0724 祂的本性和我們的動機
…你們的義若不勝於文士與法利賽人的義，斷不能進天國。《馬太福音5:20》
門徒的特徵不是他做好事，而是他的動機是良善的，被神超自然的恩典改變成為良善。唯一超越正確行為的，是正確的本體。耶穌基督來，要在任何願意接受祂的人內心裡置入新的遺傳，具有超越文士和法利賽人的義。耶穌是在說：「若你是我的門徒，你不僅在你的行為上必須是正確的，且你的動機、你的渴望，以及你最深處的心思意念也必須是正確的。」你的動機必須如此純潔，以至於全能的神看不出有什麼要責備的。誰能站在神永恆的光中，而沒有什麼可讓神責備的呢？只有神的兒子，和耶穌基督宣告通過祂的救贖，祂可以將祂自己的本性放置在任何人裡面，使那個人像孩子一樣純潔和單純。神所要求的純潔是不可能的，除非我裡面能夠被重塑，而這正是耶穌通過祂的救贖所做的。
沒有人可以通過遵守法律來使自己純潔。耶穌基督並沒有給我們一些規則和條例——而是給我們祂的教導，是只能被祂放置在我們裡面祂的本性來詮釋的真理。耶穌基督救恩的偉大奇妙是祂改變了我們的遺傳；祂不改變人性——祂改變人性的源頭，從而也改變了它的動機。
來自章伯斯的智慧
當心不要把神的話與更適合你自己的觀念來作交換。《真的門徒》
0724 His Nature and Our Motives
…unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:20
The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is saying, “If you are My disciple, you must be right not only in your actions, but also in your motives, your aspirations, and in the deep recesses of the thoughts of your mind.” Your motives must be so pure that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke. Who can stand in the eternal light of God and have nothing for Him to rebuke? Only the Son of God, and Jesus Christ claims that through His redemption He can place within anyone His own nature and make that person as pure and as simple as a child. The purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be remade within, and that is exactly what Jesus has undertaken to do through His redemption.
No one can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations— He gives us His teachings which are truths that can only be interpreted by His nature which He places within us. The great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature— He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own. —Disciples Indeed, 386 R