3 月 21 日 预苦期第二周 星期五

   (邱品尧牧师 佳恩堂)

经文– 罗马书 3:19-31

19 我们晓得律法上的话都是对律法以下之人说的，好塞住各人的口，叫普世的人都伏在神审判之下。 20 所以凡有血气的，没有一个因行律法能在神面前称义，因为律法本是叫人知罪。

21 但如今，神的义在律法以外已经显明出来，有律法和先知为证， 22 就是神的义因信耶稣基督加给一切相信的人，并没有分别。 23 因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀， 24 如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。 25 神设立耶稣做挽回祭，是凭着耶稣的血，借着人的信，要显明神的义。因为他用忍耐的心宽容人先时所犯的罪， 26 好在今时显明他的义，使人知道他自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义。 27 既是这样，哪里能夸口呢？没有可夸的了。用何法没有的呢？是用立功之法吗？不是，乃用信主之法。 28 所以我们看定了，人称义是因着信，不在乎遵行律法。 29 难道神只做犹太人的神吗？不也是做外邦人的神吗？是的，也做外邦人的神。 30 神既是一位，他就要因信称那受割礼的为义，也要因信称那未受割礼的为义。 31 这样，我们因信废了律法吗？断乎不是，更是坚固律法。

经文反思

19-22 节说到，律法的功用就是叫人知道神设立的道德标准，并且让违反律法的人无法为自己的错误争辩，只能承认自己的罪恶。每一次读到神的律法，每一次都在定人的罪。这是旧约时代，神所设立的方法，来面对罪的问题。律法显出人完全不义，完全无法靠自己达到神至高的标准。律法叫人知罪。

而神的义超越神定罪世人的律法，在律法之外，神已经设立了主耶稣基督，祂是得着神的义唯一的途径，祂是救主。世人只有不义，靠自己任何努力救赎自己脱离罪，脱离神愤怒的事上完全无效。只有神的义能够使人远离神的愤怒。

这段经文的重点在于 22-24 节

22 就是神的义因信耶稣基督加给一切相信的人，并没有分别。

23 因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀，

24 如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。

我们都犯罪，亏缺了神的荣耀。我们只能倚靠耶稣基督，才能够称义。神的怜悯让人在没有指望的时候，有所依靠的对象。这就是耶稣祂作为挽回祭。把人从不能不犯罪的光景中，拯救出来，把我们从无可救药的光景当中，带到称义的地位。

人只有透过信入耶稣，才能够得着神的义，才能够蒙神拯救。耶稣是唯一的道路，藉着神所赐的信心，靠着耶稣的宝血而得着神的义。

祷告

发明救恩的上帝，你的话语教导我们，靠着自己所作的任何方法，都不能得救。任何其他的道路，都不能使我们得救，只有靠着耶稣基督才能得救。感谢你透过圣经，启示如此宝贵的真理。我们靠自己真是不能信靠你，我们这败坏的人性，只会倚靠自己，只会用人的方法来跟随你。主啊，求你鉴察我们的身心灵，在我们生活中，如果有心思意念，善行义举，不是凭着倚靠基督的信心，而是想要透过自己的努力来换取救恩，求你责备我们，求你的圣灵引导我们，教导我们过完全凭信心的生活，奉主耶稣基督宝贵的名求，阿门。

实践

正如耶稣基督的劝勉，“我们是无用的仆人，所做的本是我们应分做的。“（路加福音 17：10）我们在世上听神的话语，事奉神，跟随神，都是我们领受救恩之后，回应神爱的自然反应，不是我们换得救恩的条件。为着我们每一件为主而作的事，献上感恩和赞美，并献上祷告，”主啊，我们是无用的仆人，所做的本是我们应分做的。“不要被人的称赞或一丝一毫的自以为义思想意念，而感到自满自足。继续顺服神的话语而行。

21 March The Friday in the Second Week of Lent

(Rev Samuel Chiu Redeemer Methodist Church)

Scripture: Romans 3:19-31

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouthmay be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Reflection on the Scriptures

Verses 19-22 say that the function of the law is to call people to know the moral standards that God has set up, and to make it impossible for those who violate the law to argue for their wrongs, but only to confess their sins. Every time you read about God's law, every time it condemns man. This was the method God established in Old Testament times to confront the problem of sin. The law revealed man's total unrighteousness, his total inability to live up to God's highest standards on his own. The law convicted man of sin.

But the righteousness of God goes beyond the law of God that condemns the world. Outside of the law, God has set up the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only way to attain the righteousness of God, and He is the Savior. The world is only unrighteous and totally ineffective in any effort on its own to redeem itself from sin and from the wrath of God. Only the righteousness of God is able to save one from the wrath of God.

The focus of this passage is on verses 22-24

22. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

23. but now by the grace of God freely justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

24. God set up Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, to show the righteousness of God by the blood of Jesus, through the faith of man; for he was patient and forgiving of the sins of mankind, which he had committed in time past.

We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can only be justified by Jesus Christ. God's mercy gives people something to rely on when they have no hope. This is Jesus who is the redeeming sacrifice. He saves man from a state where he cannot help but sin, and brings us from a state of hopelessness to a position of justification.

It is only through faith in Jesus that a person can attain the righteousness of God and be saved by Him. Jesus is the only way to obtain God's righteousness through God's gift of faith in the blood of Jesus.

Prayer

God who invented salvation, your word teaches us that we cannot be saved by any means of our own doing. We cannot be saved by any other way, but only by Jesus Christ. Thank you for revealing such precious truths through the Bible. We can't trust you on our own, our corrupt human nature only relies on ourselves, and we only follow you in human ways. Lord, please examine our bodies and souls, and if there are thoughts and deeds in our lives that are not based on faith in Christ, but on our own efforts to gain salvation, please rebuke us, and ask your Holy Spirit to guide us, and teach us to live a life of complete faith, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Application

As Jesus Christ exhorted, “We are useless servants, doing what is our portion to do. “ (Luke 17:10) Our listening to God's Word, serving God, and following God in the world are all natural responses to God's love after we receive salvation, not conditions for our exchange of salvation. For every thing we do for the Lord, offer thanksgiving and praise, and offer the prayer, “Lord, we are useless servants, doing what is our portion to do. “Do not be complacent by the praise of men or by the slightest thought of self-righteousness. Continue to walk in obedience to the Word of God.