| 信心的靈 | |
| 經文: 「我們也信，所以也說話。」（哥林多後書四：13） | |
| 你知道為什麼要大家背誦聖靈的果子嗎？因為這樣可以提醒我們，常常反省自己有否擁有這幾樣聖德，我們對聖靈的恩賜，要有一顆切慕渴求的心，厚賜予眾人的上帝，才會大大賞賜。現在讓我們思想最後兩個聖靈的果子：信實與節制。 門徒問耶穌：「為何有些邪靈趕不走？」耶穌回答：「有些鬼，若不禁食禱告就不出來。」他們的信心不夠堅定，他們禱告的時候，也不夠火熱，自我犧牲的誠意不夠，禱告若人聽了都不能感動，又如何能上達天庭？這兒我們看到信心與節制的結合。 信心是聖靈的果子，引導人單單地仰賴耶穌；信心相信上帝的話，緊緊地抓住上帝的應許，安靜等候上帝要照著祂所答應的，用大能大力成就一切祂所答應的，基督徒每天的生活，都是一個信心的生活。 再來思想「節制」這個果子，這原是指在飲食上，或吃或喝都極有節制所引申出來的涵意；就是在言語上很謹慎，有分寸，在行為上與人互動時，也不以自我為中心，處處為人著想。「除去私慾，一心過聖潔公義有節制的生活」，應是基督徒生活的座右銘，如此才能在與世人交往時，知道如何拒絕誘惑，節制有度；並且與上帝有親密的交通，行公義的事，以合乎上帝的心意。 信心與節制都是聖靈的果子，當我們求聖靈教導我們怎樣禱告時，我們心門就被打開，上帝就將這兩樣聖靈的果子植入我們心田，使我們行事為人，滿有上帝的形象。 將這經文藏記在心，讓聖靈的感動常在你心中引導你，每天帶領你更親近天父，使你內在的人結出信心與節制的果子，讓別人看出你的行事為人，是屬上帝的子民。 | |
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| THE SPIRIT OF FAITH | |
| Scripture: "Having the same spirit of faith, we also believe."—2 COR. iv. 13. | |
| Do you begin to realize why it is so important to commit to memory the text, Gal. v. 22 ? It will strengthen the desire in our hearts to have and to hold the fruits of the Spirit within us. Our expectation of the blessing God will give will be enlarged. Let us pause a while on the two last fruits of the Spirit—Faith and Temperance. When the disciples asked the Lord: "Why could we not cast out the evil spirit?"—His reply was: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Their faith was not powerful enough, and even if they had prayed, they had not the zeal and self-sacrifice needed for prevailing prayer. Here we see the union of faith and temperance. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit—and leads the seeking soul to depend on God alone. Faith believes God's Word, and clings to Him, and waits in perfect trust that His power will work within us all that He has promised. The whole life of the Christian each day is a faith life. Let us now think of Temperance. This refers in the first place to eating and drinking, and leads us to restraint, carefulness, and unselfishness in our conversation, our desires, in all our intercourse with one another. Our motto should be: "Forsaking all worldly desires, to live righteously and godly and temperately in all things." Temperate in all our dealings with the world and its temptations. Righteous in the doing of God's will. Devout in the close communion with God Himself. Faith and temperance are both fruits of the Spirit. When we ask the Spirit to teach us to pray, we open our hearts towards Him that He may grant us the fruits of the Spirit, faith and tem¬perance, to influence our daily lives in our intercourse with God and man. Learn this text by heart, and let the promptings of the Spirit in your heart each day lead you to the Father, that He may grant the fruits of the Spirit in your inner life, which will be seen in all your actions. | |
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