於2013-04-16發佈

大使命14

不潔帶來不法

上週我們讀到加拉太書五章19-24節,在列出一連串情慾的事後,保羅強調說:『行這樣事的人必不能承受神的國。』對於那些因為公開承認他們相信耶穌是他們救主就以為得救的人,卻仍繼續過著犯罪的生活,行這些情慾的事,他們的下場會如何?這可能是千百萬『信徒』所能提出最重要的問題了。

倘若我們降低福音的標準,好使人們很容易『得救』,卻妥協了真正聖經對得著救恩所要求的條件,我們是不是反而使人們在屬靈狀況中感到安心,卻仍將他們的生命置於永恆的危險中?許多聖經經文清楚表明,這就是實際情況。

我去過許多聚會,人們被要求只要舉起手相信主就可以得救,其他人卻要低著頭閉上眼。這麼做顯然是為了不讓『新信徒』感到尷尬或膽怯。這怎麼算是公開承認信仰呢?要活出真正的基督教生命需要勇氣,所以我們要如何期待這些如此軟弱承認主的人能有勇氣?答案是許多人並沒有,卻很快宣稱自己得救了。

研究指出今日只有百分之五的新信徒持續去教會;在第一世紀,去教會的人不僅是百分之百,他們還『加給教會』,這顯示真實、活躍的教會生活正是基本的新約生活。未來我們將會談到,真正信主的生命會有顯而易見的果子,若沒有出現果子,我們必須懷疑其信主的真實度。就算信主是真的,我們從撒種的比喻中得知,每一個種子都會經過測試,主說:『惟有忍耐到底的,必然得救』(參考馬太福音24:13)。

我絕不是要使人們信主變得比原本的難;然而,倘若有任何比此更糟的事,莫過於讓信主更容易些,藉此蒙蔽許多人以為他們『得救了』,卻將永生置於危險之中。當我們降低主的標準,我們便是在削弱福音能從罪惡中拯救我們的特質、力量與大能。我們並不是從死亡中蒙拯救,乃是從造成死亡的罪中得拯救。倘若我們的罪性沒有除去,代表我們沒有在生命的道路上。倘若我們是在生命的道路上,顯然我們會從『取死的身體』,也就是我們屬肉體的本質中得釋放。

這並不意味著我們要很完美,正如『義人雅各』承認『原來我們在許多事上都有過失』(參考雅各書3:2)。

偶爾有過失和『行這些情慾的事』是二回事,正如羅馬書六章17-23節所言:

感謝神!因為你們從前雖然作罪的奴僕,現今卻從心裡順服了所傳給你們道理的模範。
你們既從罪裡得了釋放,就作了義的奴僕。
我因你們肉體的軟弱,就照人的常話對你們說。你們從前怎樣將肢體獻給不潔不法作奴僕,以至於不法;現今也要照樣將肢體獻給義作奴僕,以至於成聖。
因為你們作罪之奴僕的時候,就不被義約束了。
你們現今所看為羞恥的事,當日有什麼果子呢?那些事的結局就是死。
但現今,你們既從罪裡得了釋放,作了神的奴僕,就有成聖的果子,那結局就是永生。
因為罪的工價乃是死;惟有神的恩賜,在我們的主基督耶穌裡,乃是永生。

第19節說不潔帶來不法,不法帶來更大的不法。就算你從沒犯過姦淫或通姦,黃色書籍、不潔與此類的東西能夠搶奪你的永恆產業。當你開始行這些事,第一件會發生的事便是你對主的愛開始變得冷淡。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 14, 2013)


Impurity Leads to Lawlessness - The Great Commission, Part 14
Week 14, 2013 
Rick Joyner

As we read last week in Galatians 5:19-24, after listing the deeds of the flesh Paul states emphatically, “those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” So what will become of those who believe they are saved because they made a public acknowledgement that they believed in Jesus as their Savior, but have gone on living in their sinful nature, practicing the works of the flesh stated here? This may be the most important question that could ever be asked by millions of “believers.”

If we dumb down the gospel so that it is easy enough for just about anyone to get “saved,” but compromise the actual, biblical conditions required for salvation, have we made people to feel secure in a spiritual condition in which their lives are still in eternal jeopardy? Many Scriptures make it clear that this is in fact the case.

I have been in many meetings where people are asked to simply raise their hands to make a declaration of belief in Christ for their salvation and everyone else is told to keep their heads bowed and their eyes closed. This is obviously done so as not to embarrass or intimidate the new “converts.” How could this even be a public confession of faith? To live the true Christian life takes courage. So how can we expect those who make such a weak confession to be able to do it? The answer is that not many do, but they quickly claimed to be saved.

Studies indicate that only about 5 percent of converts today go on to even attend church. In the first century, not only did 100 percent attend church, they were “added to the church,” indicating the real, vital church life that is basic New Covenant life. As we will cover, there is obvious fruit with a truly converted life. If that fruit is not present, then we have to wonder if the conversion is real. Even if the conversion is real, we know from the Parable of the Sower that every seed will be tested. The Lord asserted that it is those who “endure to the end” that will be saved (see Matthew 24:13).

I certainly would not want to make it harder than it is supposed to be for people to commit their lives to Jesus. However, if anything could be worse than this, it would be making it easier than it is and thereby deceiving many into thinking they are “saved” when their eternal life is still in jeopardy. When we make it easier than the Lord makes it, we are diluting the character, strength, and power of the gospel to save us from our sins. We are not being saved from death but from what is causing the death—sin. If that sinful nature is not being removed, then we are not on the path of life. If we are on the path of life, then our deliverance from the “body of death,” our carnal nature, is evident.

This does not imply that we must be perfect, as even “James the Just” confessed that “we all stumble in many ways” (see James 3:2). Stumbling occasionally and “practicing” these things are different matters, as we are told in Romans 6:17-23:

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 
Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In verse 19, we are told that impurity leads to lawlessness, which leads to further lawlessness. Even if you have never committed adultery or fornication, pornography, impurity, and such can rob you of your eternal inheritance. As you begin to practice these things, the first thing that will happen is your love for the Lord will begin to grow cold.