2008-07-12 Devotionals Today

知信行網上團契為各主內肢體提供的每日靈糧，歡迎訂閱，推介及奉獻支持。 《網絡天糧》查詢，請電郵：ccf@ccfellow.org 訂閱天糧 | 轉介天糧 | 修訂訂閱 | 奉獻支持 不聞不問的罪 粵語國語 第12天 讀經：哥林多前書五章1至13節 　　我們讀完今天的經文，一定會感到十分心痛。沒有人會喜歡聽見教會裡面有人犯罪──撒但和他的僕役當然是例外。當教會知道信徒犯了罪，就必須正視和處理罪的問題，執行我們稱之為的「教會紀律」，這也是沒有人會喜歡看見的。然而，神要教會成為聖潔的教會，因此，在執行教會紀律的時候，我們通常會面對兩難的情況：一方面要處理信徒生命中的罪，另一方面卻不希望他脫離教會的生活。 　　教會若然有罪，又怎能吸引未信的人加入教會呢？教會經常出現紛爭，若被教外人知道，必對傳福音的使命予以沉重的打擊。教會若然出現彼此爭競，甚至容讓淫亂的行為出現，試問世人又怎會尊重教會呢？一個口舌招尤的基督徒，也不會獲得別人的讚賞。 　　不過，有一種態度可能比上述的惡行更惹人反感；那就是教會明知有信徒犯罪，卻完全不聞不問，不予正視和處理。哥林多教會似乎正處於這種光景，所以才引起保羅的極大關注。據保羅所知，哥林多教會有一名信徒，明知自己的行為是犯罪，但他卻依然繼續做。教會本應指責他的行為和執行紀律的處分，但教會並沒有這樣做，反之卻好像任憑他繼續犯罪一般。 　　保羅對教會的態度極之關注，他說：「罪就像麵酵或癌細胞一樣，會不斷膨脹和擴大，必須完全清除，否則便會影響整體教會。」保羅繼續勸告他們說：「立即正視和處理問題吧！你們要用愛心去處理，但絕對不可以坐視不理。」結果，哥林多教會聽從保羅的勸籲去做，並且感謝神，我們在哥林多後書更看到那人已經從罪中挽回。 　　這段經文是否提醒我們要時常省察自己呢？我們有沒有縱容自己犯罪，不去正視和處理自己的罪？我們豈不應該祈求主說：「神啊，求你鑑察我，知道我的心思，試煉我，知道我的意念，看在我裡面有甚麼惡行沒有，引導我走永生的道路。」(詩一三九23-24) 禱告： 「神啊，求你為我造一個清潔的心。」 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE SIN OF NOT CARING ABOUT SIN DAY 12 BIBLE READING: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 This is a very painful story. No-one likes to discover that there is sin in a church, except of course Satan and his followers. When sin appears it must be dealt with. We call this church discipline and no-one likes that either. But God wants a pure church. Therefore we are faced with this difficult problem of how to deal with sin in the life of a church member and .yet not lose him from the life of the church. The world outside is not impressed when there is sin in a church. It is very often disgusted and it causes great harm to the cause of Christ when such a situation becomes known. The world is never impressed with fighting in a church. It does not think very highly of a church that allows immorality within it. It doesn't think very much of a Christian who can't control his tongue. But perhaps there is something worse than all of this. That is when there is sin in a church and the church doesn't care anything about the fact. That seems to have been the position in Corinth and Paul was greatly concerned about it. There was a man in the church who was doing wrong and he knew it. He had apparently continued in his sin. The only thing for the church to do was to let him go on along the pathway he had chosen. But the church could not walk that path with him. It had to take a stand against what he was doing. However, the church had not done this, so Paul was very concerned. Paul said 'This sin will be like yeast or like a cancer. It must be rooted out or it will effect the whole church.' 'Do it now', said Paul. 'Do it in love, but do it. Don't just let it go on without doing something about it'. The church obeyed Paul's instructions and, praise God, in 2 Corinthians we find the man being restored to fellowship. What does all this say to us? Could we pray this prayer personally? 'Search me, O God, and try my heart today. See if there is any sinful thing in my life that should be dealt with. Lord, help me to deal with it, now'. A PRAYER FOR TODAY: 'Create in me a clean heart, O God.'