羅馬書6:1-14

 

6:1 這樣，怎麼說呢？我們可以仍在罪中、叫恩典顯多嗎？
6:2 斷乎不可！我們在罪上死了的人豈可仍在罪中活著呢？
6:3 豈不知我們這受洗歸入基督耶穌的人是受洗歸入他的死嗎？
6:4 所以，我們藉著洗禮歸入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我們一舉一動有新生的樣式，像基督藉著父的榮耀從死裡復活一樣。
6:5 我們若在他死的形狀上與他聯合，也要在他復活的形狀上與他聯合；
6:6 因為知道我們的舊人和他同釘十字架，使罪身滅絕，叫我們不再作罪的奴僕；
6:7 因為已死的人是脫離了罪。
6:8 我們若是與基督同死，就信必與他同活。
6:9 因為知道基督既從死裡復活，就不再死，死也不再作他的主了。
6:10 他死是向罪死了，只有一次；他活是向上帝活著。
6:11 這樣，你們向罪也當看自己是死的；向上帝在基督耶穌裡，卻當看自己是活的。
6:12 所以，不要容罪在你們必死的身上作王，使你們順從身子的私慾。
6:13 也不要將你們的肢體獻給罪作不義的器具；倒要像從死裡復活的人，將自己獻給上帝，並將肢體作義的器具獻給上帝。
6:14 罪必不能作你們的主；因你們不在律法之下，乃在恩典之下。

 

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

 

*********************

 

    基督信仰的奇妙之處，就是與基督同死且同復活！同死是一同向罪死，同復活是一同向上帝活！向罪死就與罪沒有關係了，向上帝活就是與上帝有生命的關係！而這一切都是靠著上帝在基督裡的恩典，不是我們靠自己的力量可以成就的！

 

    也因此基督徒要常常宣告這個事實，好讓自己有力量對魔鬼說不！也藉這個事實，我們可以勇敢向上帝說是！而我們的生命品質也因此就改變了，舊的我已經和基督死在十字架上；新的我因上帝復活的大能不斷的成長，直到主耶穌在來的時候，一起進入榮耀的國度！

 

    這不是靠有名的牧師按手才能成就，也不是自己有多少屬靈恩賜，下多少功夫操練，完完全全是上帝的恩典之工！讓我們為此將榮耀歸給上帝！

 

 

 

出埃及記15:2

 

耶和華是我的力量，我的詩歌，也成了我的拯救。這是我的上帝，我要讚美他，是我父親的上帝，我要尊崇他。

 

“The Lord is my strength and my defense;

    he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

    my father’s God, and I will exalt him."

 

**************

 

    上帝拯救我們之後，就要我們來敬拜祂！而敬拜的方式就是：歌頌、讚美與尊崇祂！就是說我們要將全然獻給祂，為祂而活，不再是為自己而活，因為我們是屬於祂，不再是屬於自己，不再是雖心所欲的來生活！

 

    為上帝而活和為自己而活有何差別呢？當然有，首先我們的所作所為不再是滿足過去沒有上帝在心中作主的生活方式，我們要想到我們是基督所拯救出來，基督為我們捨命於十字架，又為我們從死裡復活！所以，我們的生活目標是要讓人看見基督是我們生命之主，所以我們要也敬拜的教會生活，每主日要敬拜主，每天要禱告主，天天要讀上帝的話語。

 

    而從這些外表的生活改變之外，我們更要清楚所做每一件事都是為了榮耀主而做，要尊崇主、宣揚主的恩典，這是我們在世上要努力的方向，更重要的是要相信上帝的保守與將來的盼望，讓心中充滿喜樂、生命充滿光彩！

 

 

 

 

以弗所書4:29

 

污穢的言語一句不可出口，只要隨事說造就人的好話，叫聽見的人得益處。

 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 

*******

 

    在網路發達的時代，許多人隨心所欲地發表一些言論，除了抒發個人的心情之外，還想引起人的注意，享用語言來影響人，甚至是改變人。所以，我們在聽、觀看或閱讀的時候總要小心，因為其背後常常有一些可怕或令人不堪的目的！

 

    我們觀看別人是如此，應該成為自己的借鏡，不要犯同樣的錯誤。我們清楚自己人生的目的是要榮耀上帝並使人得益處，也因為這樣，要小心我們的言語，要說一些對人認識上帝有幫助的話語，要讓人感受上帝的慈愛與公義，讓他們可以行在上帝為人預備的正路之中。

 

    也因為如此，我們要讓上帝的話來充滿我們，改變與更新我們，我們才會自然而然地說出我們該說的話，不會傷害別人，而可以造就人，使人願意與上帝建立和好的關係。

 

    求主保守讓我們心中常對主有盼望，並明白祂的護理大功，就會成為主最好的出口！

 

 

以斯帖記8章

     以斯帖記8:1-17 ,

以斯帖記8:1-17

 

8:1 當日，亞哈隨魯王把猶大人仇敵哈曼的家產賜給王后以斯帖。末底改也來到王面前，因為以斯帖已經告訴王，末底改是她的親屬。
8:2 王摘下自己的戒指，就是從哈曼追回的，給了末底改。以斯帖派末底改管理哈曼的家產。
8:3 以斯帖又俯伏在王腳前，流淚哀告，求他除掉亞甲族哈曼害猶大人的惡謀。
8:4 王向以斯帖伸出金杖；以斯帖就起來，站在王前，
8:5 說：「亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼設謀傳旨，要殺滅在王各省的猶大人。現今王若願意，我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若以為美，若喜悅我，請王另下旨意，廢除哈曼所傳的那旨意。
8:6 我何忍見我本族的人受害？何忍見我同宗的人被滅呢？」
8:7 亞哈隨魯王對王后以斯帖和猶大人末底改說：「因哈曼要下手害猶大人，我已將他的家產賜給以斯帖，人也將哈曼掛在木架上。
8:8 現在你們可以隨意奉王的名寫諭旨給猶大人，用王的戒指蓋印；因為奉王名所寫、用王戒指蓋印的諭旨，人都不能廢除。」
8:9 三月，就是西彎月二十三日，將王的書記召來，按著末底改所吩咐的，用各省的文字、各族的方言，並猶大人的文字方言寫諭旨，傳給那從印度直到古實一百二十七省的猶大人和總督省長首領。
8:10 末底改奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫諭旨，用王的戒指蓋印，交給騎御馬圈快馬的驛卒，傳到各處。
8:11 諭旨中，王准各省各城的猶大人在一日之間，十二月，就是亞達月十三日，聚集保護性命，剪除殺戮滅絕那要攻擊猶大人的一切仇敵和他們的妻子兒女，奪取他們的財為掠物。
8:12 【併於上節】
8:13 抄錄這諭旨，頒行各省，宣告各族，使猶大人預備等候那日，在仇敵身上報仇。
8:14 於是騎快馬的驛卒被王命催促，急忙起行；諭旨也傳遍書珊城。
8:15 末底改穿著藍色白色的朝服，頭戴大金冠冕，又穿紫色細麻布的外袍，從王面前出來；書珊城的人民都歡呼快樂。
8:16 猶大人有光榮，歡喜快樂而得尊貴。
8:17 王的諭旨所到的各省各城，猶大人都歡喜快樂，設擺筵宴，以那日為吉日。那國的人民，有許多因懼怕猶大人，就入了猶大籍。

 

That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ² The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

³ Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

⁵ “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

⁷ King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

⁹ At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.^[a] These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,^[b] and to plunder the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

¹⁵ When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. ¹⁶ For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. ¹⁷ In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

 

**************

 

    上帝的作為是一步一步進行，是有次序的，先讓哈曼身敗名裂，然後在高舉末底改，然後藉由王透過末底改將哈曼的殺猶大全族的命令收回，讓猶大人的羞辱除去！

 

    同樣上帝也是這樣拯救基督徒，讓我們看見在歷史上的記載，讓「 康士坦丁皈依基督教 」，使教會從被迫害的狀態，轉變成為被羅馬人所看重的，甚至「基督教成為羅馬國教」！

 

    這樣的狀態和《以斯帖記》的故事相仿，可見上帝的護理是超越人想像，也因此對耶穌基督的再來與上帝國的實現更肯定了！上帝的信實廣大，讓我們專一信靠祂！