💜《神的心意》20210913『種族的仇視 – Race-hatred』— 慕安德烈

經文: 「我們從前也是無知、悖逆、受迷惑、服事各樣私慾和宴樂，常存惡毒嫉妒的心，是可恨的，又是彼此相恨。」— (聖經·提多書 3章3節)

這節經文對人性的敗壞、社會的黑暗有多深刻的描述，這情形甚至比動物的世界還醜陋。為什麼呢？都歸咎於亞當的墮落！想想該隱，上帝所造的人-亞當所生的第一個兒子，竟流他兄弟亞伯的血，成了人類史上第一宗謀殺案的兇手，「他從一開始就在撒旦的勢力下，是殺人的兇手。」「上帝看到大地充滿了人類的罪惡，人心各樣的思念也充滿了惡。」難怪上帝要用洪水毀滅大地，然而洪水之後，發現人還是在罪惡的權勢之下。

難怪原來植於人心的同胞之愛，會發展成對其他國民的仇恨；對國家民族的愛竟然成為種族之間仇恨之源，引發成流血衝突、戰爭對立。請看南非這兒，上帝把黑白兩族擺在一塊，不同膚色的孩童一起就學，為要看基督徒能否發揮基督之愛，克服種族之間的成見，以證明：「無論希臘人、猶太人，化外人或文明人，為奴的或自主的，在基督耶穌裡都是合而為一。」

這是多麼大的一個空間，讓教會的傳道人宣揚這個信息-上帝的愛，來證明上帝的大能，可以將種族間的仇恨，轉變成為弟兄之愛，上帝無限的恩典是可以成就這事的。

每位弟兄姐妹都要有這樣的使命感，不但為自己禱告，也為弟兄姐妹們禱告，免得上帝的應許因我們的不信而落空。

「喔！上帝啊！願祢屬天的大能將祢的大愛彰顯，並讓祢的大愛充滿佔有我的心！奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！」

—《 神 的 心 意 》
(每日靈修 9月13日)
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興

『 Race-hatred 』

Scripture: “For we also were sometimes foolish, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” — (Titus 3:3)

What a dark picture of the state of human nature and of human society! Whence comes such a sad condition of things, worse even than we see among animals? The answer is: “From Adam’s Fall.” Just think how Cain, the first child born on earth, born of man whom God had created, shed the blood of his brother Abel. Yes, the first child born on earth was the murderer of his own brother, and came under the power of the devil, who “was a murderer from the beginning.” “God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” No wonder that He destroyed mankind by a flood. Yet soon after the flood there were signs that man was still under the power of sin.

No wonder that man’s love of his own people, implanted in his heart by nature, soon changed to hatred of other peoples. Love of country became the fruitful source of race-hatred, war, and bloodshed. Note how, here in South Africa, God has placed the two races side by side, as in a school, to see if our Christianity will enable us to overcome race-hatred, and in the power of Christ’s love, prove that “in the new creature there is neither Greek nor Jew, barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free, but are all one in Christ Jesus.”

What an opening there is for the Church of Christ and her ministers to preach and proclaim the love of God, and to prove its might to change race-hatred into brotherly love! God has abundant power to bring this to pass.

What a call to every Christian to pray for himself and his brethren, that we may not make the Word of God of none effect by our unbelief!

O God, make known to us Thy love in heavenly power, and let it take full possession of our lives!

— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 13 September 」