双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：8 月 18 日 献上身体

8 月 18 日

献上身体

……将身体献上，当作活祭……你们如此事奉，乃是理所当然的。不要效法这个世界。

罗马书 12:1-2

我们基督徒在肉体上不应效法这个世界。因我们的身体是神的灵居住的殿，不可在庙前向巴力屈膝。我们要将身体当作“活祭”完全献给神，我们的穿着、姿态和行为，都应该能荣耀基督。我们要活出“圣洁”这个词最深的意义。

神的旨意是要我们效法祂儿子的模样。世界会向我们施压，试图改变我们，但我们知道：“只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良，纯全可喜悦的旨意”（罗马书 12:2）。

我们的圣经封面上都有“圣经”的字样。你知道为什么圣经被称为“圣”的吗？又为什么被称为“圣”的圣经里，却有那么多欲望、仇恨、贪婪和战争呢？让我回答你：因为圣经讲的是真理。它讲述了关于神、人和魔鬼的真相。圣经教导我们，要用神的真理取代魔鬼的谎言，如性、毒品、酒精和宗教的伪善。

耶稣基督是终极的真理，而且，祂说的话都是真实的。耶稣说祂就是真理，真理要叫我们得自由。正是在这自由中，我们要“……将我们的身体献上，当作活祭……”。

今日祷告：

天父，接受我把身体和生命当作活祭献给祢，在祢的国里事奉。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

August 18

A LIVING SACRIFICE

…Present your bodies a living sacrifice…your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world. Romans 12:1-2

We Christians are not to be conformed to the world physically. These bodies of ours are intended to be temples of the Spirit of God. We are not to prostrate them before the temples of Baal. We are to present them wholly to God as a “living sacrifice.” Our dress, our posture, our actions, should all be for the honor and glory of Christ. We are to be “holy” in the deepest sense of the word.

God’s purpose for us is that we ought to be conformed to the image of His Son. The world may exert its pressure to deform us, but we are told, “Be ye transformed…that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

On the cover of your Bible and mine appear the words, “Holy Bible.” Do you know why the Bible is called holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in it? I can tell you why. It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchange the truth of God for the devil’s lie about sex, for example, and drugs, and alcohol, and religious hypocrisy.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free. It is in this freedom that we are to “…present our bodies a living sacrifice…”

Pray for the Day:

Father, accept my body and my life as a living sacrifice for You. Let me be of service in Your Kingdom, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.