²³因為人人都犯了罪，虧缺了神的榮耀，²⁴但他們卻因著神的恩典，藉著在基督耶穌裡的救贖，就白白地稱義。²⁵神設立了耶穌為贖罪祭（“贖罪祭”原文作“蔽罪所”），是憑著他的血，藉著人的信，為的是要顯明神的義；因為神用忍耐的心寬容了人從前所犯的罪，²⁶好在現今顯明他的義，使人知道他自己為義，又稱信耶穌的人為義。²⁷這樣，有甚麼可誇的呢？沒有可誇的了。憑甚麼準則說沒有的呢？憑行為嗎？不是的，而是以信心為準則說的。²⁸因為我們認定，人稱義是由於信，並不是靠行律法。  28因為我們認定，人稱義是由於信，並不是靠行律法。

 

默想：

1. 一群死刑犯，他們都犯了該死的罪，被判了刑，等候神忿怒的刑罰。他們靜默地坐在黝黑的監牢裡，所有的希望都破滅。但是，突然，牢房門打開了，黝黯變為光明，死亡成為生命，捆鎖變為自由。有一個聲音告訴他們：“你們被赦了！”這段經文告訴我們，這就是我們的光景；但是我如何獲赦的？為什麼會這樣呢？
2. 在我的信仰旅程中，我曾經如何經歷過神的恩典？這個經歷對我現在的生活有什麼影響？

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

Chapter 3

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. ²⁸For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

 

Meditation

1. Like prisoners on death row, all people are guilty, condemned and awaiting the execution of God’s wrath. They sit silently in the miserable darkness of their cell, all hope extinguished.  Then abruptly, the door swings open and darkness becomes light, death becomes life, and bondage becomes freedom. “You are pardoned,” a voice tells them.  But how? Why? This passage tells us that this is exactly our situation.  But how did I get pardoned?  Why would it happen?
2. When did the message of God’s grace become real to me?  What impact is it having on my life right now?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.