基督誕生是我們自己的誕生

摘要

基督用信心,將我們的誕生吸納入他的誕生,並將他的誕生給我們,使我們可以在基督裡更新成為純淨,如同我們的誕生一般。



路加福音2:10-12
那天使對他們說:「不要懼怕!我報給你們大喜的信息,是關乎萬民的;因今天在大衛的城裏,為你們生了救主,就是主基督。你們要看見一個嬰孩,包著布,臥在馬槽裏,那就是記號了。」

我們需要基督的誕生
26. 基督的誕生是純潔的、無罪的、聖潔的誕生。人的誕生是不潔的、有罪的、受譴責的,正如大衛說:「我是在罪孽裏生的,在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。」(詩篇51:5)。唯獨基督的誕生可以幫助。正如天使所說的:基督的誕生是關乎萬民的,賜給所有堅定相信的人,以至於刑罰不會因為不潔的誕生而臨到他們。

信心是我們得到基督誕生的方法
但是,基督的誕生不能以肉體的方式分配給我們。這樣作也不能幫助我們。所以,只能藉著上帝之道按屬靈的方式將基督的誕生分給各人。這是從亞當可悲的誕生成為聖潔誕生的道路和方法。因著這個目的,基督要誕生。使我們藉著他,從他的誕生而生,正如他在約翰福音3:3所說:「耶穌回答說:「我實實在在地告訴你,人若不重生,就不能見上帝的國」。藉著信心,這事就可以發生了,正如雅各說:「他按自己的旨意,用真道生了我們,叫我們在他所造的萬物中好像初熟的果子」(雅1:18)。
27. 看啦,基督用這種方式,將我們的誕生吸納入他的誕生,並將他的誕生給我們,使我們可以在基督裡更新成為純淨,如同我們的誕生一般。每一個基督徒可以在基督的誕生裡喜樂,得榮耀,如同基督一樣,肉體從馬利亞而生。如果不相信或懷疑這真理,就不是基督徒。
28. 這就是天使所說的「大喜」。當人相信這信息時,就是人的安慰和上帝的大良善,他可以誇口這珍寶:馬利亞是他的母親,基督是他的兄長,上帝是他的父親。我們實在應當相信這些事情,因為這些都是真實發生過的事情。這些事是基本的事情,是福音主要的珍寶,是「善工」教義的根源,且發生在「善工」之前。基督必須在萬事之上,屬於我們,我們也屬於他。之後,我們才能掌握這些善工。
但是,除非信心正確地教導我們理解福音,正確地掌握福音。除非藉著信心,才能正確地理解基督,使得我們的良心歡愉、自由、和滿足。從其中我們生出對上帝的愛和讚美。上帝已經在基督裡白白地賜給我們遠超豐盛的禮物。這事給了我們勇氣或行事、或不行事、或忍受一切讓上帝心意滿足之事,包括生死。這是我常說的。這也是以賽亞的意思,他說:「因有一嬰孩為我們而生;有一子賜給我們」(賽9:6)。為我們,給我們而生,給我們而賜給我們。
29. 所以,不要只把福音當成歷史,從中發掘娛樂,因為這不能長久。
不要只把福音當成榜樣,因為沒有信心,就沒有黏著力。
而是要把它當成你的誕生,取代你的位置,這樣你就可以從你的誕生中得到釋放,而接納他的誕生。當你有信心時,這事就發生了。你就坐在童貞女馬利亞的腿上,作她親愛的兒子。但是,你必須運用你的信心,為此而祈求,因為只要你的肉體仍活著,你就不可能堅定不移,根基穩固。這是我們根基和遺產,並在其上建築一切善工。——馬丁路德(講道集一)(AE 75:215–216)


Christ’s Birth Is Our Births
Luke 2:10-12
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

26. Christ has a pure, innocent, and holy birth. Man has an impure, sinful, condemned birth; as David says, “Behold, I was begotten from sinful seed, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51 [:5]). Nothing can help this except the pure birth of Christ. Thus Christ’s birth cannot be distributed in a bodily way nor would that help; therefore, it is distributed spiritually through the Word to everyone, as the angel says that it is given to all who firmly believe so that no harm will come to them because of their impure birth. That is the way and manner to become pure from our miserable birth from Adam. For this purpose Christ wanted to be born, that through Him we might be born in a different way, as He says in John 3 [:3]. This takes place through faith; as James says, “He willingly gave us birth by the Word of truth, that we should begin to be His new creatures” (James 1 [:18]).
27. See, in this way Christ takes our birth away from us and absorbs it into His birth, and gives us His, that in it we might become pure and new, as if it were our own, so that every Christian may rejoice and glory in Christ’s birth as if he also, like Christ, had been born bodily of Mary. Whoever does not believe this, or doubts it, is no Christian.
28. That is the great joy of which the angel speaks. This is the comfort and exceeding goodness of God that, if a man believes this, he can boast of the treasure that Mary is his true mother, Christ his Brother, and God his Father. For all these things are true and happen when we believe. This is the principal thing and the principal treasure in every Gospel, before any doctrine of good works can be taken out of it. Christ must above all things become our own, and we become His, before we can take hold of works.
But this cannot occur except through the faith that teaches us rightly to understand the Gospel and properly to lay hold of it. This is knowing Christ correctly, so that the conscience is happy, free, and satisfied. Out of this grow love and praise to God, who in Christ has given us such superabundant gifts free of charge. This gives courage to do, avoid, and suffer everything as is well pleasing to God, whether in life or in death, as I have often said. This is what Isaiah means: “To us a Child is born, and to us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9 [:6])—to us, to us, to us is born, and to us is given.
29. Therefore, see to it that you do not find pleasure in the Gospel only as a history, for that does not last long; also not only as an example, for that does not stick without faith. But see to it that you make this birth your own and trade places, so that you are freed from your birth and receive His. This happens when you believe. So sit in the lap of the Virgin Mary and be her dear child. But you must exercise this faith and ask for it, because while you live you cannot establish it too firmly. This is our foundation and inheritance, on which good works must be built. (Church Postil I)(AE 75:215–216)



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