信心站立在這些話語上

 

摘要

如果你相信(這些話語),你的心就不可能忍住,不因在上帝裡面的喜樂,而不歡笑,並且你自己要變得自由、堅定、和勇敢了。



提多書3:4–5 但到了上帝-我們救主的恩慈和他向人所施的慈愛顯明的時候,他便救了我們。

除了純潔的祝福和保羅在這裡說的「恩慈和對人的慈愛」之外,上帝的本性就沒有其他了。上帝的慈愛就是祂每日傾倒出來,降臨在一切萬物身上的豐盛美物。這是我們看得到的。看啦!這些話語被說出來,給你聽到,正是因為這經文啓示出的「上帝的恩慈和對人的慈愛」,並被賜給每一個人。
把你的信心建立在這些話語上。
每日訓練自己,並在這些話語里日益強壯。
如果你沒有任何疑問地堅持:這些話語是真實的,上帝也真是如此:祂要恩慈,並以慈愛待你。祂就真是這樣了!然後,你就可以全心信靠祂,並祈求,期望一切你心想要的、你心掛念的、和你自己和他人所必需的東西。
但是,如果你不相信,倒不如你尚未聽到這些話語。因為你的不信使這些寶貴的、安慰人的、恩慈的話語變成謊言!你的立場就是「不把這些話語當真」。而這個立場真是高度地對上帝不敬,在極度地毀謗上帝。事實上,你無法干犯比這更大的罪了!
但是,如果你相信,你的心就不可能忍住,不因在上帝裡面的喜樂,而不歡笑,並且你自己要變得自由、堅定、和勇敢了。——馬丁路德
《聖誕節後第二天的講道,關於提多書3:4-8》(AE 75:233)


Build Your Faith on These Words
Tt 3:4–5 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us.

The divine nature is nothing other than pure beneficence and, as Paul says here, 「kindness and love of people」 [Titus 3:4], which daily pour out their good things in abundance on all creatures, as we see.
12. See that these words are spoken to you, since God’s kindness and love of people are revealed and offered to everyone. Build your faith on these words; daily train and strengthen yourself in them. If you hold without any doubt that it is true and that God is and wants to be kind and people-loving toward you, then He certainly is. Then you can with all confidence ask and desire whatever you want, whatever presses on you, whatever is necessary for you and for others. But if you do not believe it, then it would be much better if you had never heard it. By your unbelief you make these precious, comforting, gracious words into lies. You take the position that you do not regard them to be true, which is a very high and great dishonor and slandering of God; you could commit no greater sin.
13. But if you believe, then it is impossible that your heart will not laugh for joy in God, and become free, sure, and courageous. (AE 75:233 from Concordia Publishing House, Saint Louis, MO)


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