第04章 认罪
§1
第04章 认罪
§2
Chapter 4—Confession
§3
“遮掩自己罪过的，必不亨通；承认离弃罪过的，必蒙怜恤”（箴28:13）。{SC 37.1}[1]
§4
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”?Proverbs 28:13.?{SC 37.1}[1]
§5
蒙上帝怜恤的条件是简单、公平而合理的。上帝没有要我们做什么艰难的事，才赦免我们的罪。我们也不需要长途跋涉，刻苦修行，以求得天上上帝的悦纳，或补偿我们的过犯。凡“承认离弃罪过的，必蒙怜恤。”{SC 37.2}[2]
§6
The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.?{SC 37.2}[2]
§7
使徒说：“你们要彼此认罪，互相代求，使你们可以得医治”（雅5:16）。当向上帝认你的罪，因为只有祂才能赦罪；也要彼此认罪。如果你得罪了朋友或邻居，就当去承认错误，而欣然饶恕你则是他的本分。你还要去求得上帝的赦免，因为你所得罪的弟兄是属上帝的。伤害了他，就是得罪了创造和救赎他的主。于是案子呈到了唯一的真中保、我们的大祭司面前。祂“凡事受过试探，与我们一样，只是祂没有犯罪”。祂“体恤我们的软弱”（来4:15），洗净我们的一切罪污。{SC 37.3}[3]
§8
The apostle says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”?James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is brought before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, who “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” and who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity.?Hebrews 4:15.?{SC 37.3}[3]
§9
凡没有在上帝面前自卑认罪的人，就是还没有履行蒙悦纳的第一个条件。如果我们没有经历过那“没有后悔的懊悔”（林后7:10），真正带着谦卑的心和忧伤的灵承认自己的罪，就是还没有真正地求赦罪。既没有求，也就得不到上帝的平安。我们没有蒙赦罪的唯一原因，就是没有存着谦卑的心，满足真理之道的要求。关于这件事，已有明确的指示。不论是当众还是私下的认罪，都要真诚而坦率。罪人认罪不可出于勉强，避重就轻，敷衍了事。也不可强迫未曾认识罪恶可怕性质的人认罪。只有出于内心的认罪，才能达到无限怜悯的上帝那里。诗人说：“耶和华靠近伤心的人，拯救灵性痛悔的人”（诗34:18）。{SC 37.4}[4]
§10
Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet?fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning this matter. Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”?Psalm 34:18.?{SC 37.4}[4]
§11
真正的认罪总是有具体的性质和具体的内容。有些性质的罪必须带到上帝面前。有些罪必须向受损害的个人承认。有些罪则有公共性，须公开承认。但无论如何，认罪的时候，必须明确承认你所犯的罪。{SC 38.1}[5]
§12
True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.?{SC 38.1}[5]
§13
在撒母耳的时代，以色列人远离了上帝。他们受了罪的恶报，因为他们对上帝失了信心，丧失了辨识力，看不出上帝有治国的权能与智慧，不信服祂有保卫他们并维护祂圣工的能力。他们背离了掌管宇宙的大主宰，反而渴望像当时四周的异邦一样，受人君的治理。后来他们确实地认罪说：“我们求立王的事，正是罪上加罪了”（撒上12:19），这才得到安康。他们那已经被定的罪必须承认。他们的忘恩负义压迫着他们的心并使他们与上帝分离。{SC 38.2}[6]
§14
In the days of Samuel the Israelites wandered from God. They were suffering the consequences of?sin; for they had lost their faith in God, lost their discernment of His power and wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in His ability to defend and vindicate His cause. They turned from the great Ruler of the universe and desired to be governed as were the nations around them. Before they found peace they made this definite confession: “We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.”?1 Samuel 12:19. The very sin of which they were convicted had to be confessed. Their ingratitude oppressed their souls and severed them from God.?{SC 38.2}[6]
§15
人如果没有真正悔改归正，他的认罪就得不到上帝的悦纳。我们的生活必须彻底改变。一切得罪上帝的事必须除去。这才是真正为罪伤心的结果。我们当做的事已清楚地摆在我们面前：“你们要洗濯、自洁，从我眼前除掉你们的恶行，要止住作恶，学习行善，寻求公平，解救受欺压的；给孤儿伸冤，为寡妇辨屈。”“恶人若还人的当头和所抢夺的，遵行生命的律例，不作罪孽，他必定存活，不至死亡”（赛1:16,17；结33:15）。保罗论到悔改的工作说：“你看，你们依着上帝的意思忧愁，从此就生出何等的殷勤、自诉、自恨、恐惧、想念、热心、责罚。在这一切事上，你们都表明自己是洁净的”（林后7:11）。{SC 39.1}[7]
§16
Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”?Isaiah 1:16, 17. “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.”?Ezekiel 33:15. Paul says, speaking of the work of repentance: “Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”?2 Corinthians 7:11.?{SC 39.1}[7]
§17
当罪恶麻木了人的道德观念时，犯罪的人就认识不到自己品格的缺欠和罪行的重大。如果他不顺服圣灵感服人心的能力，就看不到自己的罪。他的认罪不是出于真心的。每次认罪的时候，总是文过饰非，声称若非环境所致，他就决不会做出这种或那种受人指责的事。{SC 40.1}[8]
§18
When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin. His confessions are not sincere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if it had not been for certain circumstances he would not have done this or that for which he is reproved.?{SC 40.1}[8]
§19
亚当和夏娃吃了禁果以后，满心羞愧惶恐。他们最先想到的，只是怎样推托自己的罪，逃避所害怕的死刑。当耶和华追问他们的罪时，亚当回答说：“祢所赐给我，与我同居的女人，她把那树上的果子给我，我就吃了。”他把罪责一部分推给上帝，一部分推给妻子。女人则归咎于蛇说：“那蛇引诱我，我就吃了”（创3:12,13）。她推诿自己罪责的话中所暗示的问题是：祢为什么创造那蛇呢？祢为什么允许它进入伊甸园呢？这样，她就把他们堕落的责任推到上帝身上。自以为义的精神起源于说谎之人的父，表现在亚当的一切子孙身上。这种认罪不是出于圣灵的感动，是得不到上帝悦纳的。人真正悔改，就会承担自己的罪责，毫不含糊掩饰地承认出来。他必如可怜的税吏那样，连举目望天也不敢地喊着说：“上帝啊，开恩可怜我这个罪人。”凡这样认罪的人，必得称义，因为耶稣要用自己的血为悔改的人代求。{SC 40.2}[9]
§20
After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At first their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence of death. When the Lord inquired concerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the guilt partly upon God and partly upon his companion: “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” The woman put the blame upon the serpent, saying, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”?Genesis 3:12, 13. Why did You make the serpent? Why did You suffer him to come into Eden? These were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibility of their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine Spirit and will not be acceptable to God. True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much as his eyes unto heaven, he will cry, “God be?merciful to me a sinner,” and those who do acknowledge their guilt will be justified, for Jesus will plead His blood in behalf of the repentant soul.?{SC 40.2}[9]
§21
圣经中真正谦卑悔改的榜样，都表显出一种不原谅罪责，不自以为义的认罪态度。保罗并不想包庇自己。他从最黑暗的一面描述了自己的罪，并不想减轻自己的罪责。他说：“我在耶路撒冷也曾这样行了。既从祭司长得了权柄，我就把许多圣徒囚在监里。他们被杀，我也出名定案。在各会堂，我屡次用刑强逼他们说亵渎的话，又分外恼恨他们，甚至追逼他们，直到外邦的城邑”（徒26:10,11）。他毫不犹豫地宣称：“基督耶稣降世，为要拯救罪人，这话是可信的，是十分可佩服的。在罪人中我是个罪魁”（提前1:15）。{SC 41.1}[10]
§22
The examples in God’s word of genuine repentance and humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin or attempt at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says, “Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”?Acts 26:10, 11. He does not hesitate to declare that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”?1 Timothy 1:15.?{SC 41.1}[10]
§23
因真正悔改而谦卑伤心的人，对于上帝的慈爱和髑髅地的牺牲必有所认识。他会像一个儿子向亲爱的父亲认罪那样，真诚痛悔地将自己一切的罪带到上帝面前。圣经说：“我们若认自己的罪，上帝是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们的一切不义”（约壹1:9）。{SC 41.2}[11]
§24
The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”?1 John 1:9.?{SC 41.2}[11]