得勝的信心

約翰壹書5:5 勝過世界的是誰呢？不是那信耶穌是上帝兒子的嗎？

得勝的信心

真正的、得勝的信心就是相信耶穌基督是上帝的兒子。

它是聖靈在基督徒心裡的工作。

它的能力無敵。

它堅定不疑的看透萬事，不會反復煩擾。

它不用自己的想法審視世事。

它因相信基督是從天上差遣來的上帝之子，而緊緊地抓住上帝。藉著基督，上帝展示祂的心意，拯救我們脫離罪和死亡，進入恩典和新的、永遠的生命。

信心不信靠自己的美德、或價值，

而是信靠基督，上帝之子，

信靠祂的全能和實力。

信心抵擋世界和魔鬼。

所以，這信心不是一個冷淡、無價值、空洞、懶惰的想法，而是活潑的、積極的能力。

不論這信心在哪裡，它的果實、勝利、和戰利品必定緊緊跟隨，

如果沒有這些，信心和新生就必沒有在那裡。——馬丁路德（AE 77:119-20）

（復活節後主日講道）

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Victorious Faith

The real, victorious faith is the one that believes that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. It is an invincible power worked in the hearts of Christians through the Holy Spirit. It understands with certainty and does not flutter back and forth or gape at its own thoughts, but takes hold of God in Christ as His Son sent from heaven, through whom He reveals His will and heart and delivers us from sin and death to grace and new, eternal life. This confidence and trust, which does not rely on its own merits or worthiness but on Christ, the Son of God, and on His might and power, contends against the world and the devil. Therefore, this faith is not a cold, worthless, empty, and idle thought… but a living, active power, so that wherever it is its fruit, victory, and conquest must follow — or, if they do not follow, then faith and the new birth are not there. —- Martin Luther (AE 77:119-20)  From sermon for the Sunday after Easter