5月4日 替代的代求

弟兄們，我們既因耶穌的血，得以坦然進入至聖所。（來十19）

當心別以為代求是把自己的同情心帶到神面前，然後要求他照我們所求的成就。我們能親近神，完全是由於主耶穌作成這贖罪的工作。我們是“因耶穌的血，坦然進入至聖所”。

屬靈的固執是代求中最大的障礙。因為同情心的根據，是我們裡面和別人裡面那些自以為不必用血來救贖的部分。我們以為還有些好處與德行，是不必用血來救贖的。這觀念所產生的障礙，叫我們無法代求。我們沒有與神愛人的心合一，我們生神的氣；我們總有自己的主意，代求就成為天然同情心的自我吹擂。耶穌自己成為罪，就把人所有的同情心徹底地改變了。替代式的代求，就是立志把我們對人的天然同情心，換上神對人愛顧的心。

我是固執的還是被神的心替代了？與神的關係是失調還是和諧？在鬧意氣還是屬靈？偏行己路還是與神同心？

祈禱◆主啊，你最明白在展開未來之前那種奇異的感覺。此刻極之需要提升我的情緒、思想和心態。求你確證我的思想。

May 4 Vicarious Intercession

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:19

Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask. Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”

Spiritual stubbornness is the most effectual hindrance to intercession, because it is based on sympathy with that in ourselves and in others that we do not think needs atoning for. We have the notion that there are certain right and virtuous things in us which do not need to be based on the Atonement, and just in the domain of “stodge” that is produced by this idea we cannot intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God's interests in others, we get petulant with God; we are always ready with our own ideas, and intercession becomes the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means the radical alteration of all our sympathies. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God's interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.

Am I stubborn or substituted? Petted or perfect in my relationship to God? Sulky or spiritual? Determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?