新视域的力量
对人没有帮助的话,一句不说

经文
歌罗西书四2-6
2你们要恒切祷告,在此儆醒感恩。
3也要为我们祷告,求神给我们开传道的门,能以讲基督的奥秘(我为此被捆锁),
4叫我按着所该说的话将这奥秘发明出来。
5你们要爱惜光阴,用智慧与外人交往。
6你们的言语要常常带着和气,好像用盐调和,就可知道该怎样回答各人。
信息分享
根据过去几天的研讨,我们清楚看到诗人尽管对神的良善感到疑惑,但他持守了正确的立场。因为他意识到要是他说出被试探的话,神的百姓马上会受到伤害,所以他决定保持沉默。他也许不能肯定神的良善,但他能肯定成为神儿女的绊脚石是不对的,所以他坚信这个道理。
钟马田博士(Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)在一次讲道中说:「你感到困惑的时候,要找一些你能肯定的事情,然后借助它们来稳固你的立场。那也许不是问题的核心,但不要紧」。请注意「那也许不是问题的核心」这几个字。我们可以在疑惑中挣扎,等待一些重大的启示,而不采用现有的解决方法。诗人保护自己不致跌倒的方法是对自己说:「我心里颇为犹疑,我也不能肯定神是良善的。但我能够肯定:因自己的疑惑而伤害别人是错误的。因此我要保持沉默。」
在向其他基督徒表示自己的疑惑时我们要绝对小心,特别是对那些信仰尚未成熟的信徒,或者是非基督徒朋友、伴侣或家人。要是我们不能够说出任何对人有帮助的话,就不要随便说话。诗人决定沉默直到他可以说:「神实在恩待以色列人。」到那个时候他才可以开口。
「不能说有帮助的话,就不说话」
进深研究
玛二1-8;赛五十七14;罗十四13;约壹二10
1. 祭司的话变成了甚么?
2. 我们不可将甚么放在弟兄的路上?
祈祷
慈爱的神啊,没有甚么比以您仆人大卫的话作为祷告更美好:「耶和华啊,求您禁止我的口,把守我的嘴。」我的父,求您帮助我。奉耶稣的名求,阿们。
The Power of a New Perspective
Say nothing unless it is helpful

Bible reading:
Colossians 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Message
From what we have been seeing over the past few days, it is clear that although the psalmist was struggling with doubts about the goodness of God, he took a stand on something he knew to be right. He realised that if he were to speak as he was tempted to speak, the immediate consequence would be the hurt of God's people - so he chose to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. He was not sure about the goodness of God but he was sure it would not be right to be a stumbling-block to God's children - and he held on to that fact.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones said in one of his sermons: "When you are puzzled and perplexed the thing to do is to try and find something of which you are certain, and then take your stand on it. It may not be the central thing; that does not matter." Note the words: "it may not be the central thing". We can struggle in the midst of our doubts, waiting for some great revelation to hit us, and fail to apply the remedy that is immediately to hand. The psalmist saved himself from slipping by saying to himself. "My heart is full of uncertainties and I cannot say with conviction that God is good. But one thing I am certain of: it is wrong to hurt others because of my own doubts. Therefore I will say nothing."
We should be careful about how we express our doubts to other Christians, especially those who are immature. This principle applies also to non-Christian friends, partners, or family members. If we can say nothing helpful we should say nothing at all. The psalmist determined to say nothing until he could say: "God is good to Israel." Then he was entitled to speak.
"If we can say nothing helpful we should say nothing"
Prayer
Gracious and loving God, I can do no better today than frame my prayer in the words of Your servant David: "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips." Help me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Malachi 2:1-8
Isaiah 57:14
Rom 14:13
1 John 2:10
1. What had the words of the priests become?
2. What are we not to put in our brother's way?
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