【双语灵修】圣洁能改造人 Transforming Holiness

“我没有 … 与瞒哄人的同群。我 … 不与恶人同坐。” - 诗 26:4-5

诗篇26篇令我感到不安，它充满吹嘘和傲慢的言语。诗人说了类似这样的话：“耶和华啊，我倚靠你。我的思念清洁，我的渴望合宜。我不与罪人同行，并且行事纯全，我更常常称颂你。”可见诗人自视甚高，但我不相信他所说的，哪里有人能够这样圣洁呢？

然而耶稣却真的是这样圣洁的，衪的一生都体现了诗篇26篇所描述的圣洁。无论是在旷野、在海上、被捕时、在十字架上，衪都全然信靠衪的父。神的荣耀充满衪的思念、塑造衪的愿望、 决定衪如何行事。无论是生是死，耶稣都是圣洁完全的。

不过，耶稣却有一点违背了诗篇 26篇的标准，使人觉得有点不合理。衪的仇敌埋怨说：“这个人接待罪人，又同他们吃饭”（路加福音 15:2）。他们说得不错，耶稣确实花了珍贵的时光与根本不符合道德标准的人在一起。对衪的仇敌来说，这意味着耶稣自己也可能不符合道德标准。

可是，他们用了错误的标准来衡量耶稣。根据他们的逻辑，罪能够把水变为毒药，然而耶稣的圣洁却有能力把水变为酒。

昔日耶稣改造和挽回罪人，今天衪仍然在改造像你和我这样的罪人。

祷告

耶稣啊，我是个罪人，求你怜悯我。求你以你的圣洁更新我，好叫我的意念、愿望、和行为，都能荣耀神。阿们。

诗篇 26

1耶和华啊，求你为我申冤，因我向来行事纯全，我又倚靠耶和华并不摇动。
2耶和华啊，求你察看我，试验我，熬炼我的肺腑心肠。
3因为你的慈爱常在我眼前，我也按你的真理而行。
4我没有和虚谎人同坐，也不与瞒哄人的同群。
5我恨恶恶人的会，必不与恶人同坐。
6耶和华啊，我要洗手表明无辜，才环绕你的祭坛，
7我好发称谢的声音，也要述说你一切奇妙的作为。
8耶和华啊，我喜爱你所住的殿和你显荣耀的居所。
9不要把我的灵魂和罪人一同除掉，不要把我的性命和流人血的一同除掉，
10他们的手中有奸恶，右手满有贿赂。
11至于我，却要行事纯全，求你救赎我，怜恤我。
12我的脚站在平坦地方，在众会中我要称颂耶和华。

Transforming Holiness

"I do not . . . associate with hypocrites. I . . . refuse to sit with the wicked." - Psalm 26:4-5

Psalm 26 makes me uncomfortable. It's full of boasting and pride. The psalmist says things like "I trust in you, Lord. My thoughts are pure. My desires are proper. I don't associate with sinners. I lead a blameless life. And I always sing your praises." The psalmist has a pretty high opinion of himself. But I don't buy it. Nobody is that holy!

But there is Jesus. Throughout his life, he embodied the holiness described in Psalm 26. He trusted his Father completely: in the wilderness, at sea, under arrest, on the cross. The glory of God filled his thoughts, shaped his desires, and determined his actions. In life and in death, Jesus was blameless.

But Jesus did overturn one part of Psalm 26, and it was scandalous. His opponents complained, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). And they were right. Jesus spent quality time with people who simply did not measure up. To his opponents, that could only mean that Jesus himself did not measure up.

But they were using the wrong measure. To their way of thinking, sin had the power to turn water into poison. But the holiness of Jesus had the power to turn water into wine.

So Jesus transformed sinners back then. And he still transforms sinners today, sinners like you and me.

Prayer

Jesus, have mercy on me. I am a sinner. By your holiness transform me so that my thoughts and desires and actions give glory to God. Amen.