於2012-01-08發佈

神的公平在十字架上成為對罪人的憐憫

不先瞭解神的審判,我們便無法瞭解神的道路,但這卻是當今最被忽略的聖經教導。這是因為許多人認為神的審判就是定罪和/或毀滅,事實上這些在祂的審判中都是非常罕見的結局,但沒有重生的人卻易於極端思考。不先瞭解祂的審判就不可能瞭解神要來的國度,因為聖經清楚指示祂來為要審判地上。正如聖經也清楚說到,這是一件好事,不需要懼怕,除非我們心懷邪惡。思想一下在聖經出埃及記六章6節,神第一次提到與審判有關的經文:

我要用伸出來的膀臂重重地刑罰埃及人,救贖你們脫離他們的重擔,不做他們的苦工

神審判的結果是以色列蒙拯救,這亦是我們的結果。釋放神百姓從埃及得自由的審判是針對埃及的假神,而釋放神百姓在末日得自由的審判,同樣也是針對這世界的假神。任何超過對神熱愛或是取代對神信靠的事物都是假神;希伯來書告訴我們極大的震動會臨到地上,使得『凡可以被震動的都要被震動』,這段經文也告訴我們,這是為了使那不被震動的常存(參考希伯來書12:26-28)。正要臨到的震動是為了顯明我們唯一可以站立的堅固根基─就是信靠神、祂的國度與祂的權柄。倘若我們的生命是建造在其上,當每一件事被震動時,我們必不被震動。

施行公平確實需要懲罰罪過;即便如此,神對我們的憐憫並非耶穌懇求天父不要擊打我們的結果,而是神的公平認可耶穌為我們的罪過受罰。因此,不單是只有我們受罰,亦不是耶穌的犧牲不夠。十字架是公平的終極之地,神對罪惡的終極公平在此處顯明,每當我們看見十字架與罪的可怕結果,並相信耶穌為我們的過犯所做的犧牲是夠用的,十字架便將公平轉為恩典。

我們理當為自己的罪過受罰,耶穌卻擔當了我們的懲罰。這即是何以我們可以站立,並會永遠站立,我們是站立在祂的公義與祂的犧牲上,而不是我們的。在永恆裡,我們將尊榮祂為我們救恩的贖罪羔羊。沒有公平就不可能有憐憫;當耶穌已為我們的過犯受罰,就不單是只有我們受罰而已。 

基督徒常常會被稱為狂妄,因為我們堅稱十字架是到上帝的唯一道路。然而,神差遣祂的兒子為我們做成這事─祂為拯救我們所做的犧牲,我們卻說不需要,我們可以用其他方式來獲得公義,這才是墮落的人裡面的終極狂妄。驕傲導致撒旦墮落,也幾乎是後來每一個人墮落的原因。驕傲會讓人停留在墮落狀態中,惟有謙卑接受耶穌為我們所做的才能使我們脫離墮落狀態,並讓我們與神和好。

耶穌為全世界的罪付上代價,只要以相信耶穌的十字架作為接受神的基礎,任何人都可以從過犯應有的結局中完全蒙救贖。凡是拒絕祂的犧牲的人將承擔自己過犯的結果,許多人選擇如此,但那是一種終極驕傲,使人拒絕神所提供的救贖。

主並不想要任何人承受犯罪的結果,但他們必須做一個選擇。除非有不順服的自由,否則就不會有真正的順服。除非有不敬拜的自由,否則就不會有真實的敬拜。要不然主創造電腦來敬拜,將流程設定好,反而會更好,而且絕不會有錯誤,但這樣的敬拜會有多真實呢?

為此緣故,自由是真實敬拜神的根基,神正在尋找那些會用心靈和誠實敬拜祂的人,而不是出於強迫。這即是何以福音必須以軟弱的方式臨到,由地上的器皿來傳遞,他們自己也需要他們所傳揚的福音救贖。福音的大能臨到是為了釋放我們從墮落與疾病的結局中自由,但倘若其能力太大,人們就必須屈服,也就不會有選擇來證明真誠的敬拜了。

神的大能鋪張穹蒼如同天幕;當主為摩西分開紅海,天使覺得無聊─他們曾看過比這更偉大的事情。倘若神想用彰顯大能來強迫人服事祂,祂可以直接用星星在天上寫祂的名字。祂賜給祂子民的能力並不是為了證明祂的能力,而是為要證明祂的愛─祂顧念我們,不想我們受苦。事實上,祂深愛我們到為我們受苦,以致於我們不需要承受。即便如此,我們必須選擇信靠祂並順服祂,否則我們將承擔自己驕傲與過犯的結果。

讓我們定意每一天都來慶祝祂所賜下的偉大的愛,還有祂為我們的過犯所付上的偉大代價。祂為我們所付的代價配得我們最大的敬拜,這才是公平。為了福音的緣故,神如此偉大的愛,每一天、藉由每一種方式來被我們分享,好讓祂能得著祂犧牲的獎賞─祂是如此愛世人,甚至為他們付上如此大的代價。公平需要我們白白分享我們白白領受的。

讓我們定意在今年盡一切所能來分享我們被託付最偉大的寶藏─福音。

 (摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 51, 2011)


The Judgments of God, Part 14
God's Justice Becomes Mercy for Sinners at the Cross 
Week 51, 2011

We cannot understand the ways of God without understanding His judgments, yet this may be the most neglected of biblical teachings in modern times. This is because many think of the judgments of God as condemnation and/or destruction. These are actually very rare consequences of His judgments, but the un-regenerated do tend to think in extremes. It is not possible to understand the coming of God’s kingdom without understanding His judgments because Scripture is clear that He is coming to judge the earth. As the Scriptures also make clear, this is a good thing, not something to be afraid of, unless we are evil. Consider this first mention of God’s judgments in Scripture in Exodus 6:6:

"I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments."

The redemption of Israel was the result of God’s judgments, and so is ours. The judgments that set God’s people free from Egypt were on the gods of Egypt, and the judgments that will set God’s people free at the end of this age will likewise be on the gods of this world. A false god is anything that we give our affection to that eclipses our affection for God, or that we put our trust in instead of God. We are told in Hebrews 12 that the great shaking which is coming upon the earth will be so “everything that can be shaken will be shaken.” We are also told that this is so what cannot be shaken will remain (see Hebrews 12:26-28). The shaking that is coming, and is even now upon us, is to reveal that which alone is a solid foundation that we can stand on—trust in God, His kingdom, and His authority. If this is what we have built our lives on, we will not be shaken when everything else is. 

Justice does demand punishment for transgressions. Even so, God’s mercy toward us is not the result of Jesus pleading with the Father to not smite us, but it is the result of the justice of God which acknowledges that Jesus was punished for our transgressions. Therefore, it would not be just for us to be punished too or it would mean that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough. The cross is the ultimate place of justice, where God’s ultimate justice for transgression is revealed, and when we see it and the terrible consequences of sin and trust that the sacrifice of the Son was enough for our transgressions, it translates justice into mercy.

We do deserve the punishment for our transgressions, but Jesus took our punishment. This is why we stand, and will always stand, on His righteousness and the sacrifice that He made, and not our own. For all of eternity, we will honor Him as the Lamb that paid for our salvation. There could be no mercy without justice, but it would not be just for us to be punished for our transgressions when Jesus has already been punished for them. 

Christians are often called arrogant because we claim that the cross is the only way to God. However, for God to have sent His Son to do this for us—to suffer the sacrifice that He made for our redemption, and then to say that we don’t need this and can attain our own righteousness some other way, is in fact the ultimate arrogance of fallen man. Pride caused the fall of Satan and almost every fall since. Pride will keep man in his fallen state, and only the humility of embracing what Jesus did for us can deliver us from our fallen state and reconcile us to God.

Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world, and anyone can be completely redeemed from the consequences of their transgressions by simply trusting the cross of Jesus as the basis of their acceptance with God. Those who reject His sacrifice will bear the consequences of their transgressions, which many choose to do. Call it whatever they will, but it is an ultimate pride that causes anyone to refuse the redemption provided by God. 

The Lord does not want any to suffer the consequences of their sins, but there has to be a choice. There can be no true obedience unless there is the freedom to disobey. There can be no true worship unless there is the freedom not to worship. Otherwise, the Lord would have done better to just create the computer to worship Him, program it to do so, and there would never have been a transgression, but how real would this devotion be? 

For this reason, freedom is the foundation of the true worship of God. He is looking for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not under compulsion. This is why the gospel has to come in weakness, carried by earthen vessels who themselves are in need of the redemption they preach. The power that the gospel comes with is to deliver us from the consequences of the Fall, sickness, and disease, but if it came with too much power, people would have to submit to it and would not have the choice that proves true devotion. 

It was the power of God that stretched out the heavens like a tent curtain. When the Lord divided the Red Sea for Moses, the angels were bored—they had seen much greater things than this. If God wanted to reveal His power to compel men to serve Him, He could write His name in the heavens with the stars. The power that He has given His people to walk in is not to prove His power but to prove His love—that He cares for us and does not want us to suffer. In fact, He loves us so much He came to bear our suffering so that we would not have to. Even so, we must choose to trust Him and obey Him or we will bear the consequences of our pride and transgressions.

Let us resolve to celebrate every day with the great love that He has for us and the great price that He paid for our transgressions. It is justice that He who paid such a price should have our ultimate devotion. It is just for the gospel, the story of such love, to be shared by us every day and in every way so that He might receive the reward of His sacrifice—the people He loved so much that He would pay such a price for them. Justice demands that we freely share what we have so freely received.

Let us resolve that this year will be the year when we share with all that we can this greatest of treasures we’ve been entrusted with—the gospel.