[
Source: J.I. Packer, Keep In Step with the Spirit, chapter 3.]
中譯本﹕《活在聖靈中》。中文重譯。
林慈信神學導論（一）﹕閱讀材料
I. 聖潔是基督徒的最優先考慮。
Holiness
Is A Christian’s Top Priority.
聖潔是親近神﹐學像神﹐將自己獻給神﹐討神的喜悅 – 這是信徒心中最強烈的願望。
“Holiness,
which means being near God, like God, given to God, and pleasing God, is
something believers want more than anything else in this world.” (J.I. Packer,
Keep in Step with the Spirit, p. 94)
信徒們為什麼關心聖靈的事﹖因為聖靈主要的工作之一是使我們成為聖潔。
“One
reason for their interest in the Holy Spirit is their awareness that making us
holy is one of his main tasks.” (p. 94)
「聖潔」一詞根本的意義是﹕分別出來﹐分別為聖。第一﹐聖潔是指﹕一切使神與眾不同的特性。第二﹐聖潔是指﹕一切使信徒與眾不同﹐為神分別出來的特性。
Holiness: … Having at its root the thought
of separation or apartness, it signifies, first, all that marks out God as set
apart from men and, second, all that should mark out Christians as set apart
for God.” (p. 95)
彼前 I Peter 1:15, 16
帖前 I Thess. 4:3, 7; 5:23
弗 Eph. 1:4; 5:25, 26; 2:10
羅 Romans 12:1
林後 II Cor. 7:1
聖潔是神所賜的恩典﹐同時是神的吩咐。我們必須常常為聖潔祈求﹐也必須竭力在生活中每天實踐聖潔。
“Holiness
is both God’s gift and his command; we should therefore pray for it and seek to
practice it each day of our lives.” (p. 96)
定義 DEFINITION:
一個聖潔的人﹐他的聖潔 …就是他生活的獨特性格。這是他分別自己為聖﹐為神而活的表現﹔同時是神的恩典不斷更新他的內心所導致的。
“The
holiness of a holy man … is the distinctive quality of his living, viewed both
as the expression of his being set apart for God and as the outworking of his
inward renewal by God’s grace.” (p. 96)
成聖與聖潔 (歐文) ﹕ Sanctification and
Holiness (John Owen):
「成聖是神的靈直接在信徒心靈中的工作﹕聖靈潔淨他們的本性﹐除去罪性中的污穢與不潔﹔在他們裡面重新恢復了神的形像﹔以致他們可以藉著一個屬靈的﹐恩典的原則與習慣將自己獻給神﹐照耶穌基督的吩咐和條件﹐過順服神的生活。」
“Sanctification
is an immediate work of the Spirit of God on the souls of believers, purifying
and cleansing of their natures from the pollution and uncleanness of sin,
renewing in them the image of God, and thereby enabling them, from a spiritual
and habitual principle of grace, to yield obedience unto God, according unto
the tenor and terms of Jesus Christ… Hence it follows that our holiness, which
is the fruit and effect of this work, the work as terminated in us, as it
compriseth the renewed principle or image of God wrought in us, so it consists
in a holy obedience unto God by Jesus Christ, according to the terms of the
covenant of grace, from the principle of a new nature.”
聖潔就是﹕完全獻給神的人﹐與神的親近。聖潔的本質就是﹕順服神﹐向神而活﹐為神而活﹐傚法神﹐遵守神的律法﹐站在神的一面抵擋罪﹐行公義﹐活出善行﹐跟從基督的教導和原則﹐在聖靈裡敬拜神﹐以敬畏基督的心愛神﹐事奉神。
Holiness
is consecrated closeness to God. Holiness is in essence obeying God, living to
God and for God, imitating God, keeping his law, taking his side against sin,
doing righteousness, performing good works, following Christ’s teaching and
example, worshiping God in the Spirit, loving and serving God and men out of
reverence for Christ.
從我們與神的關係來看﹐聖潔的表現就是﹐專一熱愛神﹐討祂的喜悅﹐愛慕祂﹐忠於祂﹐完全歸給祂﹐讚美祂。
In
relation to God, holiness takes the form of a single-minded passion to please
by love and loyalty, devotion and praise.
從我們與罪的關係來看﹐聖潔是一場抗戰運動﹐一種堅決的操練﹐絕不體貼肉體的情慾﹐反之治死肢體中一切的罪行。 (加5 ﹕16 ﹔羅 8 ﹕13) 。
In
relation to sin, it takes the form of a resistance movement, a discipline of
not gratifying the desires of the flesh, but of putting to death the deeds of
the body (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:13).
總之﹐聖潔就是像基督 – 這是神所教導﹐聖靈作成的﹔聖潔是作一個獻身門徒的真義﹐是信心藉著愛活出來的明證﹐是重生的人裡面超自然的生命藉著正直生活的流露。
Holiness
is, in a word, God-taught, Spirit-wrought Christ-likeness, the sum and
substance of committed discipleship, the demonstration of faith working by
love, the responsive outflow in righteousness of supernatural life from the
hearts of those who are born again.” (pp. 96-97)
II. 為什麼聖潔今天被忽略
Why
Holiness is Neglected Today.
1. 以人為中心﹐以自己為中心的“敬虔”( 屬靈觀)。
Man/Self-centered
Godliness.
真正的聖潔就是過敬虔的生活。而敬虔是植根於一個以神為中心的生命。
Holiness
means godliness, and godliness is rooted in God-centeredness.
2. 活動主義 – 生活太忙﹐無瑕顧慮追求聖潔。
Activism
– Too busy to seek holiness.
你假如太忙去禱告﹐那麼你真正是太忙了。可是我們不感覺須要禱告﹐因為我們已經習慣依靠自己﹐在我們的工作上自信。我們認為﹐我們的技能與資源﹐和我們優質的節目﹐本身就會結出果子﹔這是理所當然的。
“If
you are too busy to pray, you really are too busy. But we do not feel the need
to pray, because we have grown self-confident and self-reliant in our work. We
take for granted that our skills and resources and the fine quality of our
programs will of themselves bring forth fruit…”
3. 今天的基督徒對神自己的聖潔缺乏敏感。
Christians
today are insensitive to the holiness of God himself.
我們不常想到﹐神已啟示祂恨惡祂收養的兒女生命中的罪惡。我們也不像先祖們﹐聽到神的話時懂得戰慄﹔他們因怕得罪神而恐懼。…我們也沒有在生活上表現對不敬虔事物的憎恨, 像猶大所說﹐憎恨被肉體污染的衣服(猶大書23節)。我們不認真面對神對付我們的首要目標﹐是在公義上鍛煉我們﹐這種鍛煉帶來將來的喜樂。我們認為這種人生觀不配稱為“基督教” ﹗我們以為神的目標是要把歡樂堆在我們的頭上。我們沒有調整我們的思維﹐正視<<聖經>>所正視的﹕在神的眼中﹐罪是污染﹕罪是污穢。
“We
do not think much about God’s revealed hatred of sin in his own adopted family,
nor do we ‘tremble at his word’ as our forebears did, fearful lest they offend
him …, nor do we display that abhorrence of ungodly things that Jude had in
mind when he spoke of ‘hating even the garment spotted by the flesh’ (Jude 23).
It is our habit to … dismiss as sub-Christian any idea that God’s first concern
in his dealings with us might be to train us in righteousness as a step toward
future joy, rather than to load us with present pleasures. We are not in tune
with the biblical perception of sin as pollution – dirt… -- in the eyes of
God…” (p. 101)
III. 《聖經》 中的聖潔﹕基本要素 Basic Biblical Elements of
Holiness.
1. 聖潔的本質﹕生命藉獻身而完全被改變。
The
Nature of Holiness: Transformation through Dedication (consecration).
「聖潔」這詞﹐說出一種關係﹕分別出來﹐為著神分別出來。一種道德上﹐屬靈上的本質。公義﹐純潔﹐不論裡面或外面。
Hagiasmos
– hagios – relational: being separated and set apart for God. Hosiotes –
intrinsic moral and spiritual quality – righteous and pure, inwardly and
outwardly.
基督徒在神面前的地位乃是已被神接納﹐被分別為聖。這事實是生命改變的基礎。
Positional
holiness of consecration and acceptance underlines the personal transformation.
基督徒在世界上無論作什麼﹐參與什麼事業﹐都必須先有一個深層的意識﹕他已經是從人類﹐從世界萬物被分別為聖了。一個真正聖潔的生活的基礎﹐是完全從萬事﹐從所有身邊的人 – 配偶﹐父母﹐孩子﹐上司﹐鄰居等 – 徹底的分離﹐完全歸屬神﹔在這個分離 (分別)
上﹐基督徒建立一種有秩序﹐付代價的獻身生活﹕為了主的緣故﹐把自己獻給配偶﹐父母﹐孩子﹐上司﹐鄰居等。
“All
the Christian’s human involvements and commitments in this world must be
consciously based on his awareness of having been separated from everything and
everyone in creation to belong to his Creator alone. Ordered, costly,
unstinting commitment for the Lord’s sake to spouse, children, parents,
employers, employees, and all one’s other neighbors, on the basis of being
radically detached from them all to belong to God – Father, Son and Spirit –
and to no one else, is the unvarying shape of the authentically holy life.”
(pp. 104-105)
徹底的從所有被造者與被造物分離﹐以造物者為至愛的對象 – 唯有這種生命才可能活出徹底投入別人的生命﹐投入他們的需要中的生活方式。
“Thoroughgoing
detachment from all creatures to love the Creator most of all makes possible …
a more thoroughgoing involvement with people and their needs …” (p. 105)
2. 聖潔的“環境” (先決條件) ﹕藉著耶穌基督被神稱義。
The
Context of Holiness: Justification through Jesus Christ.
聖潔的人不以自己的聖潔為榮﹐只以基督的十字架為榮。因為無論一個人多麼聖潔﹐只不過是被神稱義的罪人。他只從這觀點看自己的真相。
“Holy
people glory, not in their holiness, but in Christ’s cross; for the holiest
saint is never more than a justified sinner and never sees himself in any other
way.”
一個基督徒最自然的自我認識﹐就是視自己為首要的罪人。
“It
is the most natural thing in the world for a Christian at any time to see
himself as the foremost of sinners…” (p. 106)
3. 聖潔的根源﹕與耶穌基督同釘十字架﹐同復活。
The
Root of Holiness: Co-crucifixion and Co-resurrection with Jesus Christ.
與基督同釘十字架的意義﹕結束了以前被罪轄制的生活。
Crucifixion:
An end has been put to the sin-dominated lives they were living before.
與基督同復活的意義﹕事基督從死裡復活的能力﹐現在在基督徒的生命裡運作。
Resurrection:
the power that wrought Jesus’ resurrection is now at work in them …
他們從本性的核心已被改變了。
They
are different at the center of their being …
他們改變了﹔以前對神的律法總帶著負面的﹐感冒似的反應。這種反應《聖經》稱之為「罪」,從生命的寶座上被扯下來了。他們裡面新造了一顆渴慕神的心。
“They
have been changed by the dethroning in them of that allergic negative reaction
to the law of God, which is called sin, and the creating in them of … a heart
for God.”
一個信徒成為聖潔﹐乃是學習在實踐中活出那在心裡已經成就的事實。
The
believer’s holiness is a matter of learning to be in action what he already is
in heart.
聖潔是一位靈裡已經復甦的人最自然的反應。就等於犯罪﹐是一位靈裡死的人最自然的反應。
Holiness
is the naturalness of the spiritually risen man, just as sin is the naturalness
of the spiritually dead man.
當一個基督徒順服神﹐追求聖潔的時候﹐他乃是隨從他裡面新的心最深的渴望。
In
pursuing holiness by obeying God the Christian actually follows the deepest
urge of his own renewed being…
4. 作成聖潔的那位﹕聖靈 The Agent of Holiness: The Holy Spirit.
住在我們裡面的聖靈為我們成就聖潔。
Indwelling
Spirit induces holiness.
先前 (預備) 的恩典 –在我們裡面創造順服神的心志。
Prevenient
grace – creates in us a purpose of obedience.
與神合作的恩典 – 在我們裡面維持順服神的實踐。
Cooperative
grace – sustains us in the practice of obedience.
透過聖靈的工作﹐基督徒立志作正直 (對) 的事﹔他的確作這些事。因而養成作正直的事的習慣。從這些習慣﹐一個正直的品格被建立起來。
「種一行動﹐收一習慣﹔種一習慣﹐收一品格。」
“By
the Spirit’s enabling, Christians resolve to do particular things that are
right, and actually do them, and thus forms habits of doing right things, and
out of these habits comes a character that is right. ‘Sow an action, reap a
habit; sow a habit, reap a character.’” (p. 108)
聖靈透過“方法” 行事。
The
Spirit works through means.
客觀的方法﹕《聖經》真理﹐禱告﹐團契生活﹐敬拜﹐聖餐。
主觀的方法 ﹕開放自己被神改變﹔默想﹔聆聽﹔自我質問﹔自我反省﹔
自我勸導﹔與別人分享我們心中所想的﹔衡量我們每一次對事物的反應。
Objective
means: biblical truth, prayer, fellowship, worship, the Lord’s supper
Subjective
means: opening ourselves to change, thinking, listening, questioning ourselves,
examining ourselves, admonishing ourselves, sharing what is in our hearts with
others, weighing any response we make. (p. 109)
一般來說﹐聖靈帶領我們成為聖潔的方法﹐是在我們裡面養成聖潔的習慣。
Habit
forming is the Spirit’s ordinary way of leading us on in holiness.
聖靈的果子本身﹐就是一系列的行動和對事物反應的好習慣。
The
fruit of the Spirit itself is … a series of habits of action and reaction …
心思意念的習慣﹕習慣一種思維﹐感受﹐行為的方式。
Habitual
dispositions: accustomed ways of thinking, feeling, behaving.
習慣﹐在聖潔的生活中至為重要。
Habits
are all important in holy life …
我們的操練與努力﹐必需有聖靈的賜福。
The
discipline and effort must be blessed by the Holy Spirit …
5. 聖潔的經歷﹕爭戰的經歷
The
Experience of Holiness is One of Conflict.
靈的願望 – 就是我們被更新的心地願望。
肉體的願望 --就是相反的﹐“住在我裡面的罪” 的傾向。 (羅7 ﹕20)
The
desires of the Spirit – inclinations of our renewed heart
Desires
of the flesh – contrary inclinations of “sin which dwells within me” (Rom.
7:20)
(衛斯理) 「天使般的完全」﹕一切的事都盡其所能的正直﹐智慧﹐全心榮耀神。
“Angelic
Perfection” (Wesley): everything as right and wise and wholehearted and God
honoring as it could possibly be.
外面有爭戰。裡面也有爭戰。
Conflict
without. Conflict within.
6. 聖潔的準則﹕神啟示的律法
The
Rule of Holiness ﹕ God’s Revealed Law.
「公義」和「聖潔」是相輔相成的﹐其實﹐兩者是同一件事。 (弗4 ﹕23-24)
Righteousness
and holiness (which is hosiotes in Eph. 4:23-24) belong together: They are
essentially the same thing.
聖潔 – 乃是公義﹔公義的生活表明我們已獻給神。
公義 –乃是聖潔﹔聖潔就是傚法神的律法的生活方式 (實踐) 。
Holiness
– righteousness viewed as the expression of our being consecrated to God
Righteousness
– holiness as viewed as the practice of conforming to God’s law
律法 --神在人生命中的要求。
Law –
God’s requirements in human lives
神的律法對人類的要求與禁止﹐包含在十誡裡﹔先知﹐使徒﹐與耶穌基督﹐和《聖經》裡討神喜悅的人﹐都解釋和應用了律法﹔而耶穌基督自己的生命﹐可以所就是律法的道成肉身。
The
Law’s requirements were embodied in the Ten Commandments (precepts and
prohibitions); expounded and applied by the prophets, the apostles, and Christ
himself; displayed in the biblical biographies of men and women who please God;
with Christ himself, whose life from this standpoint could be described as the
law incarnate.
律法是屬乎靈的﹐公義的﹐善的。 (羅7 ﹕12 ﹐14)
The
law is holy, just, good, spiritual (Romans 7:12,14)
律法的要求﹐反映了造物主的性格。效法律法﹐就是神在人裡的形像﹔這形像在墮落時失去﹐藉著神的恩典﹐又在我們裡恢復了。
The
law’s requirements express and reflect the Creator’s own character, and
conformity to it is that aspect of God’s image in man lost through the Fall,
now restored in us by grace.
律法所訂下的標準是不變的﹐正如神是不變的。因此﹐聖潔的活現﹐就是成全這公 義的準則﹕遵行律法。
The
standards that the law sets do not change, just as God himself does not change.
The height of holiness was, is, and always will be the fulfilling of this given
rule of righteousness.
以神的律法為我們的準則﹐與律法主義不同。
Taking
God’s law as our rule = different from legalism.
律法主義有兩方面的意義﹕
Legalism
means two things:
1。以為律法的一切要求都寫在一些規則上﹐這些規則對所有的情況都適用﹔而不考慮到我們的動機﹐目的﹐和心裡的精神。耶穌特別暴露這種律法主義﹕守律法與否﹐最重要的是我們的心願與目的。
1.
Supposing that all the laws’ requirements can be spelled out in a code of
standard practice for all situations, a code which says nothing about the
motives, purpose, and spirit of the person acting. (Decidedly exploded by
Jesus’ insistence: law keeping and law breaking are matters of desire and
purpose before ever they become matters of deed and performance.)
2。以為在形式上遵守律法﹐就可以得到神的喜悅。
保羅特別指責這種律法主義﹕保羅（《聖經》） 堅持﹕我們被稱義﹐只藉著信心﹐只透過基督﹐不可能靠守律法。
2.
Supposing that formal observance of the code operates in some way as a system
of salvation by which we earn our passage to glory, or at least gain a degree
of God’s favor that we would not otherwise enjoy. (Destroyed by Paul’s gospel
of present justification by faith alone, through Christ alone, without works of
law.)
今天的福音派信徒們﹕比較在第一種律法主義上軟弱。
我們會為自己和他人製造一些規矩 (是聖經所沒有的) ﹐然後對待那些遵守這些規矩的人為屬靈的優越分子。
有些福音派基督徒限制基督徒的自由 -- 這並不是聖潔的道路﹗
(感謝主﹐近年來對此有批判和回轉。)
Evangelicals
today: often more successful in avoiding the 2nd facet, than the 1st.
We
make up rules for ourselves and others, beyond what Scripture requires, and
treat those who keep them as belonging to a spiritual elite.
This
curtailing of Christian liberty by group pressure is not the way of holiness.
(Some reaction to this, today.)
7. 一顆聖潔的心﹕充滿愛的心
The
Heart of Holiness: Love.
愛是律法的總綱 (太22:35-40) ﹔聖首先的果子 (加5:22) ﹔沒有愛﹐所謂「基督徒」 一無所有(林前13:1-3)。
Love
is the whole burden of the law (Matt. 22:35-40), the first fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22); and without love the would-be Christian is nothing (I Cor.
13:1-3).
愛超越規條 (但不是違背歸條) ﹐重視他人﹐謀求別人的幸福與榮耀。
Love
looks (not away from, but) beyond rules and principles, to persons, and seeks
their welfare and glory.
愛在本質上不是感情。愛是一種行動方式。愛若是從感情開始﹐它必須超越感情 才能真正是愛。真正的愛﹐一定不只是感情。
Love
is not essentially a feeling of affection, but a way of behaving. And if love
starts as a feeling, it must become more than a feeling if it is truly to be
love.
愛是給予。(約壹3:16-18; 4:7,10,11.)
Love
gives. (I John 3:16-18;4:7,10,11.)
耶穌是律法的道成肉身。耶穌也是愛的道成肉身。跟隨耶穌的自我犧牲的道路﹐就是最完美﹐最純真的聖潔。
As
Jesus was law incarnate, so he was love incarnate. Following his way of
self-giving is holiness in its purest and most perfection expression.
冷冰冰的﹐心硬的聖潔是自我矛盾的﹐是不可能的。
Hard,
harsh, cold-hearted holiness is a contradiction in terms.
愛神﹐愛別人 – 這就是律法所強調的。愛是付出行動。
Love
to God and love to man – burden of the law. Love is action.