“Self-cleansing Involves Not Only Avoiding Bad Things But Also Pursuing Good Things 要自潔涉及不單只要逃避醜惡的事,還要追求美善的事“(2 Timothy 提摩太後書2:21-23)
Those who cleanse themselves … Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
人若自潔 … 你應當逃避年輕人的私慾,要和那些以清潔的心求告主的人,一同追求公義、信心、愛心、和平。你要拒絕愚蠢無知的問難;你知道這些事會引起爭論。
We cannot really say ‘yes’ to God until we can say ‘no’ to some other things. There is really a limit to how useful to Jesus Christ we will be. Self-cleansing demands us to do everything we can to be right in not only ourselves (not entertaining, challenging, trying and enduring evil desires of youth) but also our personal relationships with others (staying clear of foolish and endless arguments and pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart).
除非我們能夠對其他的事物說「不」,否則就不能對神說「是的」,那麼我們將會對耶穌基督的用處也真的是有限度的。自潔要求我們盡自己每一樣能作的,去處理好不單只自己(不款待、挑戰、試圖忍受少年的私慾),還有自己與別人的人際關係(遠離愚蠢、無休止的問難,並與那些以清潔的心求告主的人,一同追求公義、信心、愛心、和平)。
Prayer: Abba Father, your command is simple and plain but demands us to take it into our hearts. Nowadays sexual temptation, illicit pleasure of the flesh and a longing for fame and glory often mark one’s life since youth. Bad relationships really hinder our service to Jesus Christ. Sometimes relationships are not right with others. In wanting to be used of you as much as we can be, may we take great care that we do all we can do to set them right. Amen.
禱告: 阿爸父啊,你的命令是簡單明白的,確要求我們要上心。今天,性的誘惑、肉體不當的快感和對名譽和光環的渴求,往往標誌著一個人自青年開始的人生。不良的關係真的妨礙我們服事耶穌基督,有時候,與別人的關係並不好,若要盡可能更多為你所用,願我們非常小心確定,我們是盡自己所能去處理好這些關係。阿們。