地球上最危險的地方The Most Dangerous Place OnEarth
作者: Steven Lawson 譯者: Maria Marta
沒有比直接、簡單易懂地教導「上帝的聖言與死的宗教對抗」的場所更危險的地方了。只要讓死的宗教沈睡在死亡的睡眠之中，一切就會平靜、和平地繼續下去。但當聖經的真理挑戰空洞的宗教時，一場災難性的沖突必然發生。這是因為每當上帝的聖言在敬拜場所（殿）被教導時，地獄就惱火了。聖潔與真理之光一照進黑暗的國度，罪就暴露出來，不潔的靈魂就怒氣沖沖，撒但就暴跳如雷。沒有比真理受到壓制的敬拜場所更大的撒旦據點了。沒有一個地方比那些敬虔但沒有超自然的聖潔與真理之光的人的生活，更能讓撒但深入的挖防護壕溝。但對撒旦王國而言，沒有比穿透性的聖潔與真理之光更具威脅，因為它入侵這些惡魔的堡壘。
「到了迦百農，耶穌就在安息日進了會堂教訓人。 眾人很稀奇他的教訓，因為他教訓他們正像有權柄的人，不像文士。在會堂裡有一個人被汙鬼附著，他喊叫說： 『拿撒勒人耶穌，我們與你有什麼相干？你來滅我們嗎？我知道你是誰，乃是神的聖者！』」（可一21-24）
在迦百農，有一天耶穌正處於這樣一個危險的地方。那裏的猶太教堂是撒旦的立足點。此處有宗教卻沒有悔改; 有儀式卻沒有重生; 有規條卻沒有藉著聖子，主耶穌基督與永活的上帝建立關系。毫無疑問，最反對基督的是一群無情的宗教信徒。他們認為祂的行為是魔鬼所為，指責祂是私生子，誹謗祂，中傷祂，最後把祂釘在十字架上。耶穌迎戰魔鬼，毫不畏懼地將真理推進這個惡魔般的宗教堡壘。隨之而來的是光明與黑暗、真理與謬誤、天堂與地獄、聖潔與非聖潔之間的沖突。
本文摘自Steven Lawson博士的著作《Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming
the Perfections of God》。
The
Most Dangerous Place On Earth
FROM
Steven Lawson
There
is no more dangerous place to be than where the direct, straightforward
teaching of the Word of God confronts dead religion. As long as dead religion
is allowed to sleep the sleep of death, all continues placidly and peaceably.
But when the truth of Scripture challenges empty religion, a cataclysmic
collision is sure to result. This is because whenever the Word is taught in
houses of worship that are devoid of gospel truth, hell is aggravated. As soon
as the light of holiness and truth shines into the kingdom of darkness, sin is
exposed, unclean spirits are angered, and Satan is provoked. Satan has no
greater strongholds than houses of worship where the truth is suppressed.
Nowhere is he more deeply entrenched in the lives of people than among those who
are religious but who have no supernatural light of holiness and truth. But
there is no greater threat to Satan’s kingdom than the penetrating light of
holiness and truth as it invades these fortresses of demons.
And
they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the
synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he
taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately
there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
saying, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:21-24)
It
was in such a dangerous place that Jesus found Himself one day in Capernaum.
The synagogue there was a place where Satan had gained a foothold. It was a
place that had religion but no repentance; ritual but no regeneration; rules
but no relationship with the living God through His holy Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Make no mistake, it was a ruthlessly religious crowd that most opposed
Christ. They attributed His works to the Devil, accused Him of being born out
of wedlock, maligned Him, slandered Him, and ultimately nailed Him to a cross.
When Jesus fearlessly advanced with the truth into this bastion of demonic
religion, He met the Devil head on. What followed was a clash between light and
darkness, truth and error, heaven and hell, and holiness and un-holiness.
This
excerpt is taken from Steven Lawson’s contribution in Holy, Holy, Holy:
Proclaiming the Perfections of God.