悔改是什麼樣子？WhatDoes Repentance Look Like?

作者:  R.C. Sproul   譯者:  Maria Marta

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-does-repentance-look/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/936R6ihFAvk

詩篇五十一篇是七首懺悔詩中的第四首,   是大衛在與先知拿單對質後寫下的。拿單宣布，大衛在奪取娶拔示巴爲妻,  和謀殺其丈夫烏利亞的事件中,   犯下嚴重的罪,  得罪了上帝。

大衛表達極度的痛苦和深切的懊悔很重要，但我們也必須明白，內心的悔改是聖靈的工作。大衛能悔改，是因為聖靈在他身上施加影響。不僅如此，在他寫這個禱告時，他是在聖靈的默示下寫成的。在詩篇五十一篇，聖靈顯示祂如何在我們的心產生悔改。我們讀這首詩時, 要牢記這一點。

詩篇五十一篇開始：「神啊！求你按著你的慈愛恩待我，照著你豐盛的憐憫塗抹我的過犯」（1節）。   這裏我們看到悔改的基本元素。通常當一個人意識到自己的罪並從罪中回轉時，他將自己投進上帝的憐憫裏。真悔改的第一個果子是承認我們深切需要憐憫。大衛並沒有懇求上帝的公義。他知道如果上帝定要按公義處置他，他便立即銷毀。因此，大衛先開始懇求赦免，然後向上帝認罪。

當大衛懇求上帝塗抹他的過犯時，他請求上帝除去他靈魂的汙漬，遮蓋他的不義，洗淨他的罪，這罪是他生命中的永久性的部分。因此他說：「求你徹底洗淨我的罪孽，潔除我的罪」（2節）。

赦免和洗淨是兩個相關聯的概念，但卻不是同一件事。在新約，使徒約翰曾寫道，「我們若承認自己的罪，神是信實的、公義的，必定赦免我們的罪，潔淨我們脫離一切不義」（約壹一9）。本著悔改的精神，我們來到上帝面前，承認我們自己的罪，不單懇求赦免，更懇求加添力量，克制自己不再犯罪。就像大衛在這詩篇中所作的，我們請求消除我們的犯罪傾向。

大衛繼續說道，「因爲我知道我的過犯；我的罪常在我面前」（詩五一3）。這不是簡單的隨意認罪。大衛飽受內心折磨,    說：「我知道我的過犯」。 大衛既沒有試圖縮小和掩蓋自己的罪,  也有沒有試圖自我辯護。然而,  我們往往是理論解釋的高手,  能快速羅列出各種理由，爲我們的罪替自己申辯。但在這句經文中，大衛在聖靈大能的引領下，去到一個地步：在上帝面前誠實。他承認自己的罪，意識到自己的罪總是存在,   無法除去，這讓他飽受困擾,  不得安寧。

他聲淚俱下：「我得罪了你，唯獨得罪你；我行了你眼中看爲惡的事」（ 4a節）。從某種意義上說，大衛在這裡使用誇張修辭手法。大衛對烏利亞、烏利亞的家人和朋友、拔示巴，以及普天下的上帝百姓犯下可怕的罪行。但大衛明白,  罪最終會得罪上帝，因爲上帝是宇宙唯一的完美者。上帝同樣是天地萬物的審判者，所有罪都定義爲違犯上帝的律法，冒犯上帝的聖潔。大衛知道並承認這一點。他沒有縮小對人犯下罪行這事實，反而承認他的罪得罪上帝的終極後果。

他在第4節後半部分所作出的聲明往往被人忽略，這聲明是聖經中表達真悔改最有力的句子之一：「你宣判的時候，顯爲公義；你審判的時候，顯爲清正」（4b節）。大衛主要說的是：「上帝啊，祢有權審判我，很清楚，我只配受祢的審判和忿怒」。大衛承認上帝無可指責，有權審判他。沒有與上帝協商或談判的余地。

「看哪，我是在罪孽裏生的；我母親在罪中懷了我。看哪！你喜愛的是內心的誠實；在我內心的隱密處，你使我得智慧」（5–6節）。上帝不但希望從我們口中得知真相，更希望從我們內心的隱密處得知真相。大衛承認，他沒有遵行上帝的命令，他的順服通常只是外表儀式,  而非從心裏流露出來的行動。

大衛再次痛哭懇求得洗淨：「求你用牛膝草潔淨我，我就幹淨；求你洗淨我，我就比雪更白」（7節）。我們可以聽到大衛無助的泣聲。大衛不是說：「上帝，等一等。在我繼續這祈禱對話之前，我必須清洗我的手。我必須保持潔淨。」 大衛知道他無能力除去罪的汙穢。他無法彌補自己的過犯。因此我們務要加入大衛的行列,  承認我們無能力爲自己贖罪。

上帝稍後藉著先知以賽亞應許：「你們的罪雖象朱紅，必變成雪白；雖紅如丹顔，必白如羊毛」（賽一18）。當上帝發現我們的汙穢,  祂喜悅潔淨我們。

大衛繼續說道：「求你使我聽見歡喜和快樂的聲音」（詩五一8a）。悔改是痛苦的事。誰享受知罪，認罪的過程？罪疚是喜樂最強大的破壞者。雖然大衛此刻並不快樂，但他懇求上帝修複他的靈魂，使他再次感受到歡喜和快樂。他在第8節的說話「使你所壓傷的骨頭可以歡呼」證明了這一點。第8節的說話不是很有趣嗎？ 他說：「上帝啊，你壓碎我, 我的骨頭都斷了；但這不是被撒旦和拿單打斷的,  而是當祢判我有罪時, 祢壓傷了我的骨頭。所以，我作為一個破碎的人站在你面前，我能繼續前進的唯一途徑乃在于是否得到你醫治,  將歡喜和快樂歸還給我。」

他接著說：「求你掩面不看我的罪惡，求你塗抹我的一切罪孽。神啊！求你為我造一顆清潔的心，求你使我裡面重新有堅定的靈」（9–10節）。 擁有清潔的心的唯一途徑是憑借上帝再創造的工作來成全。我沒有能力自我創造。唯獨上帝才能造清潔的心，祂塗抹我們的罪, 在我們裡面創造清潔的心。

大衛泣不成聲：「不要把我從你面前丟棄，不要從我身上收回你的聖靈」（11節）。大衛意識到這是最糟糕的事，可能發生在任何罪人身上。事實上，他知道如果我們堅持不知悔改,   上帝會將我們從祂的面前驅逐出去。耶穌警告那些拒絕祂的人, 他們將永遠與上帝隔絕。但悔改的禱告是信徒的避難所。這是一個知道自己陷在罪中的人的敬虔回應。這種回應是所有那些歸正者的生命的記號。

大衛繼續說道：「求你使我重得你救恩的喜樂，重新有樂意的靈支持我。我就必把你的道指教有過犯的人，罪人必回轉歸向你」（12–13節） 我們常常聽到，人們不願意與基督徒在一起，因為基督徒流露出各種對人沾沾自喜、自以爲義、自命清高、假仁假義的態度。但事實不應如此。基督徒沒什麼可沾沾自喜；我們不是義人，試圖去糾正不義的人。如一位牧師曾說過, 「傳福音是一個乞丐告訴另一個乞丐,  在哪裏可找到面包。」 信徒與非信徒之間的主要差別是赦免。成為一個奉基督之名事奉的神職人員的唯一資格是,  他經歷了赦免，並想把這種經歷告訴別人。

「主啊！求你開我的嘴，使我的口宣揚讚美你的話。因為你不喜愛祭物；我就是獻上燔祭，你也不喜悅。神所要的祭，就是破碎的靈；神啊！破碎痛悔的心，你必不輕看」（15–17節）。這裏，我們發現先知悔改的心和靈魂，正如在上一節所看到的。在「破碎痛悔的心，你必不輕看」這句子裏找到敬虔悔改的真本質。大衛說，如果上帝能贖我的罪，祂會去贖；但現在，他唯一的希望是上帝會按祂的憐憫接納他。

聖經既明確地告訴我們，又含蓄地向我們展示, 上帝阻擋驕傲的人, 賜恩給謙卑的人。大衛知道這是真實的。破碎的他，了解上帝，知道上帝如何與悔改的人有關聯。他明白，上帝從不憎恨或輕視破碎痛悔的心。這正是上帝對我們的期望。這也是耶穌在八福中的心意，耶穌說：「哀慟的人有福了！因爲他們必得安慰」（太5:4）。這節經文告訴我們的，不僅是失去親人的哀痛，而且也是我們在被罪定罪時所經歷的悲痛。耶穌向我們確保，當我們爲我們的罪憂傷時，上帝將透過祂的聖靈安慰我們。

我建議所有基督徒都背誦詩篇五十一篇。這是一個敬虔悔改禱告的完美模式。 在我一生中曾多次來到上帝的面前說：「神啊！求你爲我造一顆清潔的心」,   又或者說：「求你塗抹我的一切罪孽,求你用牛膝草潔淨我，我就幹淨」。我曾多次禱告：「求你使我聽見歡喜和快樂的聲音」,  又曾多次淚流滿面「我得罪了你，唯獨得罪你」。 當我們感到被罪咎的現實淹沒時，我們試圖在上帝面前表達悔過,  但卻無語凝噎。遇到這些場合,  有聖經的話语在我們嘴邊確實是有福的。 

本譯文的聖經經文皆引自《聖經新譯本》。

本文摘錄自史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul)所著的小冊子《What Is Repentance?》。

What Does Repentance Look Like?

FROM R.C. Sproul

One of the penitential psalms, Psalm 51 was written by David after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. Nathan declared that David had grievously sinned against God in the taking of Bathsheba to be his wife and in the murder of her husband, Uriah.

It’s important to see the anguish and heartfelt remorse expressed by David, but we must also understand that repentance of the heart is the work of God the Holy Spirit. David is repentant because of the influence of the Holy Spirit upon him. Not only that, but as he writes this prayer, he is writing it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit demonstrates in Psalm 51 how He produces repentance in our hearts. Keep this in mind as we look at the psalm.

Psalm 51 begins, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” (v. 1). Here we see an element that is fundamental to repentance. Usually, when a person becomes aware of his sin and turns from it, he casts himself on the mercy of God. The first fruit of authentic repentance is the recognition of our profound need for mercy. David does not ask God for justice. He knows that if God were to deal with him according to justice, he would be immediately destroyed. As a result, David begins his confession with a plea for mercy.

When David pleads with God to blot out his transgressions, he’s asking God to remove the stain from his soul, to cover his unrighteousness, and to cleanse him from the sin that is now a permanent part of his life. So he says, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (v. 2).

The ideas of forgiveness and cleansing are related, but they are not the same thing. In the New Testament, the Apostle John writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In a spirit of repentance, we go before God and confess our sins, asking not only for the pardon, but also for the strength to refrain from doing that sin anymore. As David does in this psalm, we ask that our inclination to wickedness be eliminated.

David continues, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:3). This isn’t simply a casual acknowledgement of guilt. He is a haunted man; he says, “I know I am guilty.” There’s no attempt to minimize his guilt. There’s no attempt at self-justification. We, however, are often masters of rationalization and are quick to excuse ourselves by giving all kinds of reasons for our sinful behavior. But in this text, by the power of the Holy Spirit, David is brought to the point where he is honest before God. He admits his guilt, realizing that his sin is ever present. He can’t get rid of it, and this haunts him.

Then he cries out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (v. 4a). In one sense, David is using hyperbole here. He has sinned horribly against Uriah, Uriah’s family and friends, Bathsheba, and the whole nation of God’s people. But David understands that sin ultimately is an offense against God, because God is the only perfect being in the universe. As God is the judge of heaven and earth, all sin is defined in terms of the transgression of God’s law and is an offense against His holiness. David knows this and acknowledges it. He’s not minimizing the reality of his sin against human beings, but he recognizes the ultimacy of his sin against God.

He then makes a statement that is often overlooked. It’s found in the second part of verse 4 and is one of the most powerful expressions of true repentance that we find in the Scriptures: “so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (v. 4b). David is essentially saying, “O God, You have every right to judge me, and it is clear that I deserve nothing more than Your judgment and Your wrath.” David acknowledges that God is blameless and has every right to judge him. There is no bargaining or negotiating with God.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (vv. 5–6). Not only does God want the truth from us, He wants it from deep within us. David acknowledges that he has failed to do what God has commanded, “and that his obedience is often mere external ceremony rather than acts that flow out of the center of his being.

Then David cries out again for cleansing: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (v. 7). We can hear the utter helplessness in David’s voice. David doesn’t say, “God, wait a minute. Before I continue this dialogue in prayer, I have to clean my hands. I have to get washed.” David knows that he’s incapable of removing the stain of his guilt from himself. He cannot make up for it. We must join David in acknowledging that we cannot atone for our own sins.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God later gave this promise, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isa. 1:18). God is pleased to clean us up when He finds us in the dirt.

David then says, “Let me hear joy and gladness” (Ps. 51:8a). Repentance is a painful thing. Who enjoys going through the confession of sin and the acknowledgement of guilt? Guilt is the most powerful destroyer of joy there is. While David is not very happy at this moment, he asks God to restore his soul and make him feel joy and gladness again. He makes this point when he says, “Let the bones that you have broken rejoice” (v. 8b). Isn’t that an interesting phrase? He says, “God, You’ve crushed me. My bones are broken; it wasn’t Satan or Nathan that broke my bones, but you broke my bones when you convicted me of my guilt. So, I stand before you as a broken man, and the only way I can go on is if You heal me and return joy and gladness to me.”

Next he says, “Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (v. 9–10). The only way to have a clean heart is by a work of divine re-creation. I am incapable of creating that in myself. Only God can create a clean heart, and He does create clean hearts by blotting out our sin.

“David then cries, “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me” (v. 11). David realizes that this is the worst thing that could happen to any sinner. He knows that God will, in fact, cast us out of His presence if we persist in impenitence. Jesus warns that those who reject Him will be cut off from God forever. But the prayer of repentance is a refuge for the believer. It is the godly response of one who knows that he is in sin. This type of response should mark the lives of all those who are converted.

David continues, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you” (vv. 12–13). We often hear that people don’t like to be in the presence of Christians because Christians manifest a smug, self-righteous attitude or a goody-two-shoes, holier-than-thou attitude. But this should not be the case. Christians have nothing to be smug about; we are not righteous people trying to correct the unrighteous. As one preacher said, “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” The chief difference between the believer and the unbeliever is forgiveness. The only thing that qualifies a person to be a minister in the name of Christ is that that person has experienced forgiveness and wants to tell of it to others.

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (vv. 15–17). Here’s where we find the heart and soul of prophetic repentance as seen in the last chapter. The true nature of godly repentance is found in the phrase “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” David is saying that if he could atone for his own sins, he would; but as it is, his only hope is that God would accept him according to His mercy.

The Bible tells us explicitly and shows us implicitly that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. David knows this to be true. As broken as he is, he knows God and how God relates to penitent people. He understands that God never hates or despises a broken and contrite heart. This is what God desires from us. This is what Jesus had in mind in the Beatitudes when He said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for “they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). This text is not simply about grieving the loss of a loved one, but also the grief that we experience when convicted by our sin. Jesus assures us that when we grieve over our sin, God by His Holy Spirit will comfort us.

I would recommend that all Christians memorize Psalm 51. It is a perfect model of godly repentance. Many times in my life, I have come to the Lord and said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” or, “Blot out my transgressions. Purge me with hyssop. Wash me and make me clean.” Many times I’ve prayed, “O Lord, restore to me the joy of your salvation,” and cried out, “Against you, you only have I sinned.” When we feel overwhelmed by the reality of our guilt, words fail us as we seek to express ourselves in penitence before God. It truly is a blessing to have the words of Scripture themselves upon our lips on those occasions.

This excerpt is from R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions booklet What Is Repentance? Download this ebook and the rest of the series for free here.

你关心那些寡妇吗？DoYou Care About the Widows?

作者: R.C. Sproul   譯者:   Maria Marta  

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/do-you-care-about-widows/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/7NqsX7jGa23

根據聖經的教導，做到心虔志誠，並不一定意味著你是敬虔的。成為虔誠的人可能只意味著你參與以宗教作裝飾的活動，也就是說你可能是一名假宗教成員。然而，聖經有時從積極的意義上談論宗教，即在實踐意義上，結出真正信靠基督，委身上帝話語的果子。

使徒雅各強調宗教是那些真正信靠耶穌基督的人的實踐，真敬虔是什麽模樣?  雅各說，真敬虔是表現出有在基督裡的得救信心（雅二14–26）。他告訴我們，真敬虔不僅是「在我們心思裏對正確教義的持守」的問題，盡管這是必要的。不，真敬虔是指用教義塑造我們的生命達到一個程度，以致我們表露出上帝希望我們活出來的那種生命。雅各給出真宗教、真敬虔的簡潔定義：「純潔無玷汙的虔誠，就是照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且保守自己不被世俗所汙染。」雅各將照顧寡婦和孤兒的行動提升為「清潔沒有玷汙的虔誠」的本質。我深信這種觀念非常重要，但却被今天的教會漠視。

在這篇文章中，我想把重點特別放在「寡婦」這話題上。寡婦和照顧寡婦在上帝為祂的教會制定的議程中占據顯著的位置。在使徒時代的教會，「寡婦被忽略」是其中一個最早出現的問題。如果這是第一世紀教會的問題，那麼在二十個世紀之後，在我們當中多麼有可能犯有忽略寡婦的罪？

在我成長的過程中，在我的祖父去世後，我的祖母搬進我們家，與我們一起生活了很多年。有好幾次，她在深夜與我交談，哭著告訴我她的痛苦重擔，她覺得自己不僅失去了丈夫，而且也失去了社區的地位。自從她丈夫過世後，她突然感到被排除在丈夫活著時與她緊密相聯的事情之外。一個人失去自己的終身伴侶，就像失去他自己完整、親密的一部分，因為聖經告訴我們，丈夫與妻子在婚姻的奧秘中成為一體。所以，守寡的痛苦帶來孤單的獨特維度。當一個人長期習慣了配偶的穩定相伴，突然變成孤單一人，這是何等的悲痛欲絕。因為上帝是祂的子民的偉大的安慰者，所以祂對遭遇痛苦經歷的寡婦如此關心是有道理的。

那麼，為什麼雅各不提鰥夫？畢竟，鰥夫也經歷失去終身伴侶的相同痛苦的劇痛。每一個曾與我交談過的人都無例外地說，他們希望先離去，因為他們無法想象沒有妻子的生活。我不能證明這一點，但我認為這就是男人的正常平均壽命比女人的正常平均壽命短的原因之一，因為上帝恩待我們男人，祂知道我們不如女人堅強。但我確實知道，寡婦在每個時代和每種文化當中總會經歷特別的困難。在古代世界，她們面對特別的問題。沒有保險、年金、或其他各種各樣的資助，沒有丈夫，寡婦通常是社區中最易受傷和最無助的人。在古代社會，寡婦幾乎沒有生計來源。因此，舊約和新約把照顧寡婦的責任交給教會。

從耶穌的教導中得知，祂常常關心寡婦。  只要想想馬可福音十二章41–45節所記載的寡婦捐一個銅錢的故事便可看出來。在教會裡，通常誰會獲得人們的注意？是那些大的捐助者，那些其捐贈對教會預算的持續供資是如此重要的人。很少人會注意那些捐款微薄，對教會的預算底線無關緊要的貧困者。但是耶穌注意到每一個被忽視的人。祂告訴祂的聽眾看看貧窮的寡婦。盡管這位婦女只捐給聖殿等值兩便士的銅錢，但她比所有其他捐贈財寶的人投（進奉獻箱）的更多，因為她捐出她的不足，她捐出對上帝的忠誠。

在新約聖經- 約翰福音十九章19:16b–27節，記錄了其中一個最溫柔的瞬間。當耶穌基督在十字架上，朝母親的方向望去，她是祂受難的目擊證人，耶穌對她說：「母親，看！你的兒子。」耶穌不是要求祂的母親看祂。她顯然在看著祂。然後耶穌對約翰說，「看！你的母親。」耶穌臨終時，祂將照顧祂寡居母親的責任托付给祂心愛的們徒約翰。在十字架上，耶穌對約翰說：「約翰，你照顧我的母親。她是一個寡婦，所以她對你來說就是你的母親」，然後祂又對馬利亞說，「母親，約翰對你來說就是你的兒子。」

兒子有什麽用？照顧他們的母親。母親的作用只能照顧他們的孩子？想想這些年來，母親們把握所有的機會照顧她們的孩子，現在她們開始孤獨過日，我們首先要照顧的必然是尚存的家人。但決不能到此為止，因為較大的家是教會。雅各，耶穌的兄弟，認為照顧寡婦這個任務是如此的重要，以致他用「照顧寡婦」來描述真宗教的实質。你自以為虔誠，但你卻不關心寡婦？你的虔誠是有名無實的，因為雅各說純潔無玷汙的虔誠，就是照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦。

本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌。

Do You Care About the Widows?

FROM R.C. Sproul

In biblical terms, to be religious does not necessarily mean you are godly. To be religious can mean simply that you’re involved in the trappings of religion, that you may be a member of a false religion. Yet, the Scriptures sometimes speak of religion in a positive sense, in the sense of practice that is the fruit of true faith in Christ and commitment to His Word.

The Apostle James focuses on religion as the practice of those who have true faith in Jesus, and he says that true religion demonstrates the presence of saving trust in the Lord (James 2:14–26). What true godliness looks like, he tells us, is not a matter of merely holding to right doctrine with our minds, though that is essential. No, true godliness means that doctrine shapes our lives to such a degree that we manifest the kind of life God wants us to live. And James gives us a succinct definition of true religion, of true godliness: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: To visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James elevates the activity of caring for widows and orphans as the very essence of pure and undefiled religion. That strikes me as being very significant, and it’s an idea that is neglected in the church today.

In this article, I want to focus particularly on widows. Widows and their care figure prominently in the agenda that God has set for His church. One of the earliest problems that arose in the Apostolic church was that the widows were being neglected. And if that was a problem in the first-century church, how much more likely is it that we, twenty centuries later, would be guilty of neglecting the widows in our midst?

After my grandfather died, my grandmother moved into our home and lived with us for many years as I was growing up. On several occasions, she would talk to me late at night and weep, telling me of the burden of pain she had in feeling like she had not only lost her husband but that she had also lost her place in the community. Once her husband passed, she suddenly felt excluded from the things she was intimately involved with alongside him while he was alive. When a person loses her lifelong mate, it’s like losing an integral, intimate part of one’s self because husband and wife, we are told, in the mystery of marriage are one flesh. So, the pain of widowhood brings a unique dimension of loneliness. It’s jarring to suddenly be alone when one has been accustomed to the constant companionship with one’s spouse over a long period of time. Since God is the great Comforter of His people, it makes sense that He would have such concern for widows given the pain they experience.

Now, why does James not mention the widowers? After all, the widower also experiences that same pang of suffering that goes with losing a lifelong mate. Well, every man that I’ve ever talked to always says they want to go first because they can’t imagine living life without their wives. I can’t prove it, but I think that’s one of the reasons why the normal life expectancy of the man is shorter than the life expectancy of the woman, because God is gracious to us men, and He knows that we’re not as strong as women. But what I do know for sure is that widows have always experienced particular difficulties in every age and culture. They faced particular problems in the ancient world. There weren’t insurance programs, annuities, or other sorts of things, and without a husband, the widow was usually the most vulnerable and helpless person in the community. Widows had little or no means of support in ancient societies. Thus, the care of the widows was given to the church both in the Old Testament and in the New.

Jesus frequently pays attention to widows in His teaching. Just consider the story of the widow’s mite in Mark 12:41–45. Who is it that normally gets the attention in the church? The people who are the big donors, the ones whose donations are so important to the ongoing funding of the church’s budget. Few pay attention to the poverty-stricken person who makes a tiny donation that’s insignificant to the budget’s bottom line. But Jesus noticed what everyone else overlooked. He told His hearers to look at the poor widow. Even though the woman gave only the equivalent of two pennies to the temple, she put in more than all the rest of the people who donated heavily to the treasury because in giving out of her own poverty, she gave out of her devotion to God.

One of the most tender moments recorded in the New Testament is found in John 19:16b–27. While Christ was on the cross, He looked in the direction of His mother, who was an eyewitness to His passion, and He said to her, “Woman, behold your son!” He was not asking His mother to look at Him. Obviously, she already was looking at Him. Then, Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother!” In His dying moments, Jesus was commending the care of His widowed mother to His beloved disciple, John. On the cross, Jesus said to John, “John, you take care of My mother. She’s a widow, so let her be to you as your own mother.” To Mary, He said, “Mother, let John be to you as your own son.”

What are sons for? To look after their mothers. What are mothers for but to look after their children? When you think of all of the years and the opportunities where mothers have looked after their children when they enter into their loneliness, the first line of care is to be the surviving family. But it by no means stops there, because the larger family is the church. James, the brother of Jesus, sees this mandate to care for widows as so important that he uses it to describe the crystallized essence of true religion. Do you think you’re religious, but you don’t care about the widows? Your religion is an exercise in futility, because James says pure and undefiled religion is the care of widows and of orphans in times of trouble.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

你仍然認為你的救恩是偉大的？

Do You Still Think Your Salvation Is Great?

作者: Sinclair Ferguson   譯者: Maria Marta  

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/great-salvation/

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

在起初之前；在所有天體出現之前；在上帝以外什麽也沒有；當聖父、聖子、聖靈在祂們的聖三位一體裡處於永恒、絕對、難以想象的福氣、欣慰、喜樂的狀態時-------創造一個世界是祂們一致同意的目標。這個世界會墮落。但同時------要付上無限大的代價------榮耀的三一上帝計劃帶給你（假若你是一個信徒）恩典和救贖。

這是源自太初之前更深的恩典。它是舊約禮儀、領袖、聖徒經驗所描繪的，他們全都渴望看到我們所看到的恩典。現在這恩典全屬於我們。我們的救恩取決於上帝的盟約，植根於永恒，在摩西禮儀裡預示，在基督裡實現，永遠長存。難怪希伯來人稱它為「這麼大的救恩」（來二3）。

在你基督徒生活初期，你認為救恩很「偉大」，不是嗎？你今天還這樣認為嗎？

本文摘錄自Sinclair Ferguson所著的《In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life》。

Do You Still Think Your Salvation Is Great?

FROM Sinclair Ferguson

Before all time; prior to all worlds; when there was nothing “outside of” God Himself; when the Father, Son, and Spirit found eternal, absolute, and unimaginable blessing, pleasure, and joy in Their holy triunity—it was Their agreed purpose to create a world. That world would fall. But in unison—and at infinitely great cost—this glorious triune God planned to bring you (if you are a believer) grace and salvation.

This is deeper grace from before the dawn of time. It was pictured in the rituals, the leaders, and the experiences of the Old Testament saints, all of whom longed to see what we see. All this is now ours. Our salvation depends on God’s covenant, rooted in eternity, foreshadowed in the Mosaic liturgy, fulfilled in Christ, enduring forever. No wonder Hebrews calls it “so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3).

Early in your Christian life, you thought salvation was “great,” didn’t you? Do you still think about it that way today?

This excerpt is taken from In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life by Sinclair Ferguson.

 成功是什麽意思？WhatDoes It Mean to Succeed?

作者: Iain Duguid   譯者:  Maria Marta  

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-does-it-mean-succeed/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106695469993489516884/posts/113h1eUQDwd

成功是什麽意思？我們通常認為成功意味著達到特定的個人和職業目標：財政豐裕，受同輩尊重，供養穩固的家庭。 我們從獲得榮譽、達到頂峰、受到欽佩、變得富有、備受關注等方面來衡量成功。同時，失敗意味著窮困潦倒或無關緊要；不受歡迎或不討人喜歡；或者是羞辱的對象。甚至在事工方面，我們也常常認為「成功」意味著大型或快速增長的會眾，再加上如優秀牧師或傳道人這樣的聲譽，而「失敗」則意味著小型、或人數減少的群集；或因困難，或在方向問題上存在分歧而不得不離開教會。

當然，不同的人對這種成功定義的不同方面也有不同的評定。 一個人可能物質上擁有一切，但仍然覺得失敗，因為他缺乏名氣-----這對他來說是真正重要的一件事。 另一個人似乎一無所有，但仍感到成功，因為他在其它不同的領域實現了目標。 在教會生活中，有大教會的牧師不感到成功，因為他們羨慕那些牧養甚至更著名教會的牧師的位置，而一些牧養小群羊的牧師在追求愛上帝放置在他們底下的人的過程中，感到心滿意足。「成功」和「失敗」是對我們自己的地位和我們周遭其他人的地位的高度的主觀評價。

然而，人類對成功和失敗的判斷非常糟糕。 一方面，我們經常使用錯誤的衡量標尺。 我們判斷為「成功」的人-----富有、有權勢、有影響力、有吸引力--------但在上帝的國度卻得不到特別的稱讚。 與此同時，那些我們輕視的失敗的人------貧窮、破碎、不足掛齒------往往是那些上帝似乎特別關注的人。 根據耶穌的教導，人可能賺得全世界 -------幾乎超越所有的人類標準------但人生依然失敗，因為在這個過程中你失去了靈魂（太十六26）。耶穌同時亦宣稱人有可能失去所有的財產、關系、地位，然而在真正攸關重要之事上-------在你與上帝的關系中取得成功（可十28-30）。

此外，我們經常過早地作出判斷。 我們以目前的表面跡象為依據進行判斷，我們評估人，好像我們知道他們的故事的結果似的。 而在現實中，這個世界不會交代故事的結局，而是在將要到來的世界才曉得其結局，一些現在在前（「成功」）的人將要在後，而現在被判斷在後（「失敗」）的人將首先進入上帝的國（可十31）。上帝上下翻轉國度的成功標準，有異於現今時代的成功標準。

當然，聖經的智慧並不是簡單的徹底推翻傳統智慧，好讓現在貧賤的人被自動算入成功的行列，而任何有地位、有財富的人都被拋棄。聖經裡當然有明智地運用自己的財富或高職位的人，如約瑟和但以理。 即使在異教徒的環境當中，這些身居政府要職的人都能忠心服事上帝。 同樣，在耶穌被釘十字架之後，亞利馬太的約瑟運用他的財富為耶穌提供墳墓（太廿七57-59）。 但除了財富和地位之外，這些人所擁有的共同之處是，他們運用上帝賜予他們的資源，首先服事上帝和祂的國。

從聖經的角度來說，這的確意味著成功。成功之人的目標乃是先求上帝的國，取代了我們個人的王國的目標----不管它們可能是舒適、認同、金錢等等。任何妨礙成功之人事奉上帝的事物，他們都願意放棄，或者為上帝將這些事物作資源來使用，他是這些資源的一個管家，被吩咐有一天要交賬（參看太廿五14-30）。不管何種管家，成功的管家不是受托負最多資源的人。管家乃是忠心管理付托給他的資源的人（太廿五:21）。

因此，受托管理一間大房子的人應該問這間房子如何能作上帝國度的資源，也許用作舉辦教會活動的地方，也許用作到問宣教士的住處。一個擁有商業恩賜的人應當明智地運用他的恩賜來經商，從而使他的客戶、社區，和他自己得益。 能言的人也應以造就人的方式來運用其說話的恩賜：對那些蒙呼召作傳道的人來說，這可能意味著傳講信息；但是對一個掙紮的年輕母親或失落的少年來說，這可能是（聽到）一句合時的安慰溫暖的說話。有許多事奉上帝國度的方法，沒有引起我們周遭許多人的注意，盡管如此，但仍算是成功。

「不易引起我們注意」的成功的一個特征，就是在上帝的話語中紮根建基。根據詩篇第一篇，這是成功（「有福」）的人的關鍵記號。 這些人喜愛上帝的話語，晝夜思考，思考上帝律法的智慧和福音的榮美（詩一2）。 他們也明智處理律法和福音的關系（第1節）。 這些人像一棵樹，栽在溪水旁，按時候結果子（第3節）。 他們將經受住最後的考驗，即審判之日（5-6節）。 這並非意味著在這個時代總是很容易認出這樣的人。 詩篇七十三篇的作者幾乎被惡人現有的繁榮絆倒，惡人似乎興往，而敬虔人卻在爭紮（參看第2-4節）。連他也需要培養長遠的眼光，來理解這兩組人的極終命運（17-20節）。

當然，我們當中沒有一個人能夠真正達到這樣的成功標準。 我們當中哪一個人真正晝夜喜愛上帝的話語？ 大多數時候，我們都很容易在價值和重要性小得多的事上分心，不管它們是互聯網、書籍、電影，還是電視。我們當中哪一個人真正忠心運用賦予給我們的恩賜，不管它們是我們的時間、我們的才幹，還是我們的金錢？ 我們消除對別人做好事的機會，同時又過多的將它們花費在我們自己身上和我們自己的安逸上。 按照上帝話語的標準來判斷，我們都是失敗、不盈利的仆人，值得丟在黑暗裡（太25:30）。

然而上帝國度之榮美在於進入不需要成功的門票。上帝國度之門對這些人是敞開的：失敗者和浪子；那些將他們的資源（其實他們的資源一直是上帝的資源）浪費在筵席和放縱生活上的人-------或者，他們在某些情況下，吝嗇愛財，將可以豐富地祝福其他人的物資貯藏起來。以下的信息我們來說是好消息，因為我們的心非先求上帝的國，反而常常愛惜地上的物資------會生銹、有缺陷、易變壞------而不具有永恒的價值。 我們追求個人的名譽和讚賞，卻忽視上帝要我們在生命和財產上榮耀祂的要求。

因此，我們迫切需要耶穌基督代表我們获取成功。按照這世界的常規邏輯，這不像成功：耶穌離開天堂的榮耀，誕生在文明世界邊緣一個閉塞群落的馬槽裡。耶穌指導一小群門徒，他們經常起爭論，他們中間誰是最大，他們還沒領悟到耶穌最簡單的教導。 最後，門徒都離棄耶穌，逃跑了，在某些時候，還否認他們曾見過祂。 最後耶穌被死在十字架釘上，一種對罪犯施行的最可恥和最鄙視的懲罰。這不是那種被世人視為「成功」的概要。

然而，在這一切當中，耶穌尋求祂父的國高於祂自己的利益，祂為那些屬於祂的人舍棄自己的生命。祂的心珍視上帝的話語，喜愛與父上帝團契交通。 在受苦的盡頭，祂將祂的靈魂交在祂父的手裏，確信祂付出的代價會成就父上帝的目標。 三天以後，祂被勝利地高舉，祂升到天上，在那裡祂的名超乎萬名之上。 有一天，萬膝都將跪拜在祂面前，承認祂是成功的真正標準。

因此，所有與基督聯合的人永遠與祂的榮耀相連。我們成功的標準不能用我們地上的成就來定義; 這標準已由我們在基督裡這一事實來定義。 正是這一事實使我們得以自由，从而促使我們奉獻我們自己和我們所有的一切來服事基督的國度。 也正因這一事實，使我們從過去、現在、將來的壓迫着我們的罪中釋放出來，背起我們的十字架，跟從祂。 無論我「成功」還是「失敗」-------無論以什麽標準來恒量------最終都算不了什麽。最重要的是基督為我，代替我取得了成功這事實。 我唯一的希望和誇口并非以我的忠心為基礎，而是以這個事實為基礎：無論我富有還是貧窮，突出還是模糊，軟弱還是堅強，我忠信的救主愛我，為我舍己。 這是我-----或任何其他人------任何時候都需要的全部成功。

本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌。

What Does It Mean to Succeed?

FROM Iain Duguid

What does it mean to succeed? We typically think success involves reaching particular personal and professional goals—prospering financially, being respected by peers, raising a solid family, and so on. We measure success in terms of receiving honor, reaching the top, being admired, getting rich, or being noticed. Meanwhile, failure means being poor or insignificant, being unpopular or disliked, or being the object of shame. Even in ministry, we often rate “success” as a large or rapidly growing congregation, combined with a reputation as a fine pastor or preacher, while “failure” means a small or shrinking flock or having to leave a church because of difficulties or differences over direction.

Different aspects of this definition of success are rated differently by different people, of course. One person may have everything financially yet still feel like a failure because he lacks popularity, the one thing that really matters to him. Another may seem to have nothing and yet feel successful because he has achieved his goals in a different arena. In church life, there are pastors of large churches who don’t feel successful because they envy the situations of those whose churches are even more prominent, while some of those who shepherd small flocks feel content in seeking to love well those whom God has placed under them. “Success” and “failure” are highly subjective evaluations of our own status and that of others around us.

Yet, human beings are remarkably poor judges of success and failure. On the one hand, we often use the wrong measuring sticks. The people whom we judge as “success”—the rich, the powerful, the influential, and the attractive—receive no special adulation in God’s kingdom. Meanwhile, those we look down on as failures—the poor, the broken, and the unimportant people—are often those for whom it seems God has a special concern. According to Jesus, it is possible to gain the whole world—to succeed against almost every human yardstick—and still fail at life because you lose your soul in the process (Matt. 16:26). At the same time, Jesus declares that it is possible to lose all your possessions, relationships, and status, and yet succeed in what really matters—in your relationship with God (Mark 10:28–30).

In addition, we often make premature judgments. We judge on the basis of present appearances, evaluating people as if we knew the outcome of their story. In reality, the end of the story will not be told in this world but in the world to come, where some who are now first (“successful”) will be last, while others who are now judged to be last (“failures”) will be first in God’s kingdom (Mark 10:31). The measures of success in God’s upside-down kingdom are not the same as those of this present age.

Of course, biblical wisdom does not simply turn conventional wisdom on its head so that now the poor and lowly are automatically counted successful while anyone with wealth or rank is dismissed out of hand. There are certainly people in the Bible who used their wealth or high position wisely, such as Joseph or Daniel. Even in a pagan environment, these men served the Lord faithfully at the highest level of government. Likewise, Joseph of Arimathea used his wealth to provide a tomb for Jesus after His crucifixion (Matt. 27:57–59). But more than wealth or position, what these men had in common was that they served the Lord and His kingdom first, with the resources He had given them.

This is surely what it means to succeed from a biblical perspective. In place of serving the goals of our own personal kingdoms, whatever they might be—comfort, approval, money, and so on—the successful person puts first God’s kingdom. He is willing to give up any of these things if they get in the way of serving God, or to use them for God as resources over which he is a steward who will one day be called to account (see Matt. 25:14–30). The successful steward is not the one who is entrusted with the most resources, of whatever kind. It is the steward who is faithful with the resources with which he has been entrusted (Matt. 25:21).

Thus, the person who has been entrusted with a large house should be asking how that house can be a resource for the kingdom, perhaps by hosting church events or housing visiting missionaries. The person with business gifts should use them wisely to build a business that benefits his customers and the community as well as himself. The person who can speak should do so in ways that build people up: this may include preaching, for those called to that work, but it can also be a kind word in season to a struggling young mother or a lost teenager. There are many ways to serve God’s kingdom that evade the notice of many around us but nonetheless constitute success.

One aspect of success that easily evades our attention is being rooted and grounded in the Word of God. This, according to Psalm 1, is a key mark of successful (“blessed”) people. These people delight in God’s Word, meditating on it day and night, pondering the wisdom of God’s laws as well as the beauty of the gospel (Ps. 1:2). They will also be wise in their relationships (v. 1). These individuals flourish like a well-watered tree, with green leaves and abundant fruit in season (v. 3). These people will stand in the ultimate test, the day of judgment (vv. 5–6). That doesn’t mean that such people are always easy to spot in this present age. The writer of Psalm 73 almost stumbled over the present prosperity of the wicked, who seemed to be flourishing while godly people struggled (see vv. 2–4). He, too, needed to develop a long-term perspective that perceived the ultimate destiny of the two groups (vv. 17–20).

Of course, none of us can truly measure up to such a standard of success. Which of us truly delights in God’s Word day and night? Most of the time, we are easily distracted by things of much lesser value and significance, whether the Internet, books, movies, or television. Which of us is truly faithful with the gifts we have been given, whether our time, our talents, or our treasure? We fritter away opportunities to do good to others, while spending inordinate amounts of these things on ourselves and our own ease. Judged by the standard of God’s Word, we are all found to be failures, unprofitable servants, deserving of being cast into the outer darkness (Matt. 25:30).

Yet the beauty of God’s kingdom is that success is not required for entry. The doorway is wide open to failures and prodigals, to those who have squandered their resources (which were really God’s resources all along) on feasting and riotous living—or, in some cases, on the miserly hoarding of things with which we could have richly blessed others. This is good news for us, for instead of seeking first God’s kingdom, our hearts have so often treasured earthly things—things that will rust, dent, and spoil—instead of the things that are of eternal value. We have pursued personal reputation and acclaim while ignoring the claims of God’s glory on our lives and our possessions.

For that reason, we desperately need the success that Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf. It didn’t look like success by the regular logic of this world. He left the halls of heavenly glory and was born in a stable in a backwater community on the edge of the civilized world. He mentored a tiny group of disciples who constantly bickered among themselves as to who was the greatest while failing to grasp His simplest teachings. At the end, they all abandoned Jesus and fled, in some cases denying that they had ever met Him. Then He was crucified on a cross, the punishment reserved for the most heinous and despised criminals. This is not the kind of résumé that the world counts as “success.”

In all of this, however, Jesus sought His Father’s kingdom above His own interests, laying down His life for those who were His. He treasured God’s Word in His heart and delighted in His fellowship with the Father. At the end of His suffering, He commended His spirit into His Father’s hands, confident that the price He paid would accomplish His goals. After three days, He was raised triumphantly, and He ascended into heaven, where His name is now exalted above every name. One day, every knee will bow before Him and acknowledge that He is the true measure of success.

As a result, all those who are united to Christ are linked forever to His glory. The measure of our success cannot be defined by what we accomplish here on earth; it has already been defined by the fact that we are in Christ. It is this that frees us to spend ourselves and everything we have in service to Christ’s kingdom. And it is this that also frees us from crushing guilt over our past and present failures to take up our cross and follow after Him. Whether I “succeed” or “fail”—by whatever standard—ultimately counts for nothing. What counts is the fact that Christ has succeeded for me, in my place. My only hope and boast rest not in my faithfulness but in the fact that whether I am rich or poor, prominent or obscure, weak or strong, my faithful Savior has loved me and given Himself for me. That is all the success I—or anyone else—will ever need.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

作傳福音者的工作Dothe Work of an Evangelist

作者: Steven Lawson  譯者: Maria Marta

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/do-work-evangelist/

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

保羅在最後一封書信中，指示他親愛有忠心的兒子提摩太：「作傳福音者的工作」（提後四5）。年邁的使徒保羅藉著這些說話，不僅為年輕的提摩太，而且為每一個地方的每一代人，確立了教牧事工的永恒準則。

帶有使徒權柄，這種吩咐的命令就具有約束力了。所有牧者務必作傳福音者的工作。他們務必熱切地宣傳福音的信息，敦促人們唯獨信靠耶穌基督以致得救。那麽，這種牧職性的傳福音（pastoral evangelism）應從哪裏開始呢？

首先，每一個牧者必需對自己傳福音。任何牧者在呼籲人悔改之前，他必須信靠耶穌基督。使徒保羅勉勵提摩太說，「你要謹慎自己，留心自己的教訓。在這些事上要有恆心，因為你這樣作，不但能救自己，也能救那些聽你的人」（提前四16）。也就是說，每個牧師首先必須審察自己的靈魂。一個人傳福音的成效，首先最重要的是，取決於他在恩典中的正確地位。

在改革宗的牧師當中，清教徒巴克斯特（Richard Baxter）對當天其中還有許多未歸正的牧者演說：「要看到恩典的工作在你自己的靈魂裏徹底產生效果。你們要自己謹慎，唯恐你缺乏你所傳給別人的上帝的救恩。」簡單說來，那就是牧師必須擁抱他們所傳講的信息。

司布真（Charles Spurgeon）曾寫道：

「一位沒有神恩賜的牧師，就好比一位被推選去教授光學的盲人，他對光和視力作哲理性的講論，向別人論述，解釋精緻的光影，以及五光十色光線的精妙組合，而他自己卻絕對落在黑暗裡！這種牧師又好比一位啞巴，被高舉登上管理音樂的職位；也好比一個對交響樂和音樂和諧作滔滔講論的聾子！」（摘自《註意！牧師們》，甘霖譯，略有修改）

可悲的是，未歸正的牧師確實存在。馬丁·路德在重生前是神學博士和聖經教授。約翰·衛斯理在歸正前是一個海外傳教士。每一個牧師在能有力地向其他人宣講福音之前，必須確信自己的救恩。

第二，每一個牧師務必向他的家庭宣講福音。在家中傳福音，以帶領他自己的妻子與耶穌基督建立關系為開始。我永遠記得那次長老會議，我們當中的一位牧師分享他妻子在前天晚上歸正的見證。她是教會中最友善的人之一，但我們不知道她還未歸正。這種情況出現過多少次？為此，每一個牧師務必注意他自己妻子的屬靈景況。

同樣，他也務必關注他的孩子。傳福音應及早開始，包括諸如閱讀聖經，要理問答，和家庭靈修等訓練。我信靠基督，是我父親在晚上讀聖經給我聽的結果。此外，在家中傳福音應該包括非正式交談、試探性提問，和在孩子面前有一個前後一致的敬虔生活楷模。

第三、每一個牧師務必傳福音給他的羊群。他必須有一個清醒的認識，不是所有教會成員都是重生的人。每一個牧師的傳福音工作必須以他的講台事工為中心，同時他要定期將福音呈現給會眾，並向他們發出清晰，決定性的呼籲。他務要懇求他的會眾回應福音以致得救。當他為羊群的歸正作出規勸，甚至懇求時，他的聲音應清晰，語氣當急迫。

當然，這種傳福音驅動力不能與濫用和操控的方法相混肴。我決不主張聽眾舉手，走向講台前，機械地重複禱告，然後被宣布得救------整個過程不到5分鐘。但我堅持認為我們所傳講的福音必須令人信服。這過程必須與十字架的大膽宣講；到基督面前的熱情呼籲；懇切的勸說，唯獨藉著信心來回應的敦促同時進行。牧師必須發出要求悔改的福音信息，和對不信之永恒後果的嚴重警告。

第四、每一個牧師務必在社區傳福音。這個策略有別於每單個人的傳福音，這取決於牧師的恩賜和機會。身為一個得人漁夫，他務要到魚的所在地。他必須離開幹旱的陸地，航行到深海，把網撒出。牧師必須冒險進入社區，分享福音，敦促人們相信耶穌基督。社區外展包括搭建與不信者溝通的橋梁。這也許包括在辦公室、餐廳、或住家主持聖經學習活動。它也可能包括在當地電台開播節目，發行報紙，或創建網絡博客。這意味著透過福音的呈現來顯示關懷行動。無論使用什麽策略，取得這樣的進展需要去到未歸正的人當中，坦然地分享基督。

可以恰當地說，最大的喜樂就是認識基督，其次是使人認識基督。願每一個牧師都喜樂地著手進行這份特許的傳福音者的工作。

本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌。

Do the Work of an Evangelist

FROM Steven Lawson

In his final letter, Paul charges Timothy, his son in the faith, to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). By these words, the aged Apostle establishes the timeless standard for pastoral ministry, not only for young Timothy but for all pastors in every generation and in every place.

With Apostolic authority, this imperative command comes with binding force. All pastors must do the work of an evangelist. They must earnestly proclaim the gospel message, urging people to trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. So, where should this pastoral evangelism begin?

First, every pastor must preach the gospel to himself. Before any pastor can call others to repent, he must believe in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy, saying, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). That is, every preacher must examine his own soul first. The success of one’s evangelism is, first and foremost, dependent upon his right standing in grace.

In The Reformed Pastor, Puritan Richard Baxter addressed the ministers of his day, many of whom were unconverted: “See that the work of saving grace be thoroughly wrought in your own souls. Take heed to yourselves, lest you be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others.” Simply put, pastors must embrace the very message they preach.

Charles Spurgeon writes:

A graceless pastor is a blind man elected to a professorship of optics, philosophizing upon light and vision, discoursing upon … the nice shades and delicate blendings of the prismatic colours, while he himself is absolutely in the dark! He is a dumb man elevated to the chair of music; a deaf man fluent upon symphonies and harmonies! He is a mole professing to educate eaglets

Sadly, unconverted pastors do exist. Martin Luther was a doctor of theology and professor of Bible before he was born again. John Wesley was an overseas missionary prior to his conversion. Every pastor must be certain of his own salvation before he can powerfully preach the gospel to others.

Second, every pastor must preach the gospel to his family. Evangelism in the home begins with shepherding one’s own wife in her relationship with Christ. I will never forget an elder’s meeting in which one of our pastors shared that his wife had been converted the previous night. She was one of the nicest people in the church, yet, unknown to us, she was unconverted. How often is this the reality? To this end, every pastor must give attention to the spiritual state of his wife.

Similarly, he must give the same attention to his children. This evangelism should begin early and involve disciplines such as Bible readings, catechizing, and family devotions. I came to faith in Christ as a result of my father reading the Bible to me in the evenings. Moreover, home evangelism should include informal conversations, probing questions, and a consistently godly life modeled before the children.

Third, every pastor must preach the gospel to his flock. There must be a sober realization that not every church member is regenerate. Every pastor’s evangelistic work must center in his pulpit ministry as he regularly presents the gospel with clear, decisive appeals. He must implore his congregation to respond to the gospel and be saved. There should be a distinct urgency in his voice as he exhorts, even pleads, for his flock to be converted.

Certainly, this evangelistic thrust is not to be confused with abuses and manipulative methods. I am not contending that people raise a hand, walk an aisle, parrot a prayer, and be declared saved—all within five minutes. But I am insisting that our gospel preaching must be compelling. It must come with bold proclamations of the cross, warm appeals to come to Christ, and passionate persuasions that urge people to respond by faith alone. Pastors must give gospel messages that call for repentance and issue severe warnings of eternal consequences for unbelief.

Fourth, every pastor should evangelize the community. The strategies will differ from one man to the next, depending upon his gifts and opportunities. As a fisher of men, he must go where the fish are. He must leave dry land, sail out into deep waters, and cast his net. Pastors must venture out into the community, share the gospel, and urge people to believe upon Christ. Community outreach involves building bridges to unbelievers. This may include hosting a Bible study in an office, a restaurant, or a home. It can involve a local radio program, a newspaper editorial, or an Internet blog. It means showing acts of mercy with a gospel presentation. Whatever the strategy, making such inroads requires going where unconverted people are and unashamedly sharing Christ.

It has been rightly said that the greatest joy is knowing Christ and the second greatest is making Him known. May every pastor enter joyfully into this privileged task of doing the work of an evangelist.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.