盟約的條件Covenant Conditionality
譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/誠之
「亞伯蘭九十九歲的時候，耶和華向他顯現，對他說：『我是全能的 神，你要在我面前行事爲人；你要作完全人。我要與你立約，要使你的後裔人丁興旺。』」
----創世記 17:1-2
爲了明白舊約先知, 我們繼續查看我們必須要掌握的主要概念，現在我們思考盟約的條件。歷史上，先知被稱爲「盟約的檢察官」（covenant
prosecutors），因爲作爲上帝的代言人，代表上帝就以色列違反盟約提出訴訟。先知提醒舊約群體他們的盟約責任，當他們沒有履行盟約的條件時，先知便提出訴訟，控告以色列人。
也許，先知書比其他任何的聖經體裁，更多地提醒我們，我們敬拜的不是亞里士多德的「不動的推動者」（unmoved mover）。相反，我們與上帝有一個動態的關係。我們的行動是由上帝永恒的旨意所預定的，會真正地影响人類歷史的進程。我們不是被程序設計所控制的機器人，機械性地左右移動。我們是有思想和有感情的被造物，被全能上帝的大能和掌管世界的主權，在時間中所塑造（賽55:10–11）。反過來說，上帝也回應我們的禱告和行動。當然一切都是按照上帝的終極設計-----「憑著自己旨意所計劃而行萬事」(弗1:11) 。上帝是決定所有發生的事情的第一推動力。在永恒的過去，祂命定我們的行動和回應。但我們不知道這個計劃的細節，和祂永恒旨意的全部内容。上帝只會追究我們按照祂的啓示來行動的責任（申29:29）。
上帝這啓示包括盟約的條件。上帝所有的盟約都是有條件的，我們必須履行這些條件以便領受盟約的祝福-----包括亞伯拉罕之約，通常被認爲是完全無條件的約。當上帝指著自己起誓，賜給亞伯拉罕土地和後裔時，祂承諾確保祂的應許會實現（創第十五章；來: 13–20）。上帝保證藉著亞伯拉罕的家系來賜福全世界。然而，祂的誓言並不保證亞伯拉罕的每一個肉身後裔都能領受到這個祝福。如創世記第十七章1至2節解釋說，亞伯拉罕家系的個別成員必須滿足一定的條件，才能成爲上帝所賜福得家庭的真正成員。每個亞伯拉罕的孩子必須「要在我面前行事爲人，要作完全人」。每個人都必須活在上帝的面光中----在上帝的面前----憑信心信靠祂，順服祂，犯罪時，必須悔改。今天，我們必須滿足相同的信心條件，經歷悔改以獲得新約的祝福。
活在上帝的面光中（Coram Deo）
雖然我們必須滿足盟約的一定條件，但是救恩是所有恩典的極終，因爲上帝只揀選了一些人得救，賜給他們相信祂的能力，這能力不是我們-----作爲亞當墮落的兒女的本性。然而，當上帝的選民爲救恩悔改和相信基督時，便證明他們是蒙揀選的。如果我們沒有相信基督和悔改，我們不要假設我們是蒙揀選的，如果我們是蒙選擇的，我們必定相信基督和悔改（徒13:48）。
延伸閱讀:
经文: 申32:35–36 ； 利26:40–42
Covenant
Conditionality
“When
Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “‘I
am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant
between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’”
-
Genesis 17:1-2
Continuing
our look at the major concepts that we must grasp in order to understand the
Old Testament prophets, we will now consider covenant conditionality.
Historically, the prophets have been called “covenant prosecutors” because, as
God’s spokesmen, they served as prosecuting attorneys in relation to Israel’s
keeping of the covenant. They reminded the old covenant community of its
covenant obligations and brought charges against Israel when it did not live up
to the covenant’s conditions.
Perhaps
more than any other biblical genre, the prophetic books remind us that we do
not worship Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover. Instead, we have a dynamic relationship
with the Lord. Our actions, as foreordained by God’s eternal decree, truly
affect history. We are not robots who have been programmed to act and left to
run on autopilot. We are thinking and feeling creatures shaped in time by the
Almighty’s powerful and sovereign Word (Isa. 55:10–11). In turn, the Lord
responds to our prayers and actions. Of course, everything is working out
according to God’s ultimate design—He “works all things according to the
counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). The Lord is the first cause who determines
all that happens. In eternity past, He ordained our actions and His response.
Yet we do not know the specifics of this plan, the fullness of His eternal
decree. God holds us accountable only to act according to His revelation (Deut.
29:29).
This
revelation includes covenant conditionality. All God’s covenants have
conditions we must fulfill to receive covenant blessings—even the Abrahamic
covenant, which is often considered to be wholly unconditional. Yes, there are
unconditional aspects of this covenant. When the Lord swore by Himself to give
Abraham land and seed, He committed Himself to ensuring that His promise would
be fulfilled (Gen. 15; Heb. 6:13–20). He guaranteed that Abraham’s line would
bless the world. However, His oath did not ensure that every physical
descendant of Abraham would participate in this blessing. As Genesis 17:1–2
explains, individual members of Abraham’s line had to meet certain conditions
to be true members of God’s family of blessing. Each child of Abraham had to
“walk before [Him] and be blameless.” Each had to live coram Deo—before the
face of God—trusting Him in faith, obeying Him, and repenting when they sinned.
Today, we must meet the same conditions of faith and repentance to experience
new covenant blessings.
Coram
Deo
Though
we must meet certain covenant conditions, salvation is ultimately all of grace
because God elects only some to salvation, giving them the ability to trust
Him, which is not ours by nature as Adam’s fallen children. Nevertheless, the
elect of God prove their election when they repent and trust in Christ for
salvation. If we don’t have faith and repentance, we cannot presume that we are
elect, and if we are elect, we will have faith and repentance (Acts 13:48).
Passages
for Further Study
Deuteronomy
32:35–36
Leviticus
26:40–42
