[译作]你是只绵羊还是山羊？
原文标题：Are you a sheep or goat?
来源：CARM newsletter July/2004 Devotions
http://www.carm.org/newsletters_2004.htm
译者：lookupon
首发：2004年7月12日 于 [彩虹之约]http://www.bbsland.com
修稿：诚之

世界上只有两类人：绵羊（sheep）和山羊（goat）。耶稣亲自提出了这种分类，他说：“万民都要聚集在他面前，他要把他们分别出来，好像牧羊的分别绵羊山羊一般，把绵羊安 置在右边，山羊在左边。”（太25：32-33）。当审判的那日，主耶稣将要审判这个世界，他要让万国聚集在他面前，那意味着每一个人都必须面对祂，每一个人都要在他面前为他们自己的罪负责。对于那些基督宝血所覆盖、并得宽恕与洁净的人来说（约壹1：7），我们不必面对神的震怒（the wrath of God）。但是那些山羊，那些还没有因信基督而得洁净的人来说，他们将会经历神圣洁公义审判的完全冲击。耶稣将会对他们说：“离开我，进入那为魔鬼和他的使者所预备的永火里去。”(太25：41)

你是只绵羊还是山羊呢？

很多人觉得，他们的善良会为他们在神那里留一个位置。其他人则认为因着他们的虔诚，神会更加宽容与容忍，不会咒诅他们下地狱。这种虚假的盼望只会导致灭亡，因为圣经告诉我们，“没有义人，连一个也没有” (罗3：10-12)。而且，想靠自已的虔诚来获得神的喜悦，是倚赖自身的品质，而这实际上会导致骄傲。相对的，那些曾经历神同在的人，也经历了谦卑，因为与神圣洁的同在，人必要自动地降卑。他们不会因自身任何的拥有而自夸或者盼望在神那里的地位。

绵羊与山羊之间的区别，从灵命上来说，就是夜与昼、生与死、得救与灭亡之间的区别。山羊不听神的声音。他们未得重生，听不到他，因为他们未得救赎，没有圣灵住在他们里面、引导他们、为罪为义责备他们（约16：8）。但是基督徒有神的内住（约14：23），我们有神的同在，荣享他救赎的恩典。

如果你是只绵羊，也就是说，如果你是个基督徒，你必然会听到基督的声音。耶稣说：“我的羊听我的声音、我也认识他们、他们也跟着我。我又赐给他们永生、他们永不灭亡、谁也不能从我手里把他们夺去。”（约10：27-28）。如果你正在跟从他，你会知道，你听到的是你主人的声音。所以，你正在跟从耶稣吗？你听行他的话、他的教导和他的旨意吗？你在寻求的是他或是别的？你回应的是他的声音还是你自己的？这些问题，只有你才能回答。这些都是我们必须回答的问题。

我们都更需要听到他、更爱他，并更多地寻求他。作为基督徒，我们需要和基督一同得分（林前1：9），并跟从他，就如同羊跟从他们的主人和保护者。当我们相信他会引导带领我们的时候，我们就是因着信跟从他。听从基督的声音，也就是听从神的声音，他呼召我们要因信得生（哈2：4）。我们被选召在祷告中、在圣经的话中，和在圣徒的交通中寻求他，我们如此来听从主的声音。

因此，要确定你所跟从的声音，是那真正的声音。你怎么知道呢？学习神的话语并倾听基督，熟悉他的声音。相信耶稣会宽恕你所有的罪，并求他洁净你、赎回你，并救你脱离神的震怒。如果你听到神的声音，你会就近基督，因为父神引领你到他那里去（约6：45）。同时，真正的耶稣会吸引万人来归他（约12：32），他为自己做见证（约8：18）。因此，当你的焦点是耶稣时，你就会听到耶稣的声音。

诵记经文：约翰10：4-5：既放出自己的羊来，就在前头走，羊也跟着他，因为认得他的声音。羊不跟着生人，因为不认得他的声音，必要逃跑。

原文：
Are you a sheep or goat?
There are only two kinds of people in the world: sheep and goats. Jesus Himself gave us this categorization when He said, “And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left," (Matt. 25:32-33). On the Day of Judgment, the Lord Jesus will judge the world. He will cause the nations to be gathered before Him. This means that everyone will face Him; everyone will be held accountable for their sins before Him. For those of us who were covered in the blood of Christ, who had been forgiven and cleansed by the blood (1 John 1:7), we will not face the wrath of God. But the goats, those who have not been cleansed by faith in Christ, they will experience the full brunt of God's holy and righteous judgment. Jesus will say to them, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels," (Matt. 25:41). Are you a sheep or a goat?
Many people think that because of their goodness it will somehow merit for them a place with God. Others think that because of their own sincerity, God will be more forgiving and tolerant of them and not condemn them to hell. Such false hopes can only lead to destruction, for the Bible tells us that there is none who is truly good (Rom. 3:10-12). And, to seek favor with God because of your own sincerity is to appeal to a quality in your self, which amounts to pride. By contrast, those who have experienced the presence of God, have also experienced humility because you were voluntarily humble yourself when you're in His holy presence. They do not boast or hope of position with God because of anything in them.
The difference between being a sheep and a goat, spiritually, is the difference between night and day, life and death, salvation and destruction. The goats do not hear the voice of God. They are unregenerate and cannot hear Him because they have not been redeemed and do no have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spririt in them Who guides them and convitcs them of sin and righteousness (John 16:8). But we Christians are indwelt by God (John 14:23). We have the presence of God. We are greatly privileged by His grace in redemption.
If you are a sheep, that is, if you are a Christian, then by necessity you must hear the voice of Christ. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand," (John 10:27-28). You will know that you are hearing the voice of your Lord if you are following Him. So, are you following Jesus? Are you following His words, His teachings, and His will. Are you seeking Him or something else? Are you answering His voice or your own? These are questions only you can answer. They are questions we all need to answer.
We all need to hear Him more, to love Him more, and to seek Him more. As Christians we need to be in fellowship with Christ (1 Cor. 1:9) and follow Him as sheep follow their master and protector. We follow Him by faith as we trust that He will guide us and lead us. To hear the voice of Christ, is to hear the voice of God, who calls us to live by faith (Hab. 2:4). We are called to seek Him in prayer, in the word, and in the communion of the Saints. In this we follow the voice of our Lord.
So, make sure that the voice you are following is the True Voice. How will you know? Study the word of God and listen to Christ and become familiar with His voice. Trust in Jesus to forgive you of all your sins and ask Him to cleanse you, to redeem you, and to save you from the wrath of God. If you hear the voice of God, you will come to Christ for the Father points you to Him (John 6:45). And, the true Jesus draws all men to Himself (John 12:32) and He bears witness of Himself (John 8:18). Therefore, you hear the voice of Jesus when the focus is Jesus.

Memorization Verse
John 10:4-5,
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 “And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ,"
CARM newsletter
http://www.carm.org/newsletters_2004.htm