4月29日
標 題: 基督徒的門徒訓練
經 節: 我們傳揚祂,是用諸般的智慧,勸戒各人,教導各人,要把各人在基督裡完完全全地引到神面前。(歌羅西書一章28節)
門徒訓練是將你與基督所有的關係,轉換成你與周遭人的關係。門徒訓練不是屬靈訓練的授與,而是使人去熟悉那位你所愛的人。保羅說,他要全力教導並鼓勵神在他生命中所帶來的人,都能完完全全地經歷基督(歌羅西書一:29)。他不以人們部分像耶穌就心滿意足。直到周圍的人能夠完完全全、完美地在基督裡,他才肯罷休。也就是,聖靈的果子能夠全然彰顯在每個生命中,使每個人的生命都反映出基督的特質(加拉太書五:22)。
我們可能把參加基督教的宗教活動,誤以為擁有基督榮美的因素。基督教宗教活動與像基督是兩碼事。我們決不可因為朋友去教會和讀聖經,就假設他們是成長中的基督徒。
基督教宗教活動是你與基督關係的重要表達。它們可以領你進入一種關係,然而,這裡的危機是:你會假設自己的宗教活動就是那個關係。如果你只是鼓勵周圍的人參加基督教宗教活動,那麼你並沒有像保羅一樣「門訓」他們。如此一來,你會使你的基督徒夥伴,誤以為基督教宗教活動等於基督徒的成熟。除非你周圍的人變成「完美」的基督徒,你才能罷休。如果神將一些新基督徒交付你照顧,你有義務「與他們在一起」,直到他們變為成熟的基督徒。
Christian Discipleship
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1:28)
Discipleship is personally transferring the full dimensions of your
relationship with Christ to the person you are walking with. It is not the
imparting of spiritual disciplines as much as it is acquainting another with a
Person you love. Paul said that he would teach and urge with all his strength
that every person God placed in his life would come to a complete experience of
the person of Christ (Col. 1:29). He was not satisfied with people becoming
partially like Christ. He would not rest until those around him were perfect,
or complete, in Christ. That is, that the fruits of the Spirit were being fully
expressed through each life and the character of Christ was reflected in each
person (Gal. 5:22).
We can mistake Christian activity with becoming like Christ. Christian
activity and Christlikeness are not the same things. We must not assume that
because our friend attends church and reads her Bible, she is growing as a
Christian.
Christian activities are an important expression of your relationship
with Christ. They can lead you to a relationship, but the danger is assuming
that your religious activity is the relationship. If you are only encouraging
those around you to attend Christian activities, then you have not “discipled”
them the way Paul did. You do your fellow Christians an injustice by teaching
them that Christian activity is equal to Christian maturity. Do not rest until
those around you have become “perfect” in Christ. If God has put new Christians
under your care, you have an obligation to “stay with them” until they have
reached Christian maturity.