第150章 基督是信息的中心
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第150章 基督是信息的中心
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Chapter 154—To O. A. Olsen
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《评论与通讯》1894年3月20日
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Review and Herald, March 20, 1894
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第三位天使的信息要求宣扬第四诫的安息日。这项真理必须大白于天下；但耶稣基督作为吸引人关注的伟大中心，却不应从第三位天使的信息中遗漏出去。许多已经从事现代工作的人，却将基督置于其次，理论和辩论反倒成了第一。上帝就自己神圣的品格向摩西显示的荣耀，一直没能得到强调。耶和华对摩西说：“我要显我一切的恩慈，在你面前经过”（出33:19）。“耶和华在他面前宣告说：耶和华，耶和华，是有怜悯、有恩典的上帝，不轻易发怒，并有丰盛的慈爱和诚实。为千万人存留慈爱，赦免罪孽、过犯和罪恶，万不以有罪的为无罪”（出34:6, 7）。{1888 1225.1}
§6
The third angel’s message calls for the presentation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and this truth must be brought before the world; but the great Center of attraction, Jesus Christ, must not be left out of the third angel’s message. By many who have been engaged in the work for this time, Christ has been made secondary, and theories and arguments have had the first place. The glory of God that was revealed to Moses in regard to the divine character has not been made prominent. The Lord said to Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee.” “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” {1888 1225.1}
§7
许多参与圣工的人，他们眼前似乎蒙着一层帕子，以致他们讲律法时看不见耶稣，没有宣扬罪在哪里显多，恩典就更显多了这个事实。正是在髑髅地的十字架上，慈爱和诚实彼此相遇，公义和平安彼此相亲。罪人必须始终仰望髑髅地。他必须怀着小孩子般单纯的信心，依靠基督的功劳，接受祂的义，信赖祂的慈爱。真理事业的工人应当传讲基督的义，并非作为新的亮光，只是作为久已被人们忽略的宝贵亮光。我们要接受基督作为我们个人的救主，祂将上帝的义在基督里归于我们。我们要重述和强调约翰所描绘的真理：“不是我们爱上帝，乃是上帝爱我们，差祂的儿子为我们的罪作了挽回祭，这就是爱了”（约壹4:10）。{1888 1225.2}
§8
A vail has seemed to be before the eyes of many who have labored in the cause, so that when they presented the law, they have not had views of Jesus, and have not proclaimed the fact that, where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound. It is at the cross of Calvary that mercy and truth meet together, where righteousness and peace kiss each other. The sinner must ever look toward Calvary; and with the simple faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting his righteousness and believing in his mercy. Laborers in the cause of truth should present the righteousness of Christ, not as new light, but as precious light that has for a time been lost sight of by the people. We are to accept Christ as our personal Saviour, and he imputes unto us the righteousness of God in Christ. Let us repeat and make prominent the truth that John has portrayed: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” {1888 1225.2}
§9
宝贵真理最奇妙的矿脉在上帝的爱里敞开，基督恩典的宝藏显示在教会和世人面前。“上帝爱世人，甚至将祂的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信祂的，不至灭亡，反得永生”（约3:16）。这是何等奇妙的爱，何等奥妙莫测的爱。这爱竟使基督在我们还作罪人的时候，就为我们死了。人如果只知道律法严格的要求，而不明白基督的恩典成就得更多，将会遭受何等大的损失啊！如果把上帝的律法作为耶稣里的真理来传讲，它的确能显示上帝的爱，因为基督赐给这个犯罪世界的恩赐，应当在每一篇讲道中充分论述。但如果以冷漠而没有生气的方法传讲真理，就难怪人心不受真理感化了。当传道人和工人没有讲明耶稣与上帝律法的关系时，就莫怪人们对上帝的应许将信将疑了。他们应当时时向众人保证：“上帝既不爱惜自己的儿子为我们众人舍了，岂不也把万物和祂一同白白地赐给我们吗”（罗8:32）？{1888 1225.3}
§10
In the love of God has been opened the most marvelous vein of precious truth, and the treasures of the grace of Christ are laid open before the church and the world. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What love is this,—what marvelous, unfathomable love!—that would lead Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners. What a loss it is to the soul who understands the strong claims of the law, and who yet fails to understand the grace of Christ which doth much more abound. It is true that the law of God reveals the love of God when it is preached as the truth in Jesus; for the gift of Christ to this guilty world must be largely dwelt upon in every discourse. It is no wonder that hearts have not been melted by the truth, when it has been presented in a cold and lifeless manner. No wonder faith has staggered at the promises of God, when ministers and workers have failed to present Jesus in his relation to the law of God. How often should they have assured the people that “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” {1888 1225.3}
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撒但决心使人看不到上帝的爱导致祂舍了祂的独生子拯救堕落的人类，因为引领人悔改的是上帝的恩慈。我们怎样才能有效地将上帝宝贵而深厚的爱在世人面前表达出来呢？我们无法尽述这爱，只得说：“你看父赐给我们是何等的慈爱，使我们得称为上帝的儿女”（约壹3:1）！我们应当对罪人说：“看哪，上帝的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的”（约1:29）！我们既传扬耶稣为天父的代表，就能驱散撒但投在我们道路上的阴影。他这样做的目的，是要使我们看不见上帝彰显在耶稣基督身上的怜悯和无法形容的爱。{1888 1225.4}
§12
Satan is determined that men shall not see the love of God, which led him to give his only begotten Son to save the lost race; for it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. O, how shall we succeed in setting forth before the world the deep, precious love of God? In no other way can we compass it than by exclaiming, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”! Let us say to sinners, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” By presenting Jesus as the representative of the Father, we shall be able to dispel the shadow that Satan has cast upon our pathway, in order that we shall not see the mercy and love of God’s inexpressible love as manifested in Jesus Christ. {1888 1225.4}
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当仰望髑髅地的十字架，它是天父无限慈爱与无量怜悯的可靠保证。巴不得人人都能悔改，行起初所行的事。何时众教会这么做了，他们就会以爱上帝为至上和爱人如己。以法莲不嫉妒犹大，犹大也不攻击以法莲。分歧得以弥合，以色列四境也不再听到纷争刺耳的声音。藉着上帝白白赐下的恩典，人人都力求回应基督的祷告，使祂的门徒合而为一，象祂与父合而为一。和平、仁爱、怜悯、恩慈就成为心中常存的原则。基督的爱就会成为每一个人口中的主题，那为真实见证的再也不必说：“有一件事我要责备你，就是你把起初的爱心离弃了”（启2:4）。上帝的子民就会住在基督里，耶稣的爱就会得到彰显，众人的心就会同受一位圣灵鼓舞，照着基督的形像更新再造，同归于一。好像真葡萄树的活枝子，众人都连于永活的元首基督。基督要住在每一个人的心里，引导人、安慰人、圣化人，向世人表明耶稣门徒的合一，从而为余民教会具有属天的资格作见证。基督的教会同归于一，就会证明上帝差遣了祂独生的儿子进入世界。{1888 1225.5}
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Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy, of the heavenly Father. O that all might repent and do their first works. When the churches do this, they will love God supremely and their neighbors as themselves. Ephraim will not envy Judah, and Judah will not vex Ephraim. Divisions will then be healed, the harsh sounds of strife will no more be heard in the borders of Israel. Through the grace freely given them of God, all will seek to answer the prayer of Christ, that his disciples should be one, even as he and the Father are one. Peace, love, mercy, and benevolence will be the abiding principles of the soul. The love of Christ will be the theme of every tongue, and it will no more be said by the true Witness,” I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” The people of God will be abiding in Christ, the love of Jesus will be revealed, and one Spirit will animate all hearts, regenerating and renewing all in the image of Christ, fashioning all hearts alike. As living branches of the true Vine, all will be united to Christ, the living head. Christ will abide in every heart, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, and presenting to the world the unity of the followers of Jesus, thus bearing testimony that the heavenly credentials are supplied to the remnant church. In the oneness of Christ’s church it will be proved that God sent his only begotten Son into the world. {1888 1225.5}
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当上帝的子民在圣灵的团结中合一时，所有的法利赛主义和所有构成犹太民族罪孽的自以为义，都会从众人心中驱逐出去。基督的形像会印刻在祂身子的每个肢体上，祂的百姓要成为新皮袋，使祂可以装进新酒，这新酒不会使皮袋裂开。上帝要将永古隐藏不言的奥秘讲解明白。祂帝愿意让我们知道“这奥秘在外邦人中有何等丰盛的荣耀，就是基督在你们心里成了有荣耀的盼望”（西1:27）。“我们传扬祂，是用诸般的智慧，劝戒各人、教导各人，要把各人在基督里完完全全的引到上帝面前。我也为此劳苦，照着祂在我里面运用的大能尽心竭力”（西1:18, 29）。{1888 1225.6}
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When God’s people are one in the unity of the Spirit, all of Phariseeism, all of self-righteousness, which was the sin of the Jewish nation, will be expelled from all hearts. The mold of Christ will be upon each individual member of his body, and his people will be new bottles into which he can pour his new wine, and the new wine will not break the bottles. God will make known the mystery which hath been hidden for ages. He will make known what are the “riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” {1888 1225.6}
§17
耶稣来将圣灵分给人，藉以将上帝的爱浇灌在人心里。但是人若固守自己的思想，墨守成规，一成不变，随从人的遗传和命令，像基督时候的犹太人一样，就不可能把圣灵赐给人了。他们拘泥于教会的惯例，非常严格地遵守他们的形式，却缺乏活力和信仰的热诚。基督把他们描绘成不能装酒的旧皮袋。基督的福音不能放在他们心里，因为他们心中无处可存。他们无法成为使基督可以倒入新酒的新皮袋。基督不得不越过文士和法利赛人，为祂真理和生命的教训另外寻找器皿。祂必须寻找那些内心愿意重生的人。祂来是要赐给人一颗新心。祂说，“我也要赐给你们一个新心”（结36:26）。然而，不论古今，总有人自以为义，觉不出自己需要一个新心。耶稣越过文士和法利赛人，因为他们觉得自己不需要救主。他们固执于形式和仪文。这些仪式是基督亲自设立的。起初，它们充满了活力和属灵的优美；但是犹太人在他们仪文上丧失了属灵的生命，且在属灵的生命在他们中间灭绝后紧紧抓住死的形式不放。他们既离弃了上帝的要求和命令，便试图补足自己所丧失的，增多他们自己的规条，提出比上帝的吩咐更严格的要求；而他们的要求越严格，他们所表现出来的上帝的慈爱与圣灵就越少。基督对百姓说：“文士和法利赛人坐在摩西的位上，凡他们所吩咐你们的，你们都要谨守遵行；但不要效法他们的行为，因为他们能说不能行。他们把难担的重担捆起来，搁在人的肩上，但自己一个指头也不肯动。他们一切所作的事都是要叫人看见，所以将佩戴的经文作宽了，衣裳的繸子作长了；喜爱筵席上的首座，会堂里的高位；又喜爱人在街市上问他安，称呼他拉比。……你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了！因为你们将薄荷、茴香、芹菜，献上十分之一，那律法上更重的事，就是公义、怜悯、信实，反倒不行了。这更重的是你们当行的；那也是不可不行的”（太23:2-7, 23）。{1888 1225.7}
§18
Jesus came to impart to the human soul the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; but it is impossible to endow men with the Holy Spirit, who are set in their ideas, whose doctrines are all stereotyped and unchangeable, who are walking after the traditions and commandments of men, as were the Jews in the time of Christ. They were very punctilious in the observances of the church, very rigorous in following their forms, but they were destitute of vitality and religious devotion. They were represented by Christ as like the dry skins which were then used as bottles. The gospel of Christ could not be placed in their hearts; for there was no room to contain it. They could not be the new bottles into which he could pour his new wine. Christ was obliged to seek elsewhere than among the scribes and the Pharisees for bottles for his doctrine of truth and life. He must find men who were willing to have regeneration of heart. He came to give to men new hearts. He said, “A new heart also will I give you.” But the self-righteous of that day and of this day feel no need of having a new heart. Jesus passed by the scribes and the Pharisees, for they felt no need of a Saviour. They were wedded to forms and ceremonies. These services had been instituted by Christ; they had been full of vitality and spiritual beauty; but the Jews had lost the spiritual life from their ceremonies, and clung to the dead forms after 1226spiritual life was extinct among them. When they departed from the requirements and commandments of God, they sought to supply the place of that which they had lost, by multiplying their own requirements, and making more rigorous demands than had God; and the more rigid they grew, the less of the love and Spirit of God they manifested. Christ said to the people: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do ye not after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” {1888 1225.7}
§19
余民教会蒙召与犹太人有类似的经历；那位在七个金灯台中间行走的真实见证者，已将一道严肃的信息传给祂的百姓。祂说：“然而，有一件事我要责备你，就是你把起初的爱心离弃了。所以应当回想你是从哪里坠落的，并要悔改，行起初所行的事。你若不悔改，我就临到你那里，把你的灯台从原处挪去”（启2:4, 5）。教会中一直缺乏上帝的爱，结果就是爱自己的心死灰复燃。既失去了对上帝的爱，随之而来的就是失去了对弟兄的爱。教会可能符合给以弗所教会的信息描述的所有情况，可是却缺乏了至关重要的敬虔。耶稣论到他们说：“我知道你的行为、劳碌、忍耐，也知道你不能容忍恶人。你也曾试验那自称为使徒却不是使徒的，看出他们是假的来。你也能忍耐，曾为我的名劳苦，并不乏倦。然而，有一件事我要责备你，就是你把起初的爱心离弃了”（启2:2-4）。{1888 1226.1}
§20
The remnant church is called to go through an experience similar to that of the Jews; and the true Witness, who walks up and down in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, has a solemn message to bear to his people. He says: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” The love of God has been waning in the church, and as a result, the love of self has sprung up into new activity. With the loss of love for God there has come the loss of love for the brethren. The church may meet all the description that is given of the Ephesian church, and yet fail in vital godliness. Of them Jesus said, “I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” {1888 1226.1}
§21
律法主义的宗教被视为当前正确的宗教，但这是错的。基督对法利赛人的责备适用于那些失去了起初爱心的人。冷冰冰的律法主义宗教决不能把人引向基督。因为这是没有爱心，没有基督的宗教。以自以为义的精神实行的禁食祷告是上帝所讨厌的。庄严的聚会，考究的礼仪，外表的谦卑，和引人注目的崇祀，都是为了向世人表明做这些事的人认为自己是义的。这些事叫人注意那严格遵守义务的人，说，这人配进天国。但这一切都是骗人的。我们进天国不是个靠人的行为买来的。那一个伟大的“祭物”是够所有相信的人所用的。基督的爱必以新的生命激励信徒。凡喝那生命泉源之水的人，就必充满天国的新酒。对基督的信心会成为正确的精神和动机藉以激励信徒的媒介，而凡定睛注视那位为自己信心创始成终的耶稣的人，也必定会生发出一切的良善和属天的心意来。当仰望上帝，不要注意世人。上帝是你们的天父，祂甘心乐意地容忍你们的种种弱点，也要赦免并医治这些弱点。“认识祢独一的真神，并且认识祢所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生”（约17:3）。藉着仰望基督，你将得以改变，直到你恨恶自己先前的骄傲、虚荣、自负、不信和自以为义。你就会抛弃这些罪恶，如释重负，并且谦卑、温柔、充满信赖地行在上帝面前。你就会实行仁爱、忍耐、温柔、良善、仁慈，以及所有居住在上帝儿女里头的恩典，并最终在那些圣洁得赎的人中占有一席之地。{1888 1226.2}
§22
A legal religion has been thought quite the correct religion for this time. But it is a mistake. The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposed sacrifice,—all proclaim to the world the testimony that the doer of these things considers himself righteous. These things call attention to the observer of rigorous duties, saying, This man is entitled to heaven. But it is all a deception. Works will not buy for us an entrance into heaven. The one great Offering that has been made is ample for all who will believe. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. He who drinks from the water of the fountain of life, will be filled with the new wine of the kingdom. Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until you will hate your former pride, your former vanity and self-esteem, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God. You will practice love, patience, gentleness, goodness, mercy, and every grace that dwells in the child of God, and will at last find a place among the sanctified and holy. {1888 1226.2}