Liberty and the Standards of Jesus

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free . . . —Galatians 5:1

A spiritually-minded person will never come to you with the demand—”Believe this and that”; a spiritually-minded person will demand that you align your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One whom the Bible reveals (see John 5:39-40). We are called to present liberty for the conscience of others, not to bring them liberty for their thoughts and opinions. And if we ourselves are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty— the liberty that comes from realizing the absolute control and authority of Jesus Christ.

Always measure your life solely by the standards of Jesus. Submit yourself to His yoke, and His alone; and always be careful never to place a yoke on others that is not of Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things exactly as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God’s view. There is only one true liberty— the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.

Don’t get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you— with patience and with gentleness. But never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, “Go . . . and make disciples. . .” (Matthew 28:19), not, “Make converts to your own thoughts and opinions.”

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福音裡的自由

基督釋放了我們，叫我們得以自由。 （加五1）

一個有屬靈深度的人，絕不會要求你說：[你要信這個信那個。 ]他只會要求你的生活能夠符合耶穌的標準。神沒有叫我們相信聖經，乃是叫我們相信聖經所顯示的那一位主（比較約五39-40）。我們蒙召，是傳揚良心得釋放，而不是見解上得自由。我們若在基督的自由里得釋放，那末，別人也會被帶進同樣得自由里－－那自由就是認識耶穌基督統馭萬有的權柄。

總要照耶穌的標準去量度你的生活。你的頸項只可以套上主的軛，絕不負別的軛；同時，要當心別替人家套上那不是出於耶穌基督的軛。我們常以為人人都要與我們有同一樣的觀點，否則就是錯的。神從不這樣看，因此，他要花許多時間去糾正我們的錯誤。自由只有一種，就是耶穌在我們的心裡作工，使我們能夠做合宜的事。

不要煩躁不安，失去耐性，要記住神怎樣對待你－－用忍耐與溫柔；但卻不要減弱神的真理。讓主的道自由作工，不必為它歉疚。耶穌說：[去，使萬民作我的門徒]，而不是使人信服你的見解。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，你是何等奇妙、偉大和有力量，我要投向你。除了你以外，使我拒絕任何的統治。