第六章
14你們和不信的人不可共負一軛,義和不法有甚麼相同呢?光明和黑暗怎能相通呢?15基督和彼列(「彼列」是撒但的別名)怎能和諧呢?信的和不信的有甚麼聯繫呢?16神的殿和偶像怎能協調呢?我們就是永生神的殿,正如神說:「我要住在他們中間,在他們中間來往;我要作他們的神,他們要作我的子民。」17所以,「主說:你們要從他們中間出來,和他們分開,不可觸摸不潔淨的東西,我就收納你們。」18「我要作你們的父親,你們要作我的兒女。這是全能的主說的。」
默想
- 基督徒要完全分別歸神,這分別像光明與黑暗,基督與撒但,神的殿與偶像之間的尖銳、絕對。因此信徒「應該潔淨自己,除去身體和心靈上的一切污穢」(7:1)。神是我們的父親,但是當我們犯罪,罪的污染將我們與神隔絕,神就不能再用那種親密的方式與我們來往。同樣的,人與人之間親密的關係中,當罪行、欺騙、虛假滲入,立刻會像眼中入沙一般,關係必會受破壞。所以問題不在我能不能與非信徒交往,而在乎我要不要與神保持親密美好的關係。慈愛的天父向我們發出祂的心聲、呼喚:「我要作你們的父親,你們要作我的兒女。」我會怎樣回應神?
- 想像我正在花園中與主散步,這時候我會對主說什麼?主在聆聽,慢慢地向主傾訴,也細聽主的心聲。
禱告與筆錄:
繼續安靜在神面前,與神對話,並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想(心得),或是與神的禱告,記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。
CHAPTER 6
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17“Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
18“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
MEDITATION
- Christians are to be completely separated unto the Lord, with that separation as sharp as the dividing line between light and darkness, between Christ and Satan, and between the temple of God and a shrine where idols are worshiped. In short, we are to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.” (7:1) God is our Father, but when we sin, sin’s contamination separates us from God. He is not able to be a Father to us in the same, intimate way He would if we were in close fellowship with Him. Similarly, when sin comes into a relationship between two people, it’ll be felt like a grain of sand entering into the eye, the relationship will be affected. So, the issue isn’t whether I could have intimate relationship with non-Christians, rather, if I want to maintain this close relationship with God the Father. Our loving father is calling us: “I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters.” How do I respond?
- Imagine I am taking a walk with the Lord in the garden. What would I say to him right now? The Lord is listening. Speak to him slowly and listen to his talking, too.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.