前幾天看到國度禱告網轉來的一篇Rick Joyner喬納2014年第五週的文章，指出了現代基督教會一個迷思—就是走在自己的死胡同裡，卻仍不自知。這個死胡同就是極端主義。喬納寫了一段一針見血的論述，值得所有人深思。
『在基督身體中一些最嚴重的分裂，是發生在那些彼此有九成九的認同，卻在一件事上不認同而產生的分裂，這就是極端主義─蒙蔽的根源。此根源通常是由不成熟、不穩定或沒有安全感所造成。』
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from http://sheofferedthemchrist.com
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喬納也指出他會採取的行動，也可成為我們一生追求的準則。
『因此，我定意盡我所能的栽種恩慈與憐憫，同時又不妥協我所相信的，除非有清楚的聖經證據。』
『沒有愛，我們將無法正確分辨任何事或任何人。愛是『真知識』和『各樣分辨』的根基。』
願以此彼此勉勵，齊奔天路！
大使命（5）
避免極端主義
不成熟與不穩定的人傾向看見並行在極端裡；想當然，是有一些所謂的極端真理。看見並行在其中意味著你比他人容易以極端方式行事。然而，那些除了極端什麼都看不見的人往往是最容易被蒙蔽的。生命的道路總是在二個極端之間被找到。
在生命道路二邊的壕溝，一邊是律法主義，另一邊則是不法。有些人幾乎將每一個真理帶到其中一個極端，許多掉入一邊壕溝的人會過度反應而掉入另一邊的壕溝。生命的道路非常狹窄，只有少數人找到或設法持守在其中。此研讀的基本目標就是持守在生命的道路上，同時我們也知道，我們若把自己看得過高，認為只有自己擁有真理並且不會跌倒，我們便在跌倒的最大危險中。
加拉太書告訴我們種什麼收什麼；倘若我們想要收割恩慈，我們必須栽種恩慈。倘若我們想要收割憐憫，我們必須栽種憐憫。論到此，讓我們定意對那些看事情角度與我們不同之人展現恩慈，特別是我們將要提出的事情。讓我們定意總是謙卑敞開允許修正。這並不代表某些人不認同我們，我們便自動改變立場，而是讓我們抱持著敞開的態度，站在他們的立場看看是否有我們需要領受的真理。倘若我們要持守在生命的道路上，我們需要有這樣的態度。
在基督身體中一些最嚴重的分裂，是發生在那些彼此有九成九的認同，卻在一件事上不認同而產生的分裂，這就是極端主義─蒙蔽的根源。此根源通常是由不成熟、不穩定或沒有安全感所造成。即便如此，我不認為自己有足夠智慧在沒有清楚證據時判斷他人的動機。倘若我處在他們的生活經歷，我可能比他們的情況更糟。因此，我定意盡我所能的栽種恩慈與憐憫，同時又不妥協我所相信的，除非有清楚的聖經證據。
在腓立比書一章9-10節，我們要分辨真理時需要有一個基本真理：
我所禱告的，就是要你們的愛心在知識和各樣見識（分辨）上多而又多，
使你們能分別是非（或作：喜愛那美好的事），作誠實無過的人，直到基督的日子。
沒有愛，我們將無法正確分辨任何事或任何人。愛是『真知識』和『各樣分辨』的根基。比起知道某人的生活經歷並從中判斷，更重要的是對他們的愛。我可能不認同他們的教義或立場，但我若不真誠愛他們，我不會宣稱自己瞭解為何他們會那樣相信。為什麼這很重要呢？
我們被呼召愛我們的仇敵，給予他人恩慈與憐憫，相信他們做事的方式，就算我們仍不認同他們，都可以幫助我們愛他們。這即是我們如何真正瞭解他們。『瞭解』（Understanding）這個字來自『站在』某人的立場『之下』（stand under）。我們蒙召使萬國作門徒，我們是無法門訓我們不瞭解的人。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 5, 2014)
Avoiding Extremism - The Great Commission, Part 5
Week 5, 2014Rick Joyner
The immature and unstable tend to see and act in extremes. Granted, there are extreme truths. To see them and walk in them means you will be acting in an extreme way compared to others. However, those who cannot see anything but extremes are usually the most deceived of all. The path of life is almost always found between extremes.
The ditches on either side of the path of life are almost always legalism on one side and lawlessness on the other. Some will take virtually every truth to one of these extremes. Many who fall into one of these ditches will then overreact to it and end up falling into the ditch on the other side. The path of life is narrow. There are few who find it or manage to stay on it. A basic goal of this study is to stay on the path of life. At the same time, we know that if we think of ourselves more highly than we should and that we alone have the truth and cannot fall, we are in the most jeopardy of falling.
We are told in Galatians that we will reap what we sow. If we want to reap grace, we must sow it. If we want to receive mercy, we must sow mercy. In relation to this, let us resolve to show grace to those who may see things differently than we do, especially about the matters we are about to address. Let us also resolve to always be humbly open to correction. That does not mean we automatically change our position because some disagree with us, but let us remain open and check out their position to see if there is truth we need to receive. This is required if we are going to stay on the path of life.
Some of the worst divisions in the body of Christ are between those who agree on 99% but disagree on one thing and then divide over it. This is extremism—a root of deception. This root is often the result of immaturity, instability, or insecurity. Even so, I don’t consider myself wise enough to judge other people’s motives without clear evidence. If I had endured their life experiences, I might be in much worse shape than they are. Therefore, I resolve to sow grace and mercy whenever I can, while not compromising my own convictions without clear biblical evidence that I need to.
In Philippians 1:9-10, we have a basic truth required for discerning truth:
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
We will not discern anything or anyone correctly without love. Love is the basis of “real knowledge,” and “all discernment.” More importantly than knowing someone’s life experiences, and judging from that, is having love for them. I may disagree with their doctrines or positions, but if I do not sincerely love them, I will not claim to understand why they believe as they do. Why is this important?
We are called to love our enemies. Giving others grace and mercy for believing the way they do, even while continuing to disagree with them, can help us love them. This is how we will come to a true understanding of them. “Understanding” comes from the term to “stand under” someone else’s position. We are called to make disciples of all nations, and we cannot disciple anyone we do not understand.
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