《基督是我们生命的诀要》第十九日 君尊的祭司

    “你們是被選的族類，是君尊的祭司。”（彼前二：9）

 

在舊約裏我們看到國度思想的第一面，新約卻讓我們特別看到祭司體系。 

導致教會只存着淹淹一息的生命，最大原因就是像人們只以得到神的恩典為樂的錯誤觀念。這是一個致命的錯誤！神的目的卻遠高過我們的看法，祂所以施行拯救，就希望藉著我們拯救其他的人，每位信徒應該讓別人分享他接受的新生命。 

對於那些得救的人，神呼召他們成為祂賜恩的媒界，教會有氣無力的光景，是由於大多數基督徒只是關心他們死後能上天堂造成的，教會應該使每位得救的人明白福音要使人們得救而去服事主，得救而為救恩做見證，所以主說：“你們是君尊的祭司。” 

一個君尊的祭司！一個祭司的心應以憐憫為懷，因着基督愛心的激勵，使我們領人歸向祂，可說有兩方面促使我們有這種德行，一是愛基督的表示，我們要討祂喜悅，也就領人來尊崇愛戴祂；另一是愛人靈魂的心，這也激勵我在任何事上都以犧牲的態度來與人分享屬天的生命。 

    一個祭司的心！到神面前為那些尚未得救的人代求，一個祭司的心，是樂於為失喪者代求，也有勇氣向他們傳講基督。祭司應該效法大祭司耶穌一生不斷為人代求，祂拯救的權能也在此彰顯出來。神的靈！願你寫下這句話永不擦掉“是君尊的祭司。”

“Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood.” –I PET. ii. 9. 

In the Old Testament the thought of the kingdom took the first place; in the New Testament prominence is given to that of Priesthood. 

  One of the chief reasons for the feeble life in the Church is the mistaken idea that man’s happiness is the main object of God’s grace. A fatal error! God’s aim is far holier and far higher. He saves men on purpose that they in turn shall carry out His purpose in saving their fellow-men. Each believer is appointed to be the means of imparting to others the new life he has received. 

   Those who are saved have the holy calling of being channels of God’s grace to others. The feeble state of the Church is largely due to the fact that most Christians imagine that their chief concern is to desire and receive sufficient grace to reach heaven after death. The Church must so proclaim the Gospel that each saved soul shall apprehend its message, “Saved to serve,” “saved to save others.” “Ye are a royal priesthood.” 

   A royal priesthood! The priestly heart is above all things a sympathetic heart, in which the love of Christ constrains us to win souls for Him. And that by virtue of two compelling motives: love to Christ, whom I shall please and honour in winning others to love Him; and love for souls, which will constrain me to sacrifice everything that others may share this heavenly life. 

  A priestly heart! A heart that has access to God in prayer and intercession for those who are yet unconverted. A priestly heart that, having pleaded in prayer for souls, has courage to speak to them of Christ. A priestly heart – in which the life of Jesus, the Great High Priest who ever liveth to make intercession, is continued, and His power to save to the uttermost is manifested. O Spirit of God, write upon my heart, with indelible letters, “A royal priesthood.”