REDEMPTION Accomplished and Applied part 2-session 25
主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立_文字:Cherry
《再思救赎奇恩》第二部分第25讲。我们继续讲圣徒是会坚忍的。
It is to the same effect that Peter writes of those who have the living hope of “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven.” They are those who “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”(1 Peter 1:4-5) .当彼得在彼得前书第一章第4-5节论到这些有活泼的盼望的人要讲出的是同样的道理。“彼得前书第一章从第3节下半开始:上帝曾照自己的大怜悯,籍耶稣基督从死里复活,重生了我们,叫我们有活泼的盼望。可以得着不能朽坏,不能玷污,不能衰残,为你们存留在天上的基业。你们这因信蒙上帝能力保守的人,必能得着所预备,到末世要显现的救恩。)
There are three saints particularly noteworthy:这里值得我们注意的有三件事:(1)第一件事,they are kept; 这人是蒙保守的;(2)第二件事情是,they are kept through faith;是借着信心,他们蒙保守的;(3)第三件事,they are kept unto the final consummation, 他们这蒙保守,直到最后整件事情的结束,the salvation to be revealed in the last time.就是在末日的时候要显明的救恩。It is not keeping for a little while,不是在短暂的阶段里面蒙保守,but to the end,是一直蒙保守到底,and it is not keeping irrespective of faith而不是不论信心如何都能保守,不是的!But through faith.乃是因信心、借着信心蒙保守的人。Let us not then take refuge in our sloth所以我们不能懒惰,而以懒惰作为我们的荫蔽,or encouragement in our lust甚至乎鼓励自己去放纵from the abused doctrine of the security of the believer.因为一个人相信了,就有安全这个的错误的教导,或者说一次相信永远得救是一个曲解,误用、误解圣经的教义。But let us appreciate the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints但是我们需要体会到,圣徒的坚忍的教义and recognize that we may entertain the faith of our security in Christ only as we persevere in faith and holiness to the end.我们必须要察觉到,唯独当我们在信心、在圣洁上忍耐到底,我们才可以考虑,我们在基督里是安全的,这方面的信仰。It was nothing less than the goal of the resurrection to life and glory that Paul had in mind when he wrote, (Phil.3:13,14)保罗在腓立比书第三章13-14节说讲的,就是在讲复活、得永生、得荣耀, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,(腓立比书第三章13-14节:从第12节开始:【腓3:12-14】)这不是说我已经得着了,已经完全了,我乃是竭力追求,或者可以得着基督耶稣所以得着我的(“所以得着我的”或作“所要我得的”)。弟兄们,我不是以为自己已经得着了,我只有一件事,就是忘记背后,努力面前的,向着标竿直跑,要得 神在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏。
The perseverance of the saints reminds us very forcefully that 圣徒的坚忍大能有力地提醒我们that only those who persevere to the end are truly saints.唯独那些坚忍到底的人才是真正的圣徒。We do not attain to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus automatically.我们不是自动的,没有条件的得到上帝在基督耶稣里从上面呼召我们来所得的奖赏,不是的。
Persevere means the engagement of our persons in the most intense and concentrated devotion to those means which God has ordained for the achievement of his saving purpose.坚忍的意思乃是说:我们全人投入、专注地、强烈地投入那些上帝定下来的方法,就是上帝所定的,使我们能够成就祂的救赎计划那些的方法。
我停一下:这个在威敏斯特信仰告白等等,都称为恩具,means of grace恩典的工具,means of grace。The scriptural doctrine of perseverance has no affinity with the quietism and antinomianism which are so prevalent in evangelical circles.
在福音派里面,很普遍的流传着一种的所谓安静主义,静态的,躺下来什么都不用干,让上帝来做,不要用人的方法,用上帝的方法来等候神就可以了,安静主义。还有反律法主义Antinomianism,福音派里面流传着安静主义跟反律法主义。圣经所教导的圣徒的坚忍的教义与这两种的教导是毫无关系的。
But it is true that only those who persevere are saints, 不过虽然唯有那些坚忍的才是圣徒,这个是事实,the question remains:可是还有一条问题存留着,will the saints persevere ?圣徒们会坚忍吗?Is it so ordained and provided by God上帝是否这样的命定,是否这样的预备呢that those who do truly believe in Christ will persevere to the end?上帝所命定的安排的是否那些真正相信,真正信靠基督的人会坚持到底呢?The answer to this question is, emphatically,yes.对这个问题的答案是一个很强的是的,就是如此。Here it is justification as important to deny the Arminian tenet that the saints may “fall from grace”在这里同样重要的是要否认阿米念主义的教导,说圣徒们可能从救恩中堕落,就是“可以失去救恩”as it is to counteract antinomian presumption and licence.就是与反对那些反律法主义的傲慢、放纵是同样的重要的。一方面是犯律法主义,你可以放纵犯罪,另一个方面是阿米念主义,圣徒会失去救恩,两方面都是错的。
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It is true, of course, that the expression “fall from grace” appears in Scripture(Gal. 5:4)当然“从恩典中堕落”这句话是在圣经里出现的。(加拉太书第五章第4节:【加5:4】你们这要靠律法称义的,是与基督隔绝,从恩典中坠落了。)
But Paul is here dealing not with the question as to whether or not a believer may fall out of the favour of God and finally parish但是保罗这里处理的问题并不是说,一个信主的人是否会从上帝的恩宠中堕落,最后沉沦,不是的,but with defection from the pure doctrine of justification ification by grace as opposed to justification ification by works of law.乃是,那些人从纯正的道理,靠着恩典称义的纯正的道理,他们离开,他们去相信或者教导靠着守律法的行为称义的错误教导。What Paul is saying in effect is that 保罗在这里就等于在说,if we seek to be justificationified by the works of the law in any way or degree whatsoever假如我们用任何的方法在什么程度上试图想要靠着守律法的行为称义的话呢then we have abandoned or fallen away entirely from justification ification by grace.因此呢,这样子我们就完全丢弃、完全从靠恩典称义完全的堕落了。We cannot have a mixture of grace and works in justification ification;在称义的事上,我们不可能把恩典和行为参杂的; it is one or the other.要就是恩典,要不就是靠行为。If we interject works to any degree,假如我们在任何程度上插入了人的行为then we have given up grace 那么我们就等于完全丢弃的恩典,and we are debtors to do the whole law那么我们就有这个义务,欠债要完全地守住律法(cf.Gal.5:3参考加拉太书第五章第三节:【加5:3】我再指着凡受割礼的人确实地说,他是欠着行全律法的债。)
This teaching of Paul is germane to the whole question of perseverance.保罗在这方面的教导是与坚忍的教义里面所浮现的问题是有关的。For no one tenet of our faith is more important in the promotion of perseverance than the doctrine of justification ification by grace alone through faith alone.没有一样的教条是更加的鼓励人坚忍的,就是唯独因着恩典称义,唯独借着信心称义。
But Paul is not dealing here with believers who fall out of the grace of God.但是保罗在里所处理的不是那些从上帝的救恩中堕落的信徒。That would be inconsistent with Paul’s own clear teaching elsewhere in his epistles.如果这样说的话,就与保罗在其他的书信里面清楚的教导就矛盾了。Indeed,it is to Paul’s own teaching that we may appeal first of all to establish the position that the saints will persevere.诚然的,我们必须首先诉诸于保罗他自己的教导来证明,信徒必然会坚忍的。
Who are the saints in terms of the New Testament?那么根据新约圣经,究竟圣徒是指谁呢?They are those who are called to be saints, the call of Jesus Christ(Rom.1:6,7)这些就是蒙召作圣徒的,就是那些主耶稣基督所呼召的人。(罗马书第一章第6节和第7节:【罗1:6-7】你们这蒙召属耶稣基督的人。奉召作圣徒的众人。)
It is quite impossible to separate what the New Testament means by sainthood from the effectual call by which sinners are ushered into the fellowship of Jesus Christ(1 Cor.1:9) 我们完全不可能把新约圣经所讲的圣徒的意思与有效的恩召把它分割,借着有效的恩召,罪人就被领进去与耶稣基督有份的交通里。(哥林多前书第一章第九节:【林前1:9】 上帝是信实的,你们原是被他所召,好与他儿子我们的主耶稣基督一同得份。)Now we must ask:那现在我们要问一个问题了:what in Paul’s teaching are the relations of this calling which constitutes a person a saint?那么在保罗的教导里面,这种恩召,就是使人成为圣徒的恩召是与上帝有哪一种的关系的呢?He tells us in Romance 8:28-30.o保罗在罗马书第八章28-30节告诉我们。Here we have an unbreakable chain of events这里有一系列的,不可能分割的一连串的事件,
Proceeding from God’s eternal purpose in foreknowledge and predestination从上帝在永恒中预知、预定的计划开始to the glorification of the people of God.一直到上帝子民得荣耀。It is important to remove calling from this setting.我们不可能把有效的恩召从这整个的大范围里面分隔出来。The called are called according to purpose(ver.28) 那些被呼召的人,乃是按照神的旨意被呼召的人,(罗马书第八章28节),the purpose is antecedent to the calling.上帝这种的计划或者旨意是在呼召在恩召之前的。And that is what Paul says in verses 29 and 30,这个就是保罗在第29节和30节在讲的,where he expounds the purpose of God in terms of knowledge and predestination– 在29-30节,保罗用预知和预定来解释上帝的旨意是什么,“whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate …and whom he did predestinate, them he also called.” “祂所预先所知道的,就预先定下,就是预定;预先所定下的人,就是所预定的人又呼召他们”。Moreover,不但如此,justification as calling has its antecedents in foreknowledge and predestination,正如在恩召之前有预知和预定,so it has its consequents in justification and glorification–同样的,在恩召之后有称义和得荣耀–(ver.30第30节:【罗8:30】召来的人又称他们为义,所称为义的人又叫他们得荣耀。)– “whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified”林牧师没有读
In connection with the subject in hand, we cannot evade the significance of this passage.我们面对这一章所讨论的问题的时候,不可能逃避罗马书八章28到30岁这段经文的重要性。Those with whom we are now concerned are saints, the called of Jesus Christ,我们在这里所关注的乃是圣徒们,蒙主耶稣基督,或者在耶稣基督里蒙召的人,they are those who are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ这些就是借着对主耶稣基督的信心称义的人。A true Christian cannot be defiled in lower terms 我们不能够用更低的方法来定义一个真正的基督徒是谁,than one who has been called justified.我们必须坚持,一个真正的基督徒就是蒙恩召得称义的人。And therefore the question is:因此,我们要问的问题乃是说:may one who has been called and justified all away and come short of eternal salvation?问题就是说,一个蒙恩召的,被称义的人有没有可能从恩典中堕落,得不到永远的救恩呢?Paul’s answer is inescapable–保罗所做出的答案是我们不能逃避的–the called and the justified will be glorified.蒙恩召的人,就是得称义的人必得荣耀。Likewise, if we proceed in the other direction, we reach the same result.同样的,假如我们走另外一方面的话,得到的结果也是一样的。The called are those who have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.蒙呼召的人,就是那些预先被定下要效法上帝儿子的形象,或者模样的人。(罗马书八章29节)
Is it possible to conceive of God’s predestinating purpose as being defeated?我们可否想象上帝预定的旨意是会受挫败的呢?Not even an Arminian will say that.阿米念主义者也不会这样说。For he believes that God predestinates to eternal salvation those who he foresees will persevere to the end.因为阿米念主义者也相信,那一些上帝所预知会忍耐到底得救的人,上帝是预定他们得永远的救恩的。
We need to appreciate what is at stake in this controversy.我们必须要体会到这场地争辩里面的要害点在哪里。If saints may fall away and be finally lost,假如圣徒们有可能坠落,最终被失落的话呢,then the called and the justified may fall away and be lost.那么那些蒙恩召、得称义的人也有可能坠落、失丧。But that is what the inspired apostle says will not happen and cannot happen–但是这位使徒保罗受默示所说的是这个事不会发生的,也不可能发生的–whom God calls and justifies he also glorifies.那些上帝所呼召的人,就是上帝所称义的人,祂也使他们得荣耀。And that glorification is nothing less than conformity to the image of God’s own Son.而这个得荣耀就是完完全全地效法上帝自己的儿子的模样。It is that of which Paul speaks when he says that God “will transfigure the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his (that is Christ’s ) glory”(Phil.3:21 这种的得荣耀就是保罗在腓立比书第三章第21节所讲的:【腓3:21】他要按着那能叫万有归服自己的大能,将我们这卑贱的身体改变形状,和他自己荣耀的身体相似。)and which in Romans 8:23 he calls “the adoption, the redemption of our body.”这也是保罗在罗马书第八章23节所说到的:“得着儿子的名分,我们的身体得赎。”
The denial of the perseverance of the saints devastates the explicit import of the apostle’s teaching. 若否认、不相信圣徒的坚忍,就完全破坏使徒保罗所教训的明文的要旨。
我们下讲继续讲信徒的坚忍。(p.158.2)
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