7月26日 清潔的賬

從心裡發出來的……（太十五18-20）

我們起初都信任自己的無知，稱之為無罪；又信任自己的無罪，稱之為清潔。於是當我們聽見主這番嚴厲的話，就會怯生生地說：“我從不覺得自己心中有這些可怖的髒東西呀！”我們厭惡主所揭示的。若耶穌基督不是人心裡至高的權威，他就根本不值一顧。我是否願意信任他的明察，還是信任自己的天真無知？只要我試驗一下自己的清白，就勢必栗然醒覺主話的真實，也必震驚於自己偏向邪惡的性情。我之所以未淪為惡匪，無非是膽子不夠大，及文明社會的保障罷了。若在神面前赤露敞開，就必知道他的診斷無誤。

耶穌基督的救恩是唯一的保障。我若把自己交給他，就不必經歷內心那些可怕的性情。清潔太深邃了，憑天性我無法達至，但當聖靈來到就把那在主耶穌生命中彰顯的靈，帶進我生命中，我就變成毫無玷污的純潔。

祈禱◆噢，我的神，我在你的火焰中被焚燒和煉淨——今天我所發現的渣滓似乎太多，在我處理別人的錯失上，卻太少流露你那甜蜜而親切的恩典。主啊，赦免我。

July 26 The Account With Purity

“Out of the heart proceed . . .” Matthew 15:18-20

We begin by trusting our ignorance and calling it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity; and when we hear these rugged statements of Our Lord's, we shrink and say – But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart. We resent what Jesus Christ reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme Authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust His penetration, or do I prefer to trust my innocent ignorance? If I make conscious innocence the test, I am likely to come to a place where I find with a shuddering awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I shall be appalled at the possibility of evil and wrong in me. As long as I remain under the refuge of innocence I am living in a fool's paradise. If I have never been a blackguard, the reason is a mixture of cowardice and the protection of civilized life; but when I am undressed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis.

The only thing that safeguards is the Redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will hand myself over to Him, I need never experience the terrible possibilities that are in my heart. Purity is too deep down for me to get to naturally: but when the Holy Spirit comes in, He brings into the centre of my personal life the very Spirit that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ, viz., Holy Spirit, which is unsullied purity.