2018-12-26


拒絕虛假的得救確據Rejecting False Assurances

[每日靈修] 12/13/2018,  駱鴻銘編譯

如果我們認為聖經教導普世範圍的救贖universal salvation),我們可以通過以下推理得出一種虛假的得救確據每個人都得救了。我是人。因此,我得救了。

或者,如果我們認為救恩是藉著我們自己的善行獲得的,並且進一步被欺騙,相信我們擁有好行為,我們就會得到錯誤的得救確據。

為了得到健全的得救確據,我們必須明白,我們的救恩只取決於基督的功德,當我們以真正的信心擁抱祂時,這功德就被歸算給我們。如果我們明白這一點,剩下的問題就是,「我是否擁有救恩所需要的真信心?」

同樣,我們必須正確理解和分析另外兩件事。第一個要求是教義。我們需要清楚地了解哪些內容構成了真的使人得救的信心。如果我們認為得救的信心是存在於真空中的,永遠不會產生順服的果子,我們就會把得救的信心與死的信心混淆,這種信心無法拯救任何人。

第二個要求是對我們自己的生活進行清醒的分析。我們必須省察自己,看重生的果子在我們的生活中是否是顯而易見的。我們對聖經裏的基督有真正的感情嗎?只有重生的人才能對真正的耶穌有真誠的愛。接下來我們必須問一個棘手的問題:「我的生命是否表現出成聖的果子?」用我的善行來試驗我的信心。

活在神的面光中(在神面前禱告):
你對這篇閱讀材料提出的問題有何回應:你是否擁有救恩所必需的真信心?你對聖經裏的基督是否有真正的感情?你的生命是否表現出救恩的果實?

進一步研讀:
詩九14 好叫我述說你一切的美德;我必在錫安城(原文作女子)的門因你的救恩歡樂。
詩十三5 但我倚靠你的慈愛;我的心因你的救恩快樂。
詩二十5 我們要因你的救恩誇勝,要奉我們神的名豎立旌旗。願耶和華成就你一切所求的

Rejecting False Assurances

If we think the Bible teaches universal salvation, we may arrive at a false sense of assurance by reasoning as follows: Everybody is saved. I am a body. Therefore, I am saved.

Or, if we think salvation is gained by our own good works and we are further deluded into believing that we possess good works, we will have a false assurance of salvation.

To have sound assurance, we must understand that our salvation rests on the merit of Christ alone, which is appropriated to us when we embrace Him by genuine faith. If we understand that, the remaining question is, “Do I have the genuine faith necessary for salvation?”

Again, two more things must be understood and analyzed properly. The first is doctrinal. We need a clear understanding of what constitutes genuine saving faith. If we conceive of saving faith as existing in a vacuum, never yielding the fruit of works of obedience, we have confused saving faith with dead faith, which cannot save anyone.

The second requirement involves a sober analysis of our own lives. We must examine ourselves to see whether the fruit of regeneration is apparent in our lives. Do we have a real affection for the biblical Christ? Only the regenerate person possesses real love for the real Jesus. Next we must ask the tough question, “Does my life manifest the fruit of sanctification?” I test my faith by my works.

Coram Deo
What is your response to the questions posed in this reading: Do you have the genuine faith necessary for salvation? Do you have a real affection for the biblical Christ? Does your life manifest the fruit of salvation?

Passages for Further Study
Psalm 9:14
Psalm 13:5
Psalm 20:5