你們扛抬耶和華器皿的人哪、務要自潔（賽52章）

你們離開罷、離開罷、從巴比倫出來、不要沾不潔淨的物．要從其中出來．你們扛抬耶和華器皿的人哪、務要自潔。你們出來必不至急忙、也不至奔逃．因為耶和華必在你們前頭行．以色列的　神必作你們的後盾。（賽 52：11-12）

我們都知道，只有信耶穌是還不能得救的，因為若僅僅是「信徒」，還不是主耶蘇的「門徒」是不能進天國的。因為主耶穌這麼說：

耶穌進前來、對他們說：「天上地下所有的權柄、都賜給我了。所以你們要去、使萬民作我的門徒、奉父子聖靈的名、給他們施洗．〔或作給他們施洗歸於父子聖靈的名〕凡我所吩咐你們的、都教訓他們遵守我就常與你們同在、直到世界的末了。（太 28：18-20）

這裡主耶穌明確地「下命令」，要我們受洗歸入基督名下的人，所要遵行的命令，就是「使萬民作我的『門徒』」。主耶穌繼續說明，何謂門徒？也就是那些將「凡我所吩咐你們的、都教訓他們遵守」的人，完全遵守主耶穌所吩咐的，就是主的門徒，也就是願意過敬虔的生活、並努力做主工、傳福音的人。即使受限於身體的不便，至少要時時為人、為教會禱告，主必悅納。這樣做有一個蒙福的應許，也就是主必同在，因為這裡說「我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了」。阿們！

但是，作主工，如何讓主同在？最重要的事，就是「聖潔」。因為經上記著說：

你們要追求與眾人和睦、並要追求聖潔．非聖潔沒有人能見主．（來 12：14）

這裡說「和睦」、「聖潔」，都是我們要去追求的，尤其是聖潔，因為人不聖潔，就不能見主的面。想一想：連主耶穌的面都見不到了，如此還能奢望神的同工、同行嗎？以賽亞書本章這裡就提醒我們要聖潔，首先該有的行動，就是要先從巴比倫出來。

巴比倫，是指著這個罪惡的世界，是一個自我意識高張，人人是神的世界，更是淫亂的世界。人若不離開巴比倫，不配做神的工人，因為神是忌邪的神。所以做神的工要分別為聖，不要熱衷於引進世俗，只需要用單純的心去敬拜祂就可以。世人總喜歡將新鮮的想法、做法引進教會，無意間就高舉了自己的名。因為這是「人」的方法，必將先高舉人。用神的方法，只能高舉神，此時沒有人是會被高舉的。

聖潔很重要，尤其要避免淫亂的事，特別是神的工人。經上說：

你們作丈夫的、也要按情理和妻子同住．〔情理原文作知識〕因他比你軟弱、〔比你軟弱原文作是軟弱的器皿〕與你一同承受生命之恩的、所以要敬重他．這樣便叫你們的禱告沒有阻礙。（彼前 3：7）

「按情理」小字作按知識，也就是聖經真理。這是在說，神的工人一定要有良好、甜蜜的夫妻關係與生活，要有達神標準的愛。若做丈夫的神的工人不知愛妻子，將導致神的憤怒，使禱告出現阻礙，也就是神不垂聽。一個禱告是不蒙神垂聽的神的工人，如何做工？如何有果效？事實上，我們也有發現有些工人做工失去能力、漸漸沒有了果效，常常是夫妻之間已出現問題，甚至出現淫亂的事，或是有違背聖經真理的行事為人，使神不同工。

神的工人若保守聖潔，神一定同工。因為以賽亞書這裡又說：「你們出來必不至急忙、也不至奔逃．因為耶和華必在你們前頭行．以色列的　神必作你們的後盾。」（12節）。為何可以不必急忙？為何能夠不至奔逃？就是因為神要與我們同在，神要在前頭行、也要做我們的後盾，神要包全場，祂要完全同在、完全負責，此時，又有何需要慌張的？於是一個聖潔的工人，做工總是匆匆容容、游刃有餘。

今天我們都必須要做主工、行主道，因為這樣才是主的門徒。既是門徒，就要有神同工，所以就要聖潔。保守聖潔的唯一方法，就是「讓聖靈充滿」，因為聖靈痛恨情慾，只要有聖靈在，情慾必進不來，人必不犯罪，工人必聖潔，神必同工。

我說：「你們當順着聖靈而行、就不放縱肉體的情慾了。因為情慾和聖靈相爭、聖靈和情慾相爭．這兩個是彼此相敵、使你們不能作所願意作的。但你們若被聖靈引導、就不在律法以下。情慾的事、都是顯而易見的．就如姦淫、污穢、邪蕩、........（加 5：16-19）

By Isaiah Kao

Purify Vessels, You Who Carry the Vessels of the LORD (Isaiah 52)

June 13, 2026

Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing;

Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves,

You who carry the vessels of the LORD.

But you will not go out in haste,

Nor will you go as fugitives;

For the LORD will go before you,

And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isa. 52:11–12, NASB 2020)

We all know that only believing in Jesus is still not enough for salvation. For if one is merely a “believer,” yet not a “disciple” of the Lord Jesus, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. For the Lord Jesus said:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18–20, NASB 2020)

Here the Lord Jesus clearly “commanded” us that those who are baptized into the name of Christ must “make disciples of all the nations.” The Lord Jesus further explained what a disciple is: those who are taught to “follow all that I commanded you.” Completely obeying what the Lord Jesus commanded is to be the Lord’s disciple. Such people are willing to live a godly life, labor for the Lord, and preach the gospel. Even if one is limited by physical weakness, he should at least constantly pray for others and for the church, and the Lord will surely accept it.There is also a blessed promise in doing this, namely that the Lord will be with us, because He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Amen!

But in doing the Lord’s work, how can we have the Lord’s presence? The most important matter is “holiness.” For it is 

written:

Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Heb. 12:14, NASB 2020)

Here it says that both “peace” and “holiness” are things we must pursue, especially holiness. For without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Think about it: if one cannot even see the face of the Lord Jesus, how could he still hope for God’s companionship and cooperation? Thus Isaiah here reminds us that to be holy, the first action we must take is to come out from Babylon.

Babylon refers to this sinful world — a world where self is exalted, where everyone treats himself as god, and also a world filled with immorality. If a person does not leave Babylon, he is not worthy to be God’s worker, because God is a jealous God. Therefore, those who do God’s work must be set apart as holy. They should not be eager to bring worldly things into the church, but simply worship Him with a pure heart. The world always likes to introduce new ideas and methods into the church, and unintentionally exalts man’s own name. For these are man’s methods, and they will first exalt man. But God’s methods can only exalt God; no man will be exalted through them.

Holiness is extremely important, especially in avoiding immorality, particularly for God’s workers. Scripture says:

You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker person, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Pet. 3:7, NASB 2020)

The phrase “in an understanding way” refers to spiritual knowledge, that is, the truth of the Bible. This means that God’s workers must have a good and sweet marital relationship and family life, with love that meets God’s standard. If a husband who serves as God’s worker does not know how to love his wife, it will bring about God’s displeasure and cause his prayers to be hindered — that is, God will not hear them.

If a worker’s prayers are not heard by God, how can he do the work? How can there be effectiveness? In fact, we often see that when some workers gradually lose spiritual power and fruitfulness, it is frequently because problems have already appeared in their marriage, or even because immorality or conduct contrary to biblical truth has entered in, causing God to no longer work with them.

If God’s workers keep themselves holy, God will surely work with them. For Isaiah also says here: “You will not go out in haste, nor will you go as fugitives; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (v.12). Why is there no need to hurry? Why is there no need to flee? Because God Himself will be with us. God will go before us and also be our rear guard. God will take full responsibility and be completely with us. If this is so, what is there to panic about? Therefore, a holy worker always serves calmly and with ease. 

Today we all must do the Lord’s work and walk in the Lord’s way, because this is what it means to be the Lord’s disciples. Since we are disciples, we need God to work with us, and therefore we must be holy. The only way to preserve holiness is to “be filled with the Holy Spirit,” because the Holy Spirit hates the fleshly lusts. As long as the Holy Spirit is present, lust cannot enter in. Then a person will not sin, the worker will remain holy, and God will surely work with him.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, ... (Gal. 5:16–19, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao