上帝不可轻慢 不要自欺, 神是轻慢不得的。人种的是什么,收的也是什么。顺着情欲撒种的,必从情欲收败坏;顺着圣灵撒种的,必从圣灵收永生(加拉太6:7-8) 保罗阐释了一个普遍原理,就是人种什么就收什么,由此可知:出于上帝的爱心,恰当又慷慨地使用我们的财产就会产生相应的果效,就如我们以爱心来善用财产或者以恩慈为目的使用财产。反之,若我们把本应扶助上帝家庭成员的资金据为己有,那么我们也必会按自己所行的受该得的报应。上帝永远不会被我们所控制!如果我们是顺着肉体的情欲撒种、如果我们花费我们的金钱(事实上属于上帝)只是为了购物之乐、为了奢侈享受、满足虚荣,那么我们根本无法使上帝相信我们是真正地爱祂。 对上帝,无论表面上做出怎样地热诚、无论做作出怎样炽热的长篇祷告、无论“有神同在”的宣告怎样地声嘶力竭,上帝都不会被这些假象所控制。当作出这等祷告、表现出这等热诚强烈地宣告时,心却属于这个世界,我们将我们的钱财(其实一切财富都是给我们用来侍奉和荣耀上帝的)挥霍在每一件属世的事情上,却惟独没有用在上帝的家里,这是在亵渎上帝。更可悲的是,有太多这等亵渎上帝的事情仍泛滥于世!有太多的基督徒,当做作出极大的热诚和委身交托时,心却实在属于世界,自以为骗过了上帝!有太多的冗长祷告、太多表现出的热情、太多做作出“与神同在”的温情表白,这些举动好像让上帝和人们都相信,他们的确是全心奉献在上帝旨意的事工上,可是在善行上他们却根本没有一点作为,在世界各个偏远的角落里,当众多原始的传道者和基督的跟从者们还在受苦挨饿的时候,这些高调表白“忠于上帝”者们却腰缠万贯,以生活奢侈著称,他们以服饰华丽为美、以坐骑名贵为荣,沉溺在宴乐之中!这等“表白者”企图控制上帝,我们若真的顺着肉体的情欲撒种,那就必会从情欲收获腐败。 哥林多后书9:6提醒我们:“少种的少收,多种的多收”;箴言11:25说:“好施舍的,必得丰裕;滋润人的,必得滋润”;箴言19:17说:“怜悯贫穷的,就是借给耶和华,他的善行耶和华必偿还”。“所以,不要自欺,神是轻慢不得的。人种的是什么,收的也是什么”(加拉太6:7),并且“我们行善,不可丧志。若不灰心,到了时候就要收成”(加拉太6:9)。这就是上帝所赐的一条永不改变的普遍原理:人种小麦就得小麦、种大麦就得大麦,种瓜得瓜、种豆得豆。种下各类种子,就会收获相应的果实。由此,我们会凭自己的作为收获相应的果实:他若慷慨待人,就必蒙上帝慷慨相待;他若是义人,就必蒙上帝赏赐;他若是恶人,就必因他的恶行自食恶果。 亲爱的弟兄姊妹们,不要自欺,更不要欺骗别人,上帝是决对不能亵渎的---我们根本无法欺骗上帝,上帝也决不允许我们用虚假来亵渎祂,我们要以真心来实实在在地侍奉祂。 不要被那些假教师和假牧师欺骗,他们为了得到更多的金钱和荣誉,不仅劝阻那些真正要跟从基督的人不要与忠于上帝教导传道的牧师来往交流,就是他们自己也避免与那些对上帝尽忠职守的牧师联系。他们的本性固执又贪婪,策划各类事情,为的就是推卸自己身为福音传道人该负的责任,例如,他们会说自己穷,还有家人需要赡养,所以他们只能奉献一点点或者一点都不能奉献,还是由别人奉献吧,因为别人的生活比他们好、比他们有能力,所以该由别人来负担。他们这样做是竭力掩盖他们的玩忽职守,但是他们这是在自欺,因为上帝不会被他们所蒙骗,他们也欺骗不了上帝。人可能会用各种借口和假象来欺骗自己、欺骗别人,但是他们决对无法欺骗上帝(耶和华的眼目无处不在,恶人善人祂都鉴察---箴言15:3),上帝知道他们的心和他们对世俗物质的贪婪秉性。 GOD cannot be mocked Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: GOD cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Paul introduces the general principle, that as a man sows he will reap, to show us what will be the effect of a liberal and proper use of our property. If we made a proper use of it; if we employed it for benevolent purposes; or if we appropriated what we should do to the support of members of GOD’s family, we would reap accordingly. GOD could not be imposed on in regard to this. We could not make GOD think that we had true love for HIM when we were sowing to the flesh, and when we were spending our money (actually belongs to GOD) in purchasing pleasure, and in luxury and vanity. No zeal - however ardent; no prayers - however fervent or long, no professions - however loud, would impose on GOD. And to make such prayers, and to manifest such zeal and such strong professions, while the heart was with the world, and we were spending our money (actually these money were given to us for the glory and honor of GOD) for every thing else but the family of GOD, was mocking GOD. Alas, how much mockery of God like this still prevails! How much, when people seem disposed to make GOD believe that we are exceedingly zealous and devoted, while our heart is truly with the world! How many long prayers are offered; how much zeal is shown; how many warm professions are made, as if to make GOD and man believe that the heart was truly engaged in the cause of the will of GOD, while little or nothing is given in the cause of benevolence; while many of the indigenous ministers and followers of CHRIST are suffered to starve in some of the remote corners of the world; and while the "loud professor" rolls in wealth, and is distinguished for luxury of living, for gaiety of apparel, for splendor of equipage, and for extravagance in parties of pleasure! Such professors attempt to mock God. We are really sowing to the flesh; and of the flesh we must reap corruption. We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 9:6 - But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. And “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Pro. 11:25). He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He (the LORD) will pay back what he has given (Pro. 19:17). Therefore “do not be deceived, GOD is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal 6:7). And “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9). This is the unchangeable universal law of GOD; that a man who sows wheat, shall reap wheat; he who sows barley, shall reap barley; he who sows cockle, shall reap cockle. Every kind of grain will produce grain like itself. So it is in regard to our works that he who is liberal, shall be dealt with liberally; he who is righteous, shall be rewarded; he who is a sinner, shall reap according to his deeds. Dear brothers and sisters, be not deceived - Neither deceive yourselves, nor permit yourselves to be deceived by others. God is not mocked - we cannot deceive GOD, and HE will not permit us to mock HIM with pretended instead of real services. Be not deceived, . . . By false teachers and pastors, who, in order to engross (money and glory) all to themselves, dissuaded the true followers of CHRIST from communicating to the honorable pastors, and faithful ministers of the WORD; or by themselves, who being of a tenacious and covetous disposition, devised various things to excuse them from performing this their duty to the preachers of the Gospel; as that they had families of their own to maintain, that their circumstances were such that they could give little or nothing this way, and the others, who were of better abilities in life, ought to bear this charge; and with such like things endeavored to satisfy their consciences in the neglect of their duty: but this was all self-deception, for God is not mocked; nor will HE be; men may deceive themselves, and others, with such excuses and false appearances, yet they cannot deceive God, (Pro.15:3 warned us, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good”) who knows their hearts as well as their covetous temper of worldly substance.
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