基督徒经验与教训-第35章
第34章 上帝对教会的爱
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
Chapter 34—God’s Love for the Church
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
(1892年12月23日写于澳大利亚墨尔本圣基尔达路乔治巷)
总会亲爱的弟兄们:
我向弟兄姐妹们证明,基督的教会即便有软弱和缺点,也是祂在地上最关怀的唯一对象。祂一方面向全世界的人发出邀请,要他们到祂那里获得拯救,一方面也委派祂的天使向每一个本着痛悔之心来到祂面前的人提供神圣的帮助,并藉着祂的圣灵亲自临格在祂的教会之中。“主耶和华啊,祢若究察罪孽,谁能站得住呢?但在祢有赦免之恩,要叫人敬畏祢。我等候耶和华,我的心等候,我也仰望祂的话里。我的心等候主,胜于守夜的等候天亮。以色列啊,你当仰望耶和华!因祂有慈爱,有丰盛的救恩。祂必救赎以色列脱离一切的罪孽”(诗130:3-8)。{CET 206.1}[1]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
(George’s Terrace, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne December 23, 1892)
Dear Brethren of the General Conference:
I testify to my brethren and sisters that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard. While He extends to all the world His invitation to come to Him and be saved, He commissions His angels to render divine help to every soul that cometh to Him in repentance and contrition, and He comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His church. “If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.” “Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”{CET 206.1}[1]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
传道人和全会众啊,让我们用这话,衷心感激上帝对教会全体和我们个人伟大慈爱吧。“以色列啊,你当在耶和华里盼望;从今时直到永远。”“站在耶和华殿中,站在我们上帝殿院中的,你们要赞美耶和华,因耶和华本为善;要歌颂祂的名,因为这是美好的。耶和华拣选雅各归自己,拣选以色列特作自己的子民。原来我知道耶和华为大,也知道我的主超乎万神之上”(诗131:3;135:1-5)。我的弟兄姐妹们,试想主有一班人,一班选民,就是祂的教会,要归祂自己,作祂在这个被罪恶所摧残的悖逆世界上所设立的堡垒。祂定意让祂的教会不承认其他的权威和律法,只承认祂的权威和律法。{CET 206.2}[2]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
Ministers and all the church, let this be our language, from hearts that respond to the great goodness and love of God to us as a people and to us individually, “Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and forever.” “Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure. For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.” Consider, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord has a people, a chosen people, His church, to be His own, His own fortress, which He holds in a sin-stricken, revolted?world; and He intended that no authority should be known in it, no laws be acknowledged by it, but His own.{CET 206.2}[2]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
撒但有一个庞大的同盟,就是他的教会。基督称他们为撒但一会的人,因为其成员都是罪恶之子。撒但一会的人一贯抛弃上帝的律法,混淆善恶之间的界限。撒但正在悖逆之子中大肆活动,藉着他们将叛逆和背道夸奖为真理和忠诚。他现在正用他邪恶的精神煽动人继续进行他在天上所发动的反抗上帝的大叛乱。{CET 207.1}[3]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
Satan has a large confederacy, his church. Christ calls them the synagogue of Satan because the members are the children of sin. The members of Satan’s church have been constantly working to cast off the divine law, and confuse the distinction between good and evil. Satan is working with great power in and through the children of disobedience, to exalt treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty. And at this time the power of his satanic inspiration is moving the living agencies to carry out the great rebellion against God that commenced in heaven.{CET 207.1}[3]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
现今教会应穿上她华美的衣服,就是“基督我们的义。”藉着高举上帝诫命和耶稣真道,在世人面前恢复和彰显其清楚明显的特征。教会要在其本有的光泽上显示出圣洁的美,而与背弃上帝律法之人不忠的丑陋及黑暗形成对照。我们就这样承认上帝和作为祂天上地下政权基础的律法。教会要在世界面前明确地维护祂的权威,不承认任何与耶和华的律法相冲突的法律。如果不顾上帝的安排而听任世人影响我们的决心或行动,上帝的旨意就遭到了破坏。不论借口多么动听,如果教会在这一点上动摇了,天上的案卷中,就要记下她背弃最神圣的付托,背叛基督的国度。教会若在天上全宇宙及地上各国之前坚定坚决地持守她的原则,坚贞地维护上帝律法的尊严与神圣,则连世人都会被吸引并表示钦佩。许多人也会因看见我们的好行为,而将荣耀归与我们在天上的父。忠心诚实的人都带有天国的凭证,而不是地上统治者的凭证。众人也必认出谁是蒙拣选有忠心的基督门徒,而且要在凡尊敬上帝并为祂所看重之人得冠冕与尊荣,领受极重无比永远之荣耀的时候,认出他们来。……{CET 207.2}[4]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
At this time the church is to put on her beautiful garments,—“Christ our righteousness.” There are clear, decided distinctions to be restored and exemplified to the world in holding aloft the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The beauty of holiness is to appear in its native luster in contrast with the deformity and darkness of the disloyal, those who have revolted from the law of God. Thus we acknowledge God, and recognize His law, the foundation of His government in heaven and throughout His earthly dominions. His authority should be kept distinct and plain before the world; and no laws are to be acknowledged that come in collision with the laws of Jehovah. If in defiance of God’s arrangements the world be allowed to influence our decisions or our actions, the purpose of God is defeated. However specious the pretext, if the church waver here, there is written against her in the books of heaven a betrayal of the most sacred trusts, and treachery to the kingdom of Christ. The church is firmly and decidedly to hold her principles before the whole?heavenly universe and the kingdoms of the world; steadfast fidelity in maintaining the honor and sacredness of the law of God will attract the notice and admiration of even the world, and many will, by the good works which they shall behold, be led to glorify our Father in heaven. The loyal and true bear the credentials of heaven, not of earthly potentates. All men shall know who are the disciples of Christ, chosen and faithful, and shall know them when crowned and glorified as those who honored God and whom He has honored, bringing them into possession of an eternal weight of glory....{CET 207.2}[4]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
主已为祂的教会准备了各种的能力与福分,使教会可在世人面前显示祂自己丰满的形像,并使教会在祂里面得以完全。教会要不断彰显那永存的世界,以及那超越世上一切法律的律法。祂的教会要成为按照上帝的样式建造的圣殿。天上的建筑师从天上带来测量的金杖,使每一块石头都按照神圣的标准雕琢打磨,成为天国的标志,向四面八方反射公义日头的清明光线。教会要受天上吗哪的供养,单单受上帝恩典的保护。她要穿上光明公义的全副军装,投入她最后的战斗。渣滓和无价值的材料终必消灭,而真理的感化力却要向世人证明它使人成圣和高尚的品质。……{CET 208.1}[5]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
The Lord has provided His church with capabilities and blessings, that they may present to the world an image of His own sufficiency, and that His church may be complete in Him, a continual representation of another, even the eternal world, of laws that are higher than earthly laws. His church is to be a temple built after the divine similitude, and the angelic architect has brought his golden measuring rod from heaven, that every stone may be hewed and squared by the divine measurement, and polished to shine as an emblem of heaven, radiating in all directions the bright, clear beams of the Sun of Righteousness. The church is to be fed with manna from heaven, and to be kept under the sole guardianship of His grace. Clad in complete armor of light and righteousness, she enters upon her final conflict. The dross, the worthless material, will be consumed, and the influence of the truth testifies to the world of its sanctifying, ennobling character....{CET 208.1}[5]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
主耶稣藉着显示祂的怜悯与丰盛的恩典,正在人心中进行实验。祂所造成的变化是非常惊人的,以致那气充志骄,伙同他的邪恶同盟敌挡上帝和祂政权律法的撒但,也视他们为他的诡辩与欺骗所无法攻克的堡垒。对于撒但而言,他们真是不可思议的奥秘。上帝的使者撒拉弗和基路伯,就是奉命与人合作的各种能力,怀着惊喜的心情,看着那班曾为可怒之子的堕落人类,通过基督的训练,按照上帝的形像造就品格,而成为上帝的儿女,可以充分享受天国的快乐。{CET 208.2}[6]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting,with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to co-operate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.{CET 208.2}[6]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
基督为祂的教会提供了充分的便利,好使祂从自己的赎买的产业中,获得大宗的荣耀的收入。教会既蒙赐予基督的义,就成为祂的库房。祂的慈怜、仁爱、与恩典的财富,要在此作最后的丰盛展示。基督在祂代求的祈祷中,宣称天父对我们的爱和对祂这位天父独生子的爱同样伟大,并说祂在哪里,我们也必同祂在那里,永远与基督和天父合而为一。这一宣言既使天军感到惊异,也使他们感到极大的快乐。祂丰富充满的圣灵恩赐,要成为四面围护教会的火墙。阴间的权势无法胜过她。基督必因祂子民无玷污的纯洁和无瑕疵的完全,而视他们为自己一切苦难、屈辱和慈爱的报酬,也是祂荣耀的增进。基督是放射出一切荣耀的伟大中心。“凡被请赴羔羊之婚筵的有福了”(启19:9)。{CET 209.1}[7]
基督徒经验与教训-第35章
To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display. The declaration in His intercessory prayer, that the Father’s love is as great toward us as toward Himself, the only-begotten Son, and that we shall be with Him where He is, forever one with Christ and the Father, is a marvel to the heavenly host, and it is their great joy. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shall not prevail against. In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory,—Christ, the great center from which radiates all glory. “Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”{CET 209.1}[7]
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