0718 信的奧秘
他說：「主啊，你是誰？」《使徒行傳 9:5》
透過救贖的神跡，大數的掃羅立即從一個堅持己見、氣勢服人的法利賽人變成了謙卑、委身忠於主耶穌的奴僕。
我們能夠解釋的事情，是沒有什麼神奇或奧秘可言。我們掌控着我們能夠解釋的事情，因此尋求一切事情的解釋是極其自然的。順服並非自然的，但不順服也不一定是有罪。除非一個人承認發號施令者具有更高的權威，否則就沒有真正的不順服，順服也沒有任何道德上之美善。如果這種承認不存在，即使是發號施令者也可能將對方的不順服視為自由。如果一個人藉着說「你必須做這」和「你必須做那」來支配另一個人，他就破壞了人的靈，使之不適合於神；一個人只是順服的奴隸，除非他順服的背後是對聖潔神的承認。
許多人一旦停止成為宗教的人，他們就開始來到神面前，因為人心的主人只有一位——耶穌基督，而不是宗教。但如果在我見祂之後仍不順服，「禍哉！」（以賽亞書 6:5，另參看以賽亞書 6:1）。耶穌永遠不會堅持要我順服，但如果我不順服，我已經開始在我的靈魂里簽署了神子的死亡證書。當我與耶穌基督面對面說：「我不會順服」時，祂絕不會堅持；但當我這麽做時，我就背離祂救贖的再造大能。只要我願意來就光，無論我是多麼可憎惡的，對神的恩典中言，並無區別。但如果我拒絕光，「禍哉！」（見約翰福音 3:19-21）。
來自章伯斯的智慧
新約根本不容許那些聲稱他是靠着恩典得救卻未生出恩典的好果子的人。耶穌基督以祂的救贖可以使我們的實際生活與我們的宗教信仰相符合。《登山寶訓研究》
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