十一月二十八日
有弟兄來證明你心裏存的真理，正如你按真理而行，我就甚喜樂。（約三：3）
真理在該猶的心中，該猶也在真理中行事；真理不在心中，就不能按真理而行；若不按真理而行，就不能證明他心中有真理；真理必須進入心中，滲入幷浸透它，否則便無價值。把道理當作信經看待，就像餅在手裏一樣，對于人身幷無營養；但若將道理接受到心中，就像被消化了的食物一樣，藉著同化作用就可維持幷成了身體的一部分。
真理必須在我們裏面成爲活力，動能，內在的實體，生存的經緯。若它在我們裏面，我們就少不了它。人可以失去他的衣服和肢體，但內臟卻是攸關性命的，若是少了就必喪命。基督徒寧死，也不能否認真理。成于中形于外，內在影響外在，乃是自然的一個定律。灼芯透過玻罩才放出光來；照樣，真理既然在裏面燃起來，也必在外面的生活和言語上將它的光綫照射出來。據說蠶的食物與它所吐出的絲色有關；一個人內心的營養料也一樣地使他的言行帶著一定的色彩。按真理而行，過著一個統一、和諧、聖潔、忠信、純真的生活——這些乃是福音所說，神的靈使我們所接受的真理的自然産品。我們可以根據人外面的說話判斷他內心的秘密。
恩惠的聖靈！我們今天願你治理、管轄我們，不叫錯誤或罪惡轄制我們的心，免得我們日常對人的行事發生流毒。
“我們若說是與神相交，卻仍在黑暗裏行，就是說謊，不行真理了。”
“我們若說自己無罪，便是自欺，真理不在我們心裏了。”
November
28
“For
I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is
in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.”–3 John 3
The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had
not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second
could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must
enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value.
Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers
no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food
digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth
must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the
woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it.
A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and
cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he
cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the
outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass:
when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth
in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms
colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon
which a man’s inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed
proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity,
holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity–the natural product of those principles
of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to
receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the
man’s conversation. Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and
governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in
our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.
