四月二十三日

然而，靠著愛我們的主，在這一切的事上已經得勝有餘了。（羅8:37）

我們要到基督面前求饒恕，因為我們常想憑藉律法的能力來制服我們的罪。保羅這樣責備我們說：“無知的加拉太人哪，耶穌基督釘十字架，已經活畫在你們眼前，誰又迷惑了你們呢？我只要問你們這一件：你們受了聖靈，是因行律法呢？是因聽信福音呢？你們既靠聖靈入門，如今還靠肉身成全嗎？你們是這樣的無知嗎？”把你的罪帶到基督的十字架那裡，因為舊人只能在那裡被釘死：我們與他一同被釘。制勝罪的惟一的武器是用刺破主肋旁的槍。舉一個例來說吧：你要勝過你的壞脾氣，你用什麼方法呢？你嘗試多次但總不知解決怒氣的正確方法乃是把它帶到耶穌那裡，這是很可能的一件事。我怎樣得到了救恩呢？我不過是赤裸裸地來到耶穌面前，並信靠他的拯救罷了。我必可用同樣的方法治死我的怒氣，這是治死它的惟一方法。我必須把它帶到十字架那裡，對耶穌說：“主啊！我靠賴你救我脫離它。”惟有這樣才能給它致命的打擊。你有貪心嗎？你感到世界迷惑你嗎？你與它之間的爭鬥是不會終止的，它總是一種纏累你的罪，你若不藉著耶穌的血，就沒法能擺脫它的。把它帶到基督那裡對他說：“主啊！我已信靠你，你的名字叫耶穌，因為你必把你的百姓從罪裡救出來。主啊！這裡是我的罪，救我脫離它！”一切禮儀若沒有基督都歸失效。你的禱告、你的悔改和你的眼淚——把它們都算在內——若離了他都算不得什麼。除了耶穌以外誰也不能幫助無依無靠的罪人，或是聖徒。若你要得勝，你必須靠著那愛你的得勝。我們的榮冠必須用他在客西馬尼園中的橄欖枝編成。

April 23

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." --Romans 8:37

We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Take your sins to Christ's cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are crucified with Him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration--you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted Him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way? It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, "Lord, I trust Thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell Him, "Lord, I have trusted Thee, and Thy name is Jesus, for Thou dost save Thy people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!" Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, and your tears--the whole of them put together--are worth nothing apart from Him. "None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good;" or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through Him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among His olives in Gethsemane.