双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：7月14日 不属世界

7月14日

不属世界

（耶稣说）我已将祢的道赐给他们。世界又恨他们；因为他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。

约翰福音17:14

我们基督徒不应效法这个世界。这个世界试图将我们同化，要使我们与它同流合污；但基督却警戒我们不要向世俗妥协。祂清楚地说到那些信祂的人：“他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。”

墨西哥湾暖流在海洋中，但它不是海洋的一部分。信徒在世界中，但他们不能被世界同化。墨西哥湾暖流即使在北大西洋冰冷的水中，也能保持温暖的水温。如果基督徒要完成他们在世上的使命，就不能被这冷漠不信的世界所同化。

作为基督徒，我们所说的许多话都是属世的，而不是属灵的。我们很容易陷入世俗的言谈中，花整个晚上讨论政治、新款车型和最新娱乐活动。但我们却常忘记，我们应该以圣洁的话语彼此造就，我们的言谈应该注重天上的事，而不是地上的事。

虽然耶稣会与税吏和罪人一起吃饭，但他没有受世界群体吸引，去顺从他们。他抓住每一个机会宣扬属灵真理，使灵魂从灭亡走向永生。我们的社交接触不仅应该令人愉快，还应该成为向未信者分享我们信仰的机会。

今日祷告：

天父，赦免我们在心思和言语上与世界妥协。求祢用圣灵充满我们，能够辨别是非，让我们活出所信的，成为这个世界的好见证。祷告奉耶稣的名，阿们。

JULY 14

NOT OF THE WORLD

[Jesus said,]I have them thy word;and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,even as I am not of the world.John 17:14,RSV

We Christians are not to be conformed to the world socially.The world tries to absorb us into its secular society and to conform us to its earthly image,but Christ urges us not to conform.Clearly He says of those who believe in Him,“They are not of the world,even as I am not of the world.”

The Gulf Stream is in the oceans,and yet it is not a part of it.Believers are in the world,and yet they must not be absorbed by it.The Gulf Stream maintains its warm temperatures even in the icy water of the North Atlantic.If Christians are to fulfill their purposes in the world,they must not be chilled by the indifferent,godless society in which they live.

Much of our talk as Christians is worldly,not spiritual.It is easy to fall into the conversational conformity of the world and spend an evening discussing politics,the new model cars,and the latest entertainment.We often forget that we are to edify one another with holy conversation and that our conversation should be on heavenly,and not exclusively on earthly,things.

It is true that Jesus dined with publicans and sinners,but He did not allow the social group to overwhelm Him and conform Him to its ways.He seized every opportunity to present spiritual truth and to lead a soul from death to life.Our social contacts should not only be pleasant,they should be made opportunities to share our faith with those who do not yet know Christ.

Pray for the Day:

Father,forgive us for our conforming to the world in our conversation and in our thinking.Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.Give us discernment to live our lives with faith and to be strong in our witness to the world;in Jesus’Name,Amen.