9月18日
标 题：神圣的潜力
经 节：扫罗到了耶路撒冷，想与门徒结交，他们却都怕他，不信他是门徒。惟有巴拿巴接待他，领去见使徒。（使徒行传九章26～27节上）
只有神知道每个信徒的潜力。我们可以推断神可能在某人身上的作为，但是，我们没有任何方法可以确定。我们看的是外观和行为，然而，神看的是内心（撒母耳记上十六：7）。
使徒怀疑一些公开宣称自己是基督徒的人。大数的扫罗似乎是最不可能献身成为耶稣的跟随者，他曾经是基督教最大的敌人之一，甚至监督谋杀司提反（使徒行传七：58～60）。当保罗突然表示要认识基督教运动的领袖们，使徒们怀疑保罗的动机和悔改信主，那是很自然的事。虽然使徒们不愿认同保罗，但巴拿巴却愿意往好处想，他冒自己生命的危险为保罗辩护。
你可能与保罗感同身受。你也许看起来不太可能像是委身的基督徒。神也许在你的身边安排一位基督徒，帮助你培养信心。感谢天父差遣一些人，在众人都怀疑你时，他们相信神能在你身上成就大事！
你目前的立场也许与使徒一样。你周围有些人虽然自称是基督徒，但是你对他们实在没信心。要放心，如果神能够改变那骄傲的谋杀者保罗，成为历史上最伟大的圣徒之一，祂同样也可以救赎你周围的人。不要放弃任何一位基督徒伙伴。观看神在他们身上的作为，然后添加祂的计画。能够像巴拿巴一样，投资在一位基督徒伙伴的身上，是何等地荣幸。这是门徒训练的目的。
Divine Potential
And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to
join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that
he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. (Acts
9:26-27)
Only God knows the potential of each believer. We
can project what we think God might do in someone’s life, but we have no way of
knowing. We see only outward appearances and behavior, whereas God looks at the
heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
The apostles were skeptical of some who professed
to be Christians. No one seemed more unlikely to become a dedicated follower of
Jesus than Saul of Tarsus. He had been one of Christianity’s greatest enemies,
even overseeing the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:58–60). When Paul suddenly
expressed an interest in knowing the leaders of the Christian movement, it was
natural for the apostles to suspect devious motives and to doubt his
conversion. Nevertheless, despite the apostles’ reluctance, Barnabas assumed
the best in Paul and risked his own life to be Paul’s advocate.
You may identify with Paul. Perhaps you were an
improbable candidate to be a committed Christian. It may be that God placed a
Christian friend beside you to help you develop your faith. Thank the Father
for those He has sent to you who believed in what God could do in you, even
when others doubted.
Perhaps you stand with the apostles. There may be
some around you in whom you have little confidence, though they claim to be
Christians. Be assured that if God could turn the proud and murderous Saul into
one of the greatest saints in history, He is equally capable of redeeming those
around you. Don’t give up on your fellow believers. Look to see where God is
working in their lives, then join Him. It is a great privilege to be like
Barnabas and to invest in the life of a fellow Christian. This is the purpose
of discipleship.
