Don’t Just Read It, Do It (2)

‘The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ John 14:26 NIV

Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with a striking story that addresses the gap between knowing and doing: ‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.’ (Matthew 7:24 NIV) The problem is, we find it easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more about the Bible until you put into practice what you already know. John Ortberg says that when he taught tennis, unskilled novices would agonise over which racket to buy—whether to use nylon or gut strings, whether to string them up at 30 or 32 kg. The problem was, they couldn’t even hit the ball. Instead of debating the minutiae, they simply needed to practise. But a word of caution here: you don’t become a ‘doer of the Word’ by drawing on your own strength and willpower. The Holy Spirit who dwells within you is referred to in Scripture as ‘the paraclete’. The word means ‘one who comes alongside to help’. When you decide to do what’s right, the Holy Spirit within you empowers you to do it. When a situation arises, He will prompt you as to what you should do. Jesus promised, ‘The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ You ask, ‘But what if I don’t get it right?’ He will work with you, giving you opportunities until you do get it right.

知行合一

但保惠师，就是父因我的名所要差来的圣灵，他要将一切的事指教你们，并且要叫你们想起我对你们所说的一切话。 (约翰福音 14:26 和合本)

当耶稣即将结束山上布道的时候，祂讲了一个惊人的故事，是关于知与行之间的鸿沟：“凡听见我这话就去行的，好比一个聪明人，把房子盖在磐石上。”(马太福音 7:24 和合本) 我们会发现成为聪明的人要比成为良善的人容易得多。实际上，在你把你已经知道的圣经教训付诸实践之前，你并不需要知道更多关于圣经的教训。网球教练约翰·奥尔特伯格说，当他教网球的时候，不熟练的新手常常会为买哪种球拍而烦恼——是用尼龙线还是用肠线，是把绳子绑到30公斤还是32公斤的力度。但问题是，他们都还不会发球。这时他们不需要关注太多细节，而只需要练习。这里要特别提醒的是：你绝不可能单凭自己的力量和意志力而成为神话语的“实干家”。住在你里面的圣灵，在圣经中被称为“保惠师（护慰者）”。这个词的意思是“随时随地可以提供帮助的人”。当你决定去做正确的事儿时，你内在的圣灵会赐给你力量；当出现状况时，祂会提醒你应该做什么。耶稣对他们说，“父因我的名所要差来的圣灵，他要将一切的事指教你们，并且要叫你们想起我对你们所说的一切话” 你可能会问，“如果我没听清楚圣灵的提醒怎么办呢？” 不用担心，圣灵会和你一起工作，知道你非常确认圣灵的提醒。

（段麦克 翻译)