第五章

¹所以，我們既然因信稱義，就藉著我們的主耶穌基督與神和好；²我們也憑著信，藉著他可以進入現在所站的這恩典中，並且以盼望得享神的榮耀為榮。³不但這樣，我們更以患難為榮；知道患難產生忍耐，⁴忍耐產生毅力，毅力產生盼望；⁵盼望是不會令人蒙羞的，因為神藉著所賜給我們的聖靈，把他的愛澆灌在我們的心裡。⁶當我們還軟弱的時候，基督就照所定的日期，為不敬虔的人死了。⁷為義人死，是少有的；為好人死，或有敢作的；⁸唯有基督在我們還作罪人的時候為我們死，神對我們的愛就在此顯明了。⁹所以，我們現在既然因他的血稱義，就更要藉著他免受神的忿怒。¹⁰我們作仇敵的時候，尚且藉著神兒子的死與他復和，既然復和了，就更要因他的生得救了！¹¹不但這樣，我們現在已經藉著我們的主耶穌基督與神復和，也藉著他以神為榮。

 

默想

1. 當基督徒回頭看，向前看，周圍看，他會看到什麼？“與神和好”。

回頭看：神拯救了我們，使我們與祂和好（10節）；向前看：我們將永遠與神同在（9節）；周圍看：我們正在被神拯救中，耶穌基督現在仍在我心中工作， 賜我能力來過聖潔的生活。我們的過去、現在、將來都因為主耶穌而得到全然的改變。而當我們與神和好時，也帶來我們與自己，與他人的和好。

2. 為這“與人和好”的福音感謝神，求主幫助我常活在“與神、與人和好”的光景中。

 

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 5

¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

 

Meditation

1. What does a Christian see if he looks back? If he looks ahead?  If he looks around?  Reconciliation.  Looking back, we have been saved and reconciled to God (v10).  Looking ahead, we will stand by God throughout eternity (v9).  Looking around, we are being saved.  Jesus is even now at work within me to give me the power to live a holy life.  Our past, our present and our future are all transformed because of Him.  And when we are reconciled with God, it paves the way for us to be reconciled with ourselves and with others.
2. Thank God for this Reconciliation Gospel.  Pray that God will help me to live always in reconciliation with God, with myself and with others.

 

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.