行為和信心

路加福音10:25 有一個律法師起來試探耶穌，說：「夫子！我該做甚麼才可以承受永生？」

以行為對人

為了人的益處，我們人需要互相做出好行為，正如我們天父上帝已經做過和現在仍做在我們身上的事情一樣。

我們的行為不能加增上帝的能力或豐富祂的作為，但是卻可以使鄰舍變得更有能力、更富有。

好行為只能做在鄰舍身上，卻不能行在上帝身上。

我們不需要用好行為取悅上帝，但是為了鄰舍，我們需要有好行為。

我們的好行為就如同是：上帝把自己放在我們手中，通過我們的好行為將祂表現出來。

以信心對神

我們只應該把信心給上帝。信心，也只有信心，能夠得到上帝工作的成果，就是那些只有上帝可以做的事。

所以，我們應當忙於服務鄰舍，將我們的工作做在他們身上，使我們的工作可以服務他們。

應該把信心向內和向上給上帝，把好行為向外和向下做在鄰舍身上。

——馬丁路德（WA 10.1.2:314）1526年主日講道

Luke 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Works & Faith

We should practice Good works toward one another, as our heavenly Father has done toward us and is still doing unceasingly. We need no works to please God, but we need them for our neighbor. We cannot make God any more powerful or richer through our works, but we can make our neighbor stronger and richer by them. Our neighbor needs them, and they should be directed there and not to God. Would to God that it would go into your hands and be expressed in works!

Faith is due to God alone; faith receives divine works that God alone can do, and these works of God we can receive alone through faith. Then we should be busy for our neighbors’ sake and direct our works toward them, that these works may serve them.

My faith I must bring inwardly and upwardly to God, but my works I must do outwardly and downward to my neighbor.

(WA 10.1:314) from Sermon on the 14th Sunday after Trinity