八福
比雪更潔白!

經文
詩篇五十一1-15
1(大衛與拔示巴同室以後,先知拿單來見他;他作這詩,交與伶長。)神啊,求你按你的慈愛憐恤我!按你豐盛的慈悲涂抹我的過犯!
2求你將我的罪孽洗除淨盡,並潔除我的罪!
3因為,我知道我的過犯;我的罪常在我面前。
4我向你犯罪,惟獨得罪了你;在你眼前行了這惡,以致你責備我的時候顯為公義,判斷我的時候顯為清正。
5我是在罪孽裡生的,在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。
6你所喜愛的是內裡誠實;你在我隱密處,必使我得智慧。
7求你用牛膝草潔淨我,我就干淨;求你洗滌我,我就比雪更白。
8求你使我得聽歡喜快樂的聲音,使你所壓傷的骨頭可以踴躍。
9求你掩面不看我的罪,涂抹我一切的罪孽。
10神啊,求你為我造清潔的心,使我裡面重新有正直(或譯:堅定)的靈。
11不要丟棄我,使我離開你的面;不要從我收回你的聖靈。
12求你使我仍得救恩之樂,賜我樂意的靈扶持我,
13我就把你的道指教有過犯的人,罪人必歸順你。
14神啊,你是拯救我的神;求你救我脫離流人血的罪!我的舌頭就高聲歌唱你的公義。
15主啊,求你使我嘴唇張開,我的口便傳揚贊美你的話!
信息分享
在我們繼續討論清心的意義時,我們要問一個問題:我們怎能確保自己的心已被潔淨呢?歷來教會都因為這個問題而引起很大的爭論。那些認為罪已經深入人類本性的人說,神對罪唯一能做的是赦免。其他人則視心靈為一個戰場,在那裡肉體和靈性展開長期的爭戰。還有一些人好像約翰衛斯理(John Wesley)那樣宣稱,內在的純潔可以藉著神聖的恩典突然傾注而下。
相信這觀點的人可以分為三大類:(1)相信純潔是神的功勞;(2)相信純潔是賜予的;和(3)相信純潔是培養出來的。那些相信純潔是神的功勞的人認為,基督將他公義的袍圍在罪人身上,當神看他們時,便隻看到他兒子那沒有瑕疵的袍子,而看不到他們的罪。那些相信純潔是賜予的人宣稱,有一種經驗等待所有信徒來經歷,通常都是在歸信之後,神會透過危機,將純潔的恩賜賜下。這信念在衛斯理的發揚下變得很受重視。而那些相信純潔是培養出來的人,則認為神在我們心靈中不斷的工作,以緩慢但穩定的步伐前進。
哪一個說法才是正確的呢?我相信每個觀點都有可取之處,倘若隻是一面倒地看重某一說法,問題就會出現。神既會締造和賜下純潔,也會幫助我們在日常生活和經驗中去應用和發揮這些真理。
「神會締造和賜下純潔」
進深研究
彼前一1-22;詩二十四3-4;提前一5,五22
1.彼得將純潔與什麼東西拉上關系?
2.保羅給提摩太什麼勸告?
祈禱
神,我仁慈的天父啊,很感謝您滿足我最深的需要,特別是我對內在潔淨的需要。求您洗淨我內心,以致我可以比最白的雪更潔白。阿們。
The Beatitudes
Whiter than snow!

Bible reading:
Psalm 51:1-15
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Message
As we continue discussing what it means to be pure in heart, we ask: How do we ensure that our hearts are made pure? Great controversy has raged over this issue in every century of the Church. Those who see sin as having made deep inroads into human nature say that the only thing God can do with sin is to forgive it. Others see the soul as a battleground on which long-drawn-out hostilities take place between the flesh and the Spirit. And there are those who claim, as did John Wesley, that inner purity can be imparted by a sudden influx of divine grace.
Adherents of these views fall into three main groups: (1) those who believe that purity is imputed; (2) those who believe that purity is imparted; and (3) those who believe that purity is developed. Those who believe that purity is imputed say that Christ flings His robe of righteousness around a sinner and then God for ever sees him in the spotless garments of His Son. Those who believe purity is imparted claim that there is an experience awaiting all believers, usually subsequent to conversion, whereby, through a crisis experience, God imparts the gift of purity. This belief received great prominence under John Wesley. Those who believe purity is developed see the work of God in the soul proceeding along the lines of a slow but steady improvement.
Which of these is right? I believe that each view has something to contribute; it is when the emphasis is disproportionately placed that problems arise. God both imputes and imparts purity, and then helps us apply and develop these truths in our daily life and experience.
"God both imputes and imparts purity"
Prayer
O God my gracious Father, I am so thankful that You have provided for my deepest needs - and especially my need for inner cleansing. Wash me so clean on the inside that I will be whiter than the whitest snow. Amen.
Further study
1 Peter 1:1-22
Psalm 24:3-4
1 Timothy 1:5; 5:22
1. To what else does Peter relate purity?
2. What was Paul's exhortation to Timothy?
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