All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult

Enter by the narrow gate . . . . Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life . . . —Matthew 7:13-14

If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?

God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.

Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10, and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.

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尊貴的事不易做

“你們要進窄門。因為……引到永生，那門是窄的，路是小的，找著的人也少。”馬太福音7：13－14 如果我們準備像耶穌的門徒那樣去生活，我們就要記住所有崇高的事情都是艱難的事。基督徒的生活是極為艱難的，但是這艱難不是讓我們軟弱投降，而是要激起我們去戰勝困難。我們是否深深感激耶穌基督那無比的救恩而竭盡全力為他而活呢？

神因著他至高無上的恩典，藉著耶穌的挽回祭拯救人；我們立志行事都是他在我們裡面運行，為要討他的喜悅；但我們必須在實際的生活裡把這救恩行出來。一旦我們開始站在他救贖的根基上去遵行他的命令，我們會發現我們是可以做到的。如果我們失敗了，這是因為我們還不夠老練。危機會揭露出我們是否一直在實踐他的命令。如果我們順服神的靈，並在我們肉身裡實行神藉著他的靈放在我們裡面的命令，當危機來的時候，我們就會發現我們的本性和神的恩典都會支援我們過去。

感謝神給了我們困難的事情去做！他的拯救是令人高興的，但同時也是偉大的、聖潔的。它測試我們是否配得。耶穌要把許多“兒子”帶進榮耀裡，神不會讓我們逃避作為“兒子”的要求。神的恩典使人轉變成為耶穌基督的樣式，而不是成為一個懦夫。在實際的生活中活出耶穌門徒的生命需要許許多多的操練。成為高尚是需要付出努力的。