87 恆忍——神保守衪的百姓救恩稳固Perseverance - God keeps Hispeople safe
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
87 恆忍——神保守衪的百姓救恩稳固
Perseverance - God keeps His people safe
预先所定下的人，又召他们来；所召来的人，又称他们为义；所称为义的人，又叫他们得荣耀。（罗8:30）
神百姓所得的救恩是永远稳固的，但在论及这点之前，容我们先说明一点：与其说神的百姓是因恒忍，救恩才得稳固，如一般人所说的，不如说他们是蒙了神的保守，要来得更清楚。恒忍是指在气馁和逆境下的坚忍。信徒在任何情况，都会在信心与顺服神上恒忍，这样说虽然也是对的；但是能恒忍的原因，乃是因耶稣基督透过圣灵的坚忍，在保守他们。
圣经十分强调恒忍的教义。约翰告诉我们：好牧人耶稣基督应允父神（约6:37-40），也一面直接应许祂的羊群（约10:28-29），祂要保守他们，使他们永不灭亡。耶稣在受难之前所献的[大祭司的祷告]里，曾祈求父神让那些父神已赐给祂的人，都蒙保守得以进入荣耀（约17:2,6,924）。如果祂目前仍在继续进行的这个祷告（罗8:34；来7:25）会不蒙应允，那才实在叫人不可思议呢！
保罗把神为拯救选民所订主权在握的计划视为一整体，而被神称义者的得荣是其中一部分（罗8:29-30）。在此根基上，凯歌贯穿罗马书8章31-39节整段；保罗在这段经文中，歌颂圣徒籍着神全能的爱，得享现今与将来的稳固地位。在他处经文中，保罗也很肯定地因着神必要在他写信对象的生命中，成全祂所开始的[善工]而喜乐（腓1:6；另参林前1:8-9；帖前5:23-24；帖后3:3；提后1:12；4:18）。改革宗神学也回应圣经所强调的看法。《西敏斯特信仰告白》XVII.1宣称：
凡蒙神在爱子里所接纳的人，即那些籍着祂的灵得蒙有效呼召而成圣的人，既不会全然、也不会终久从蒙恩的地位上堕落，反而能坚守这个地位一直到底，并得到永远的救恩。
这教义宣称，重生的人会坚守住信心与基督徒的生活，藉此得蒙拯救到底（来3:6；6:11；10:35-39）；而使他们坚守住的，乃是神。这并非说，所有自认归正的人都是得救的。信徒有假的，暂时狂热的人也会离开主（太13:20-22），许多对耶稣说，[主啊，主啊]的人，将来也不认他们（太7:21-23）。只有那些走在世途上，却一心以追求内心的圣洁，又以真正地爱邻舍，来表明他们自己是重生的人，才有资格相信自己在基督里的地位是稳固的。在信心与忏悔的事上持守恒忍之心，而非持守基督教的仪文，才是通往荣耀的途径。对那些认为接受了恒忍的教义会导致随意的生活和傲慢之心态的人，他们是完全误解了恒忍这个教义。
有时重生的人会退后落入大罪之中；然而他们这么做时，是在做[违心之事]，会伤害了自己的新性情，因此他们会深觉忧伤，以致至终会想要寻求恢复公义。到时候回顾自己所作之事，他们会视自己的跌倒为疯狂。当重生的信徒按本性行事时，他们理当会显出谦卑感恩的心愿，为要讨救他们之神的喜悦；他们既然明白神立誓要保守他们永远安稳，这样的知识也正能使他们的这种心愿得以增长。
PERSEVERANCE
GOD
KEEPS HIS PEOPLE SAFE
And
those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those
he justified, he also glorified. ROMANS 8:30
Let
it first be said that in declaring the eternal security of God’s people it is
clearer to speak of their preservation than, as is commonly done, of their
perseverance. Perseverance means persistence under discouragement and contrary
pressure. The assertion that believers persevere in faith and obedience despite
everything is true, but the reason is that Jesus Christ through the Spirit
persists in preserving them.
Scripture
emphasizes this. John tells us that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is under
promise to his Father (John 6:37-40) and to his sheep directly (John 10:28-29)
to keep them so that they never perish. In his high-priestly prayer before his
passion Jesus asked that those whom the Father had given him (John 17:2, 6, 9,
24) would be preserved to glory, and it is inconceivable that his prayer, which
still continues (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25), will go unanswered.
Paul
sees the sovereign plan of God for the salvation of his elect as a unitary
whole, of which the glorifying of the justified is part (Rom. 8:29-30). On this
basis he builds the triumphant peroration of Romans 8:31-39, in which he celebrates
the present and future security of the saints in the almighty love of God.
Elsewhere he rejoices in the certainty that God will complete the “good work”
that he began in the lives of those Paul addresses (Phil. 1:6; cf. 1 Cor.
1:8-9; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 1:12; 4:18).
Reformed
theology echoes this emphasis. The Westminster Confession declares, They, whom
God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by his
Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall
certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. (XVII.1)
The
doctrine declares that the regenerate are saved through persevering in faith
and Christian living to the end (Heb. 3:6; 6:11; 10:35-39), and that it is God
who keeps them persevering. That does not mean that all who ever professed
conversion will be saved. False professions are made; short-term enthusiasts
fall away (Matt. 13:20-22); many who say to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” will not be
acknowledged (Matt. 7:21-23). Only those who show themselves to be regenerate
by pursuing heart-holiness and true neighbor-love as they pass through this
world are entitled to believe themselves secure in Christ. Persevering in faith
and penitence, not just in Christian formalism, is the path to glory. To
suppose that believing in perseverance leads to careless living and arrogant
presumption is a total misconception.
Sometimes
the regenerate backslide and fall into gross sin. But in this they act out of
character, do violence to their own new nature, and make themselves deeply
miserable, so that eventually they seek and find restoration to righteousness.
In retrospect, their lapse seems to them to have been madness. When regenerate
believers act in character, they manifest a humble, grateful desire to please
the God who saved them; and the knowledge that he is pledged to keep them safe
forever simply increases this desire.
