亞伯拉罕也需要神的赦罪
羅馬書四章1至8節
1如此說來，我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕憑著肉體得了甚麼呢？
2倘若亞伯拉罕是因行為稱義，就有可誇的；只是在神面前並無可誇。
3經上說甚麼呢？說：亞伯拉罕信神，這就算為他的義。
4做工的得工價，不算恩典，乃是該得的；
5惟有不做工的，只信稱罪人為義的神，他的信就算為義。
6正如大衛稱那在行為以外蒙神算為義的人是有福的。
7他說：得赦免其過、遮蓋其罪的，這人是有福的。
8主不算為有罪的，這人是有福的。
信息分享
我們今天也是一樣。沒有人可以靠自己行義或成為名人，而得蒙神的接納。沒有人可以靠自己而賺得上天堂的「門票」。人只可以憑著信心，靠著神的恩典而得稱為義。惟有當我們相信神的話語和祂的兒子耶穌基督，神才會接納我們。我們根本一無可誇，一切都是憑信而來的恩典。
然而，當我們知道自己的罪已得蒙赦免，實在是何等喜樂！請看第7和8節，它們是引自詩篇三十二篇。這篇詩是大衛得蒙神赦免之後寫的。他曾經在詩篇五十一篇，為自己在拔示巴身上所做的罪行而流淚悔改，深切地向神認罪。
當他願意在神面前認罪，他方才體驗到得蒙赦罪的喜樂。「有福的」這個片語，可以譯為「快樂的」；換言之，犯錯的人得赦免是快樂的。大衛經歷過這種喜樂，亞伯拉罕和保羅也同樣經歷過。所有來到耶穌基督跟前認罪的人，都能夠體會這句話的真實；因為基督已為他的罪還清了罪債，神不再追討他的罪。
你明白箇中的道理嗎？我們只有一個方法可得蒙神的接納，那就是相信神為我們所做的一切，和相信祂的兒子耶穌基督為我們所成就的救恩，我們就可以得蒙赦免和接納，接著我們便要學習如何為基督而活了。
唱詩：
基督已為我還清了罪債；罪所留下的污垢已完全洗清。
EVEN ABRAHAM NEEDED FORGIVENESS
Romans 4:1-8
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
Message
It is the same today. No-one is accepted by God because he is a good person or a well-known person. No-one can buy his way into heaven. It is all by grace through faith. It is only as we accept God's Word and believe in his Son Jesus, Christ that God accepts us. There is no good in us. Let's say it again: it is all of grace through faith.
But what a wonderful joy to know our sins are forgiven. Look at verses 7 and 8 again. They are a quotation from Psalm 32. They were written by David, after his sin with Bath-Sheba had been found out. He had repented bitterly in tears and in deep genuine sorrow for what he had done. (See Psalm 51 David's Psalm of repentance.)
After he had acknowledged his sin David discovered the real joy of forgiveness. The word blessed could be translated 'Oh the happiness'- of the man who has been forgiven. David knew that happiness. So did Abraham and Paul. Anyone who has come to Jesus Christ acknowledging their sins knows the truth of those words 'Oh the happiness of the man who has been forgiven'.God no longer charges the believing man with his sin. Christ has paid his debt and that man is accepted before God.
Do you see how this works out? There is nothing we do or can do except take what God has done and believe in his Son Jesus Christ. He has done it all. We only have to accept him and then learn to live for him.
A hymn for today:
'Jesus paid it all: All to Him I owe.
Sin has left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.'