And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself —John 12:32
Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not “a little bit of love,” but major surgery.
When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.
But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.
The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them.
正確工作的路線
我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸我。 （約十二32）
很少人真正明白主耶穌受死的原因。若世人需要的只是同情，那末耶穌的十字架不過是場鬧劇，根本用不著。世界所需要的，不是一點點愛，乃是開刀動手術。當你面對一個在靈性上遇到困難的人，要提醒自己那在十字架上的耶穌基督。若那人可以從別的途徑到神那裡，耶穌基督的十字架就是多餘。你若以為能用自己的同情心或體諒去幫助人，你就是主的叛徒。你必須與神保持正確的關係，依他的方法，為他傾倒，而不是忽略了神，依人的方法去傾倒，但今日最響的調子，卻是溫和派的宗教。
有一件事不能不做的，就是每時每刻高舉被釘的主耶穌。任何教義不植根於耶穌的十字架的，必領人入歧途。工人若深信耶穌基督，緊抓他救贖的真實，和說話的人，必然被吸引。神的工人是否有用，全賴他與耶穌基督的單純關係。而這種關係是長存的，也是日益加深的。
新約的工人蒙召，是要揭發罪惡並指出耶穌是救主，因此他不能詩情畫意，乃是要嚴謹開刀。我們被差是要高舉主耶穌，不是要發表美妙的論說。我們的搜索必須深入，像神搜索我們一樣；對聖經要敏銳，把真理直截闡明，不留情地應用。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我察覺到我最近的內心，是何其缺少將我對耶穌的信心實踐出來，那些隱藏的意欲似乎經常出沒。願你將基督裡的單純引進我的生命，又使我對事情有更深入的看法－－唯一關注的是凡事獲得你的認可。
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