今日真道聖言/2014年9月17日

小要理問答

問20 神是否任憑所有人類都在罪惡悲慘狀況中滅亡？

答 神根據他自己美善旨意所喜悅的，在萬古之先，揀選了一些人得永生，就設立了恩典之約，要借着一位救贖主，拯救他們脫離罪惡與愁苦，進入救恩的狀況。

20 Q Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?

A. God having, out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer.

大要理問答

30問：神是否任憑全人類在罪惡和悲慘中滅亡呢？

答：全人類因違背了第一個聖約（通常稱為「行為之約」）而陷入罪惡和悲慘中，神並未任憑他們在其中滅亡；反因祂全然的愛與憐憫，將祂的選民從其中拯救出來，借着第二個聖約（通常稱為「恩典之約」）帶領他們進入救恩中。

Q. 30. Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?

A. God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivereth his elect out of it, and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant, commonly called the covenant of grace.

31 問：神與誰立此恩典之約？

答：這恩典之約是與基督（即第二亞當）所立的，並且是在基督里與所有選民（即他的後裔）立的。

Q. 31. With whom was the covenant of grace made?

A. The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

32 問：神的恩典如何在第二個聖約中彰顯出來？

答：神的恩典在第二個聖約中的彰顯，在於：

（一）祂白白賜給罪人一位中保，藉此中保得着生命與拯救；

（二）在他們裡面產生得救的信心，此信心是使罪人從中保得益處的必須條件，所以祂應許並賜下祂的聖靈給所有選民，以及其他一切拯救的恩典；

（三）並且賜給他們能力，使他們學習全然聖潔並順服，以作為他們信靠並感謝神的真實證據，也作為祂揀選他們得救的道路。

Q. 32. How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?

A. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

威斯敏斯特信條'

6.1我們的始祖，因被撒但的詭計與試探所誘惑，就吃了禁果而犯罪。然而上帝願意按照祂的智慧與聖潔的計劃，為了彰顯自己的榮耀，就任憑他們犯下此罪。

6.2他們因犯此罪，失落了他們原先之正直，從與上帝相交的地位墮落了，於是死在罪中，並且靈魂和身體的各個部分與一切功能，都被全然玷污了。

6.3始祖既為全人類的根源，此罪咎就歸算給他們的後裔，並且罪中之死與敗壞本性，就傳給了他們按常例生出的所有後代子孫。

6.4由於這與生聚來的敗壞，我們對一切的良善全無意願、毫無能力、全然反對，並且完全傾向所有邪惡；我們從這敗壞罪性中，衍生出本身所行的所有過犯。