新约 - 罗马书(Romans)第4章

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
罗马书第四章   罗 4:1-3> 保罗提那老远的事做什么?何不举一个当时的例子? 

  4:1-3 犹太人常以自己是亚伯拉罕的子孙为荣,于是保罗引用亚伯拉罕为例,说明因信得救的道理。在强调信心的同时,保罗从来没有表示过神的律法不重要( 4:13 ),但是单凭遵守律法是不可能使人得救的。(有关亚伯拉罕的事迹,请参创 17 章的人物介绍。) 

  罗 4:5> 信心大小,也关系到我们的得救,有人这样说;那我们不是要很大很大的信心才得救? 

  4:5 有些人听到因信得救的道理以后也许会忧虑:“我的信心足够吗?”其实这些人误解了,拯救我们的不是我们的感觉或行动、而是耶稣基督;不管我们的信心多么微小,耶稣基督也有足够的能力来拯救我们。耶稣所赐的救恩是一件礼物,因为祂爱我们,并非因为我们对祂有强大的信心,才值得祂来拯救。这样,信心有什么作用呢?信心就是相信和倚靠耶稣基督,接纳这份奇妙的救恩礼物。 

  罗 4:6-8> 神愿赦免,因耶稣已担当了我们的罪;罪真的可以被赦免? 

  4:6-8 大卫王曾经犯了奸淫、谋杀、说谎等重大的罪,但是仍能经历蒙神赦罪的喜乐。我们也可以除掉罪恶,得到同样的喜乐,只要( 1 )承认所犯的罪;( 2 )向神认罪,寻求赦免;( 3 )让罪咎感消失,相信神已宽恕了我们。对于一些经年累月、根深蒂固的,或严重的、牵涉到别人的罪,要做到上面三点并不容易,但是我们必须牢记耶稣愿意赦免所有的罪。只要了解祂在十字架上付出的代价是何等巨大,就知道没有任何大罪是祂覆盖不了的。纵然我们的信心很软弱,我们的良心很敏感,使我们时常记起那些罪,但是神的话已经宣告了:凡认罪的便得到赦免(参约壹 1:9 )。 

  罗 4:10> 割礼只是一种礼仪罢了──但神为何那样重视? 

  4:10 割礼是犹太人的一个印记,证明他们跟别人不同,也表明犹太人是神的选民。所有犹太男童都要接受割礼,为了要把犹太民族和其他拜偶像的民族分别开来,因此这是非常重要的仪式。神吩咐亚伯拉罕行割礼是一项祝福,也是一个命令。 

  罗 4:10-12> 亚伯拉罕不也是因行割礼而蒙福的吗?你会有这个疑问吗? 

  4:10-12 仪式并不是亚伯拉罕蒙福的条件,在行割礼仪式之前,亚伯拉罕早已蒙神赐福了。他是因信而得神的喜悦。创世记 12 章 1 至 4 节告诉我们,神呼召亚伯拉罕的时候他已经七十五岁,行割礼则是在九十九岁(参创 17:1-14 )。礼仪可以作为我们信心的提醒,也可以教导初信的人,但是我们不应该寄望礼仪可以为我们在神面前赚到什么功德,它只是外在的象征和记号,反映人内心的信靠。我们信心的焦点是基督和祂的救赎,而非我们自己的行为。 

  罗 4:16> 得救谁不想,但也要有办法才成──你竟说得救可以很简单…… 

  4:16 保罗解释说,亚伯拉罕蒙神喜悦,只因为他的信心,当时他从未听过这后来对犹太人如此重要的礼仪。我们也是因信心而得救的。救恩是神白白赐给我们的,祂对我们并没有任何其他的要求;只要我们相信基督赦免我们一切的罪,我们便得救了。 

  罗 4:17> 亚伯拉罕是万国之父?不是吧,我的父就不是他…… 

  4:17 神给亚伯拉罕的约和应许,使他成为万国之父(参创 17:2-4 ),全世界都会因他蒙福(参创 12:3 )。这个应许已经应验在耶稣基督身上,因为耶稣是亚伯拉罕的后裔,全世界也真的因祂蒙福了。 

  罗 4:21> 有人竟可以从来都不怀疑神?是谁?我要向他请教,我…… 

  4:21 亚伯拉罕从来不怀疑神的应许能不能应验。他的一生虽然也有错误、罪恶跟失败,但是他坚持信靠神,不怕重重障碍,信心更加坚固,因此,他的一生成为有行动的信心的榜样。如果亚伯拉罕只考虑他自己征服迦南和建立大国的能力,那么他一定会失望和放弃;但是他仰望神、愿意顺服等候,一直到祂的应许实现为止。 

  罗马书中的重要概念 

  罗 4:25> 信耶稣,罪得赦;你不信有这么便宜的事?若我告诉你这是事实,你会信祂吗? 

  4:25 当我们一接受主耶稣,一项交易便立即开始:我们在基督面前认罪,祂就赐我们公义和赦免(参林后 5:21 )。再没有其他方法使我们获得这些东西,只有藉着基督我们才能被神称为义。这是何等丰富且难以置信的交易呢!可惜仍然有许多人放过这礼物,继续享受罪中之乐。