第21章 一位医院工作人员
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第21章 一位医院工作人员
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Chap. 21—A Hospital Worker
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对女性无聊轻率的关注——上帝的使者正在观看着品格的发展。他们在权衡道德的价值。如果你专照料那些不需要的人，对领受的人并没有好处，而你自己非但不会得到报赏，而且会受到处罚。要记住，你藉着自己的言谈降格到轻佻之人的水平时，你就是在鼓励他们走毁灭的道路。你不明智的照顾会造成他们灵魂的灭亡。你败坏了构成他们基督徒生活和品格的思想，混乱了他们的见解，留下了难以磨灭的影响。{TSB 145.2}[1]
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Frivolous, Unwise Attention to Women—Angels of God are watching the development of character. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. If you bestow your attentions upon those who have no need, you are doing the recipients harm, and you will receive condemnation rather than reward. Remember that, when by your trifling conversation you descend to the level of frivolous characters, you are encouraging them in the path that leads to perdition. Your unwise attentions may prove the ruin of their souls. You degrade their conceptions of what constitutes Christian life and character. You confuse their ideas, and make impressions that can never be effaced.?{TSB 145.2}[1]
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对于那些需要加强、锻炼和提高的心灵所带来的伤害，往往是一桩令人灭亡的罪孽。他们无法与那些担任圣职的人交往。在他们看来，牧师和教会的职员比他们好不了多少，他们应以谁为榜样呢？{TSB 145.3}[2]
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The harm thus done to souls that need to be strengthened, refined, ennobled, is often a sin unto death. They cannot associate these men with the sacred positions they occupy. The ministers, the officers of the church, are all regarded as no better than themselves. Then where is their example??{TSB 145.3}[2]
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上帝纯洁的标准——上帝呼吁所有自称为基督徒的人提高公义的标准，洁净自己就如同祂洁净一样。……{TSB 146.1}[3]
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God’s Pure Standard—God calls upon all who claim to be Christians to elevate the standard of righteousness, and to purify themselves even as He is pure....?{TSB 146.1}[3]
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问题是，我们要做符合圣经的基督徒吗？我们会不顾在生命之道中赐给我们的最明白的指示，而去竖立一个虚假的标准，藉以衡量我们的品格吗？我们这样做安全吗？你若屈从仇敌的引诱，去做恰好与上帝已给你的指示相反的事，然后给自己开脱，说你没有恶意，在道德上没有行非作错，那么，你能有什么敬虔和圣洁的标准呢？基督已赐给我们藉以辨别真基督徒的标记；谁也无须被这些伪君子的虚伪主张所骗。{TSB 146.2}[4]
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The question is, Shall we be Bible Christians? Will we disregard the plainest instruction given us in the Word of Life, and erect a false standard whereby to measure our character? Is this a safe thing for us to do? When you yield to the temptations of the enemy, and do the very opposite of that which God has instructed you to do, and then excuse yourselves, saying that you meant no harm, that you have done no moral wrong, what can be your standard of piety and holiness? Christ has given us the signs whereby we may distinguish the genuine Christian; no one need be deceived by the pretentious claims of the hypocrite.?{TSB 146.2}[4]
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不要为调情卖俏找借口——放纵相思成疾的情感主义是不可原谅的；已婚男子跟年轻姑娘或寡妇这样轻佻地打情骂俏是不可原谅的。愿那些自称敬虔的人注意使徒的劝戒：“亲爱的弟兄啊，你们是客旅，是寄居的。我劝你们要禁戒肉体的私欲，这私欲是与灵魂争战的。你们在外邦人中，应当品行端正，叫那些毁谤你们是作恶的，因看见你们的好行为，便在鉴察的日子归荣耀给上帝”（彼前2:11,12）。{TSB 146.3}[5]
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No Excuse for Flirting—There is no excuse for indulging a love-sick sentimentalism; no excuse for this trifling, flirting of married men with young girls, or married men with widows. Let men professing godliness heed the apostle’s admonition, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak evil against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” [1 Peter 2:11, 12].?{TSB 146.3}[5]
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这样，你还要漠视圣经关于你的言行、举止和品格最明白的指示吗？你要为自己轻浮甚至放荡的行为找借口，好像你在道德上没有行非作错一样吗？你说一句自己欠考虑这一切就万事大吉了吗？基督徒的责任岂不是要冷静思考吗？耶稣若在心中作王，思想还会放荡不羁吗？……{TSB 146.4}[6]
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Will you, then, disregard the plainest directions given in the Word of God in regard to your words, your deportment, and your character? Will you excuse levity, and even licentious acts, as though you had done no moral wrong? Will?you pass all this off by saying it was thoughtlessness on your part? Is it not the duty of Christians to think soberly? If Jesus is enthroned in the heart, will the thoughts be running riot? ...?{TSB 146.4}[6]
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洪水前的例子——圣史中记载洪水以前的人类和平原上的城市，他们从轻浮堕落到卑污的罪恶，招致上帝发怒，降下最可怕的毁灭，为使地球摆脱他们的污染。癖好和情欲支配了理智。自我成了他们的神。由于自私地放纵败坏人的情欲，他们几乎完全丧失了对于至高上帝的认识。——《怀爱伦信函》1888年第6a号{TSB 147.1}[7]
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Example of the Antediluvians—We have the history of the antediluvians and of the [inhabitants of the] cities of the plains, whose course of conduct degenerated from lightness and frivolity to debasing sins which called forth the wrath of God in a most dreadful destruction, in order to rid the earth of the curse of their contaminating influence. Inclination and passion bore sway over reason. Self was their god, and the knowledge of the Most High was nearly obliterated through a selfish indulgence of corrupt passions.—Letter 6a, 1890.?{TSB 147.1}[7]