0110 眼被打開
…我差你到他們那裡去，要叫他們的眼睛得開，從黑暗中歸向光明，從撒但權下歸向神，又因信我，得蒙赦罪，和一切成聖的人同得基業。《使徒行傳26:17-18》
這節經文是整個新約全書中，耶穌基督的門徒信息真正本質的最偉大的例子。
神首次至高無上恩典的作為就總結在這句話中：「…他們的罪得赦免…」當一個人在他基督徒個人生活中失敗時，通常是因為他從未領受過什麼。一個人得救的唯一記號，是他從耶穌基督那裡領受了什麼。作為神的工人，我們的任務是打開人們的眼睛，使他們從黑暗轉向光明；但那不是救恩，那是皈依——只是一個覺醒之人的努力。我說大多數所謂的基督徒都是如此的，並不為過。他們的眼睛是打開了，但他們什麼也沒有領受。皈依不是重生，這是我們今天傳道中被忽視的事實。當一個人重生時，他會知道，因為他從全能的神那裡領受了一份禮物，而不是因為他自己的決定。人們可能會立誓和承諾，可能決心跟隨，但這些都不是救恩。救恩意味着我們被帶到一個地方，是我們能夠憑着耶穌基督的權柄，從神那裡領受某些東西，那就是罪得赦免。
接下來是神第二個恩典的大能作為：「…與成聖的人同得基業。」在成聖中，重生的人會有意地捨棄自己的權利交給耶穌基督，將自己完全認同神對他人的事工。
來自章伯斯的智慧
如果你沒有過信仰生活，要謹防對信仰生活做出任何裁決。《不知去往何處》
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