亚伯拉罕也需要神的赦罪
罗马书四章1至8节
1如此说来，我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕凭着肉体得了甚么呢？
2倘若亚伯拉罕是因行为称义，就有可夸的；只是在神面前并无可夸。
3经上说甚么呢？说：亚伯拉罕信神，这就算为他的义。
4做工的得工价，不算恩典，乃是该得的；
5惟有不做工的，只信称罪人为义的神，他的信就算为义。
6正如大卫称那在行为以外蒙神算为义的人是有福的。
7他说：得赦免其过、遮盖其罪的，这人是有福的。
8主不算为有罪的，这人是有福的。
信息分享
我们今天也是一样。没有人可以靠自己行义或成为名人，而得蒙神的接纳。没有人可以靠自己而赚得上天堂的「门票」。人只可以凭着信心，靠着神的恩典而得称为义。惟有当我们相信神的话语和祂的儿子耶稣基督，神才会接纳我们。我们根本一无可夸，一切都是凭信而来的恩典。
然而，当我们知道自己的罪已得蒙赦免，实在是何等喜乐！请看第7和8节，它们是引自诗篇三十二篇。这篇诗是大卫得蒙神赦免之后写的。他曾经在诗篇五十一篇，为自己在拔示巴身上所做的罪行而流泪悔改，深切地向神认罪。
当他愿意在神面前认罪，他方才体验到得蒙赦罪的喜乐。「有福的」这个片语，可以译为「快乐的」；换言之，犯错的人得赦免是快乐的。大卫经历过这种喜乐，亚伯拉罕和保罗也同样经历过。所有来到耶稣基督跟前认罪的人，都能够体会这句话的真实；因为基督已为他的罪还清了罪债，神不再追讨他的罪。
你明白个中的道理吗？我们只有一个方法可得蒙神的接纳，那就是相信神为我们所做的一切，和相信祂的儿子耶稣基督为我们所成就的救恩，我们就可以得蒙赦免和接纳，接着我们便要学习如何为基督而活了。
唱诗：
基督已为我还清了罪债；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.'