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| 2024/11/15 10:25:03瀏覽1310｜回應0｜推薦0 | |
第五週．週三 晨興餧養 太九１３『你們去研究，「我要的是憐憫，不是祭祀，」是甚麼意思；我來本不是召義人，乃是召罪人。』 來四１６『所以我們只管坦然無懼的來到施恩的寶座前，為要受憐憫，得恩典，作應時的幫助。』 憐憫是神的屬性中搆得最遠的。憐憫比恩典搆得更遠。神的愛沒有祂的恩典搆得遠，祂的恩典又沒有祂的憐憫搆得遠。我的光景若很好，地位也與你相配，你送我禮物，那是恩典。但我的光景若很可憐，地位也與你懸殊，你送我東西，那是憐憫。我若是你親愛的朋友，到你這裏來，你送我禮物，那是恩典。然而，我若是可憐、不潔的乞丐，無法為自己作甚麼，而你送我禮物，那是憐憫。…恩典只延及相稱的情況。但憐憫搆得更遠，達到可憐且不配得恩典的情況。按我們天然的光景，我們離神太遠，完全不配得祂的恩典。我們只適合接受祂的憐憫。（新約總論第一冊，一一四頁。） 信息選讀 臨到我們的是神的憐憫。我們沒有一人在符合祂恩典的光景裏。我們這樣貧窮又可憐，需要神的憐憫延及我們墮落的光景。神的憐憫把我們帶到祂的恩典裏。我們何等需要領悟這點，並為着神的憐憫敬拜祂！即使現在，我們得救並有分於神生命的豐富之後，在有些方面，我們的光景仍需要神的憐憫臨到我們。因這緣故，希伯來四章十六節說，我們首先需要受憐憫，然後纔能得恩典，作應時的幫助。哦，我們何等需要神的憐憫！…使我們彀資格有分於神恩典的，總是祂的憐憫。 我們的觀念是：那定意的會得着他所定意要得着的，那奔跑的會得着他所追求的。［參羅九16。］若是如此，神的揀選就是照着我們的努力和勞苦了。但情形並非如此；反之，神的揀選是出於施憐憫的神。我們不需要定意或奔跑，因為神憐憫我們。我們若認識神的憐憫，就不會信靠自己的努力，也不會因自己的失敗而失望。我們可憐光景的盼望，是在於神的憐憫。 羅馬十一章三十二節說，『因為神將眾人都圈在不信從之中，為要憐憫眾人。』人的不信從給神的憐憫機會，神的憐憫就將救恩帶給人。神的憐憫是何等奇妙！ 神的憐憫和祂的恩典都是神愛的彰顯。當我們在可憐的光景中，神的憐憫臨到我們，把我們帶進一種光景，使神能以恩典厚待我們。路加十五章二十至二十四節說，父親看見浪子回家，對他動了慈心，這是更深的憐憫，彰顯父親熱切的愛。接着，父親給他兒子穿上那上好的袍子，又給他喫肥牛犢。這是恩典，這也顯明父的愛。神的憐憫比祂的恩典搆得更遠，如同一座橋梁，將我們與神的恩典連接起來。 常常因着我們可憐的光景，我們需要先受憐憫，纔能得恩典。我們像乞丐一樣來到施恩的寶座前，（來四16，）光景多少有點像浪子回到父親那裏一樣。…我們來到施恩的寶座前，也許覺得我們很可憐，並說，『父阿，我甚麼都不配。』但父會說，『你不配，但我有憐憫。我的憐憫臨到你，使你有資格接受我的恩惠。我的憐憫將我帶給你，使我給你穿上那上好的袍子。』神的憐憫對我們總是便利的。（新約總論第一冊，一一四至一一六頁。） 參讀：新約總論，第十至十一篇。 WEEK 5 — DAY 3 Morning Nourishment
Matt. 9:13 But go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.
Mercy is the most far reaching of God’s attributes. Mercy goes further than grace. God’s love does not reach as far as His grace, and His grace does not reach as far as His mercy. If I am in a good condition and my standing matches yours, and you give me a gift, that is grace. But if I am in a pitiful condition and my standing is far removed from yours, and you give me something, that is mercy. If I come to you as your dear friend, and you give me a gift, that is grace. However, if I am a poor, unclean beggar, unable to do anything for myself, and you give me a gift, that is mercy…Grace extends only to a situation that corresponds to it. But mercy goes much further, reaching into a situation that is poor and unworthy of grace. According to our natural condition, we were far removed from God, totally unworthy of His grace. We were eligible only to receive His mercy. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 98)
Today’s Reading
It is God’s mercy that has reached us. None of us was in a condition that corresponded to His grace. We were so poor and pitiful that there was the need for God’s mercy to extend to our fallen condition. God’s mercy has brought us into His grace. How we need to realize this and worship God for His mercy! Even now, after being saved and having shared in the riches of God’s life, we still, in some ways, are in a condition that needs God’s mercy to reach us. This is the reason Hebrews 4:16 says that first we need to receive mercy, and then we can find grace for timely help. Oh, how much we need God’s mercy!…It is always God’s mercy that qualifies us to participate in His grace.
Our concept is that the one who wills will gain what he wills to obtain and that the one who runs will gain what he runs after [cf. Rom. 9:16]. If this were the case, then God’s selection would be according to our effort and labor. But it is not so. On the contrary, God’s selection is of God who shows mercy. We do not need to will or to run, for God has mercy on us. If we know God’s mercy, we shall not put our trust in our effort. Neither shall we be disappointed by our failures. The hope for our wretched condition is in God’s mercy.
Romans 11:32 says, “For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.” Man’s disobedience affords God’s mercy an opportunity, and God’s mercy brings man salvation. How marvelous is God’s mercy!
God’s mercy and His grace are both the expression of His love. When we are in a pitiful condition, His mercy reaches us and brings us into a state where He is able to favor us with His grace. Luke 15:20-24 says that when the father saw the prodigal son returning, he had compassion on him. This is the deeper mercy, an expression of the father’s affectionate love. Then the father clothed his son with the best robe and fed him with the fattened calf. This is grace, which also manifests the father’s love. God’s mercy reaches further than His grace, bridging the gap between us and God’s grace.
Often, because of our pitiful condition, we need to receive mercy before we can find grace. We come to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) like beggars, in somewhat the same condition as was the prodigal son when he came to his father…When we come to the throne of grace, we may have the sense that we are pitiful and say, “Father, I am not worth of anything.” But the Father may say, “You are unworthy, but I am merciful. My mercy reaches you and qualifies you to receive My favor. My mercy brings Me to you that I may clothe you with the best robe.” God’s mercy is always available to us. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 98-99)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 10—11
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