於2015-03-01發佈

最棒的基督徒生命 7

第一步驟

朝著我們在基督裡崇高呼召賽跑的第一步驟,就是相信主在十字架上為我們的罪救贖性的犧牲,並且承認祂是我們的主和救主。當我們看見耶穌是從神差來的基督,便有一個最大的神蹟發生─我們重生得救。

重生得救很難瞭解,直到你親身經歷。轉化太過巨大,就像開始了全新的生命一樣。在我們生命中的每一件事都變成新的,除了景況不變以外。我們可能還是有同一個工作,同一個關係,同一個信用卡債務;然而,我們是如此不同,以致於我們看每個人和每件事都不同。這樣的神蹟如此令人敬畏,以致於啟示錄讓我們看見有一天我們將永遠敬拜神的羔羊,祂的救贖犧牲不僅為我們的罪付上代價,更賜給我們不可思議的全新開始。

重生得救何等美好,可以理解何以許多人想要餘生都停留在此階段,的確許多人如此。然而,正如當我們一生出來就開始成長到身體成熟,當我們重生得救以後,我們必須持續長大成熟。

新信徒要成為門徒的最大障礙可能在於他們的關係,我們可能重生得救,但對於那些在我們生命中沒有如此經歷的人,是很難瞭解我們的不同,通常他們會盡其可能不讓我們改變。

對所有加入賽跑的人確實需要恩寵,需要拋開對人的懼怕,或想要滿足他人期待的傾向,這無法幫助我們每天在對神的信心和委身中成長。然而,沒有太多人有動力這樣做,因此根據主的定義,他們並沒有真正成為門徒。

當然相信十字架的救贖並重生得救有許多好處,儘管他們從來沒有符合主對門徒所定義的標準,他們在屬靈上和道德上仍有一定程度的成熟。他們的生活通常可以為主帶來尊榮,對他們的家庭、鄰居與他人有益無損,這些人當中有許多真的是世上的鹽和光。

當天上的地位和獎賞如此顯而易見時,哪裡是這些重生得救卻沒有成為真門徒之人的安身之處呢?在教會歷史中提出此疑問的許多人似乎認為,當地上被重建為最初神所創造的樂園時,根據許多聖經預言此將發生,而這些人將會在地上復活。有些人會在地上,很有可能就是這些人─復活後有永恆生命卻是地上的生命。然而,當我們對此推測時,我們必須要小心,不要帶出邏輯性的結論,特別是當神只有顯示一部份時。當我們有需要時,我們將會知道這類事情的答案。

然而,我們可以確定的是:一定有崇高的呼召,『更好的復活』是我們所能擁有的最好機會,最大獎賞。此珍珠是如此的珍寶,值得我們變賣一切來得著。

倘若我們不符合標準,無法達到此終極崇高呼召,我們在基督裡所要走的路不知還有多遠?所有信徒將看見此崇高呼召並開始賽跑的日子近了,所以我們最好現在就開始。還是我們想要許多超越我們之人踩在我們背上的腳印?更重要的是,主配得祂跟隨者如此的委身。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week7, 2015) 

 

The First Step- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 7
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Week 7, 2015
Rick Joyner

The first step in our race to go for the high calling of God in Christ is to believe in the Lord’s atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross and to acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior. When we see Jesus as the Christ sent from God, one of the greatest of all miracles takes place—we are born again.

Being born again is probably impossible to understand until you have experienced it. It is a transformation so radical that it is like starting a whole new life. Everything in our lives become new, except the conditions. We may still be in the same job, have all the same relationships, and the same credit card debt; however, we are so different that we see everyone and everything differently. This is a miracle so awesome that the Book of Revelation shows us that we will be forever worshiping the Lamb of God whose atoning sacrifice not only paid for our sins, but also gave us an incredible new beginning. 

Being born again is so wonderful, it is understandable why many would want to park there for the rest of their lives, and many do. However, just as when we are born in the natural we are just beginning to grow and form into what we are to be, so it is when we are born again. We must go on to maturity.

Possibly the biggest obstacle to new believers going on to become disciples is their relationships. We may have been born again, but for those in our lives who have not had the experience, it will be hard for them to understand and very hard for them to relate to us being different. Often these will do all they can to keep us from changing.

This actually works in the favor of all who would run this race, as it requires the casting off of the fear of man, or our tendency to live to meet other people’s expectations, and instead helps us grow daily in faith and devotion to God. However, not many really get traction doing this and therefore never truly become disciples, according to the Lord’s definition.

Certainly there is great benefit to being born again and trusting in the atonement of the cross for redemption. Even though they may never measure up to the Lord’s definition of a disciple, they can still mature to a degree spiritually and morally. They can have lives that generally bring honor to the Lord, as well as a benefit to their families, neighbors, and others. Many of these truly are salt and light.

As positions and rewards in heaven are apparent, where do these who may have been born again but do not become true disciples fit in? Many of those in church history who addressed this question seemed to think that these would be resurrected on the earth to be part of the restoration of the earth to the paradise it was created to be, which we see will be done, according to many biblical prophecies. Someone will be on the earth, and perhaps these are the ones—resurrected and having eternal but earthly lives. However, as we speculate about this, we must be careful not to carry things to logical conclusions when God has only revealed them in part. We will know the answers to things like this when we need to.

However, we can be sure that there is a high calling, “a better resurrection” that is the greatest opportunity, the greatest prize that could ever be attained. This pearl is such a treasure that to obtain it is worth selling everything we own.

If we should fall short and not attain to the ultimate high calling, how much further in Christ will we have gone by trying to attain? The day is coming when virtually all believers will see this and begin to run, so we had better get started. Are we are going to have a lot of footprints on our backs from those who have passed us? More importantly, the Lord deserves this kind of devotion from His followers.