一月七日

因我活著就是基督……（腓1:21）

信徒並不常為基督活著。當神的聖靈使他知罪，因著恩典使他看到那為己罪替死的救主時，他才開始為基督而活；當人新生，自天而生的時候起才為基督而活。耶穌是一顆重價的珍珠，信徒應當為他甘願捨棄一切所有的。他全然贏得了我們的愛，使我們只愛他；我們要為他的榮耀而活，我們要為保衛他的福音而死；他是我們生活的模範，我們要照著他的樣式雕出我們的品格來。保羅這話的意義實在超出我們的思想，這話顯明他的生活的目的和目標就是基督——不只如此，他活著就是耶穌。有一位古聖徒說他自己在永生裡吃喝睡覺，耶穌是他的呼吸，耶穌的靈魂就是他的靈魂，耶穌的心就是他的心，耶穌的生命就是他的生命。你公開承認你是一位基督徒，請問你的生活是否這樣？你能誠實地說“我活著就是基督”嗎？你是為基督而從事你的事業嗎？並非為了自己的發展和家庭的供養嗎？你問：“那算是一個卑鄙的緣由嗎？”在基督徒確實是的。他聲稱為基督而活，同時又為其他目的而活著不會犯屬靈的淫亂嗎？有人雖為主而活，可是誰敢和這位使徒一樣地說他完全為基督而活呢？但這都是基督徒當有的生活：它的來源，它的發長，它的樣式，它的目的，都總結在一句話裡——基督耶穌。主啊！求你接受我，我願在此把我獻上；求你使我只在你裡面活著並為你而活。讓我在犁和壇之間作一頭牛，或耕田或獻祭聽主使用。我的口號是：“我都情願。”

January 7

"For me to live is Christ." --Philippians 1:21

The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Saviour making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live to Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price, for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love, that it beats alone for Him; to His glory we would live, and in defence of His gospel we would die; He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we would sculpture our character. Paul's words mean more than most men think; they imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ--nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business--are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self- aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, "Is that a mean reason?" For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle in some measure; but who is there that dare say that he hath lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Yet, this alone is the true life of a Christian--its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word--Christ Jesus. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in Thee and to Thee. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, "Ready for either."