8月9日

標　　題：除去邪惡

經　　節：這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。（申命記廿二章21節下）

不把試探放在眼裡是十分危險的，你得為自己的錯誤付上昂貴的代價。許多人自以為心靈強健，可以抵禦試探，最後屈服於罪的引誘，這是最可悲的事。神要祂的百姓從自己當中除去罪（申命記廿一：21）。除去環境中任何引誘你犯罪的事物，是個好方法。當邪惡充斥你的四周，你會漸漸麻木，趨向毀滅的危險。永遠不要自以為可以免受試探，不要小看惡者的狡詐。

神決不寬容邪惡，因為邪惡使祂的愛子付上死亡的代價。罪惡毀滅任何碰它的人，並使他陷入無窮的痛苦。輕看罪顯示出漠視神救贖大工的愚昧。誠實檢討自己的生活，會揭露出哪些是你應該除去的試探，譬如一些不良娛樂或不敬虔的關係。當神使你悔悟你們當中的邪惡，馬上除去它！

然而，有時候你會無力對抗不敬虔的影響。所以，你一定要在生活中除去試探。保羅極力勸告我們，要禁戒不做任何的惡事（帖撒羅尼迦前書五：22）。當約瑟被慫恿與自己主人的妻子通姦時，他馬上逃離現場（創世記卅九：12）！

不要失去你對罪的憎惡。要勤於驅除任何試探，使它遠遠離開你的家、離開你的人際關係和離開你的意念。只有維繫你與神之間愛的關係，才可能驅除任何試探。你要認清一個事實，就是靠著自己的力量，你不可能勝過試探。除非以神的眼光看待罪，你不可能與神親密同行。黑暗與光明不可能同時存在。逃離黑暗，邁向光明！

Put Away Evil

So you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:21b)

It is a dangerous and costly mistake not to take temptation seriously. The sad testimony of many who have succumbed to sin’s enticements is that they thought they were strong enough to remain in the midst of temptation and resist it. God requires that His people remove evil from their midst (Deut. 21:21). One way to do this is to remove anything in your environment that may tempt you to sin. When wickedness surrounds you, you are in danger of becoming anesthetized to its destructive potential. Never assume that you are immune to temptation. Do not underestimate the craftiness of the evil one.

God does not tolerate evil, for evil cost the death of His Son. Sin causes untold pain and destruction to everyone it touches. Treating evil lightly shows foolish disregard for God’s redemptive work. An honest evaluation of your life will reveal temptations that you should remove, such as some forms of entertainment or ungodly relationships. When God convicts you of evil in your midst, remove it immediately!

There are times, however, when you are powerless to remove ungodly influences, so you must remove yourself from the temptation. Paul urges us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). When Joseph was enticed to commit adultery by his master’s wife, he fled immediately! (Gen. 39:12).

Do not lose your abhorrence of sin. Be diligent to keep any form of temptation out of your home, out of your relationships, out of your mind. You can do this only by maintaining your love relationship with God, recognizing that you are powerless to resist temptation in your own strength. You will not be able to walk closely with God unless you see sin as He sees it. Darkness and light cannot coexist. Run from the darkness to the light!