神的旨意 The Will of God

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》P62 ,更新傳道會出版

好萊塢明星陶樂絲黛（Doris Day) 有首名曲叫做「要發生的，總要發生。」（「Que Sera Sera」, 即英文的「What will be, will be」)。乍看之下，這首歌的主題充滿了宿命的氣氛，令人沮喪。伊斯蘭教神學常常這樣解釋一些特別發生的事情：「這是真主的旨意。」

聖經非常重視神的旨意這件事-------也就是神對受造界和其中萬物的至高權柄。論到神的旨意，至少有三種不同的講法。廣義上，神的旨意就是神命定的、主權的、隱藏的（decretive, sovereign, or hidden) 心意。神學家據此所指的神的旨意，是神命定萬事萬物如何出現和發生的全權旨意。因為神掌權，祂的旨意永不挫敗，所以我們確定沒有一件事情不在衪的控制範圍內。至低限度，神容許了要發生的事情發生。但即使神被動地容許一些事情發生，其實祂是選擇讓它們發生，並且祂總能有能力和權柄幹預和禁止世界上的事情發生。神讓事情發生，其實在某種意義上，也等於祂命定了這些事情。

雖然神主權的旨意在未完成之前，對我們來說是隱藏的，但是神有一方面的旨意對我們是明顯的，那就是神訓令式的旨意（preceptive will)。神藉著神聖的律法啟示祂的旨意，例如，神的旨意要我們不可偷盜、要愛仇敵、要悔改、要聖潔，神這方面的旨意都顯明在祂的話語上；同時也藉著在我們的心中寫下道德律、而顯明在我們的良心裏。

無論是寫在聖經之內，或是寫在我們心上，神的律法都有約束力，我們沒有權威去違背神的旨意。雖然我們有能力不聽祂訓令式的旨意，但我們並沒有權利這麼做。我們更不能高唱「要發生的，總要發生」，為自己找藉口脫罪，即使可能是神主權或隱藏的旨意容許我們犯罪，甚至透過或藉著人的罪行成就祂主權的旨意。神命定了耶穌被猶大出賣，但猶大邪惡的罪並不會因此而減輕。當神容許我們違背祂訓令式的旨意時，這容許不是在道德意義上的容許；祂容許我們有犯罪的能力，但不是有犯罪的權利。

聖經中論到的第三種神的旨意，是神本性的旨意（will of disposition) ，是指神對事情的意向和態度，這定義出何為神所喜悅的事。例如，神雖然不喜悅惡人死亡，但祂很明確地命定了惡人必死。神最終的喜悅在於自己的聖潔和公義。審判世界時，祂喜悅自己的公義和公平彰顯，但對於接受審判的人，祂並沒有一點報仇心態。當我們喜悅順服神時，祂也喜悅；當我們不順服神時，祂是十分傷心的。

許多基督徒很專心而熱衷地尋找神在自己生命中的旨意，如果我們尋找的是神隱藏的、奧秘的、命定的旨意，就是愚不可及的事。神奧秘的計劃是神的奧秘，祂不喜悅讓我們知道。追尋神奧祕的旨意是對神隱私的侵犯，一奌也不是屬靈的標記。神的奧祕計劃與我們無關。正因如此，聖經反對占卜、招魂等被禁止的事。有違背的能力，但沒有違背的權利。

我們若能向加爾文學習，便是聰明人：他說：「當神閉上聖口，我便終止尋問。」真正屬靈的標記，是尋求神已顯明的訓令式的旨意。敬虔的人晝夜思想神的律法。在我們尋求被聖靈引導時，更重要的是要知道聖靈引導我們進入公義。我們蒙召，要在生活上活出神口中的每一句話。神所啟示的旨意就是我們的責任，而且是我們生命中主要的責任。

總結

1. 神的旨意有三種意義:

（1）主權命定的旨意，就是神成就祂所命定的事，這些事情在真發生之前是向我們隱藏的。

（2）訓令式的旨意，就是神所啟示的律法和誡命。我們有違背的能力，但沒有違背的權利。

（3）神本性的旨意，就是神對事情的意向和態度，顯出神所喜悅的事情。

2. 神雖憑著祂的主權容許人犯罪，但並非在道德上同意人犯罪。

思考經文：

約十九11； 羅九14-18；弗一11；西一9-14；來六13-18；彼後三9

附錄:

上帝的旨意：我如何能夠知道上帝的旨意？

摘自:《新譯本研讀版聖經》p. 1250環球聖經公會（2013）

聖經以不同的方式論到上帝的旨意。單說人的意願已經相當複雜，上帝的旨意更是包含許多層面。改革宗神學傳統上強調兩種上帝上帝的旨意。一些改革宗神學家也提到第三種。

首先，聖經提到上帝預定的旨意（抄按：或稱命令旨意、預定的旨意、隱藏的旨意）。這是祂為歷史上一切事物所預定的永恒法旨，就是「上帝的意旨是衪的永恒計劃，按照祂的旨意的設計，也為了祂榮耀的緣故，祂預定了一切要成就的事。」（《小問答》7）。這種上帝的旨意是不改變的，也不能以任何方式阻撓。上帝所預定的一定會按照祂所命定的發生。

人只能窺見少數上帝以應許和勢言印證的局部啟示，除此之外，人不可能預先知道上帝預定的旨意。即使在這些罕有的預言中，也只能辯識最普遍的因素。上帝對宇宙的永恒計劃是隱秘的，只有在歷史落實以後，人才可能知道。因此，保羅呼籲我們要信靠上帝的良善，相信祂會為了我們的益處，使萬事一同效力（羅8：28）。

其次，是上帝訓誨的旨意，即祂借著訓誡或命令所表達的旨意，包括祂在一般和特殊啟示中所顯明的道德準則。聖經多處經文都提到上帝訓誨的旨意（代上13：2；拉7：18；羅12：2；弗5：17；西1：9；帖前4：3-6，5：16-18）。這種上帝的旨意已透過自然啟示或一般啟示局部向人揭示。我們可以透過學習聖經，更多了解上帝訓誨的旨意，因為上帝的誡命記載在聖經𥚃。事實上，啟示的主要目的，就是要教導我們認識上帝訓誨的旨意。

最後，許多基督教傳統都說到上帝願望的旨意，指祂對無法實現之事的願望，以及對已經發生之事的遺憾。有時候，這觀念與上帝不能隨心所欲地按照自己的意願行事的說法掛鉤，但這說法顯然違背聖經（詩115：3）。不過，上帝有時的確表達了這樣的願望與遺憾（例：6：6-7；撒下24：16；結18：23、32，33：11）。

這些表達方式並沒有違背祂預定的旨意---------上帝讓一些違背自己旨意或願望的事發生，並非迫不得已；反之，上帝願望的旨意與祂訓誨的旨意息息相關，因為衪由衷的願望就是人遵行祂的誡命。上帝表達自己的願望與遺憾，正顯示祂對受造物憐恤的心意，縱使他們違背祂。例如，上帝要毀滅以色列，就吩咐摩西離開，（出32：89-10）。然而，當祂聽了摩西的禱告後，就改變初衷，「不把所說的禍降於他的百姓。」（出卅二14）。上帝也對以西結說，不喜悅惡人死亡 （結33：11）；衪期望人悔改。當論到福音恩賜的時候，上帝期望人回轉的心意更是經常流露（提前2：4）。上帝甚至表達祂對邪惡的異教城市尼尼微的關心（拿4：11）；耶穌對待耶路撒冷，更加好像對人說話一樣，說如果耶路撒冷願意，祂就會招聚它到衪的翅膀底下（太23：37）。一些解經學者也認為，提摩太前書第二章4節與彼得後書第三章17節等經文，其實是表達上帝願望的旨意。

我們能夠對上帝願望的旨意有深入的認識；祂的感情、行動、教導、治理，都掲示了祂這方面的旨意。我們可以從上帝的屬性與誡命，認識祂對我們的期望。當我們如此明白上帝的期望時，就必須以感恩和真誠的心來事奉祂。

The Will of God

Doris Day sang a popular song entitled "Que Sera, Sera," "What will be, will be." At first glance this theme communicates a kind of fatalism that is depressing. Islamic theology frequently says of specific events, "It is the will of Allah."

The Bible is deeply concerned about the will of God—His sovereign authority over His creation and everything in it. When we speak about God's will we do so in at least three different ways. The broader concept is known as God's decretive, sovereign, or hidden will. By this, theologians refer to the will of God by which He sovereignly ordains everything that comes to pass. Because God is sovereign and His will can never be frustrated, we can be sure that nothing happens over which He is not in control. He at least must "permit" whatever happens to happen. Yet even when God passively permits things to happen, He chooses to permit them in that He always has the power and right to intervene and prevent the actions and events of this world. Insofar as He lets things happen, He has "willed" them in this certain sense.

Though God's sovereign will is often hidden from us until after it comes to pass, there is one aspect of His will that is plain to us—His preceptive will. Here God reveals His will through His holy law. For example, it is the will of God that we do not steal; that we love our enemies; that we repent; that we be holy. This aspect of God's will is revealed in His Word as well as in our conscience, by which God has written His moral law upon our heart.

His laws, whether they be found in the Scripture or in the heart, are binding. We have no authority to violate this will. We have the power or the ability to thwart the preceptive will of God, though never the right to do so. Nor can we excuse ourselves for sinning by saying, "Que sera, sera." It may be God's sovereign or hidden will that we be "permitted" to sin, as He brings His sovereign will to pass even through and by means of the sinful acts of people. God ordained that Jesus be betrayed by the instrument of Judas's treachery. Yet this makes Judas's sin no less evil or treacherous. When God "permits" us to break His preceptive will, it is not to be understood as permission in the moral sense of His granting us a moral right. His permission gives us the power, but not the right to sin.

The third way the Bible speaks of the will of God is with respect to God's will of disposition. This will describes God's attitude. It defines what is pleasing to Him. For example, God takes no delight in the death of the wicked, yet He most surely wills or decrees the death of the wicked. God's ultimate delight is in His own holiness and righteousness. When He judges the world, He delights in the vindication of His own righteousness and justice, yet He is not gleeful in a vindictive sense toward those who receive His judgment. God is pleased when we find our pleasure in obedience. He is sorely displeased when we are disobedient.

Many Christians become preoccupied or even obsessed with finding the "will" of God for their lives. If the will we are seeking is His secret, hidden, or decretive will, then our quest is a fool's errand. The secret counsel of God is His secret. He has not been pleased to make it known to us. Far from being a mark of spirituality, the quest for God's secret will is an unwarranted invasion of God's privacy. God's secret counsel is none of our business. This is partly why the Bible takes such a negative view of fortune-telling, necromancy, and other forms of prohibited practices.

We would be wise to follow the counsel of John Calvin when he said, "When God closes His holy mouth, I will desist from inquiry." The true mark of spirituality is seen in those seeking to know the will of God that is revealed in His preceptive will. It is the godly person who meditates on God's law day and night. While we seek to be "led" by the Holy Spirit, it is vital to remember that the Holy Spirit is primarily leading us into righteousness. We are called to live our lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is His revealed will that is our business, indeed, the chief business of our lives.

The three meanings of the will of God:

(a)Sovereign decretive will is the will by which God brings to pass whatsoever He decrees. This is hidden to us until it happens.

(b)Preceptive will is God's revealed law or commandments, which we have the power but not the right to break.

(c)Will of disposition describes God's attitude or disposition. It reveals what is pleasing to Him.

God's sovereign "permission" of human sin is not His moral approval.