eye. — Disciples Indeed,385 L