7月8日

標　　題：聖路

經　　節：在那裡必有一條大道，稱為聖路。污穢人不得經過，必專為贖民行走；行路的人雖愚昧，也不致失迷。（以賽亞書卅五章8節）

以色列這個國家，本來是被預定成為萬國敬拜真神的地方。耶路撒冷的聖殿，本來是傳播神救恩喜信到世界每個角落的中心點。但那些本來應屬神的百姓，卻背棄了祂，行各樣惡事。他們不但沒有作神的使者，反而羞辱神的聖名；不但沒有吸引地上萬國到神的跟前，反而成為尋道者的絆腳石。以色列人慘痛地失敗，與神原先的計劃大相徑庭，以至於神審判他們，放逐他們。然而，神應許有一天祂的百姓會成為一條大道，帶領其他人得著救恩。

哪裡有基督徒，神就有法子讓人們知道救恩（羅馬書十：14∼15），這是神的心意。每當未信者遇見基督徒，他應是與所有跟隨主的信息面對面。

可悲的是，有些基督徒就像以賽亞時代的以色列人。我們可能深陷罪惡之中，完全背離神，更別提裝備自己去指引人。如果我們在生活中假冒為善，我們非但不能幫助人到神的面前，反而害人轉離神。如果我們的生活充滿疑惑和憤怒，我們會妨礙他人到主的跟前。我們的生活應該是一條聖道，成為周圍尋道者的幫助。求神挪去你生命中任何妨礙人認識主的絆腳石。

A Highway of Holiness

A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. (Isaiah 35:8)

The nation of Israel was designed to have a place where other nations of the world could come to worship the true God. The temple in Jerusalem was to be the center from which the good news of God’s salvation would spread to every corner of the world. But those who were supposed to be God’s people forsook Him and practiced every kind of sin. Rather than being ambassadors for God, they disgraced His holy name. Rather than attracting the nations of the earth to God, they became stumbling blocks to those who were seeking the true God. The Israelites fell so far from God’s original intent that God judged them and sent them into exile. Yet God promised that one day His people would be an avenue by which others could find salvation.

It is God’s desire that anywhere there is a Christian, God has a way for people to learn of His salvation (Rom. 10:14–15). Whenever an unbeliever meets a Christian, the unbeliever ought to be face to face with everything he needs to know in order to follow Christ.

Sadly, however, Christians can be like the Israelites of Isaiah’s day. We can be so involved in our sin that we are completely disoriented to God, ill-equipped to direct others to Him. If our lives are filled with hypocrisy, we may turn people away from God, rather than helping them come to Him. If our lives are filled with doubt or anger, we will impede others from coming to Christ. Our lives ought to be a highway of holiness, providing easy access to God for anyone around us who seeks Him. Ask God to remove any obstacle in your life that hinders others from coming to know Jesus.