二月二十六日

救恩出於耶和華。（拿2:9）

救恩是神的工作。惟有他能蘇醒那“死在過犯罪惡中”之人的靈魂，也惟有他能保守人屬靈的生命。他是“阿拉法”，也是“俄梅戛”。“救恩出於耶和華。”若我到過，是因神使我禱告；若我得到什麼恩惠，那是神所賜的；若我持守自己的生活，那是因為他的手扶持著我。若神不先在我裡面作工，我就不能作什麼！我所有的，我的一切善良都是神的。我的罪行，是我自己的；但我的義行，卻整個的，完全的屬神。若我打退了屬靈的仇敵，那是因為主的力量加在我的膀臂上。我在人面前過著一種分別為聖的生活嗎？那不是我，乃是在我裡面活著的基督。我聖潔了嗎？我不能潔淨自己，乃是神的聖靈使我成為聖潔。我與世界隔絕了嗎？那是因為神為我的好處責罰了我，才使我隔絕的。我在知識上有長進嗎？那是大教師訓誨了我。我一切的珍寶都是屬天的匠人所琢磨成的。我在神裡面找到了我一切所需要的，但在我裡面除了罪汙可憐之外別無所有。“惟獨他是我的磐石，我的拯救。”我曾飽食神的話嗎？若神不使它作我靈魂的食糧並幫助我吃，我吃了也是沒有用的。我是靠著自天而降的嗎哪生活嗎？那嗎哪不就是成為肉身的耶穌基督，使我得以吃喝他的血肉嗎？我繼續不斷地重新得力嗎？我的力量是從那裡來的？我的幫助是從創造天地的主而來的！若沒有耶穌我什麼也不能作，枝子若不在葡萄樹上就不能結果子，我若不住在他裡面，也是不能。約拿在深淵中所學的功課，今晨讓我也學會吧：“救恩出於耶和華。”

February 26

"Salvation is of the Lord." --Jonah 2:9

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul "dead in trespasses and sins," and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both "Alpha and Omega." "Salvation is of the Lord." If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God's gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord's strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God's Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God's chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven's hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: "Salvation is of the Lord."