八福
清心,并不受重视

经文
使徒行传十五1-11
1有几个人从犹太下来,教训弟兄们说:你们若不按摩西的规条受割礼,不能得救。
2保罗、巴拿巴与他们大大的纷争辩论;众门徒就定规,叫保罗、巴拿巴和本会中几个人,为所辩论的,上耶路撒冷去见使徒和长老。
3于是教会送他们起行。他们经过腓尼基、撒玛利亚,随处传说外邦人归主的事,叫众弟兄都什欢喜。
4到了耶路撒冷,教会和使徒并长老都接待他们,他们就述说神同他们所行的一切事。
5惟有几个信徒、是法利赛教门的人,起来说:必须给外邦人行割礼,吩咐他们遵守摩西的律法。
6使徒和长老聚会商议这事;
7辩论已经多了,彼得就起来,说:诸位弟兄,你们知道神早已在你们中间拣选了我,叫外邦人从我口中得听福音之道,而且相信。
8知道人心的神也为他们作了见证,赐圣灵给他们,正如给我们一样;
9又借着信洁净了他们的心,并不分他们我们。
10现在为什么试探神,要把我们祖宗和我们所不能负的轭放在门徒的颈项上呢?
11我们得救乃是因主耶稣的恩,和他们一样,这是我们所信的。
信息分享
现在我们明白圣经里面提到「心」这个字,所指的就是我们生命内在的核心。我们得问一问自己另一个重要的问题:主耶稣说:「清心的人有福了!因为他们必得见神。」他使用「清」这个字有什么含意?
「清」(希腊语:katharos)是形容心灵的清洁和清澈。很可惜对当代基督教来说,这种心灵的清洁似乎并不受重视。今天人们着重权力多于清心。曾与我谈过话的大部分基督徒都想知道怎样可以拥有和培养出属灵的恩赐,但是很少人想知道怎么样去经历我们今天所说的这个祝福:一颗借着信心得以洁净的心。一千六百年前,圣奥古斯丁(St.Augustine)以一句话来表达一种思想感情,同时总结了今日教会很多人的想法:「主啊,使我纯洁……但暂时不要。」(幸好这不是所有人的想法)。我们大部分人都认同八福中的首五福,可是我们对主所说的清心又有怎样的领受呢?我们是否预备好和愿意作以下这个祷告?
亲爱的主,我希望有一颗真诚和清洁的心
一颗阳光照耀的心,没有任何乌云。
一颗像您的心,一颗神圣的心,
好像雪那样洁白的心。
亲爱的主,求您赐我一颗这样的心。
「我们是否真的想要清心?」
进深研究
约十三1-17;林后七1;雅四8;约壹三3
1.彼得的要求是什么?
2.让牠成为你今天的要求。
祈祷
亲爱的天父,我从内心深处呼喊,求您使我得到洁净。我已经与您一起行走了那么遥远的道路,岂能回头?我愿意得着能力和纯洁,求您今天就清洁我的内心。奉耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
The Beatitudes
Purity not a popular thought

Bible reading:
Acts 15:1-11
1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses."
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?
11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
Message
Now that we understand what Scripture means by the term "heart" - the core of our being - we ask ourselves another important question: What does our Lord mean when He uses the word "pure"? "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
The word "pure" (Greek: katharos) means a heart that is clean or clear. Unfortunately, purity does not seem to be popular in contemporary Christianity. The emphasis nowadays seems to be more on power than on purity. Most Christians I talk to want to know how they can possess and develop spiritual gifts. Few, generally speaking, want to know how to experience the blessing of what our text today calls a heart purified by faith.
Sixteen hundred years ago St Augustine expressed a sentiment in words which might well sum up the thoughts of many - thankfully, not all - in today's Church: "Lord, make me pure... but not just yet." Most of us would be willing to identify ourselves with the conditions laid down in the first five of our Lord's Beatitudes, but how do we feel about the condition of being pure in heart? Are we ready and willing to pray:
I want, dear Lord, a heart that's true and clean
A sunlit heart, with not a cloud between.
A heart like Thine, a heart divine.
A heart as white as snow.
On me, dear Lord, a heart like this bestow.
"Do we want to be pure in heart?"
Prayer
O yes, dear Father, from the depths of my being I cry - make me clean. I have come so far with You - how can I turn back now? I'm a candidate for both power and purity. Give me the deep inner cleansing I need - today. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
Further study
John 13:1-17
2 Corinthians 7:1
James 4:8
1 John 3:3
1. What was Peter's request?
2. Make it your request today.
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