選擇 14
雷克-喬納
當我們追問耶穌對門徒的定義時,我們瞭解到門徒必須每天背起十字架並跟隨祂。真正的門徒訓練是犧牲的生活,每天犧牲我們自己的欲望來服事祂。儘管如此,以這種方式為祂而活,是我們能過的最偉大、最充實的生活,無論多麼困難。且請放心,這最困難的生活是我們能過的。這種生活與這個世界上所有的方式和這個世界上所有的人,以及大多數自稱是基督徒的人相反。它並不意味著容易。它不容易,但它是值得的。
耶穌說:"因為,凡要救自己生命(生命:或作靈魂;下同)的,必喪掉生命;凡為我喪掉生命的,必得著生命。人若賺得全世界,賠上自己的生命,有什麼益處呢?人還能拿什麼換生命呢?" (馬太福音16:25-26)我們以前為自己而活的生活無法與我們在基督裡的新生活。祂的方法比我們的方法高得多,我們沒有什麼比做祂的門徒更偉大的生活了。然而,祂是真理,我們決不能對那些考慮跟隨祂的人撒謊說:"這很容易"。相反地,我們必須直截了當地告訴他們:"這將是最困難的生活,但也是最好的生活"。
任何使我們對基督的奉獻黯然失色的事物都是偶像。是的,成為好配偶、父母或工人是很重要的。事實上,我們對基督的奉獻越大,這些事物的重要性就越高,因為我們所做的一切都是為了祂,而我們為我們的王所做的一切都需要我們最大的奉獻和卓越。
然而,如果第二條誡命--彼此相愛--開始掩蓋我們的第一條奉獻--愛上帝高於一切,我們對第二條誡命的奉獻就會被玷污,我們對上帝的服事充其量也被玷污。如果這種情況繼續下去,我們對其他人的奉獻將成為崇拜的對象,而不是祂。祂必須是我們的最初的愛和第一委身。
如果我們將我們的婚姻、職業和其他一切視對齊在對耶穌的委身之後,耶穌會將這些看為是我們為門徒生活的一部分。我們透過敬拜來保持這些事情的秩序。當我們工作時,我們是為了基督,而不是為了老闆、公司或薪水。我們是為了我們的王。在基督裡,婚姻和家庭是我們可以從神那裡得到的最大的禮物,但它們也是我們可以學習祂如何領導和關心祂的家庭的方法。
當耶穌呼召門徒時,他們都必須離開工作或職業。這仍然是成為門徒的要求。然而,離開我們的工作或職業,是我們門徒訓練或向祂學習的課程的一部分。但是,我們所做的事情和我們為什麼要做,必須有深刻的改變。我們生活的重點和野心不能再是職業上的成功或任何可能提供的進步或榮譽。我們應該想成為我們職業中的佼佼者,因為它是我們對主的服事,主配得最好的。
因此,基督最好的門徒更有可能獲得成功,因為他們有更高的委身。然而,成功絕不能成為我們的主要目標,相反地,向耶穌學習並成為像耶穌必須是我們的最高目標。
門徒還必須準備好在受到呼召時拋下任何事物,包括肉體生命。對於門徒來說,我們的目的首先是跟隨主,執行祂的意志。如果門徒被呼召離開他們的職業,他們就會離開。
對於那些像大多數人一樣滿足於"遠遠地跟隨"的人來說,這當然比完全不跟隨祂更好。但他們不應該欺騙自己或他人,認為他們已經付出了全部代價,而他們並沒有。這不就是使徒行傳第五章中亞拿尼亞和撒非喇的罪嗎?他們想和被算在那些全然委身的人中,但卻保留了一部分的價銀。保留不是罪,說謊才是。我們都被呼召在所有事情上說真話,特別是對神。
Choices, Part 14
Rick Joyner
As we pursue Jesus’ definition for His disciples, we learn it was essential for them to take up their crosses daily and follow Him. True discipleship is a life of sacrifice. It is a daily sacrifice of our own desires to serve Him. Still, to live for Him this way is the greatest, most fulfilling life we can live, regardless of how difficult. And rest assured, this will be the most difficult life we can live. It is a life contrary to all the ways of this world and all the people of this world, as well as of most professing Christians. It is not meant to be easy. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26) Our new life in Christ cannot be compared to our former life of living for ourselves. His ways are infinitely higher than ours, and there is no greater life we could live than to be His disciples. However, He is the Truth, and we must not lie to those considering following Him saying, “It will be easy.” We must instead be forthright in telling them, “This will be the most difficult life they can live, but also the best.”
Anything that eclipses our devotion to Christ is an idol. Yes, it is important to be a good spouse, parent, or worker. In fact, the greater our devotion to Christ, the more these are all elevated in importance because everything we do is for Him, and everything we do for our King requires our greatest devotion and excellence.
However, if the second commandment, to love one another, begins to eclipse our first devotion, to love God above all, our devotion to the second commandment will become defiled and our service to God tainted at best. If this continues, our devotion to others will become an object of worship in place of Him. He must be our first love and our first devotion.
Jesus will consider our marriages, professions, and everything else as part of our discipleship, if we keep them in proper alignment behind our devotion to Him. We keep these in order by doing all as worship unto Him. When we go to work, we do it for Christ—not for our boss, the company, or a paycheck. We do it for our King. In Christ, marriage and family are some of the greatest gifts we can receive from God, but they are also means by which we can learn how He leads and cares for His family.
When Jesus called His disciples, they all had to leave their jobs or professions. This is still a requirement to be His disciple. However, He may leave us in our job or profession as a part of our discipleship or curriculum for learning from Him. Still, a profound change must come to what we do and why we do it. Our focus and ambition in life can no longer be success in our profession or any advance or accolade this may provide. We should want to be the best in our profession because it is our service to the Lord, who deserves the best.
Thus, the best disciples of Christ are more likely to be successful because of their higher devotion. However, success must not be our main goal, rather learning from Jesus and becoming like Him must be our highest goal.
A disciple must also be ready to leave anything behind when called upon, including their physical life. For a disciple, our purpose is first and foremost to follow the Lord and to do His will. If, at any point, a disciple is called to leave their profession, they will.
For those who are content like most to “follow from afar,” there is certainly more benefit to this than not following Him at all. But they should not deceive themselves or others to think they are paying the full price when they are not. Was that not the sin of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5? They wanted to be counted with those who were giving, while holding back a part of the price. Holding back was not the sin; lying was. We are all called to speak the truth in all things, especially to God.