11:8 亞伯拉罕因著信,蒙召的時候就遵命出去,往將來要得為業的地方去;出去的時候,還不知往哪裡去。
11:9 他因著信,就在所應許之地作客,好像在異地居住帳棚,與那同蒙一個應許的以撒、雅各一樣。
11:10 因為他等候那座有根基的城,就是上帝所經營所建造的。
11:11 因著信,連撒拉自己,雖然過了生育的歲數,還能懷孕,因她以為那應許她的是可信的。
11:12 所以從一個彷彿已死的人就生出子孫,如同天上的星那樣眾多,海邊的沙那樣無數。
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where
he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land
like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward
to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 And by faith even
Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she
considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man,
and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
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「信」在這裡不是「相信」(believe),而是「信靠」(faith)!兩者的差異在哪裡呢?就是「相信」只有頭腦會觀念上的,也就是「知性」的信;而「信靠」是發自內心與全人的投入,是「理性」的信!
而「信靠」或「理性」的信是來自對聖靈的引導,不是是靠人的感覺和體驗來的。因為「蒙召的時候就遵命出去,往將來要得為業的地方去;出去的時候,還不知往哪裡去」。亞伯拉罕面對的是不明未來如何的狀態,只有確知上帝是信實,上帝的應許是不會落空!
也因為相信上帝會有最美好的做為在我們身上,所以不會被現實的狀況所限制,不管將來如何、也不管結局如何,只有照著上帝的命令去行,上帝要人做什麼,人就是聽從,其他的上帝必定負責!
這就是「理性」的信!