0110 眼被打开
…我差你到他们那里去，要叫他们的眼睛得开，从黑暗中归向光明，从撒但权下归向神，又因信我，得蒙赦罪，和一切成圣的人同得基业。《使徒行传26:17-18》
这节经文是整个新约全书中，耶稣基督的门徒信息真正本质的最伟大的例子。
神首次至高无上恩典的作为就总结在这句话中：「…他们的罪得赦免…」当一个人在他基督徒个人生活中失败时，通常是因为他从未领受过什么。一个人得救的唯一记号，是他从耶稣基督那里领受了什么。作为神的工人，我们的任务是打开人们的眼睛，使他们从黑暗转向光明；但那不是救恩，那是皈依——只是一个觉醒之人的努力。我说大多数所謂的基督徒都是如此的，并不为过。他们的眼睛是打开了，但他们什么也没有领受。皈依不是重生，这是我们今天传道中被忽视的事实。当一个人重生时，他会知道，因为他从全能的神那里领受了一份礼物，而不是因为他自己的决定。人们可能会立誓和承诺，可能决心跟随，但这些都不是救恩。救恩意味着我们被带到一个地方，是我们能够凭着耶稣基督的权柄，从神那里领受某些东西，那就是罪得赦免。
接下来是神第二个恩典的大能作为：「…與成聖的人同得基業。」在成圣中，重生的人会有意地舍弃自己的权利交给耶稣基督，将自己完全认同神对他人的事工。
来自章伯斯的智慧
如果你没有过信仰生活，要谨防对信仰生活做出任何裁决。《不知去往何处》
0110 The Opened Sight
I now send you, to open their eyes…that they may receive forgiveness of sins… —Acts 26:17-18
This verse is the greatest example of the true essence of the message of a disciple of Jesus Christ in all of the New Testament.
God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, “…that they may receive forgiveness of sins….” When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light. But that is not salvation; it is conversion— only the effort of an awakened human being. I do not think it is too broad a statement to say that the majority of so-called Christians are like this. Their eyes are open, but they have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is a neglected fact in our preaching today. When a person is born again, he knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision. People may make vows and promises, and may be determined to follow through, but none of this is salvation. Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus Christ, namely, forgiveness of sins.
This is followed by God’s second mighty work of grace: “…an inheritance among those who are sanctified….” In sanctification, the one who has been born again deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God’s ministry to others.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Beware of pronouncing any verdict on the life of faith if you are not living it. Not Knowing Whither, 900 R