0718 信的奥秘
他说：「主啊，你是谁？」《使徒行传 9:5》
透过救赎的神迹，大数的扫罗立即从一个坚持己见、气势服人的法利赛人变成了谦卑、委身忠于主耶稣的奴仆。
我们能够解释的事情，是没有什么神奇或奥秘可言。我们掌控着我们能够解释的事情，因此寻求一切事情的解释是极其自然的。顺服并非自然的，但不顺服也不一定是有罪。除非一个人承认发号施令者具有更高的权威，否则就没有真正的不顺服，顺服也没有任何道德上之美善。如果这种承认不存在，即使是发号施令者也可能将对方的不顺服视为自由。如果一个人藉着说「你必须做这」和「你必须做那」来支配另一个人，他就破坏了人的灵，使之不适合于神；一个人只是顺服的奴隶，除非他顺服的背后是对圣洁神的承认。
许多人一旦停止成为宗教的人，他们就开始来到神面前，因为人心的主人只有一位——耶稣基督，而不是宗教。但如果在我见祂之后仍不顺服，「祸哉！」（以赛亚书 6:5，另参看以赛亚书 6:1）。耶稣永远不会坚持要我顺服，但如果我不顺服，我已经开始在我的灵魂里签署了神子的死亡证书。当我与耶稣基督面对面说：「我不会顺服」时，祂绝不会坚持；但当我这麽做时，我就背离祂救赎的再造大能。只要我愿意来就光，无论我是多么可憎恶的，对神的恩典中言，并无区别。但如果我拒绝光，「祸哉！」（见约翰福音 3:19-21）。
来自章伯斯的智慧
新约根本不容许那些声称他是靠着恩典得救却未生出恩典的好果子的人。耶稣基督以祂的救赎可以使我们的实际生活与我们的宗教信仰相符合。《登山宝训研究》
0718 The Mystery of Believing
He said, “Who are You, Lord?” —Acts 9:5
Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bondservant of the Lord Jesus.
There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other person’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, “You must do this,” and, “You will do that,” he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.
Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart— Jesus Christ, not religion. But “Woe is me” if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t, I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, “I will not obey,” He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But “Woe is me” if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1465 R