从迷惘到信靠
唯一的生活方式
经文
以西结书十八1-18
1耶和华的话又临到我说:
2你们在以色列地怎么用这俗语说父亲吃了酸葡萄,儿子的牙酸倒了呢?
3主耶和华说:我指着我的永生起誓,你们在以色列中,必不再有用这俗语的因由。
4看哪,世人都是属我的;为父的怎样属我,为子的也照样属我;犯罪的,他必死亡。
5人若是公义,且行正直与合理的事:
6未曾在山上吃过祭偶像之物,未曾仰望以色列家的偶像,未曾玷污邻舍的妻,未曾在妇人的经期内亲近他,
7未曾亏负人,乃将欠债之人的当头还给他;未曾抢夺人的物件,却将食物给饥饿的人吃,将衣服给赤身的人穿;
8未曾向借钱的弟兄取利,也未曾向借粮的弟兄多要,缩手不作罪孽,在两人之间,按至理判断;
9遵行我的律例,谨守我的典章,按诚实行事─这人是公义的,必定存活。这是主耶和华说的。
10他若生一个儿子,作强盗,是流人血的,不行以上所说之善,反行其中之恶,乃在山上吃过祭偶像之物,并玷污邻舍的妻,
11a-12亏负困苦和穷乏的人,抢夺人的物,未曾将当头还给人,仰望偶像,并行可憎的事,
13向借钱的弟兄取利,向借粮的弟兄多要,这人岂能存活呢?他必不能存活。他行这一切可憎的事,必要死亡,他的罪(原文是血)必归到他身上。
14他若生一个儿子,见父亲所犯的一切罪便惧怕(有古卷:思量),不照样去作;
15未曾在山上吃过祭偶像之物,未曾仰望以色列家的偶像,未曾玷污邻舍的妻,
16未曾亏负人,未曾取人的当头,未曾抢夺人的物件,却将食物给饥饿的人吃,将衣服给赤身的人穿,
17缩手不害贫穷人,未曾向借钱的弟兄取利,也未曾向借粮的弟兄多要;他顺从我的典章,遵行我的律例,就不因父亲的罪孽死亡,定要存活。
18至于他父亲;因为欺人太甚,抢夺弟兄,在本国的民中行不善,他必因自己的罪孽死亡。
信息分享
昨天,我们思考信心是甚么,今天,让我们再思想「惟义人因信得生」(哈二4)这句经文的意思。很多人认为信心的生活只属于那些全时间事奉的基督徒,因为他们相信神会满足他们在财务和物质上的需要。然而,信心生活的真正意义远远超过这些,而是基于相信神每天都会忠于祂自己的说话、而在这个信念和原则下生活。这应该是每个基督徒每时每刻不变的立场。
请让我问你:你管理生命的原则是甚么?是你多年来从教育和培训所取得的专长?是对财务精明的理解?还是建基于神的话,以及明白今天的事情不过是在为明天作预备的这一个事实?
当然,圣经没有鼓励我们不理会世界,不过圣经告诉我们必须对世界有一个正确的观念。圣经明确地说真正重要的是神永恒的国度。凭信心而活的意思,是指我们必须在分水岭中站到神的那一边(我们之前曾提及)。换句话说,我们对生命和世界的观念,不是来自政客或科学家所说的话,而是来自神所说的话。「圣经所说的都是真实的」,当我们愿意将一切建基在这个信念上,也只有到了那个时候,我们才能够达到「惟义人因信得生」这句话的要求。这是唯一真正的生活态度,其他的只不过是属世的生存。
「我们的人生观是来自神所说的话」
进深研究
太八1-13,九29-30,十七20;可十一22
1. 耶稣向百夫长说甚么?
2. 祂向瞎子说甚么?
祈祷
天父,现在我明白信心不是间歇性出现的东西,而是隐藏在我整个生命的背后,求您帮助我更清楚地明白信心的真正意义。亲爱的主,我要真正的活着,不仅仅是生存。阿们。
From Confusion to Confidence
The only way to live
Bible reading:
Ezekiel 18:1-18
1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.
4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5 "Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
8 He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties.
9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord.
10 "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things[a]
11 (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
14 "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15 "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live.
18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
Message
We spend one more day looking at the text: "The just shall live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4, AV). Many think that the life of faith is reserved only for those Christians who go into full-time Christian work, trusting God to meet their financial and physical needs. The life of faith, however, means much more than that - it is living day by day under the controlling principle that God is true to His Word. And that is to be the position of every Christian - at all times.
Permit me to ask this personal question: What is the controlling principle in your life? Is it the expertise you have gained from years of education and training? Is it a shrewd understanding of finances? Or is it the Word of God and its clear portrayal of the fact that the things of time are merely a preparation for what is to come?
The Bible, of course, does not encourage us to turn our backs on the world, but it does tell us that we must have a right view of the world. It categorically states that what really matters is the eternal kingdom of God. Living by faith means that we live on God's side of the Great Divide that we talked about the other day. In other words, we take our view of life and the world not from what the politicians or the scientists say about them but from what God says about them. And when we are willing to stake everything on the fact that what we read in the Bible is true, then and only then will we fulfil the statement: "the just shall live by his faith". This is the only true way to live - anything else is just existence.
"We take our view of life from what God says"
Prayer
O Father, now I see that faith is not something that comes in fits and starts but something that underlies the whole of my life, help me understand it even more clearly. For I want to live, dear Lord, truly live - not just exist. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 8:1-13; 9:29-30; 17:20
Mark 11:22
1. What did Jesus say to the centurion?
2. What did he say to the blind men?
本文英文版权属 CWR 所有,承蒙允准刊载。
背景音乐版权属 赞美之泉音乐事工 所有,承蒙允准使用。

