1月5日
标 题：仪式或关系？
经 节：他们也不说：“那领我们从埃及地上来，引导我们经过旷野，沙漠有深坑之地，和干旱死荫、无人经过、无人居住之地的耶和华在哪里呢？”（耶利米书二章6节）
基督信仰是一种与耶稣基督愈来愈亲密的关系。它不是一堆信仰教条，也不是常规仪式，更不是消除罪的途径。神所颁发的每个命令，都是为了加深祂与祂的百姓之间爱的关系。
神为我们设计崇拜，好让我们能在祂的荣耀光中朝见祂，并且适当地回应祂。然而，对许多人而言，崇拜已经变质，成了“宗教”，只是一个习惯性的聚会罢了。神创立献祭制度，好让我们这些神的百姓能向祂表达爱意。但我们往往献给神一点点的礼物，徒然想安抚神，平静自己的罪恶感。神赐予我们祷告的权柄，让我们能与祂会话，但我们常常有口无心地“念主祷文”，扭曲了祷告的真义。不但如此，我们往往没有静心聆听神的心意，就匆匆退出祷告。神设立诫命来保护祂所爱的百姓。诫命却轻易地变成律法主义的小径，而非与神创建关系的林荫大道。祂用这些诫命来保护我们免受伤害。
没有与神相交的宗教活动只是空洞的仪式。耶利米时代的百姓满足于那种没有神同在的仪式。他们对自己的“宗教”好自在，甚至不曾察觉到神并没有同在的事实。我们是否可能在祷告、参加主日崇拜或奉献金钱的同时，却没有经历神的同在？当然，这是可能的！这是许多基督徒可悲的误解。不要停留在那种与耶稣基督毫不相干的宗教生活。神同在的敬拜是迥然不同的。
Ritual or Relationship?
Neither did they say, ‘Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness. (Jeremiah 2:6)
Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a set of doctrines to believe, habits to practice, or sins to avoid. Every activity God commands is intended to enhance His love relationship with His people.
God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory and to respond appropriately; for many it has degenerated into “religion,” one more meeting to attend out of habit. God established the sacrificial system so that we, His people, could express our love to Him; but we often diminish our gifts to our Lord into futile attempts to appease Him and to pacify our guilty conscience. God gave us prayer so we could have conversation with Him, but we often distort this by “saying prayers” and hurrying off without ever listening to what is on our Father’s heart. God instituted His commandments as a protection for those He loves, but the commandments can become a pathway to legalism rather than an avenue for a relationship with our Father in which He protects us from harm.
Religious activity apart from fellowship with God is empty ritual. The people of Jeremiah’s day were satisfied to have the ritual without the manifest presence of God. They became so comfortable with their “religion” that they didn’t even notice God’s absence. Is it possible to pray, to attend a worship service, or to give an offering yet not to experience the presence of God? It certainly is possible! And that has been the sad commentary on many a Christian experience. Don’t settle for a religious life that lacks a vital relationship to Jesus Christ. When God is present, the difference will be obvious.
