双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：11月29日 信与行为

11月29日

信与行为

身体没有灵魂是死的，信心没有行为也是死的。

雅各书2:26

圣经教导说，基督徒是相信基督救赎了他、并顺服基督以祂为主的人。因信祂得以进入天国，但是对神的顺服和爱才是天国国民的标志。基督徒的生命是信靠与劳苦、争战与奋斗、接受与行动的美好融合。有些事是上帝所做，有些则是我们自己必须做的。从某种意义上说，就像农夫收割麦子一样——是上帝的礼物，而要获得这份礼物必须付出辛勤的劳动和艰苦的努力。上帝可能会赐给一个人音乐天赋，但要让这天赋得以充分发挥，需要大量的实际训练。

救恩确实是上帝的礼物，但在某种意义上，我们也要恐惧战兢地作成我们得救的功夫。祂创造的工作是藉着我们顺服的行动来完成的，当我们工作时，祂就能工作。我们得到新生命作为一份免费的礼物，但如果我们想在危难中过得胜的基督徒生活，就必须活出新的生命。因此，没有严格的训练，就不可能过得胜的生活。

新约中用了很多动词来描述这种生活。我们知道，作为基督徒，我们要争战、摔跤、奔跑、奋斗、受苦、忍耐、抵挡、痛苦和屈辱。这些新约动词清楚地表达了艰苦的努力和积极的行动。

当我看到一个自称是基督徒、相信所有教义、自称是福音派基督徒的人，却没有活出基督徒的生命来——他的生命没有经过破碎、没有温柔和爱——我就想起耶稣的话，说：“凭着他们的果子，就可以认出他们来。”我们重生之后，要用我们的行为来证明我们的信心。正如雅各所说，“信心没有行为是死的。”

今日祷告：

天父，祈求祢使我的生命多结果子。不仅藉着我，也藉着教会其他的弟兄姊妹，多结果子，因我们所行的善，像明光照耀，能够将荣耀归于祢；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

November 29

THE DISCIPLINES OF LIFE

…As the body without the spirit is dead,so faith without works is dead also.James 2:26

The scriptures teach that a Christian is one who trusts Christ to save him and obeys Him as Lord.Trust gets him into the Kingdom,but obedience and love to God are the badges of citizenship.The Christian life is a happy blending of trust and toil,wrestling and striving,receiving and doing.There is that which God does,and there is that which we must do for ourselves.It is in a sense like a farmer’s wheat harvest-it is a gift of God,but the appropriation of that gift requires hard work and strenuous effort.God may give a person the gift of music,but it takes much practice and discipline to make that gift come to life.

Salvation is indeed a gift of God,but there is a sense in which we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.His creative action takes place through our obedient action,and He is able to work when we work.We receive the new life as a free gift,but we must practice the gift if we are to live a victorious Christian life in a period of crisis.Therefore it is impossible to live a victorious life without careful discipline.

There are many verbs used in the New Testament that describe this type of life.We are told that as Christians we are to fight,wrestle,run,strive,suffer,endure,resist,agonize,and mortify.These New Testament verbs clearly denote strenuous effort and vigorous action.

When I see a person who claims to be a Christian,believes all the creeds,and calls himself an evangelical Christian,but he does not live the Christian life-his life is not characterized by brokenness,tenderness,and love-I remember the words of Jesus when He said,“By their fruits ye shall know them.”After being born again we are to demonstrate our faith by our works.As James said,“Faith without works is dead.”

Pray for the Day:

Father,I pray that I will bear much fruit in my life.And I pray that You will bear much fruit,through not only me,but also the rest of the Church,for Your Name’s sake—to shine as a light through our good works,so that people will give You glory;in Jesus’Name,Amen.