聖靈的恩典工作The Gracious Work of the HolySpirit
作者: Sinclair Ferguson 譯者: Maria Marta
早在可以清晰表達重生和歸信的神學之前，許多人就相信耶穌基督了。我們慢慢地意識到似乎「簡單」的行動------信靠基督------實際上是神聖活動的複雜經歷。 聖靈的活動需要隱藏，因為「若不是被聖靈感動的，也沒有能說『耶穌是主』的」（林前十二3）。
與恩典工作交織在一起的，是聖靈那不被人注意的活動，這活動就是祂說服我們相信聖經 ------- 我們認識基督的最終根源-------是上帝的聖言。這種確信似乎也很簡單、容易理解。但仔細檢查後，就會發現類似的奇妙的神性活動的複雜性。
就相信基督而言，模式是：
（1）聖子道成肉身;
（2）祂對祂身份的啟示;
（3）祂用文字和行動從多方面加以確證;
（4）光照信徒的心。
以上這些方面帶來的結果是我們看到耶穌的真貌，並信靠祂。
因此，聖靈說服我們相信耶穌完全是以耶穌自己為根據。 然而，出現聖靈的說服（聖靈以說服的方法告訴我們）的原因是因為：1.聖父差派聖靈；2. 耶穌證明聖靈是誰；3. 聖靈打開我們的瞎眼，讓我們認出耶穌來。 和彼得一樣，我們的確信不是屬「肉和血」指示我們的（太16：16-17）;
像馬利亞在墳墓外面一樣，我們開始時可能不認識耶穌到底是誰（約廿14）; 像以馬午斯路上的門徒一樣，我們的眼睛需要被打開（路四廿31）。
然而，現在我們認識永活長存之道（耶穌）的唯一路徑是借著成文的話語。 信靠基督取決於聖經的神聖特性和見證。 我們因著使徒的說話來到基督面前（約十七20）。
因此，我們確信聖經是上帝聖言所經歷的過程有一個基礎結構，相似於對基督的信心的確信：
（1）聖經的啟示 -----它是上帝呼出的氣息。
（2）聖經內在聲稱，它本身的啟示就是上帝的話語。
（3）《聖經》權威明顯的確證就是上帝關於祂的屬性，祂的拯救工作，應驗的預言這些方面的信息的話語，以及這些話語對祂的子民的生活的影響。
（4）在我們閱讀和聆聽聖經的信息時，聖靈軟化剛硬的心，降服頑硬的意志，打開瞎子的眼睛，光照聖經的信息。
問題：那麽，為什麽歸信基督並確相聖經是上帝的話語在我們看來如此簡單：「我信耶穌基督」和「我相信聖經是上帝的話語」？
回答：因為在這兩種情況下，我們信靠的對象是我們相信的最終原因。 因此，聖靈沒有添加關於耶穌的新信息。祂只是打開我們的眼睛，讓我們看見祂到底是誰：「你是基督。」
聖靈也不直接、親自對我們低聲說：「聖經是上帝的話語。」 不，祂的見證來自聖經本身。聖靈使我們在閱讀或聆聽聖經時能夠看到聖經的真正意義。當我們經歷上帝在聖經中「對你說話」（現在時; 來十二5）時，聖靈使我們的心火熱。
因此，最終聖靈從聖經本身來說服我們深信聖經的說話。
這是提摩太的經歷。上帝「呼出」聖經（提後三16）。聖經聲稱是上帝的話語（15節）。 提摩太面對證據（包括他母親、祖母、屬靈父親生命的改變; 第10,
14節）。 提摩太確信了（14節）。
這是帖撒羅尼迦人的經歷。保羅將這道傳給帖撒羅尼迦；這道稱為上帝的聖道；它證明它的身份；帖撒羅尼迦人「接受了我們所傳的 神的道，不認為這是人的道，而認為這確實是 神的道。」（帖前二13） 說服是聖靈的工作(一5)。這是聖靈內在見證教義最簡單的表達形式。
這也是我們的經歷。 每當人相信基督並相信聖經是上帝的話語時，人就會經歷聖靈同樣的見證。今天有人會有這樣的經歷。 暫停，讓我們為此感謝上帝。
本文原刊于Tabletalk雜誌。
The
Gracious Work of the Holy Spirit
FROM
Sinclair Ferguson
Many
people come to faith in Jesus Christ long before they are able to articulate
the theology of regeneration and conversion. Slowly, we realize that what
seemed a “simple” act—trusting in Christ—was in fact a complex experience of
divine activity. The Holy Spirit needed to be secretly active, since “no one
can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3).
Woven
into this work of grace, then, is the unnoticed activity of the Spirit as He
persuades us that the Scriptures—our ultimate source for knowing Christ—are the
Word of God. Coming to this conviction also seems simple and straightforward.
But when examined closely, it reveals a similar complex of marvelous divine
activity.
In the
case of faith in Christ, the pattern is:
(1)
the incarnation of the Son;
(2)
His revelation of His identity;
(3)
His multifaceted corroboration in words and works;
(4)
illumination in the hearts of believers.
All
this results in our seeing who Jesus really is and trusting Him.
Thus,
the Spirit persuades us about Jesus entirely on the basis of Jesus Himself. Yet
this persuasion arises because the Father has sent Him, because Jesus gives
evidence of who He is, and because the Spirit opens our blind eyes to recognize
Him. As with Peter, our conviction is not a flesh-and-blood matter (Matt.
16:16–17); like Mary in the garden, we may not at first recognize who Jesus
really is (John 20:14); like the disciples on the Emmaus Road, our eyes need to
be opened (Luke 24:31).
However,
our only access now to the knowledge of the Living Word (Jesus) is through the
written Word. Faith in Christ depends upon Scripture’s divine character and
testimony. We come to Christ through the Apostles’ words (John 17:20).
Unsurprisingly,
therefore, the process by which we are convinced that Scripture is God’s Word
has an underlying structure similar to faith’s conviction about Christ:
(1)
The inspiration of Scripture—it is God-breathed.
(2)
The revelation of Scripture’s identity in its internal claims to be the Word of
God.
(3)
The corroboration of Scripture’s authority in the evidences that it is God’s
Word through its message about God’s character, His saving works, fulfilled
prophecy, and its effects in the lives of God’s people.
(4)
The illumination of Scripture’s message through the Spirit’s softening of hard
hearts, bowing stubborn wills, and opening blind eyes as we read and hear its
message.
Question:
Why, then, do conversion to Christ and conviction about Scripture as God’s Word
seem to us so simple: “I believe in Jesus Christ” and “I believe Scripture is
the Word of God”?
Answer:
Because in both instances, the object we trust is the final reason for our
trust. Thus, the Spirit does not add new information about Jesus. He simply
opens our eyes to see who He really is: “You are the Christ.”
Nor
does the Spirit whisper directly and personally to us, “The Bible is the Word
of God.” No, His testimony comes through the Scriptures themselves. He enables
us to see Scripture as it really is when we read or hear it. He causes our
hearts to burn when we experience that, in Scripture, God “addresses you”
(present tense; Heb. 12:5).
Thus,
the Spirit convinces us about Scripture ultimately from Scripture itself.
This
was Timothy’s experience. God “breathed out” the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16). They
claimed to be the Word of God (v. 15). Timothy was confronted with the evidence
(including the changed lives of his mother, grandmother, and spiritual father;
vv. 10, 14). Timothy was convinced (v. 14).
This
was the Thessalonians’ experience. Paul carried the Word to Thessalonica; it
was spoken as the Word of God; it gave evidence of its identity; the
Thessalonians “accepted it, not as the word of men, but as it really is, the
word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). This persuasion was the Spirit’s work (1:5). This
is the doctrine of the internal testimony of the Spirit expressed in its
simplest form.
This
is our experience, too. The same testimony of the Spirit is experienced
whenever anyone comes to faith in Christ and trusts Scripture as God’s Word.
Someone will experience it today. Pause, and thank God for it.
This
post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.