當失去屬靈的拉力時-談失速的靈命（箴7章）

我兒、你要遵守我的言語、將我的命令存記在心．遵守我的命令、就得存活．保守我的法則〔或作指教〕好像保守眼中的瞳人．繫在你指頭上、刻在你心版上。對智慧說、你是我的姊妹．稱呼聰明為你的親人．他就保你遠離淫婦、遠離說諂媚話的外女。（箴 7：1-5）

本章再次提到關於真理的諄諄教誨，要聽見的人，與智慧保持親密的關係。其實這是維持內心關於真理的拉力，使這樣的拉力保持在強而有力的狀態，不至於被惡勢力所全盤拉走。

事實上，人的信仰道路常常是處於兩股勢力的彼此拉扯中。一旦關於公義真理的屬靈力量不存在，那無所不在的情慾與罪惡的邪惡力量一拉扯，就會發生「靈命失速」的現象，也就是：一路直奔死亡。正如本章提到的那位無知的少年，他的無知，是對真理的無知。當邪惡的力量吸引他時，他的表現就是毫不猶豫、招架無力，像飛蛾撲火般，因而喪失生命。

我曾在我房屋的窗戶內、從我窗櫺之間、往外觀看．見愚蒙人內、少年人中、分明有一個無知的少年人、從街上經過、走近淫婦的巷口、直往通他家的路去...（箴 7：6-8）

「直往」，令人看了難過。之前有四年擔任北區高教股的工作，面對某些教會專傳異端的大專輔導大哥姐，又苦無處理方式，幾十年來，前仆後繼的大專生不知凡幾！來到北區的主內大專生，都是很優秀的青年，有可能為了拼上北區更高的學府，在求學階段放棄信仰、只專注在學業，以至於在真理上「無知」。當淫婦般的這些專傳異端的輔導大哥姐，甜言蜜語的關懷，使這些大專青年「直往」死亡之路奔去。至今，因此離開真耶穌教會的這些大專畢業生數量驚人。相信天父真神，將來都必追討這流人血的罪。

只是，如果沒有愚蒙，就沒有死亡。人的心中有兩個王，就像使徒保羅所說的「兩個律」（律是力量的意思）：

我覺得有個律、就是我願意為善的時候、便有惡與我同在。因為按着我裏面的意思。〔原文作人〕我是喜歡神的律．但我覺得肢體中另有個律、和我心中的律交戰、把我擄去叫我附從那肢體中犯罪的律。（羅 7：21-23）

這些心懷不軌的神的工人，總是異常地殷勤，就像本章所說的：

這婦人喧嚷不守約束、在家裏停不住腳．有時在街市上、有時在寬闊處、或在各巷口蹲伏．拉住那少年人、與他親嘴、臉無羞恥對他說、（箴 7：11-13)

有一次，經由北區相關會議已經終止某位大專輔導人員的職務，因為他早先已犯了姦淫，只是現行做法，就是他若承諾低調、安靜、不要靠近大專生，我們就不除名。沒想到有一次我在某大專班上課，因為當天有另外一個大專班來聯誼，竟然看見他「隨班」過來。於是我就瞪著他，他也看著我，臉上卻毫無羞恥。這就是淫婦般的信徒，殷勤是他們外面常有的包裝，讓不知情的人分不清楚，因為常被他們特別殷勤有愛心的外貌蒙蔽，如經文中的「與他親嘴」。

該如何防範教會中，常在身邊游走的淫婦？心中那正義的力量是必要的，因此要懷抱真理，才能明辨是非，才能對抗罪惡。對於真理的「衛道」，當像「保護眼睛瞳孔」般的努力，因為沒有人會在有意識的情況下，任人觸摸眼睛瞳孔。如本章：「保守我的法則〔或作指教〕好像保守眼中的瞳人」，「瞳人」就是瞳孔。

依靠聖靈，天天查考聖經，一刻都不要放鬆，是確保真理力量的方法，使我們因擁抱真理而強大。做父母的，除了要求兒女認真讀書之外，還要形塑他們靈魂中，具備真理的力量，不是只要求考上第一志願，而將信仰輕易地拋棄了。要知道，那遍地遊行如獅子的魔鬼，不會在外面遊行，因為外面的人已經被牠吃光了，牠必然在神的兒女身邊，在教會中遊行啊！那淫婦般的人，披著「神的工人」的外皮，比一般人更殷勤，急著要傳滅亡的道理，尤其要吞吃我們年輕的一代。他們必不遺餘力在工作，正像淫婦般「停不住腳」、「在街市上」、「在寬闊處」、「在各巷口蹲伏」要吞吃我們、與我們的下一代。

若沒有力量，當淫婦出現在眼前時，我們的靈命必然失速、直接墜落陰間；若能有抗拒罪惡的真理與聖靈同在，我們才能真正的平安。

我真是苦阿！誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？感謝神、靠着我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。這樣看來、我以內心順服神的律．我肉體卻順服罪的律了。（羅 7：24-25)

 By Isaiah Kao

When Spiritual Lift Is Lost — On the Stalling of Spiritual

 Life (Proverbs 7)

“My son, keep my words

And treasure my commandments within you.

Keep my commandments and live,

And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers;

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’

And call understanding your intimate friend,

So that they may keep you from an adulteress,

From the foreign woman who flatters with her words.”

(Book of Proverbs 7:1–5, NASB 2020)

This chapter again speaks of the earnest instruction concerning the truth. Those who hear it must keep a close relationship with wisdom. In fact, this maintains the inner pull of truth within the heart, keeping that pull strong and powerful so that it will not be completely drawn away by evil forces.

In reality, a person’s path of faith is often caught in the tension between two opposing forces. Once the spiritual power of righteousness and truth disappears, the ever-present evil forces of lust and sin will pull strongly, and the phenomenon of “spiritual stalling” occurs—that is, rushing straight toward death.

Just as mentioned in this chapter, there was a foolish young man. His foolishness was ignorance of the truth. When the evil force attracted him, his response was hesitationless and powerless to resist, like a moth flying into a flame, and thus he lost his life.

“For at the window of my house

I looked out through my lattice,

And I saw among the naive,

And discerned among the youths

A young man lacking sense,

Passing through the street near her corner;

And he takes the way to her house…”

(Proverbs 7:6–8, NASB 2020)

The phrase “goes straight” is heartbreaking to see.

Previously, I served for four years in the Northern District College Ministry. When facing certain church college counselors who secretly spread heretical teachings, there was often no effective way to deal with them. Over the decades, countless college students have fallen one after another.

The college students who come to the Northern District are all excellent young people. Some may have struggled hard to enter higher universities in this area. During their years of study, they sometimes give up their faith and focus only on academics, and thus become “ignorant” of the truth.

When those counselors—like the adulterous woman in this passage—approach them with sweet words and caring attitudes, these college youths “go straight” toward the path of death. Up to now, the number of college graduates who have left the True Jesus Church for this reason is astonishing. Surely the Heavenly Father, the true God, will one day call them to account for this sin of shedding blood.

Yet, if there were no naive, there would be no death. In a person’s heart there are two kings, just as the apostle Paul the Apostle spoke of “two laws” (the word “law” here means a kind of power):

“So I find it to be a principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person,

but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my body.”

( Romans 7:21–23, NASB 2020)

These ill-intentioned workers of God are always unusually diligent, just as described in this chapter:

“She is boisterous and rebellious,

Her feet do not remain at home;

She is now in the streets, now in the public squares,

And lurks by every corner.

So she seizes him and kisses him,

And with a brazen face she says to him…”

(Proverbs 7:11–13, NASB 2020)

Once, through a Northern District meeting, the duties of a certain college counselor had already been terminated because he had previously committed adultery. However, under the existing practice, if he promised to remain low-key, quiet, and stay away from college students, he would not be removed from membership.

Unexpectedly, one time when I was teaching a college class, another college group came that day for fellowship. I suddenly saw him “following the class” and coming along. So I stared at him, and he stared back at me, yet there was no shame on his face.

This is what believers like the adulterous woman are like. Diligence is often their outward disguise. Those who do not know the truth cannot easily distinguish them, because they are often misled by their appearance of special diligence and love, just like the phrase in the passage: “she kisses him.”

How should we guard against the adulterous woman who moves around within the church?

The righteous power within the heart is necessary. Therefore we must embrace the truth in order to discern right from wrong and to resist sin. In defending the truth, we should make efforts like protecting the pupil of the eye, because no one would knowingly allow someone to touch the pupil of their eye. As this chapter says: “Keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.”

The “apple” here refers to the pupil.

Relying on the Holy Spirit and examining the Bible daily—never relaxing even for a moment—is the way to ensure the strength of truth within us. When we embrace the truth, we become strong.

Parents, besides asking their children to study diligently, should also shape in their souls the power of truth. Do not merely demand that they enter the best universities while allowing faith to be easily cast aside.

We must understand that the devil who “prowls around like a lion” does not roam outside the church. Those outside have already been devoured. He surely prowls among the children of God, within the church.

Those adulterous-like people wear the outer skin of “workers of God.” They are even more diligent than ordinary people, eager to spread teachings that lead to destruction, especially seeking to devour the younger generation. They spare no effort in their work, just like the adulterous woman who “does not stay at home,” “is in the streets,” “in the public squares,” and “lurks at every corner,” seeking to devour us and our next generation.

If there is no strength, when the adulterous woman appears before us, our spiritual life will surely stall and fall directly into Sheol. But if we possess the truth that resists sin and have the Holy Spirit with us, only then can we have true peace.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

(Romans 7:2n4–25, NASB 2020)