作者:
R.C. Sproul 譯者: Maria Marta
在我剛信主成為基督徒時，我首次體驗到基督教團體的優先考慮事項。我很快了解到，我每天應該有靈修時間，即一段留給讀經和祈禱的時間。大家認為我應該返教會，我應該擁有一種虔誠，不詛咒、不喝酒、不抽煙等行為是明顯的證據。我完全不知道合乎聖經的義遠遠超越這些行為。然而，和大多數剛信主的基督徒一樣，我學會強調這種虔誠。我的私人信件采用一種新的語言表達形式，讀起來像讀新約書信的書頁。我也很快學會在日常會話中使用基督教行話。我不是「告訴」人某事，而是與他們「分享」。每一次碰到的好運都是「神所賜的福」，我發覺不以屬靈腔調作點綴，我幾乎不能說話。
然而，不久我便發現基督徒的生活遠不止每天靈修和讀聖言。我意識到上帝所希望的更多。祂希望我們在信心和順服中成長；我們不只能渴奶，也能吃乾糧。我還發現，基督教行話不管對非基督徒還是對基督徒來說，幾乎都是一種毫無意義的交流方式。與尋找真敬虔相比，我對模仿亞文化術語更感興趣。
我的錯誤是將靈修與義行混淆。我也發現我並非惟一一個犯這樣錯誤的人。我讓那些將方法與目標相混淆的人給迷住了。靈修可能是義行的便宜替代品。
多年來一直有許多年輕的基督徒問我如何更屬靈或更虔誠。難得有認真的學生問：「請指教我如何成為義。」 我想知道，為什麼人人都想屬靈？靈修的目的是什麼？虔誠有何用處呢？
靈修和虔誠本身並非目標。事實上，除非它們是更高目標的媒界方法，否則它們是毫無價值的。這個更高的目標必須超越靈修而達到義。
屬靈操煉對成全義至關重要。聖經學習、禱告、參加教會聚會、傳福音等對基督徒的成長是必要的，但這些都不能作為最終目標。沒有靈修，我們無法成全義。更「屬靈」是有可能的，至少表面上如此，但不能實現義。
耶穌是一個禱告的人。祂的禱告生活穩定而強有力。祂是一個擁有豐富聖經知識的人。祂顯然精通上帝的話語。祂很屬靈。然而祂的屬靈不僅僅是表面的。祂自身的內在生命在外在的順服、順服至死中表露出來。
那麼，什麼是義呢？最簡單答案是：義乃是行上帝眼中看為正確的事。這是個簡單的定義，其背後的意義無疑要複雜得多。成為義就是做上帝呼召我們做的事。要達到真正的義的要求是如此之大，如此之多，以致在這世上從來沒有人完美地成全上帝的義，它包括遵行上帝全備的旨意。
Don’t Confuse Spirituality
with Righteousness
FROM
R.C. Sproul
When
I first became a Christian I was introduced to the priorities of the Christian
community. I learned quickly that it was expected of me that I have a daily
devotion time, a time reserved for Bible reading and prayer. I was expected to
go to church. I was expected to have a kind of piety that was evident by not
cursing, not drinking, not smoking, and the like. I had no idea that biblical
righteousness went far beyond these things. However, like most new Christians,
I learned to emphasize such things. My personal letters took on a new pattern
of language. They began to sound like pages from New Testament epistles. I soon
learned to use Christian jargon in my everyday speech. I didn’t “tell” anybody
anything, I “shared” it with them. Every good fortune was a “blessing,” and I
found I could hardly speak without sprinkling my sentences with spiritual
platitudes.
Soon,
however, I found that there was more to the Christian life than daily devotions
and sanctified words. I realized that God wanted more. He wanted me to grow in
my faith and obedience, to go beyond milk to the meat. I also discovered that
Christian jargon was an almost meaningless form of communication, both to
non-Christians and Christians alike. I found myself more interested in echoing
a subculture’s lingo than in finding true godliness.
My
error was this: I was confusing spirituality with righteousness. I also
discovered that I was not alone in this. I was caught up with a crowd who
confused the means with the end. Spirituality can be a cheap substitute for
righteousness.
Over
the years I’ve had many young Christians ask me how to be more spiritual or
more pious. Rare has been the earnest student who said, “Teach me how to be
righteous.” Why, I wondered, does anybody want to be spiritual? What is the
purpose of spirituality? What use is there in piety?
Spirituality
and piety are not ends in themselves. In fact they are worthless unless they
are means to a higher goal. The goal must go beyond spirituality to righteousness.
Spiritual
disciplines are vitally necessary to achieve righteousness. Bible study,
prayer, church attendance, evangelism, are necessary for Christian growth, but
they cannot be the final goal. I cannot achieve righteousness without
spirituality. But it is possible to be “spiritual,” at least on the surface,
without attaining righteousness.
Jesus
was a man of prayer. His prayer life was intense and powerful. He was a man of
vast knowledge of the Scriptures. He obviously mastered the Word of God. He was
spiritual. But His spirituality was not merely a surface thing. His inner life
displayed itself in outward obedience, obedience even unto death.
What
is righteousness? The simplest answer to that question is this: Righteousness
is doing what is right in the sight of God. This is a simple definition that is
far more complex under the surface. To be righteous is to do everything that
God calls us to do. The demands of true righteousness are so great and so many
that none of us ever in this world achieves it perfectly. It involves following
the whole counsel of God.