承認我們的敵意Recognizing Our Enmity
[每日靈修] 1/14/2019, 駱鴻銘編譯
小時候，我們會玩一些借用自戰爭場景的遊戲。當一位朋友走近時，我們假裝我們是哨兵。對話很簡單：「停住！誰在那裏？是朋友還是敵人？」我們的分門別類沒有留下任何冷漠中立的餘地。只有兩個選項：朋友還是敵人。在我們與上帝的關係中，這是唯一的選擇。沒有人是中立的。我們要麼是上帝的朋友，要麼是上帝的敵人。
愛德華茲（Jonathan Edwards）曾經說過一篇題為「人，天生是上帝的仇敵」的道。在這篇講道詞中，愛德華茲宣告說：「一般來說，男人會認為他們是罪人。很少有人，如果有的話，他們的良心會如此盲目以至於沒有意識到他們犯了罪......然而他們當中很少有人意識到他們是上帝的敵人。他們看不出他們真的可以如此被稱呼嗎？因為他們沒有察覺到他們希望上帝受到傷害，或者努力去傷害上帝。」
然而，儘管人抗議不是這種情況，但聖經清楚地將屬血氣的墮落的人描述為上帝的敵人。保羅在談到我們的救恩時寫道：「因為我們作仇敵的時候，且藉著神兒子的死，得與神和好」（羅五10）。再一次，「你們從前與神隔絕，因著惡行，心裏與祂為敵。」（西一21）。而且，「體貼肉體的，就是與神為仇。」（羅八7）。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
想一想親密友誼的特徵和品質，然後將這些應用到你與天父的屬靈關係中。你真的是上帝的朋友嗎？
進一步研讀：
羅五10 因為我們作仇敵的時候，且藉著神兒子的死，得與神和好；既已和好，就更要因他的生得救了。
羅八7 原來體貼肉體的，就是與神為仇；因為不服神的律法，也是不能服。
西一21 你們從前與神隔絕，因著惡行，心裏與祂為敵。但如今祂藉著基督的肉身受死，叫你們與自己和好，都成了聖潔，沒有瑕疵，無可責備，把你們引到自己面前。
羅七18 我也知道在我裏頭，就是我肉體之中，沒有良善。因為，立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。
Recognizing
Our Enmity
As
children we played games drawn from the scenario of war. When a friend
approached we pretended that we were sentries. The dialogue was simple: “Halt!
Who goes there? Friend or foe?” Our categories left no room for indifferent
neutrality. They were restricted to two options, friend or enemy. Those are the
only options we have in our relationship with God. No one is neutral. We are
either God’s friends or God’s enemies.
Jonathan
Edwards once preached a sermon titled, “Man, Naturally God’s Enemies.” In this
sermon Edwards declared: “Men, in general, will own that they are sinners.
There are few, if any, whose consciences are so blinded as not to be sensible
they have been guilty of sin … And yet few of them are sensible that they are God’s
enemies. They do not see how they can be truly so called; for they are not
sensible that they wish God any hurt, or endeavor to do Him any.”
Yet
despite human protestations to the contrary, Scripture clearly describes
natural fallen men as enemies of God. Paul, in speaking of our salvation,
wrote, “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son” (Rom. 5:10). Again, “You … were alienated [from God] and hostile in mind,
doing evil deeds” (Col. 1:21). Also, “The mind that is set on the flesh is
hostile to God” (Rom. 8:7).
Coram
Deo
Think
of the characteristics and qualities of intimate friendship, then apply these
to your spiritual relationship with the heavenly Father. Are you truly a friend
of God?
Passages
for Further Study
Romans
8:7
Colossians
1:21-22a
Romans
7:18