2. Manna issue 94 - The Sacraments and the Lives of the Saints (Part 1): Water Baptism 聖徒的聖禮與生活(第一回):洗禮
Boaz—Malaysia 馬來西亞
WHAT IS A SACRAMENT? 聖禮是什麼?
For True Jesus Church members,
the mention of “sacraments” usually brings to mind
either the lessons shared with truth-seeking friends
or theological seminar lectures on the efficacy of these sacraments.
We tend to perceive the spiritual efficacies of these sacraments as one-off phenomena,
occuring at the moment the sacrament is administered.
We may also view the teachings behind these sacraments
merely as Bible knowledge we discuss with truth-seeking friends.
Unwittingly, we have separated these sacraments from the life we are to lead as saints.
Let us reconsider the teachings behind the sacraments
and reflect on how their spiritual efficacies should transform and echo throughout our lives.
對於真耶穌教會的信徒來說,
提到“聖禮”通常會讓人想起,
不是與慕道朋友分享的課程,
就是神訓班時,教授這些聖禮的功效。
我們傾向把這些聖禮的屬靈功效視為一次性的現象,
只發生在施行聖禮的那一刻。
我們或許也看待這些聖禮背後的教義,
僅僅作為我們與慕道朋友討論的聖經知識。
不知不覺中,我們已經將這些聖禮,與我們身為聖徒要過的生活分開了。
讓我們重新思考聖禮背後的教義,
並且反省他們屬靈的功效,應如何在我們的生活中有所轉變和造成共嗚。
THE SPIRITUAL EFFECTS OF BAPTISM 洗禮屬靈的功效
1. Forgiveness of Sins: Constant Self-reflection 赦罪:不斷自省
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar, and His word in not in us.
(1 Jn 1:7–10)
7我們若在光明中行,如同神在光明中,
就彼此相交,
他兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪。
8我們若說自己無罪,便是自欺,
真理不在我們心裡了。
9我們若認自己的罪,神是信實的,
是公義的,必要赦免我們的罪,洗淨我們一切的不義。
10我們若說自己沒有犯過罪,
便是以神為說謊的,他的道也不在我們心裡了。
(約翰一書 1:7-10)
By God’s grace and through faith,
our sins are forgiven through the baptism of water.
After baptism, if we continually reflect on a deep and genuine level,
this effect of forgiveness is amplified.
The Lord’s precious blood covers not just the sins we commit outwardly
but also cleanses away the evil deep in our hearts.
True reflection is based on two components:
the standard of right and wrong found within God’s truth
and godly sorrow when faced with one’s own sin.
Both of these are critical and interconnected.
The knowledge of right and wrong evokes “intellectual repentance,”
but we must not stop there.
Instead, we must take one step further to feel deep sorrow
when we realize our sins.
Such godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation
(2 Cor 7:10).
Believers should thus put aside a daily time for reflection.
At the very least, before we turn in for the night,
make time to reflect on the day’s events;
review our conduct and thoughts (even passing thoughts)
to see if we have fallen short of the glory of God.
In this way, we will be able to confess and repent of our sins,
lest we treasure up for ourselves God’s wrath in the future
(Rom 2:4–5).
靠著神的恩典和信心,
我們因為大水洗禮得到了赦罪。
洗禮之後,如果我們一直進行深刻而真誠的反思,
饒恕的效果就會擴大。
主的寶血不僅遮蓋我們外表所犯的罪,
也淨化了我們內心深處的邪惡。
真正的反省有兩個要件:
找到神真理中是非的標準,
看到自己的罪孽時,會有出自於神的憂傷。
這兩者都很重要,而且是互相關聯的。
是非的知識會喚起“理智的悔改”
但我們絕不能就此止步。
相反的,我們必須更進一步去感受內心深處的悲傷,
當我們認清自己罪孽的時候。
這種敬虔的憂愁而產生的悔改,會帶來拯救
(林後 7:10)。
因此,信徒應該每天留出時間進行反省。
至少,我們每晚睡覺之前,
留下時間反省當天發生的事件;
檢討自已的行為和想法(甚至是閃過的念頭),
以判別自已是否有虧缺了神的榮耀。
這樣,我們就能認罪悔改,
免得我們自己積蓄將來神的憤怒
(羅 2:4-5)。
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?”
(Jer 17:9)
“9人心比萬物都詭詐,
壞到極處,
誰能識透呢?”
(耶 17:9)
There is a Chinese idiom,
“Deceiving oneself as well as deceiving others,”
which implies that deceiving others is preceded by self-deception.
When we make crafty excuses to appease our seared consciences,
we deceive ourselves and become ensnared in our own lies,
remaining blind to our true state or situation.
Only the Lord searches the heart, tests the mind,
and is willing and able to help
(Jer 17:10).
As believers, we ought to pray to God to uncover our hidden faults and secret acts.
David also prayed in this way to make sure he had a clear conscience
(Ps 19:12).
When David committed a great sin in a moment of folly
and was unaware of his transgression,
God instructed the prophet Nathan to awaken and rebuke him right away.
When his sin, committed in the dark, was pointed out and made public
(and recorded for generations of people to read),
David did not deny it or make excuses for himself.
Neither did he fly into a shame-fuelled rage.
Instead, he sincerely confessed and repented of his sins
(2 Sam 12:13).
This was God’s mercy towards David,
turning him back in a timely manner so that he would not continue in his sin.
中國有一個成語,
“欺騙自己,也欺騙別人”
其中隱念了欺騙別人之前先欺騙自己。
當我們編造狡詐的藉口來安撫自已枯萎的良心時,
我們會自欺,而陷入自己的謊言中,
而盲於看清自已的真實狀態或情況。
惟有耶和華鑒察人心,試驗人的肺腑,
並且願意且能夠提供幫助
(耶 17:10)。
作為信徒,我們應該向神祈禱,來揭露自已隱藏的過錯和隱秘的行為。
大衛也用這樣的方式來禱告,以確保他有無愧的良心。
(詩 19:12)。
大衛在愚蠢的時候犯下了大罪時,
沒有查覺自己的過犯,
神指示先知拿單馬來喚醒責備他。
當他暗中犯下的罪孽,被指出來,並且公開的時候,
(並且記錄下來給世世代代的人閱讀),
大衛並沒有否認,也沒有為自己找藉口。
他也沒有因為羞恥而勃然大怒。
相反的,他真誠認罪並悔改。
(撒下 12:13)。
這是神給大衛的憐憫,
讓他能及時回頭,免得他繼續犯罪。
In defiant arrogance, people may argue,
“Wouldn’t grace abound where sin abounds?”
(Rom 6:1).
This would be equivalent to believers
who are too afraid to commit mortal sins
and yet persist in endless so-called “minor” sins,
thinking that God’s boundless grace would similarly persist for them.
Such believers tread the grey area between righteousness and unrighteousness.
They fail to reflect thoroughly on why they continue in these minor sins.
Do we, too, assume that
the precious blood of Jesus is sufficiently generous that it covers
—or even condones
—our refusal to change or our slackness in getting rid of these minor sins?
Do we think that
the lack of immediate judgment is a manifestation of God’s great grace for us?
These minor sins committed wilfully will one day cause us to lose our spiritual life.
This is because
“those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”
(Gal 5:18–21).
Here, Paul lists “lesser” sins, such as envy and selfish ambitions, alongside murder,
while the verb “practice” is in the present continuous tense.
The author of Hebrew sternly warns
that there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins for those who sin wilfully
(Heb 10:26).
人們可能會以目中無人的傲慢態度爭辯說,
“多犯罪難道不會叫恩典顯多嗎?”
(羅 6:1)。
這就好像有很多信徒,
他們害怕犯下大罪,
卻又一直不停犯下所謂“小”罪,
認為,神無限的恩典同樣會一直為他們存在。
這些信徒遊走於公義與不義之間的灰色地帶。
他們沒有徹底反省,自已為何繼續犯這些小罪。
我們是否也假設,
耶穌寶血很充足,可以遮掩
—甚至縱容,
—我們拒絕改變,還是我們很懶得改掉這些小罪?
我們是否認為,
缺乏立即審判,是神給我們偉大恩典的體現嗎?
這些故意願犯下的小罪,有一天會使我們失去靈命。
這是因為,
“21行這樣事的人必不能承受神的國。”
(加 5:18-21)。
這裡,保羅列出“較輕的”罪,例如,嫉妒和自私的野心,以及謀殺,
而動詞“practice 進行”則採用現在進行時態。
希伯來書的作者嚴厲警告,
26因為若故意犯罪,贖罪的祭就再沒有了
(來 10:26)。
As a merciful and loving Father, God does not leave us struggling alone.
He helps us examine our hearts in several ways.
First, He provides His word to help us discern the thoughts in our hearts
(Heb 4:12).
In this case, we proactively use God’s word to filter ourselves.
Second, the grieving of the Holy Spirit awakens our sleeping consciences
(Eph 4:30).
In this case, God personally calls out to us through His indwelling Holy Spirit.
Third, the teachings spoken on the pulpit advise and examine us
(1 Cor 14:25).
In this case, God reminds us through a third party.
Under the last two circumstances, God is the active initiator,
while we are the passive recipient of His exhortation.
Being passive, however, does not mean that we take no action.
At the very least, our hearts should be moved.
In all three circumstances, God is helping us to constantly reflect on ourselves
so that we will stop being stiff-necked
and covering our ears in rejection of God’s reminders.
身為一位憐憫慈愛的父親,神不會讓我們獨自掙扎。
他用很多方式幫助我們檢視自己的內心。
首先,祂預備了神的話語,來幫助我們辨明心中的想法
(來 4:12)。
在這種情況下,我們主動用神的話語來過濾自己。
第二,聖靈的憂傷喚醒我們沉睡的良心
(弗 4:30)。
在這種情況下,神親自以祂內住的聖靈呼喚我們。
第三、講台上的教誨給我們的建議和檢討
(林前 14:25)。
在這種情況下,神用第三者來提醒我們。
後者兩種情況之下,神是主動的發起者,
而我們卻是被動接受祂的勸告。
然而,被動並不代表我們不採取任何行動。
至少,我們的內心應該得到感動。
在這三種情況下,神都在幫助我們不斷自己反省,
這樣我們就不會硬著頸項,
並且摀住自已耳朵,拒絕神的提醒。
2. Put on Christ: Constant Vigilance 披戴基督:時常警醒
Behold, I am coming as a thief.
Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments,
lest he walk naked and they see his shame.
(Rev 16:15)
15(看哪,我來像賊一樣。
那儆醒、看守衣服、
免得赤身而行、叫人見他羞恥的有福了!)
(啟 16:15)
Baptism allows us to put on Christ
(Gal 3:27).
But beyond the moment of our baptism,
we must watch and keep our garments of salvation.
In other words, we must ensure that we have properly put on Christ
as our garment of salvation,
and be justified by relying on Christ.
Otherwise, when trials and temptation come,
we will be like the anonymous young man who was seized by his garment and fled naked,
leaving his linen cloth behind,
because he was terrified of being arrested together with Christ
(Mk 14:52).
洗禮讓我們披戴基督
(加 3:27)。
但除了我們受洗那時之後,
我們必須警醒,並且保守自已救恩的外衣。
換句話說,我們必須確保自已有正確披戴了基督,
作為我們得救的外衣,
並且依靠基督而稱義。
否則的話,當試煉和引誘來臨時,
我們就會像那個無名的年輕人一樣,他因為衣服被抓住,就只能赤身裸體的逃跑,
留下他的亞麻衣,
因為他害怕與基督一起被抓
(可 14:52)。
Why do believers become naked?
Revelation 16:13 describes the temptation from three mouths:
that of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
These three mouths use both hard and soft tactics,
as well as performing great signs,
so that people might let down their guard and be persuaded to take off their robes of salvation.
While these three mouths often appear in the stories of the Bible,
they do not manifest themselves in recognizably detestable forms.
On the contrary, they use different ways to camouflage themselves;
deceitful words from these three mouths impacted the saints of old
who had lost their vigilance,
deceiving those who based their discernment on their physical eyesight,
instead of spiritual eyesight.
為什麼信徒會赤身露體呢?
啟示錄 16 章 13 節描述了來自三種口的試探:
龍、獸和假先知的口。
這三張嘴會軟硬兼施,
以及表演偉大的奇蹟,
因此大家放鬆警惕,並且被說服而脫下救恩的外衣。
雖然這三張嘴經常會出現在聖經故事中,
他們並沒有表現出明顯可憎的形式。
相反的,他們用不同的方式來偽裝自己;
這三口的詭詐之言,衝擊了古時的聖人
使他們失去了警惕,
欺騙那些以肉眼為基礎來辨別的人,
而不是用屬靈的眼睛來看。
The mouth of the dragon
(Rev 12:15–16)
can be seen in Delilah’s honeyed lips.
Stronger than Samson’s muscles,
her sweet words broke Samson’s last line of defense,
and he gave away the secret of his strength
(Judg 16:15–17).
Today, the dragon’s mouth signifies the world’s mainstream ideologies.
Erroneous at the core, these are whitewashed, wrapped in elegant apparel,
and adorned with jewels
(Rev 17:4).
This alluring world arouses the desire of all those who lay their eyes on it.
The honeyed dragon’s mouth makes countless and irresistibly beautiful promises
so that people are seduced into offering their youthful life to the world.
Let us emulate Joseph, who guarded himself against the sweet words of his master’s wife.
Although he lost his garment, he remained clothed with the salvation of his soul.
龍的嘴
(啟 12:15-16)
從大利拉的甜言蜜語可以看到。
比參孫的肌肉更強壯,
她甜言蜜語衝破了參孫的最後一道防線,
他洩露了自已力量的秘密
(士 16:15-17)。
如今,龍口象徵著世界的主流意識形態。
核心本質上是錯誤的,它們被洗白了,包裹著優雅的外衣,
並有珠寶點綴裝飾
(啟 17:4)。
這個充滿誘惑的世界,勾起了所有注視之人的慾望。
甜言蜜語的龍口,許下無數令人難以抗拒的美麗承諾,
因此引誘大家將青春的生命獻給了世界。
讓我們效法約瑟,他謹醒防範自己主人妻子的甜言蜜語。
雖然他失去了外袍,但仍然披上了自已靈魂救贖外衣。
The mouth of the beast
(Rev 13:6)
can be seen in the threatening lips of the high priest’s servant girl
(Mk 14:66–70).
Greater than Peter’s nerve, these words exhausted what little courage he had left.
Today, the mouth of the beast signifies everything that intimidates and threatens.
An overwhelming and powerful appearance
(Rev 13:2),
it strikes fear in all who witness it.
The threats spewing from the beast’s mouth are meant to cause us to give up our faith.
Consider the time when Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
The enemies tried to obstruct this holy work by using words in different ways.
This included threatening to report their “rebellion” to the king
(Neh 2:19; 7:6),
mocking the “poor quality” of their work
(Neh 4:2–3),
and conspiring to attack them
(Neh 4:8–11).
野獸之口
(啟 13:6)
可以從大祭司使女威脅性的嘴唇看到
(可 14:66-70)。
這些話超出了彼得的膽量,耗盡了他僅存的一點勇氣。
如今,野獸之口代表了一切的恐嚇和威脅。
壓倒性而強大的外表
(啟 13:2),
所有的看到的人都會感到恐懼。
野獸之口吐出的威脅,是為了讓我們放棄信仰。
想想尼希米重建耶路撒冷城牆的時候。
敵人試圖用不同方式的言語,來阻礙這項聖工。
這包括威脅報告國王他們的“叛亂”
(尼 2:19;7:6),
嘲笑他們的工作“品質差”
(尼 4:2-3),
並且謀畫要攻擊他們
(尼 4:8-11)。
Let us emulate David’s fearlessness in the face of Goliath’s great stature and barbarous threats,
and be determined to fight to the end for our faith.
讓我們效法大衛面對歌利亞巨大身軀和野蠻威脅的無畏精神,
並決心為我們的信仰戰鬥到底。
The mouth of the false prophet
(Rev 13:11, 13–15)
can be seen in the tempting mouth of the serpent.
So brilliant were its words that it breached Eve’s defenses and even swallowed Adam.
The false prophet’s mouth signifies great signs that deceive.
In the Book of Revelation, the elder John saw a vision of a beast with the appearance of a lamb,
but the voice of the dragon
(Rev 13:11).
People worshipped him wholeheartedly
because of the great signs he could perform.
Jesus warned of false prophets who hide their true colors under innocuous sheep’s clothing
(Mt 7:15).
The mouth of the false prophet may even deceive the elect
because he could call the wind and summon the rain
(Mt 24:24).
His words are misleading
(1 Tim 6:20),
and he affirms his words by the signs he performs.
Those with itching ears and whose faith is not built on the teachings of Christ
will be drowned by this spiritual deceit
(2 Thess 2:11–12).
假先知之口
(啟示錄 13:11, 13-15)
可以從蛇的引誘之口看到。
它的言語天花亂墜,以至可以突破夏娃的防禦,甚至吞噬了亞當。
假先知之口象徵著欺騙性的大異象。
在《啟示錄》中,約翰長老看到了一隻羔羊外皮野獸的異象,
但卻發出龍的聲音
(啟 13:11)。
大家都全心全意的崇拜他,
因為他可以執行偉大的異象。
耶穌警告假先知,他們將自己的真面目隱藏在無害的羊皮之下
(太 7:15)。
假先知之口甚至可能欺騙選民,
因為他可以呼風喚雨
(太 24:24)。
他的話語可以誤導別人
(提前 6:20),
他用自已所行的異象來證實他說的話語。
那些耳朵發癢,且信仰不是建立在基督教義的人,
將會被這種屬靈欺騙的死亡淹沒
(帖後 2:11-12)。
To survive such devious attacks,
we must have the right armor.
The head is the most important part of our body.
Survival is possible when other parts of our body are damaged;
however, an injury to the head can be fatal.
Paul describes salvation as a helmet that protects the head
(Eph 6:17),
an indication of how important salvation is to a person’s soul.
We must thus guard the garment of salvation from the Lord with vigilance,
lest we be deceived by the three deceitful mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
Once we lose this garment of salvation,
our eternal life will also be lost.
為了在這種狡猾的攻擊倖存下來,
我們必須有合適的盔甲。
頭部是我們身體最重要的部分。
當我們身體其他的部位受損時,我們仍有可能生存;
然而,頭部受傷可能是致命的。
保羅描述救恩是保護頭部的頭盔
(弗 6:17),
指出救嗯對一個人的靈魂有多重要。
因此,我們必須警醒守護主救恩的外衣,
以免我們受到龍、野獸、假先知這三張詭詐之口的迷惑。
一旦我們失去這件救恩的衣裳,
我們的永生也會失去。
3. Born Again: Constant Renewal 重生:一直更新
Therefore we do not lose heart.
Even though our outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
(2 Cor 4:16)
16所以,我們不喪膽。
外體雖然毀壞,
內心卻一天新似一天。
(林後 4:16)
Aging is a natural and irreversible life process.
Facing death is an inevitable battle
(Eccl 8:8).
However, for those reborn in Christ,
there is another possibility beyond physical life.
Their souls do not suffer from sin-induced aging.
On the contrary, they can be renewed daily by relying on the Holy Spirit.
This constant renewal is not a natural or necessary process;
it requires a conscious and concerted effort
to resist the law of sin and submit to the law of God
(Rom 7:23–25, 8:2).
衰老是一個自然且不可逆的生命過程。
面對死亡是一場不可避免的戰鬥
(傳 8:8)。
然而,對那些基督裡重生的人來說,
除了肉體生命之外,還有另一種可能性。
他們的靈魂不會因罪而衰老。
相反的,依靠聖靈,他們可以每天更新。
這種不斷的更新,並不是一種自然或必要的過程;
它需要有意識和共同的努力
抵擋罪的律法,並服從神的律法
(羅馬書 7:23-25,8:2)。
Those who receive baptism are born from above
(Jn 3:6),
and born of God
(Jn 1:13).
This is the first resurrection
(Rev 20:5).
We should cherish this blessed opportunity to be reborn as a new creation
and ensure that this new man matures and becomes strong in spirit,
growing into the full stature of Christ
(Lk 1:80, 2:52).
Our model ought to be the holistic development of the infant Jesus,
who grew not only physically but also spiritually at the same pace.
If a person’s cognitive development lags behind his physical development,
he is considered immature.
Conversely, a child whose cognitive development outpaces his physical development
is deemed precocious.
Neither case is ideal;
cognitive and physical development ought to be synchronized.
受洗的人是從天國重生
(約 3:6),
並從神而生
(約 1:13)。
這是第一次的復活
(啟 20:5)。
我們應該珍惜這個幸運的重生機會,成為新造生命,
作為一個新的創作並確保
確保這新人成熟,並且靈性堅強,
長成基督完整的身量
(路 1:80,2:52)。
我們的模範,應該是嬰兒耶穌的全面成長,
他們不僅是肉體,而且靈性也同樣成長。
如果人的認知發展落後於身體的發展,
他就被認為不成熟。
相反的,認知發展超過肉體發展的孩子,
會被認為是早熟。
這兩種情況都不是很理想。
認知和身體發展應該同步成長。
How do we ensure holistic growth?
From the moment we are spiritually reborn,
we must, like a baby, desire the pure spiritual milk of the word
(1 Pet 2:2).
To build a solid foundation on God’s holy word,
we must pursue the truth
—the common belief of our church
(including the Ten Articles of Faith).
If we consume erroneous teachings from outside the church,
we may suffer indigestion or worse, food poisoning.
As we grow, we can proceed to solid food.
In fact, only full-grown, mature Christians can take solid food,
because they have the ability to discern the truth of God
(Heb 5:14).
Rigorous training in God’s word helps us become adults
who are independent and mature in thought.
We are not easily deceived, and our judgment not easily swayed
(Eph 4:14).
我們如何確保能夠全面性的成長呢?
從我們靈命重生的那一刻起,
我們必須像嬰兒一樣,渴望道理的純淨靈奶
(彼前 2:2)。
在神聖言的基礎上,建立堅實的基礎,
我們必須追求真理,
—我們教會的共同信條
(包括十大信條)。
如果我們接受了教會以外的錯誤教導,
我們可能會消化不良,或更慘的是食物中毒。
隨著我們成長,就可以開始吃固體食物。
事實上,只有完全長大、成熟的基督徒才能吃固體食物,
因為他們有能力辨別神的真理
(來 5:14)。
嚴格神道理的訓練,可以幫助我們長大成人,
長大的人可以獨立思考、心思成熟。
我們不要輕易受騙,自已的判斷不要輕易動搖
(弗 4:14)。
“Putting on the new man” requires a transformed mind
(Eph 4:22–24).
The apostle Paul describes it as being “transformed by the renewing of your mind”
(Rom 12:2),
which means a change emerges in a believer’s values and ideology
because of his knowledge of Jesus.
Paul changed drastically from before to after he believed in the Lord
(Phil 3).
These include changes in his:
“穿上新人”需要轉變的心態,
(弗 4:22-24)。
使徒保羅將其描述為“只要心意更新而變化”
(羅馬書 12:2),
這代表了,信徒的價值觀和意識形態發生了改變,
因為他認識了耶穌。
保羅信主的前後,發生了巨大的改變
(腓 3)。
其中包括了他的變化:
·Worldview (Phil 3:5)
—the scope of his concern widened beyond the chosen “Jewish people” to include “Gentiles.”
·世界觀(腓 3:5)
—他關注的範圍超出了選民“猶太人”,又包括了“外邦人”。
·Moral view (Phil 3:6)
—his mission changed from persecuting the church to serving the believers in all ways.
·道德觀(腓 3:6)
—他的使命從迫害教會,轉變用各種方式來服事信徒。
·Values (Phil 3:7)
—things he once considered as profit were now disdained as loss.
·價值觀(腓 3:7)
—他先前以為有益的事物,現在都當作有損的。
In a nutshell, the apostle Paul intentionally forgot all he had once deemed precious.
His new and sole motivation was to press on toward the reward from Jesus
(Phil 3:13–14).
What man treasures derives from his perception of its value.
Paul letting go of what was precious to him in the past was a fundamental change
—he completely discarded his past value system.
總之,使徒保羅故意忘記了曾經認為珍貴的一切。
他新生且唯一的動機是,繼續追求耶穌的獎賞
(腓 3:13-14)。
人所珍視的東西源於他對此物價值的認知。
保羅放棄了過去他認為珍貴的東西,這是一個根本性的改變,
—他徹底拋棄了過去的價值觀。
Therefore, a person who is born again must be deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible.
His soul will then grow as he relies completely on the nutrients absorbed from God’s word.
When every cell of one’s life becomes filled with these teachings,
his perception and values will be gradually transformed
to be more and more like those of Jesus.
因此,一個重生的人,必須深深紮根於聖經的教導中。
他的靈魂才會成長,就像完全依靠吸收神道理中的養分。
當人生命的每一個細胞,都充滿這些教導時,
他的認知和價值觀會漸漸轉變,
變得越來越像耶穌的性格。
CONCLUSION 結論
When the sacraments are conducted, the Holy Spirit,
through tangible substance
(lowly and eventually corruptible),
bestows great spiritual grace upon those who believe.
Similarly, if we submit to the Holy Spirit’s movement,
we will be continuing the effects of forgiveness, putting on Christ,
and spiritual renewal that were started at the point of baptism.
Therefore, let us constantly reflect and repent,
vigilantly holding on to our garment of salvation,
and being transformed and nourished by God’s word.
In this way, this humble and dying life of ours can become a channel between God and man;
to bring grace and joy to the people around us.
當舉行聖禮的時候,聖靈,
通過有形的物質,
(低等且最終會腐朽的),
賜予相信的人有極大的屬靈恩典。
同樣的,如果我們順服聖靈的感動,
我們將會一直有赦罪的效果,且披戴基督,
以及從洗禮的時刻開始,得到靈性的更新。
因此,讓我們不斷反省、悔改,
警醒抓住自已救恩的外衣,
並且以神的話語來改變和得到滋養。
只有這樣,我們這個卑微垂死的生命,才可以成為神與人之間的通道;
為我們身邊周圍的人帶來恩典和歡樂。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯