11月4日
合而为一
“用和平彼此联络，竭力保守圣灵所赐合而为一的心。身体只有一个，圣灵只有一个，正如你们蒙召同有一个指望。”
以弗所书 4:3-4
人们似乎都明白，耶稣的门徒是合一的群体而不是分裂的群体，只要他们是真基督徒。如果基督徒之间互相毁谤、挑拨离间、公开争斗、誓不两立、严厉批判，那就有极大的问题了。耶稣告诫所有的弟兄姊妹：“你们若有彼此相爱的心，众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。”（约13:35）
耶稣吸引众人到他跟前，众人理当相聚在一起。很难想象，人们聚集在主耶稣的面前，却心怀沮丧和嫉妒、针锋相对、恶言相向。我们知道有教义上的异端，但也有一种是行为上的异端。教会被称为基督的肢体，是因为它绝不可以被肢解。
今日祷告：
主耶稣，求祢让我不懈努力造就教会的弟兄姐妹，激励他们，让世人看到祢就是爱。阿们。
November 4
One…
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
EPHESIANS 4 : 3–4
People in this world seem to understand that followers of Jesus, if they are true, are a united community rather than divided. There is something terribly wrong when Christians tear each other down, rip each other apart, fight publicly, react vehemently, or judge harshly. Jesus states what people all around the globe affirm: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
Jesus draws people to himself, which means those who gather around him are naturally supposed to draw together. Imagine a scene where people gather around Jesus, but in frustration and jealously, in anger and a heated sense of righteousness, they start spewing venomous vocabulary and pummeling each other. We know there is such a thing as heresy of doctrine, but there is also such a thing as heresy of behavior. The church is called the body of Christ for a reason—it should never be dismembered.
Pray for the Day:
Lord Jesus, enable me to tirelessly build up others who follow you. Let me be an encouragement to your people so that the world will know you are love. Amen.
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