Sacred Service

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . . —Colossians 1:24

The Christian worker has to be a sacred “go-between.” He must be so closely identified with his Lord and the reality of His redemption that Christ can continually bring His creating life through him. I am not referring to the strength of one individual’s personality being superimposed on another, but the real presence of Christ coming through every aspect of the worker’s life. When we preach the historical facts of the life and death of our Lord as they are conveyed in the New Testament, our words are made sacred. God uses these words, on the basis of His redemption, to create something in those who listen which otherwise could never have been created. If we simply preach the effects of redemption in the human life instead of the revealed, divine truth regarding Jesus Himself, the result is not new birth in those who listen. The result is a refined religious lifestyle, and the Spirit of God cannot witness to it because such preaching is in a realm other than His. We must make sure that we are living in such harmony with God that as we proclaim His truth He can create in others those things which He alone can do.

When we say, “What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, and what wonderful insight!” then what opportunity does the gospel of God have through all of that? It cannot get through, because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person attracts through his personality, that becomes his appeal. If, however, he is identified with the Lord Himself, then the appeal becomes what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to glory in men, yet Jesus says we are to lift up only Him (see John 12:32).

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神聖的事奉

現在我為你們受苦，倒覺歡樂，並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。 （西一24）

主的工人要作神聖的中間人，與主和他的救贖認同，以致主能不斷地透過他創造新生命。不是工人自己的人格影響另一個人，乃是基督的真正同在，透過工人的生命流露出來。我們按新約的記載傳揚主耶穌，並他受苦的歷史事實，我們的話就變成神聖；神就使用這些話，因著他救贖的計畫，在聽者身上創造新生，否則，這些人就不能成為新造的人。若我們傳的是救贖在人生命中的效用，而不是傳揚有關主耶穌自己的啟示，那末在聽者身上成就的就不是新生命，只是精美的屬靈教化而已。神的靈也不能為此作見證，因為這是屬於另一領域的事。我們必須留意自己活在與神同心同工中，以致在我們傳他的真理時，他能夠在人心靈中，成就只有他才能夠成就的事。 [多可愛的個性！ ][這人真了不起！ ][多超越的卓見！ ]神的福音在這些之上有什麽出路？福音無法通過，因為這只能吸引人歸我，而不能吸引人歸他。人若以人格吸引人，人注目的就是他的人格；若他與主的品格合一，他的吸引力就在於主耶穌的能力。信徒的危機是在於榮耀人，耶穌卻說我們要[舉起]的是他。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你今天在大能和威嚴中，在更多方面得勝。保守我的心靈遠離世俗化。