第二章

¹ 你們因著自己的過犯和罪惡，原是死的。 ² 那時你們在過犯和罪惡中行事為人，隨著時代的潮流，也服從空中掌權的首領，就是現今在悖逆的人身上運行的靈。 ³ 我們從前也都和他們在一起，放縱肉體的私慾，隨著肉體和心意所喜好的去行；我們與別人一樣，生來都是可怒的兒女。 ⁴ 然而神滿有憐憫，因著他愛我們的大愛， ⁵ 就在我們因過犯死了的時候，使我們與基督一同活過來，（你們得救是靠著恩典，） ⁶ 又使我們在基督耶穌裡，與他一同復活，一同坐在天上， ⁷ 為的是要在將來的世代中，顯明他在基督耶穌裡賜給我們的恩典，是多麼的豐盛。 ⁸ 你們得救是靠著恩典，藉著信心。這不是出於自己，而是神所賜的； ⁹ 這也不是出於行為，免得有人自誇。 ¹⁰ 我們原是神所作成的，是在基督耶穌裡創造的，為的是要我們行各樣的善事，就是神預先所安排的。

 

默想：

1．  行善之於信仰，就如呼氣之於吸氣，是一進一出、一前一後的；我們的善行使得神的救恩在我們身上得以完全。我們不是以行善來贏取救恩，而是用善行來表明我確實接受了救恩。跟從耶穌的人，長久以來，都因為信心和行為之間的關係困惑不已；但其實我們所追隨的主是這樣說的，“你們既知道這事，若是去行就有福了。”（約13：17）

2．  我的行為是否清楚向別人說明我對主耶穌的信心？有什麼是我“既知道”但尚未去做的“善行”？求聖靈光照，讓我知道並能實際去做。

 

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 2

¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

Meditation

1．  Works are to faith as exhaling is to inhaling.  They complete the gift of salvation.  Good works are not what we do to win salvation; they are what we do to demonstrate and enjoy it.  Followers of Jesus have for the longest time been perplexed by the relationship between faith and works.  However, Jesus said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”(John 13:17)

2．  Does my behaviour demonstrate to others my faith in Jesus Christ?  What are the things that I know but have not done?  Ask the Holy Spirit to show me how to actually do these good works.

 

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 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.