| 天父上帝愛祂兒子的愛，是永不改變的，祂奇妙無比的愛已把一切所有的，毫無保留地都給了兒子；神子耶穌也將所有都獻給天父，以回報祂的愛，無論要付出多少代價，祂都願意遵守天父的命令，並住在祂的愛中。 耶穌基督以祂無比的愛愛我們，甚至犧牲自己的生命，受死釘十字架為做我們的贖價；而祂要求於我們的也很合理，就是遵守祂的命令以回報祂的愛。看看15、21、23節中，遵守主命令的信息再三被叮嚀提醒，而且有偉大的應許跟隨著，就如：「你們若愛我，就必遵守我的命令。」 然而基督徒常常因信心不足而產生無力感：「不可能的，我沒有辦法一直遵守主的命令。」他們藉著說這樣的話，讓自己良心稍安，不因沒遵守命令而內疚。然而，主耶穌的意思卻不是這樣，因為祂在被釘十字架前一個晚上，祂應許門徒，賜給他們一個新生命，在這新生命裡，聖靈將賜下能力幫助我們能過一個順服得勝的生活，遵行上帝的命令。 或許你會問：「那麼人罪惡的天性要怎麼對付？」因為經上也說：「在我裡頭，就是肉體之中，沒有良善。」（羅七：18）而這老我將隨著我，一直到生命的終了。別擔心，上帝的新生命在我們裡面，聖靈的大能將幫助我們治死老我，讓屬天的新生命佔上風，希伯來書十三章20，21節說到：「但願賜平安的上帝，就是那憑永約之血、使群羊的大牧人——我主耶穌從死裡復活的上帝，在各樣善事上成全你們，叫你們遵行祂的旨意；又藉著耶穌基督在你們心裡行祂所喜悅的事，願榮耀歸給祂，直到永永遠遠。」 弟兄們，聖經裡沒有一句多餘的話，「你們若愛我，就必遵守我的命令。」又說：「我父必愛他，且要與他同住。」我們要全心相信「聖靈能將耶穌的愛運行在我們心中，使我們能每時每刻整天住在上帝的愛中，並以喜樂的心遵行上帝的旨意。」如此你將明白：「上帝的愛能保守你遵行祂的旨意，並且祂的誡命不是難守的。」只要單單地相信——聖靈會賜下能力，幫助你活出充滿屬天大愛的人生。 |
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| THE OBEDIENCE OF LOVE | |
| Scripture: "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments."—JOHN xiv. 15. | |
| The love wherewith the Father loved the Son was a wonderful, never-ending love. All that the Father was and had, He gave to the Son. The Son responded to this love by giving the Father all. Cost what it might, He kept the Father's commandments and abode in His love. Christ, in His great love to us, sacrificed all; His life and death were wholly at our service, and He asks of us that which is only reasonable, that we, out of love, should keep His commandments. Read verses 15, 21, 23, and see how the words are repeated three times, together with the great promise that follows. And chapter xv., verses 7, 10, 14, speak three times of the rich blessing connected with the keeping of the commandments. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." This precept loses its power because Christians say: "It is quite impossible: I cannot always keep His commandments." And so conscience is quieted, and the commandments are not kept. Yet our Lord really meant it, for in the last night with His disciples He promised them definitely a new life, in which the power of the Spirit would enable them to live a life of obedience. "But what becomes of man's sinful nature?" you ask. Man keeps his sinful nature to the end of life. "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." The Holy Spirit is the power of God that works within us, both to will and to do, and so prevents the flesh from gaining the upper hand. Think of the text in Hebrews (xiii. 20, 21), "The God of peace . . make you perfect in every good thing to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing, through Jesus Christ." O brother, these are no mere idle words: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments," and "My Father will love him, and We will make our abode with him." Believe that the Holy Spirit will cause the love of Christ to work in your heart in such power that you will be able to abide in the love of Jesus the whole day, and to keep His words with great joy. Then you will understand the saying: "This is the love of God. that we keep His commandments ; and His commandments are not grievous." Only believe—that the Holy Spirit will endue you with power to live this life of perfect love. | |
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