9月1日 命定的聖潔

你們要聖潔，因為我是聖潔的。（彼前一16）

要經常對自己重申人生的目標。人最終的目標，不是幸福，不是健康，而是聖潔。今天我們有太多要眷戀的東西，以致分心。正直、良善、崇高的喜好，自有它們的價值；可是神卻要叫它們退縮一旁。因為最重要的事，是人願否接納那能使他變得聖潔的神。人要不惜任何代價，與神建立密切正確的關係。

我真相信要成為聖潔嗎？真相信神能進入我裡面，使我成聖嗎？若你的講道真叫我相信自己不潔，我會對你所講的產生反感。我對所傳的福音產生強烈的反感，因為它暴露了我的不潔，但同時也挑起了我強烈的渴求。神對人類一項終極的命定，就是要我們聖潔。他唯一目的是製造聖徒。神不是一副永遠只賜福予人的機器；他來救人也不是出於可憐同情。他來拯救，因為他創造的人原是聖潔的。救贖就是藉著耶穌基督的死，神把我重新與他聯合，再沒有任何阻隔的影兒。

千萬不可因同情自己或別人，而容許任何與聖潔的神不相合的事。聖潔就是不玷污－－舌頭不玷污，思想不玷污，因為生活上任何細節都在神細察之下。聖潔不單是神賜給我的，更是我怎樣彰顯神所賜給我的。

祈禱◆主，全能的神，你是聖潔的；你的奇妙非讚美所能說盡，你應許過以你的恩典來使我成為聖潔。

September 1 Destiny Of Holiness

“Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 (R.V.)

Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. Nowadays we have far too many affinities, we are dissipated with them; right, good, noble affinities which will yet have their fulfilment, but in the meantime God has to atrophy them. The one thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God Who will make him holy. At all costs a man must be rightly related to God.

Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe God can come into me and make me holy? If by your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it must reveal that I am unholy; but it also awakens an intense craving. God has one destined end for mankind, viz., holiness. His one aim is the production of saints. God is not an eternal blessing-machine for men; He did not come to save men out of pity: He came to save men because He had created them to be holy. The Atonement means that God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without a shadow between, through the Death of Jesus Christ.

Never tolerate through sympathy with yourself or with others any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means unsullied walking with the feet, unsullied talking with the tongue, unsullied thinking with the mind – every detail of the life under the scrutiny of God. Holiness is not only what God gives me, but what I manifest that God has given me.