聖誕節（Xmas）中的X是什麽意思?WhatDoes the X in Xmas Mean?

 作者: R.C. Sproul    翻譯:  Maria Marta  

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-is-x-used-when-it-replaces-christ-in-christmas/

https://plus.google.com/u/2/106695469993489516884/posts/bTb2JnynTdY

聖誕節（Xmas）這個名稱中的X就象R.C.中的R。盡管我出生時的名字是羅伯特查爾斯（Robert Charles），但甚至在我父母從醫院抱我回家之前, 他們就叫我名字的首字母R.C.，似乎沒有人對此表現出太大的驚訝。

Χ有很多不同的意思。例如，當我們要表示一個未知數，我們用符號X。 X也可以指電影的淫穢級別, 其中有X-rated級別 (禁止十六歲以下兒童觀看) 。看見基督的名字被抽出, 被代表未知數的X符號取代,  人們似乎感到很懊惱。每一年你看到海報和保險杠貼紙上寫著「把基督再放回聖誕節裏頭」, 作為基督的名字被字母X取代的回應。

聖誕節這詞裡沒有X字母

首先，你必須明白不是字母X被放進聖誕節這字裡。我們看到這詞裡有英文字母X，但實際上它涉及基督的希臘名字的第一個字母。基督（Christ）在新約希臘文中是基督（Christos）。這個希臘字Christos的第一個字母的音譯是我們的字母表中的X。X成為教會歷史上基督這名字的一個速記符號。

我們沒有看到人們抗議使用希臘字母theta，這字母代表一條橫跨在圓圈的中間線。我們把它用作上帝這詞的速記縮寫詞，因為它是Theos這詞, 上帝的希臘文的第一個字母。

X有著悠久的神聖歷史

X作為基督名字的縮寫的概念進入我們的文化當中，並沒有任何對上帝不敬的意圖。教會歷史上用魚符號,  因為它是一個首字母縮略詞。魚的希臘語（ichthus）涉及希臘片語「耶穌基督, 上帝的兒子，救世主」裡的單詞的第一個字母的使用。所以，早期的基督徒把這片語中的單詞的第一個字母抽出，放在一起拼成魚這希臘字。這就是魚符號成為基督教世界之普遍象徵的經過了。X用作基督名字的象征有著有悠久而神聖的歷史，從其起源來說，它並沒有不尊敬的意思。

在我們的【問題回答】部分可找到更多的問題。

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/115488134366281415806/posts/TougL8AVZYK

What Does the X in Xmas Mean?

FROM R.C. Sproul

The X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.

X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ’s name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas” as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.

There’s no X in Christmas

First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.

We don’t see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.

X has a long and sacred history

The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That’s how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There’s a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.

Find other questions in our Questions Answered section.

 聖尼古拉斯和聖誕老人的由來SaintNicholas and the Origins of Santa Claus

 作者: Stephen Nichols  翻譯: Maria Marta  

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/saint-nicholas-origins-santa-claus/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/QaSzqw3hgLL

今天發現聖誕老人（Saint Nicholas）（劇透提醒）竟然是一個真實的人,   可能會令許多人詫異。聖誕老人不是留著白色胡子，身穿紅色棉衣，頭戴紅色聖誕帽子，坐著雪橇上的人嗎？

不完全是的，但他可能真的留著胡子，頭戴帽子，出們遠行時坐著馬拉車,   而不是駕著馴鹿拉的雪橇。聖尼古拉斯是聖誕老人傳說背後的真人,  是第四世紀米拉城（Myra）的主教。他帶的帽子是主教的主教冠。

尼古拉斯出生在今天土耳其境內一個頗富裕的家庭。尼古拉斯自幼失去雙親，他把自己的一生和財富都奉獻給基督教教堂。他很早就被任命為米拉城的主教，米拉城位於今天土耳其的南部海岸。

當時正是基督徒受迫害的時期。羅馬皇帝戴克裏先（Diocletian），於284年至305年在位,   他憎恨基督徒,   把他們抓進，塞滿羅馬的監獄。主教尼古拉斯在監獄中度過了第四世紀開頭的幾年，飽受常規的毆打。隨後的十年，君士坦丁立令使基督教成為羅馬帝國的合法宗教，尼古拉斯被釋放。

325年在尼西亞,  主教尼古拉斯出席在君士坦丁夏宮舉行的第一次基督教大公會議。參加會議數的百名主教,  駁斥阿裏烏斯（Arius）,  亞歷山大長老的錯誤觀點。阿裏烏斯否認基督的神性。跟據尼古拉斯的一些傳記作者描述，當時阿裏烏斯正在會議上發言，尼古拉斯怒火沖冠,  不能自制,   他站起來，穿過地板沖向阿裏烏斯，迅雷不及掩耳一拳打在阿裏烏斯的臉上。

因為毆打罪，尼古拉斯重回監獄。主教們慎重考慮他的命運。尼古拉斯心裏悔恨, 懇求寬恕。大公會議之後，君士坦丁寬大赦免,  恢覆尼古拉斯的主教職位。

尼古拉斯在他的職位上勤勤懇懇，努力事奉。縱觀尼古拉斯的畢生歷程，他以慷慨大方而著稱。尤其在對待孩子方面，他定期慷贈禮物給他們。米拉城是一個繁忙的港口城市，來往進出的船舶和海員絡繹不絕。船舶駛出米拉港口,   滿載需求的禮品和貨物,  全部都是尼古拉斯提供和包裝的。尼古拉斯的禮物運往地中海世界各地。水手們帶著尼古拉斯主教的慷慨故事,  前往世界各地。

主教尼古拉斯的死亡年份不確定，但月份被確認為十二月份。因為他慷慨贈送故事的流傳，他的生平故事越傳越廣。他成為一個家喻戶曉的人物。在第六世紀，君士坦丁堡的一間教堂以他的名字命名, 專門紀念他。在中世紀，除了基督和馬利亞之外,  描繪尼古拉斯形象的畫作比任何人都多。尼古拉斯不再是主教尼古拉斯，現在他變成聖誕老人，紀念他的節日是12月6日。

圍繞尼古拉斯有許多傳說,  其中一個是關於他贈送嫁妝給年輕的窮女孩，使她們能結成婚。為了反映這個傳說，他背著裝滿金幣的袋子的形像開始出現。

當他的傳說向北方流傳時，故事甚至發生了更有趣的轉變。在德國，出現以聖尼古拉斯名義彼此互贈禮物的傳統。在荷蘭是也是如此。尼古拉斯的荷蘭語演變成聖誕老人（Sinterklass）。尼古拉斯的德語最後演變成聖誕老人（Santa Claus）。禮物贈送的慶祝活動在12月6日,   尼古拉斯的逝世周年紀念日舉行。一金幣的禮物極其珍貴，顯示出天大的恩惠。

甚至路得亦在傳說裡面扮演著一個角色。路得希望另一種新教選擇,取代羅馬天主教慶祝聖誕老人（Santa Claus）盛宴的慣例。路得創立在聖誕前夕以嬰孩基督（Christkindl，德文）名義送禮物的傳統, 取代了以聖誕老人名義送禮物的慣例。也許在這一點上，我們有理由解釋, 為什麽各地的新教孩子被允許在聖誕前夜至少可以打開一份禮物。

路得喜愛聖誕節。他希望聖誕節成為圍繞伯利恒童女馬利亞生子這份最高禮物而展開的送禮物慶祝活動。正如他在1530年的講道中說，「躺在馬利亞膝上的是我們的救主，感謝上帝，祂愛你，賜給你一位救主。」

聖誕節從基督彌撒（Christ Mass）一詞演變而來，傳統上基督道成肉身的慶祝固定在12月25日。路得杜撰的「嬰孩基督」（Christkindl）一字也發展了好幾個世紀。它變成聖誕老人（Santa Claus）的另一個名字，聖誕老人（Kris Kringle）。路得脫離聖誕老人傳統的努力不經意間扭轉方向,  使這傳統朝著正確的方向發展。

因此我們有了聖誕老人的故事。有趣的是，聖尼古拉斯和他的傳奇開始於早期教會。在中世紀根據各地的喜好,  被編織成故事，這些故事甚至出現在宗教改革時期。直到今天這些故事仍然是我們生活的一部份。

尼克勞斯（Stephen J. Nichols）博士是Reformation Bible College的校長，也是Ligonier Ministries的教務主任，並主播5 Minutes in Church History節目。

Saint Nicholas and the Origins of Santa Claus

FROM Stephen Nichols

It might surprise many today to find out that Saint Nicholas (spoiler alert) is a real person after all. Is he the white-bearded man with a red suit, a cap, and a sleigh?

Not quite, but he probably was bearded, did wear a hat, and did travel in horse-drawn, not reindeer-drawn, transportation. The legend behind Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop of Myra. His hat was the bishop’s mitre.

Nicholas was born in modern day Turkey to a rather wealthy family. Losing his parents at a young age, Nicholas dedicated both his fortune and his life to the Christian church. Very quickly he was appointed the bishop of Myra, on the southern coast of modern day Turkey.

These were days of persecution for Christians. Roman Emperor Diocletian, who reigned from 284–305, hated Christians and stuffed Roman jails full of them. Bishop Nicholas spent the first few years of the fourth century in jail and faced routine beatings. In the next decade, Constantine legalized Christianity and Nicholas was set free.

As the legend goes, Bishop Nicholas was present at the Church’s First Ecumenical Council at Constantine’s summer palace in Nicea in 325. Hundreds of Bishops gathered there to refute the false views of Arius, a presbyter from Alexandria. Arius denied Christ’s deity. At one point while Arius was addressing the council, Nicholas’s rage got the better of him. According to some of his biographers, Nicholas stood up, crossed the floor to Arius, and promptly punched him in the face.

For the assault, Nicholas found himself back in jail again. The bishops deliberated his fate. Nicholas was repentant and sought forgiveness. After the Council, Constantine granted clemency and restored Bishop Nicholas to his post.

And at his post Bishop Nicholas diligently served. Over the course of his entire life he was known for being extremely generous. He was especially generous to children, regularly giving them gifts. Myra was a busy port city with ships and sailors coming and going. The ships went out of Myra’s port loaded with gifts and goods for the needy, all provided and packed on by Bishop Nicholas. His gifts went all around the Mediterranean world. As sailors went around the world, they took with them the stories of the generosity of Bishop Nicholas.

The year of Bishop Nicholas’s death is uncertain, but the month is firmly believed to be December. As the story of his generosity spread, the stories of his life grew and grew. He was becoming legendary. In the sixth century, a church was dedicated to him and named for him in Constantinople. His image was depicted more in the Middle Ages than any other except those of Christ and of Mary. No longer Bishop Nicholas, now he became Saint Nicholas, and his Feast Day would be December 6.

One of the legends around Nicholas concerned his giving dowries to young poor girls so they would be able to marry. To reflect that legend, images of him carrying bags bulging with gold coins began to appear.

As his legend moved northward, the story takes an even more interesting turn. In Germany, the tradition arose of giving gifts to each other in the name of Saint Nicholas. So, too, in the Netherlands. The Dutch word for him became Sinterklaas. The German word eventually became Santa Claus. These celebrations of gift-giving occurred on December 6, the anniversary of his death. The gift of a gold coin was highly prized and showed great favor.

Even Martin Luther would come to play a role in the legend. Luther wanted a Protestant alternative to the Roman Catholic practice of celebrating the Feast of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus). Instead of giving gifts in the name of Santa Claus on December 6, Luther started the tradition of giving gifts in the name of the Christ child, Christkindl, on Christmas Eve. Perhaps in this we have an argument for Protestant kids everywhere as to why they should be allowed to open at least one present on Christmas Eve.

Luther loved Christmas. He wanted it to be a celebration of giving around the supreme gift of the babe born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. As he preached in 1530, “He who lies in the virgin’s lap is our Savior … give thanks to God, who so loved you that he gave you a Savior.”

Christmas evolved from the word Christ Mass, the celebration of the incarnation of Christ, fixed by tradition as being on December 25. The word Luther coined, Christkindl, also evolved over the centuries. It would become Santa Claus’ other name, Kris Kringle. This effort of Luther’s to move away from the Santa Claus tradition inadvertently veered right toward it.

So we have the story of Santa Claus. Interestingly enough, Saint Nicholas and his legend began in the early church. The stories wove their way through the Middle Ages, and they even made an appearance at the Reformation. Those stories still live with us today.

Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and teaches on the podcast 5 Minutes in Church History.

公義的神與邪惡的問題

文/周功和博士

摘錄自《新譯本研讀版聖經》p. 2054環球聖經公會（2013）

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105106813742373627205/posts/CUVZHfG6cZi

神是公義、聖潔、慈愛與全能的（神32:4；約壹1:5、4:8；提前6:15-16），那為什麽允許這麽多苦難與罪惡存在世上？祂若是慈愛和公義的，必不願見到苦難與罪惡；祂若是全能的，必有能力預防或消除苦難與罪惡。可是苦與罪的存在！這就構成神學中「惡」的問題（problem of evil）。我們以「惡」代表苦與罪。

「惡」的問題導致許多人懷疑神的慈愛與公義。歷史上有幾種「神義論」（theodicy），試圖為神的慈愛與公義的辯護。以下簡略的討論四種神義論：一、惡是「非存有」；二分辨惡的「終極因」與「近因」；三、自由意志；四；更高的善。

惡是「非存有」

教父奧古斯丁認為惡是善的缺乏，惡是「非存有」。他假如說是為神辯護，不把惡歸入神的作為。聖經說：「神看他所造的一切都很好。」（創1：31）若一切神所造的存有都是好的，那麽惡的事物就不是神所造。既然宇宙萬物是受造而存有（啟4:11），那麽惡就是「非存有」。

雖然奧古斯丁的動機良好，但他對惡的定義值得商榷。譬如說，微風令人舒暢，但龍卷風則極其具有破壞性，很恐怖；我們能說龍卷風是微風的缺乏嗎？許多時候，尤其是面對苦難時候，人不宜說：你所受得痛苦或逼迫不過是非存有罷了。[1]

分辨惡的「終極因」與「近因」

加爾文既同意奧古斯丁的說法，又提倡另一種說法。他認為神是惡的「終極因」而非「近因」，試圖將神與惡隔離。譬如說，神允許人受魔鬼試探，但試探人的不是神，乃是魔鬼（雅1:13-17）。魔鬼是試探的「近因」。可是，魔鬼是墮落的天使，而天使是神所造的，因此，神是試探的「終極因」。只是事件的終極因許多時候是要為事件負責，例如指使人殺人者是殺人行為的終極因而非近因，但仍在罪上有分。加爾文的目的是要說明神與罪無分。既然如此，單用「終極因」的說法是不足夠的。[2]

自由意志論與相容論

有些神學家用受造物的自由意志選擇了背叛神，來解釋惡的來源，因此神不是惡的源頭。

一、自由意志論（libertarianism）

基督教的阿米念派（Arminian）認為神預知惡而未預定惡，並且人有絕對的自由意志（libertarianism free will）。絕對的自由意志能讓人完全的自由選擇，不受任何前因所左右。[3] 可是，人是有性情的，而性情會左右人的選擇。而且聖經說，人墮落後就死在罪惡中，魔鬼的權勢下，並且情欲的捆綁（弗2:1-3），因此絕對的自由是不可能的。[4] 墮落前，人的意志則比較自由，未受罪的捆綁。那麽墮落前，亞當的自由意志是否絕對？請看下文。

二、相容論（compatabilism）

加爾文、愛德華茲（J.Edwards），以及近代的卡森（D.A Carson）都認為，無論在墮落前或後，人的自由意志都在神的主權下，並非絕對。絕對的自由意志既非基於神的主權，亦非基於人的性情，乃是無法預測的，因此是機運（chance）。可是宇宙由神掌管（賽46:10；羅11:33-36），並非隨機運而變化，因此受造之物絕對沒有自由意志。若是這樣，就產生兩個問題。第一：慈愛公義的神為什麽預定惡的發生？答案是，神自有理由，但聖經沒有講明，因此，我們無法提供完整的答案。第二：若神有絕對的主權，那麽祂是否在罪上有份？聖經的答案是相容論：神是聖經的（約壹1:5），縱使祂預定惡的發生，卻在惡上無分。例如耶穌說：「人子固然要照所預定的離世，但出於那賣人子的那人有禍了！」（路22:22）可見神的主權與人的責任是相容的。相容論的解釋，是看不透的奧秘，但是有許多經文既肯定神的主權，也肯定人的責任。[5]

更高的善

有些思想家認為罪與苦可以被接受，因為罪與苦會制造出更高的善。例如約瑟給哥哥賣去埃及，因而遭遇苦難，約瑟的哥哥所作的是罪行，可是結果令約瑟的人格得以成長，並在饑荒中拯救了許多生命（創50:20）。又如保羅說：「患難產生忍耐，忍耐產生毅力，毅力產生盼望……」（羅5:3-5）。因此有些人（例：萊布尼茲〔Gottfried von Leibniz〕認為，這個善惡並存的世界是最好不過的世界。可是有許多人並沒有因苦難而人格得以長進，也有許多的惡未必制造了更高的善。

或說，更高的善不能從受造物的經歷中尋找，必須把注意力轉向造物主的本性。亞當斯（Jay Adams）引用羅馬書第九章22至24節說，若罪惡彰顯神的憤怒與全能，有什麽不可呢？[6] 不錯，神本性的彰顯是一種更高的善。不過，神的全能借美好的創造就已經得以彰顯（羅1:20），不必借著惡。而且羅馬書第九章22至24節旨在把神的榮耀與他的憐憫直接聯系在一起，而非與憤怒相連（參出33:18-19）。因此，神憐憫的彰顯才是那更高的善。

神如何彰顯他的憐憫？答案是：借基督所受得苦。基督的苦難成全救贖，制造出更高善。正如希伯來書第二章節說：「萬有因他而有、借他而造的那位，為了要領許多兒子進入榮耀裏去，使救他們的元首借著受苦而得到成全，本是合適的。」苦難是基督與眾信徒進入榮耀的途徑，而這途徑是「合適」的。

如果我們假設，除了我們的世界，神還創造了千萬個沒有苦難的世界，我們仍舊要肯定，我們的世界最能彰顯神的榮耀。為什麽如此肯定？因為神的兒子曾在世界裏受苦，借順服天父的旨意，成全了救贖，並帶領大批願意跟隨祂的腳蹤、在苦難中順服的兒女進入神的國。所以這個世界的歷史最能彰顯神的憐憫，也是最英勇的世界。

結論

惡存在的問題，部分的答案與基督的十架相連：苦難是基督與眾兒女進入榮耀的途徑。這答案不完全，因仍有兩個奧秘。第一，慈愛的神為什麽預定那些無拯救功能惡存在？那只是為了彰顯祂的憤怒嗎？還是有其祂的理由？聖經沒有講明。第二，我們接受是看不透聖經所教導的相容論。筆者認為，我們要等到主再來，才能得到完整答案。

註

[1].博瑞姆著，廖和美譯：《衛道學概論》(台北：華神，2003)，頁190-191。

[2] .傅瑞姆，《衛道學概論》，頁200-201。

[3] .參看Alvin Plantinga，God，Freedom，and Evil(Grand Rapids：Eerdmans，1977)。批判自由意志論的立場參看K．Scott Oliphint，Reasons for Faith(Phillipsburg，New Jersey：Presbyterian and Reformed，2006)，263-277。

[4] .傅瑞姆，《衛道學概論》，頁194-197。

[5].參看卡森著，何醇麗譯：《認識苦難的奧秘》(台北：校園，1997)，頁205-31。

[6] .Jay Adams，The Grand Demonstration(Santa Barbara，CA：East Gate Publishers，1991)．

43. 聖靈使人成圣The Holy Spirit as Sanctifier

作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮

摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》P115 ,更新傳道會出版http://www.crmnj.org/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105106813742373627205/posts/LRziHThgxR5

神呼召每一個人要能反映出祂圣潔的本性：「那召你們的既是圣潔，你們在一切所行的事上也要圣潔。因為經上記著說：『你們要圣潔，因為我是圣潔的。』」（彼前1：15-16）但我們的問題是，我們并不圣潔。那為何圣經卻稱我們為圣徒呢？圣徒一詞的含意就是圣潔的人。正因為我們本身不圣潔，所以才需要被作成圣潔；而在我們身上工作，使我們成為圣潔的，就是圣靈——即三位一體中的第三位，祂并不比父神和子神更圣潔，而祂之所以被稱為圣靈，并不是因其位格使然（雖然祂的確是圣潔的），而是因祂所做的工作——祂使我們成圣。

　　

圣靈重要的工作是要使我們成為圣徒；圣靈能幫助我們成圣，祂的角色是使人成圣者（sanctifier）。所謂成圣，就是使人成為圣潔，或成為公義。成圣是一種過程，從我們作基督徒之初便開始了，而且這個過程會一直延續下去，直到我們離世，那時信徒才最終地、完滿地和永久地成為公義的。

　　

改革宗信仰非常強調，人的重生只能單靠圣靈。我們不能幫圣靈做什么事；我們也完全不同意重生需要人與神合作努力才能達成的講法。但是成圣便不同了，信徒的成圣是一項合作經營，我們必須與圣靈合作，才能在成圣中長大。使徒保羅在寫給腓立比信徒的書信中，正表達了這種想法：「這樣看來，我親愛的弟兄，你們既是常順服的，不但我在你們那里，就是我如今不在你們那里，更是順服的，就當恐懼戰兢，作成你們得救的工夫。因為你們立志行事，都是神在你們心里運行，為要成就他的美意。」（腓2：12-13）

　　

這合作的呼召乃是一個工作的呼召，我們必須殷勤地去完成。存恐懼戰兢的心，并不表示我們的心里害怕，而是存著敬畏的心去努力。令我們感欣慰的是，并不是我們單獨在努力，我們也不是只靠自己的力量，而是神在我們里面工作，使我們能夠成圣。

　　　　

圣靈住在信徒心里，且在信徒里面工作，使信徒能活出更為公義的生活，有更公義的心思。但我們也需小心，不要把圣靈的內住混淆為個人的神性化。圣靈的確會住在信徒里面，并在信徒里面工作，但是圣靈不會變為那位信徒。圣靈的工作是使人成圣，而不是去製造神性化的個體。當圣靈住在我們里面時，祂不會成為人，而我們也不會成為神。圣靈不會毀壞我們人的成分；成圣是指我們變得帶有神的性情，但絕不會成為神的實存。

總結

1.神呼召我們反出祂的聖潔。

2.要成為聖潔，我們便需接受自己以外而來的聖潔。

3.聖靈之所以被稱為聖靈，是因為祂的工作是使我們成聖。

4.成聖是一個終生的過程。

5.成聖是信徒和聖靈合作的工作。

6. 聖靈內住並不是要使我們神性化。

思考經文：

約15：26；林後3：17-18；加4：6；腓2：12-13；彼前1：15-16

The Holy Spirit as Sanctifier

God calls every person to mirror and reflect His holy character: "As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16). Our problem is that in ourselves we are not holy; we are unholy. Yet the Bible refers to us as "saints." The term saint means "one who is holy." Since holiness is not found in ourselves, we must be made holy. The One who works to make us holy, to conform us to the image of Christ, is the Holy Spirit. As the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is no more holy than the Father and the Son. Yet we do not speak of the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit. That the Spirit of God is called the Holy Spirit is not so much because of His person (which is indeed holy) but because of His work, to make us holy.

It is the special work of the Holy Spirit to make us saints. He consecrates us. The Holy Spirit fulfills the role of the sanctifier. To be sanctified is to be made holy, or righteous. Sanctification is a process that begins the moment we become Christians. The process continues until death when the believer is made finally, fully, and forevermore righteous.

The Reformed faith is distinctive in its emphasis on the working of the Holy Spirit alone in regeneration. We do not assist the Holy Spirit in our rebirth. We reject outright any notion of cooperative effort in the rebirth of the believer. Sanctification, however, is a different matter. Our sanctification is a cooperative venture. We must work with the Holy Spirit to grow in sanctification. The apostle Paul expressed this idea in his letter to the church at Phillipi:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

The call to cooperation is one that involves work. We are to work in earnest. To work with fear and trembling does not suggest a spirit of terror but of reverence coupled with effort. We are consoled by the knowledge that we are not left to do this work alone or by our own efforts. God is working within us to accomplish our sanctification.

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, working to bring about a more righteous life and heart. We must be careful, however, not to confuse the indwelling Spirit with any deification of the individual. The Spirit is in the believer and works with the believer, but does not become the believer. The Spirit works to produce sanctified human beings, not deified creatures. When the Spirit indwells us, He does not become human and we do not become gods. The Holy Spirit does not destroy our personal identities as human beings. In our sanctification we are to become godlike in character, but not in being.

1.         God calls us to reflect His holiness.

2.         To become holy requires that we receive holiness from outside of ourselves.

3.         The Holy Spirit is called holy because of His work as our sanctifier.

4.         Sanctification is a lifelong process.

5.         Sanctification is a cooperative work, involving both the believer and the Holy Spirit.

6.         The indwelling Holy Spirit does not work to deify us.

转载自:

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/

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