双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：9月7日 主的使者

9月7日

主的使者

所以我们作基督的使者，就好像神藉我们劝你们一般；我们替基督求你们与神和好。

哥林多后书5:20

什么是使者？使者是一个人，一个有权柄的朋友。他是外国政府的雇员，他不能自由地制定自己的政策或传播自己的信息。同样，我们蒙呼召活在耶稣基督和圣经的权柄下。我们是仆人，必须活在神话语的权柄下。我们蒙呼召不能按自己的意愿行，而要遵行神的旨意。

活在神话语的权柄下是什么意思呢？

首先，这意味着我们要在个人生活中服在神的权柄下。圣经说：“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的”（利未记20：7）。我们要成为神圣洁的子民，要在个人生活中践行我们所宣扬的：一种有节制的敬虔生活。现今的世代正在留意服在祂话语权柄下圣洁的人，除非我们个人的生活方式与我们所传的一致，否则他们不会听我们的。

其次，我们在社会关系中，也要服在神话语的权柄下。作为基督徒，我们不是孤立的人，而是社会的一部分，有各种困难、问题和愿望。圣经中有许多关于社会正义和社会行为的内容。这是一个困难的领域，基督徒明白这一点。人类社会受到罪的影响，我们知道，我们为改善社会所做的任何努力都是不完整和不完美的。我们不可能在地上建立一个乌托邦。为什么呢？因为人的本性。罪使我们无法在地上建造天堂。

但我们要为社会正义而努力——这是圣经给我们的命令。我们要竭尽所能，使我们能在地上过和平、自由和有尊严的生活。只有基督能改变人心，但这并不意味着我们可以忽视社会和政治责任。基督关心全人类，包括他们所生活的社会。十九世纪英国和美国的许多伟大的社会改革，都受到福音派基督徒的启发。但是后来，许多人忘记了福音既是纵向的也是横向的。现在这种情况正在迅速改变，福音派再次宣扬个人救赎与社会责任平衡的福音。

第三，我们的服事是服在权柄之下。是神呼召我们去服事，我们不能自由选择服事祂的地点或方式。我总是对神赐给教会的各种恩赐感到惊讶。每个人都有神赐予的恩赐，你可能是农民，工人，医生或教授，但你得到了圣灵的恩赐。保罗说，“将神……所给你的恩赐，再如火挑旺起来。”（提摩太后书1:6）。你的恩赐是什么呢？我们每个人都要将自己的恩赐发挥出来，为主所用。

今日祷告：

天父，让我们成为代表祢的使者，与祢相配。主啊，帮助我们被圣灵充满，使我们所到之处，成为光和盐。帮助我们爱邻舍，与他们分享福音，并服在祢的权柄下，只宣扬祢所认定的真理的福音；奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

September 7

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,as though God did beseech you by us:we pray you in Christ’s stead,be ye reconciled to God.2 Corinthians 5:20

What is an ambassador?An ambassador is a person,a friend of authority.He is a servant of the government in a foreign land.He is not free to set his own policies or develop his own message.In the same way we are called to live under the authority of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Scriptures.We are servants.We must live under the authority of the Word of God.We are called not to do our will,but Christ’s.

What does it mean to live under the authority of the Word of God?First of all,it means that we live under the authority of God in our personal lives.“Be ye holy as I am holy”(Leviticus 20:7),say the Scriptures.We are to be holy people of God;we are to live what we preach in our personal lives:a disciplined devotional life.The world today is looking for holy men and women to live under the authority of the Word of God.They’re not going to listen to what we say unless we back it up with the way we live in our personal relationships.

Second,we are under the authority of the Word of God in our social relationships as well.As Christians we’re not isolated persons;we are part of society with all of its difficulties and problems and hopes.The Bible has much to say about social justice and social actions.This is a difficult area.The Christian knows this.Human society is affected by sin,and we know that any effort we make to improve society will always be incomplete and imperfect.We are not going to build a Utopia on earth.Why?Because of human nature.Sin keeps us from building a paradise on earth.

But we are to work for social justice-that is our command in Scripture-we’re to do all we can so that we can live a peaceable and a free life,and a life of human dignity.Only Christ can change hearts,but that does not mean that we neglect social and political responsibilities.Christ is concerned about the whole man,including the society in which he lives.Many of the great social reforms of the nineteenth century in Great Britain and America were inspired by evangelical Christians.But the time came when many forgot that the Gospel was both vertical and horizontal.This is rapidly changing now.Evangelical are once again proclaiming a balanced Gospel of personal salvation on the one hand and social responsibility on the other.

Third,we are under authority in our service.It is God who has called us to serve.We are not free to choose the place or the manner in which we will serve Him.I am always amazed at the variety of gifts that God has given to the Church.Every person has been given a gift from God.You may be a farmer,or a laborer,or a doctor,or a professor,but you have been given a gift of the Holy Spirit.Paul says,“Stir up the gift that is with you”(2 timothy 1:6).What is your gift?Each of us is to put his gift into action for God.

Pray for the Day:

Father,make us to be ambassadors to represent You,worthy of You.Help us,O Lord,to be filled with Your Holy Spirit,so that we will be both salt and light in the world where we go.Help us to love our neighbor and to share the Gospel with our neighbor,and to be under Your authority to declare only the Gospel that You have determined is the truth;in Jesus’Name,Amen.