神的憐憫與憐恤─啟示錄    

這週我們將繼續研讀啟示錄十五章5-8節： 

此後，我看見在天上那存法櫃的殿開了。 

那掌管七災的七位天使從殿中出來，穿著潔白光明的細麻衣，胸間束著金帶。 

四活物中有一個把盛滿了活到永永遠遠之神大怒的七個金碗給了那七位天使。 

因神的榮耀和能力，殿中充滿了煙。於是沒有人能以進殿，直等到那七位天使所降的七災完畢了。 

正如我們上週所讀到的經文，當我們看整本聖經，神將在末了傾倒祂的忿怒在作惡之人身上。聖經告訴我們那將是什麼樣的忿怒，也對此忿怒會傾倒在什麼樣的惡人，有著清楚的定義。正如這一章第4節清楚說到，萬民來敬拜主是因為祂公義的審判。正如我們在使徒行傳讀到，使徒呈現福音的其中一個面向，是與將來的審判有關，此將真正對神的敬畏放在百姓和權貴人士的心中（請參考使徒行傳24章的例子）。 

神愛世人，渴望他們得救。祂喜愛憐憫勝過審判。然而，當祂的憐憫被人拒絕，祂的審判是必然的。祂不會因著對世人的愛而收手，是罪殺害了我們，是罪讓我們必須逃離祂的忿怒。請思考加拉太書五章19-21節清楚的話語： 

情慾的事都是顯而易見的，就如姦淫、污穢、邪蕩、 

拜偶像、邪術、仇恨、爭競、忌恨、惱怒、結黨、紛爭、異端、 

嫉妒（有古卷在此有：兇殺二字）、醉酒、荒宴等類。我從前告訴你們，現在又告訴你們，行這樣事的人必不能承受神的國。 

使徒並不是說曾做過這樣事的人不能承受神的國，而是『一直在行』這樣事的人。當我們將罪合理化，而不去傳講罪引致死亡的聖經真理，我們便允許人們繼續過這樣的生活，將他們的永恆生命放在危險的景況中。身為一位教師卻這樣教導，在審判那日並非好事。 

神赦免已經承認並悔改的罪，悔改代表轉離它。神的審判確實會在那些不為神所定義之罪悔改的人身上。祂對打美好的仗並抵擋罪惡的人有極大的耐心，儘管如此，正如雅各書三章2節強調，原來我們在許多事上都有過失。正如箴言廿四章16節告訴我們說，義人『雖七次跌倒』，接著告訴我們『仍必興起』。我們的跌倒使主不悅遠不及我們的興起爭戰討祂喜悅。 

顯然惹主不悅並帶來祂的忿怒正是那些開始稱惡為善，稱善為惡的人，正如我們在以賽亞書五章所看到的。當我們開始將罪合理化，並說沒有任何不對，我們便越過最嚴重與致命的界線。將罪合理化與邊緣化，不過是模糊了唯一與神和好的生命道路，這是藉由神兒子的十字架所提供的悔改與救贖。 

謹記在心，撒旦想要得著亞當和夏娃的第一個謊言，就是讓他們懷疑神清楚的話語。這仍是牠對抗神子民最有效的策略，不要懷疑神的話，甚至是關於一些不舒服的主題，如神的審判與祂的忿怒。開始對神的話妥協就是去做亞當和夏娃曾做過的事─墮落並開始走向死亡的道路。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week5, 2018)

 
The Mercy and Compassion of God—The Book of Revelation
Week 5, 2018
Rick Joyner

   We continue this week with Revelation 15:5-8:

        After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

        And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

         Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

          The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to  enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

       As we read in the text last week, and as we see throughout the Scriptures, God will pour out His wrath upon the evil at the end of the age. We are told what that wrath will be, and are given a clear definition of the evil ones who this wrath will be poured out on. As verse 4 in this chapter (the final verse we covered last week) made clear, the nations would come to worship the Lord because of His judgments. As we see in the Book of Acts, one aspect of the Gospel presented by the apostles was the coming Judgment Day. This struck a real fear of God into the hearts of the people and the potentates (see in Acts 24 for an example).  

       God loves all men and desires their salvation. He prefers mercy over judgment. However, when His mercy is refused, His judgment is sure. He will not relent in this because of His love for the world. It is sin that is killing us, and it is sin we must turn from to escape His wrath. Consider this clear word from Galatians 5:19-21:

             Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

             idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

             envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

       The apostle does not say that those who have done these things will not inherit the kingdom, but rather those who “practice” such things. When we rationalize and justify sin, rather than preaching the biblical truth that sin leads to death, then we allow people to continue living in the condition that puts their eternal life in jeopardy. It will not be a good thing on the Judgment Day to be a teacher who has done this.

       God forgives sin that is confessed and repented of. To repent means to turn away from it. The judgment of God is sure on those who do not repent of the sin as God has defined sin. He can have great patience with those who fight the good fight and resist the sin, even though, as James 3:2 asserted, we all stumble at times. As we are told in Proverbs 24:16, even the righteous “fall seven times,” but then we are told “but they rise yet again.” Our falling does not seem to displease the Lord as much as our getting back up and fighting pleases Him.

       What obviously displeases Him and brings His wrath are those who start calling evil good and good evil, as we see in Isaiah 5. When we start rationalizing sin and say it’s not wrong, we cross a most serious and deadly line. To rationalize or marginalize sin is to blur the only path to life and reconciliation to God, which is repentance and salvation provided by God through the cross of His Son. Therefore, warning about the consequences of sin is the only true mercy and compassion.

         Keep in mind that the first lie of Satan was intended to get Adam and Eve to doubt the clear Word of God. This is still his most effective strategy against God’s people. Do not doubt the Word of God, even about uncomfortable subjects such as God’s judgments and His wrath. To start compromising the Word of God is to do what Adam and Eve did—fall and start down the path of death.