經文: 「亞伯拉罕信上帝，這就算為他的義。亞伯拉罕所信的，是那叫死人復活使無變為有的上帝。」— [聖經·羅馬書 4章3b,17a節]
耶穌談論基督徒與祂同釘十字架的事，現在讓我們來看看保羅如何深入闡釋「與耶穌同死」的真理與亮光。
羅馬書前半段提到「因信稱義」的道理，先提到外邦人的罪惡(第1章18-32節)，然後提到猶太人的罪惡(第2章1-29節)，他說無論「猶太人」或「外邦人」，在上帝面前都是有罪的，「因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了上帝的榮耀。」(羅馬書 3章23節)，然後他又提到在耶穌裡白白的救贖，在第四章他指出上帝算亞伯拉罕為義，不是因著他所行的事，乃是因著他的信。
亞伯拉罕不僅相信這些，他甚至相信「那叫死人復活，使無變有的上帝。」這兩句話極具關鍵性，是救恩的兩項要素。首先是因信稱義，使得我們與上帝和好，此外，還要有復活的新生命，這兩樣缺一不可。是的，耶穌為我們的罪而死，但在我們信主重生後，耶穌復活的生命，也在我們裡面成長。
保羅在前半段(1章16節-5章11節)反覆重申因信稱義的真理，但在後半段(5章12節-8章39節)他強調憑信與耶穌聯合，藉此與耶穌同死同復活，並靠著聖靈的大能，我們不但得以免除刑罰，而且脫離罪的權勢，能夠過一個聖潔、順服並討主喜悅的生活。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
[每日靈修 6月20日]
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
[圖片版權屬「基督愛的教會」所有，在此僅供分享福音用途。]
『 The Righteousness of God 』
Scripture: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” “He believed God, Who quickeneth the dead.” — [Romans 4:3b,17a]
Let us now, after listening to the words of our Lord Jesus about our fellowship with Him in the cross, turn to St. Paul, and see how through the Holy Spirit he gives the deeper insight into what our death in Christ means.
You know how the first section of Romans is devoted to the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. After speaking (1:18-32) of the awful sin of the heathen, and then (2:1-29) of the sin of the Jew, he points out how Jew and Gentile are “guilty before God.” “All have sinned and come short.” And then he sets forth that free grace which gave the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (3:21-31). In chapter 4, he points to Abraham as having, when he believed, understood that God justified him freely by His grace, and not for anything that he had done.
Abraham had not only believed this, but something more. “He believed in God, Who quickeneth the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.” The two expressions are most significant, as indicating the two essential needs there are in the redemption of man in Christ Jesus. There is the need of justification by faith, to restore man to the favour of God. But there is more needed. He must also be quickened to a new life. Just as justification is by faith alone, so is regeneration also. Christ died for our sins; He was raised again out of, or through our justification.
In the first section (down to chapter 5:11) Paul deals exclusively with the great thought of our justification. But in the second section (5:12 to 8:39) he expounds that wonderful union with Christ through faith, by which we died with Him, by which we live in Him, and by which through the Holy Spirit, we are made free, not only from the punishment, but also from the power of sin, and are enabled to live the life of righteousenss, of obedience, and of sanctification.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 20 June 」
