慈愛的福音

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

上帝在祂的福音中顯明自己：以恩慈和慈愛待我們，願接受每一個人，不輕視任何人，赦免我們一切的罪惡，從不在嚴厲中驅逐我們。

福音傳遞著純淨的恩典，藉著這恩典上帝幫助我們，祂以最良善的方式環繞著我們，所以，祂沒有按照人的功德和刑罰對待我們。沒有人可以誇耀自己的功德，也沒有人因自己的不配而絕望，因為並不靠人的功德賺取上帝的恩典。難道還有比這更甜美的話語，可以說給一顆悲慘的、罪惡滿盈的良心嗎？

這是恩典的時代，所有人都可完全地信任上帝的恩慈，滿懷信心地就近上帝的寶座。

在福音中，上帝不僅展現出祂邀請和幫助我們的神聖恩慈，而且祂甚至懷抱著我們，想要與我們在一起，還不停地賜給我們的祂的恩典和友愛。這兩個甜蜜和安慰的詞匯：恩慈和慈愛，是我們的上帝給我們的承諾：上帝賜恩典給我們，不離棄我們，並以最慈愛的方式接納凡願意就近祂的人。難道上帝還可以做得比這些更多嗎？現在你可以知道為什麼福音實在是上帝在基督裡令人安慰和可愛的話語了。——馬丁路德 （WA 10.1/iff）

【摘錄至：馬丁路德的《1522年聖誕日早堂崇拜的講道》（WA10卷一和Complete Sermons of Martin Luther，3卷二之144頁及之後）】

禱告：
恩慈的上帝啊，你用你獨生兒子的生命拯救了我們的生命，求讓我的心時常感受到你的恩慈和慈愛，這樣我就唯獨被吸引來到你施恩座前尋求恩典，深深地愛你。奉主耶穌的名。阿們。

Titus 3:4-5 When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us.

Thus God has shown himself in his gospel altogether loving and kind toward us, willing to receive everyone, despising none, forgiving all our weakness, never driving any away with severity. The gospel proclaims pure grace, with which God helps us and surrounds us in the most benevolent way, so that no one is treated according to their merits and deserts. This is the time of grace, where everyone may draw near to the throne of God with complete trust and confidence.

In the gospel, God has revealed to us divine kindness not only in helping us and inviting us to be near him, but even holds to us, seeks to be with us, and offers us unceasingly his grace and friendship. These are two sweet and comfortable words and promises of our God, namely, that God offers grace to us and it does not leave us, and that God receives in a most loving way all who desire to draw near him. What more could God do? You can see, why gospel is called a comfortable and lovely message of God in Christ. What sweeter word could be spoken to a wretched, sinful conscience?

(Sermons from the year 1522 WA 10/1: i ff)