“Satan Would Bind Us in Our Own Grave Clothes 撒但要以我們的壽衣捆綁我們“(1 John 約翰一書3:7-8)
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
孩子們,不要受人欺騙,行義的才是義人,正如主是公義的。犯罪的是出於魔鬼,因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。因此,神的兒子顯現了,是要除滅魔鬼的作為。
Even though the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins and trespasses, the devil’s much harder work is to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes so that we are unable to claim our rightful spiritual heritage and not much better off than when we were spiritually dead. That is why today Christian behaves like a frightened sheep, too scared to say ‘Amen’! Believing the Person and the saving work of Jesus Christ enables us to become fearless, joyful and God-assured people through His fully man incarnation (but also fully God), His death at the cross as redemptive sacrifice and His resurrection after three days and then His ascension as Victor over death and hell!
終然那虔信與稱義的基督徒,已經從自己罪惡過犯的墳塋中復活過來,魔鬼格外努力的工作,是要使我們被束縛與箝制,禁錮我們在自己的壽衣裡,以致我們不能得著自己應得的屬靈產業,比從前靈命死亡時好不了多少。這就解釋了今天的基督徒為何行事為人像受驚的羊,連「阿們」也不敢說!藉著耶穌基督成為完完全全人的道成肉身(卻也是完完全全的神)、祂在十字架上被獻作贖罪祭牲的釘死,並祂死後三天的複活和其後的升天作為打倒死亡和陰間的得勝者,相信耶穌基督的位格和祂救贖的工作,使我們能夠成為無所畏懼、喜樂和神確定的子民!
Prayer: Father God, thank you that we can be not only made not guilty but also held in right standing before you through our faith in Jesus Christ. Yet that righteousness in Lord Jesus should be evident in our lives because the grace that does not change one’s life will not save one’s soul. Moreover, thank you that Christ wants to not only save us but also destroy the devil’s works. We have been given His righteousness, the resource we need to live righteously. Amen.
禱告: 父神啊,感謝你我們在你面前,藉著自己在耶穌基督裡的信心,能夠不單只不被定為有罪,而且在正直的站立上蒙支撐得住。然而,那在主耶穌裡的公義,理應在我們的生命裡是顯而易見的,因為那不能改變人生命的恩典,必不拯救人的靈魂。還有感謝你,基督不單只要拯救我們,而且要毀滅魔鬼的作為。我們已得著要公義地生活所需要的資源,就是基督的公義。阿們。