0726 純潔之道
惟獨出口的，是從心裡發出來的…從心裡發出來的，有惡念、兇殺、姦淫、苟合、偷盜、妄證、謗讟。這都是污穢人的…《馬太福音15:18-20》
起初我們相信自己的無知，稱之為無辜，接下來我們相信自己的無辜，稱之為純潔。然後，當我們從我們的主那裡聽到這些強烈的聲明時，我們退縮了，說：「但我從未感受到在我心裡有那些可怕的東西。」我們怨恨祂所揭示的。要麼耶穌基督是人心的最高權威，要麼祂就不值得任何關注。我預備好相信祂刺穿深入我心的話了嗎？或我寧願相信自己的「無辜無知」？如果我誠實地看我自己，將變得完全意識到我所謂的無辜，並加以檢驗，我很有可能會猛然醒悟耶穌基督所說的是真的，我會對在我裡面可能有的邪惡和錯誤感到震驚。但只要我仍繼續在我自己「無辜」的虛假的安全感之下，我就是活在愚昧人的天堂里。如果我從來不是公開地粗魯和辱罵人的人，唯一的原因是我自己的懦弱，加上我從文明生活中得到的保護感。但當我在神面前敞開並完全暴露時，我發現耶穌基督對我的診斷是正確的。
唯一真正能提供保護的是耶穌基督的救贖。如果我就是單單地將自己交給祂，我將永遠不必經歷我內心那些可怕的可能性。純潔對於我來說是太深邃了，以至於我無法自然地達到。但當聖靈進入我裡面，祂將耶穌基督生命中所彰顯的靈，就是聖靈，帶到我個人生命的中心，這是絕對無瑕疵的純潔。
來自章伯斯的智慧
亞伯拉罕信神的偉大之處，乃在於他預備好為神做任何事。《不知往何處去》
0726 The Way to Purity
Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart….For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man… —Matthew 15:18-20
Initially we trust in our ignorance, calling it innocence, and next we trust our innocence, calling it purity. Then when we hear these strong statements from our Lord, we shrink back, saying, “But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart.” We resent what He reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust the penetration of His Word into my heart, or would I prefer to trust my own “innocent ignorance”? If I will take an honest look at myself, becoming fully aware of my so-called innocence and putting it to the test, I am very likely to have a rude awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I will be appalled at the possibilities of the evil and the wrong within me. But as long as I remain under the false security of my own “innocence,” I am living in a fool’s paradise. If I have never been an openly rude and abusive person, the only reason is my own cowardice coupled with the sense of protection I receive from living a civilized life. But when I am open and completely exposed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis of me.
The only thing that truly provides protection is the redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will simply hand myself over to Him, I will never have to experience the terrible possibilities that lie within my heart. Purity is something far too deep for me to arrive at naturally. But when the Holy Spirit comes into me, He brings into the center of my personal life the very Spirit that was exhibited in the life of Jesus Christ, namely, the Holy Spirit, which is absolute unblemished purity.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do
anything for God. —Not Knowing Whither, 903 R