10月17日

標　　題：一個人的罪

經　　節：你起來，叫百姓自潔，對他們說：「你們要自潔，預備明天，因為耶和華——以色列的神這樣說：以色列啊，你們中間有當滅的物，你們若不除掉，在仇敵面前必站立不住！」（約書亞記七章13節）

誠如一個順服神的基督徒可以成為其他人的祝福，一個基督徒的罪也可以傷害許多人。以色列百姓很快地進入應許之地。在進攻耶利哥城一役，他們曾經歷超自然的勝利。他們繼續往下一個要征服的目標邁進。出乎意料之外，他們居然在攻打小小的艾城時，被打得落花流水。他們向神求問失敗的原因，神的回答揭露：他們當中有人未遵守祂清楚的命令，神不准他們私留任何耶利哥的戰利品。一個人與其家人的不順服，造成整個民族的氣餒！亞幹以為自己可以暗暗地幹下這件勾當，也不會影響任何人。神決定要讓自己的百姓明白罪的毀滅性。一個不順服的行動，使亞幹與他的家人付出生命的代價。不但如此，這個不順服的行動也導致同胞們打敗仗，使許多無辜的軍人被殺。他的罪已經嚴重地影響.其他人，阻攔別人得到神的祝福、能力與勝利。

你的罪會影響其他人。不順服神的選擇，可能會使你的家人失去神的祝福；你的教會可能因你悖逆的行為，而失去神的大能；你的朋友們可能因你不正直的生活而受苦。你要努力地順服神的每一句話，因為你不知道自己的不順服，會如何影響周圍的人。聖經上有應許，如果順服神，你的生命會成為他人得福的管道（詩篇卅七：25∼26）。

One Man’s Sin

Get up, sanctify the people, and say, "Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.'" (Joshua 7:13)

Just as the obedience of one Christian can bring blessing to others, the sin of one Christian can bring harm to many others. The children of Israel were rapidly advancing into the Promised Land. They had experienced a miraculous victory over the city of Jericho, and they were continuing toward their next conquest. To their surprise they met decisive defeat as they attempted to capture the small town of Ai. They sought God’s explanation for their failure, and He provided it. He revealed that someone among them had disobeyed His clear command not to keep any possession from Jericho. The disobedience of one man and his family had paralyzed an entire nation! Achan thought he could conceal his sin and it would not affect anyone else. God chose to demonstrate the destructive power of one sin to His people. One act of disobedience cost Achan and his family their lives. It caused his countrymen to lose the battle; innocent soldiers were killed. His sin had serious repercussions for others, denying them the blessing, power, and victory of God.

Your sin will have an impact on others. Choosing to disobey God may cost your family God’s blessing. The power of God may be absent from your church because you are living in disobedience. Your friends may suffer because you are not living righteously. Diligently seek to obey every word from God, for you do not know how your disobedience could affect those around you. Scripture promises that if you will obey the Lord, your life will be a channel of blessing to others (Ps. 37:25–26).