第40章 乐意捐
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第40章 乐意捐
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Chap. 40 - Freewill Offerings
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我们所做的一切事情都要乐意去做。要存着欢乐和感恩之心献上我们的捐款。要在奉献时说，我们乐意把从祢而得的奉献给祢。我们所能做最有价值的服务，若与上帝赐给世人的礼物相比，就微不足道了。基督是每日的恩赐，是上帝送给世界的礼物。祂亲切地接纳所托付给人类，用来推进地上圣工的一切礼物。我们就是这样表示承认凡物都是绝对完全地属于上帝的。（《文稿》1898年124号）{CS 198.1}[1]
§4
All that we do is to be done willingly. We are to bring our offerings with joy and gratitude, saying as we present them, Of Thine own we freely give Thee. The most costly service we can render is but meager compared to the gift of God to our world. Christ is a gift every day. God gave Him to the world, and He graciously takes the gifts entrusted to His human agents for the advancement of His work in the world. Thus we show that we recognize and acknowledge that every thing belongs to God, absolutely and entirely.--MS 124, 1898. {CS 198.1}[1]
§5
出于爱心所献的礼物，上帝是乐予重视，使之为祂服务，并发挥最高效能的。如果我们把自己的心献给耶稣，就也必奉献礼物给祂。我们一定会把我们的金银，在地上最宝贵的财产，以及我们智力和灵力的天赋，都慷慨的奉献给那爱我们为我们舍己的主。（《历代愿望》65页）{CS 198.2}[2]
§6
The offering from the heart that loves, God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.--DA 65. {CS 198.2}[2]
§7
【感恩和赎罪的捐献】
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要怀着充满感恩的心来到上帝面前，感谢祂在过去和现在的恩典，也要对上帝所赐的丰盛福气表示感激，把感恩捐，乐意捐和赎罪祭奉献给祂。（《评论与通讯》1881年1月4日）{CS 198.3}[3]
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【Thank and Trespass Offerings】
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Come to the Lord with hearts overflowing with thankfulness for past and present mercies, and manifest your appreciation of Gods bounties by bringing to Him your thank offerings, your freewill offerings, and your trespass offerings.--R. & H., Jan. 4, 1881. {CS 198.3}[3]
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【勉强的奉献是嘲弄上帝】
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上帝使用人施行救济，在推进祂地上国度的大工中与祂合作。他们却可能效法不忠心仆人的行为，丧失所能获得的最珍贵的特权。几千年以来，上帝都藉着人作工。但祂也按照自己的旨意，清除那些自私、贪婪和喜爱钱财的人。祂不依靠我们的金钱，也不受人的限制。即使我们不参与，祂也能推进祂的圣工。可是我们中间有谁喜欢上帝这样做呢？{CS 198.4}[4]
§13
【Grudging Gift a Mockery to God】
§14
God has made men His almoners, copartners with Himself in the great work of advancing His kingdom on the earth; but they may pursue the course pursued by the unfaithful servant, and by so doing lose the most precious privileges ever granted to men. For thousands of years God has worked through human agencies, but at His will He can drop out the selfish, the money-loving, and the covetous. He is not dependent upon our means, and He will not be restricted by the human agent. He can carry on His own work though we act no part in it. But who among us would be pleased to have the Lord do this? {CS 198.4}[4]
§15
勉强奉献还不如不奉献。我们的奉献若不是出于甘心，就是嘲弄上帝。务要记住，我们是在与我们一切福气的源头相交。祂知道我们的一切心思意念。（《评论与通讯》1900年5月15日）{CS 199.1}[5]
§16
It were better not to give at all than to give grudgingly; for if we impart of our means when we have not the spirit to give freely, we mock God. Let us bear in mind that we are dealing with One upon whom we depend for every blessing. One who reads every thought of the heart, every purpose of the mind.-- R. & H., May 15, 1900. {CS 199.1}[5]
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【乐意捐献的人得蒙悦纳】
§18
“少种的少收，多种的多收，这话是真的。各人要随本心所酌定的，不要作难，不要勉强；因为捐得乐意的人，是上帝所喜爱的”（林后9:6，7）。我们如果按照上述劝勉的精神行事，就能邀请神圣之主来审查我们今生事务的账目。我们会认识到所奉献的只是上帝所托付的礼物。{CS 199.2}[6]
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【The Cheerful Giver Accepted】
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But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. If we act in the spirit of this counsel, we may invite the Divine One to audit the accounts of our temporal matters. We may feel that we are only giving offerings from that which is our Lords entrusted gift. {CS 199.2}[6]
§21
我们的一切奉献都应当甘心乐意，因为这些财物是上帝认为适合放在我们手中，要在世上推进祂的工作，使真理的旗帜能飘扬在大街小巷上的。倘若所有承认真理的人，都在十分之一和捐款方面把上帝之物归还祂，上帝的家便会有粮。行善的工作就不会再依赖心血来潮的无定礼物，也不会随人的情绪而随时变更了。上帝的要求会受到欢迎，祂的圣工也会被视为配得到祂托付我们手中钱财的一部分。{CS 199.3}[7]
§22
All our offerings should be presented with cheerfulness; for they come from the fund which the Lord has seen fit to place in our hands for the purpose of carrying forward His work in the world, in order that the banner of truth may be unfurled in the highways and byways of the earth. If all who profess the truth would give to the Lord His own in tithes and gifts and offerings, there would be meat in the house of the Lord. The cause of benevolence would no longer be dependent on the uncertain gifts of impulse, and vary according to the changing feelings of men. Gods claims would be welcomed, and His cause would be considered as justly entitled to a portion of the funds entrusted to our hands. {CS 199.3}[7]
§23
每一个忠心的管家都会渴望提高他存放在上帝库府中奉献的比率，而不作丝毫的减少。他所侍奉的是谁呢？捐款是为谁预备的呢？──就是他所依靠，赐下各样美物供他享受的主。所以我们这班蒙受基督恩典的人，切不可留下机会让天使为我们而感到羞愧，使耶稣羞于称我们为弟兄。{CS 200.1}[8]
§24
How much more eager will every faithful steward be to enlarge the proportion of gifts to be placed in the Lords treasure house, than to decrease his offering one jot or tittle. Whom is he serving? For whom is he preparing an offering?--For the One upon whom he is dependent for every good thing which he enjoys. Then let not one of us who is receiving the grace of Christ, give occasion for the angels to be ashamed of us, and for Jesus to be ashamed to call us brethren. {CS 200.1}[8]
§25
我们要培养忘恩负义之心吗？我们要在为上帝圣工捐献的事上表现出吝啬吗？──不！不！我们要把自己当作活祭献上，将一切所有的都献给耶稣。这原是祂的。我们是祂所买来的产业。凡领受祂的恩典，默想髑髅地十字架的人，不会对捐献的比例发生疑问，只会觉得最贵重的奉献都是微不足道，实在无法与无穷上帝之独生子的伟大恩赐成比例。借着克己，最贫穷的人也会有办法，把一些东西归还给上帝。（《评论与通讯》1896年7月14日）{CS 200.2}[9]
§26
Shall ingratitude be cultivated, and made manifest by our niggardly practices in giving to the cause of God?--No, no! Let us surrender ourselves a living sacrifice, and give our all to Jesus. It is His; we are His purchased possession. Those who are recipients of His grace, who contemplate the cross of Calvary, will not question concerning the proportion to be given, but will feel that the richest offering is all too meager, all disproportionate to the great gift of the only-begotten Son of the infinite God. Through self-denial, the poorest will find ways of obtaining something to give back to God.--R. & H., July 14, 1896. {CS 200.2}[9]