3 月 28 日 预苦期第三周 星期五

(周家熹牧师 荣恩堂)

经文-罗马书 6：1-11

6 这样，怎么说呢？我们可以仍在罪中，叫恩典显多吗？ 2 断乎不可！我们在罪上死了的人，岂可仍在罪中活着呢？ 3 岂不知我们这受洗归入基督耶稣的人，是受洗归入他的死吗？ 4 所以，我们借着洗礼归入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我们一举一动有新生的样式，像基督借着父的荣耀从死里复活一样。 5 我们若在他死的形状上与他联合，也要在他复活的形状上与他联合。 6 因为知道，我们的旧人和他同钉十字架，使罪身灭绝，叫我们不再做罪的奴仆， 7 因为已死的人是脱离了罪。 8 我们若是与基督同死，就信必与他同活。 9 因为知道，基督既从死里复活，就不再死，死也不再做他的主 了。 10 他死是向罪死了，只有一次；他活是向神活着。 11 这样，你们向罪也当看自己是死的；向神，在基督耶稣里，却当看自己是活的。

经文反思

在你们继续预苦期之旅时，这是一个邀请我们在耶稣福音的光照下反思我们在上帝面前的存在的季节。罗马书》6.1-11 为我们确立了几个重要的原则：第一，我们不犯罪，恩典才会加增；第二，我们与过去和现在的罪都没有关系；第三，在基督的复活里，我们可以行走在新生命中。保罗提醒我们在基督里的真实身份，作为一个已经与基督联合的人，他不会许可、娱乐或享受罪恶。在耶稣基督里蒙上帝称义的人的真实情况是，我们知道我们的旧我已经在十字架上与耶稣同钉十字架，我们正在与基督同死。(暂停 1 分钟）正如克兰菲尔德所说："洗礼在这里 ，它不是一个空洞的标志，而是一个决定性的事件，通过它，一个人的生命被上帝强有力地、明确地认领了。保罗说：'我已经与基督同钉十字架。'（加拉太书 2:20）四旬斋提醒我们上帝在我们身上所做的事，即基督住在我里面和圣灵住在我们里面的奥秘。我们不再活在过去，我们现在已被救赎、恢复并与上帝和好，因此我们不再属于自己，我们属于上帝。我们要为祂而活，活在祂里面，在神的福音和恩典中，带着神的大能。

祷告

我从乔纳森-爱德华的祷告中摘录了这篇祷告：

亲爱的全能慈爱的上帝，我祈求您，我将在我的整个人生道路上，做任何我认为最有利于上帝的荣耀和我自己的好处、利益和快乐的事，而不考虑时间，不管是现在，还是以后的无数个时代。我要为你的荣耀和你的国度而活。我决心做任何我认为是我的职责所在的事，为全人类的福祉和利益尽我所能。无论我遇到多少困难，无论困难有多大，我都将致力于实现这一目标。我不会把自由交给罪恶，我不再活着，而是基督在我里面活着，奉耶稣的名，阿门。

应用

每天早晨醒来时，让福音向你说话：花 5-10 分钟思考以下内容：最后，思考耶稣的十字架，我转向复活的耶稣基督，与他交谈。

我问，天地的主和创造者怎么会从无限的永恒中来到人间，为我们的罪而死。然后我反思自己，问自己：

我为基督做了什么？

我正在为基督做什么？

我应该为基督做什么？

我像朋友一样与耶稣交谈，以 “我们的父 ”结束。 (摘自 “心如火”，有改编）

28 March The Friday in the Third Week of Lent

（Rev Elijah Chiew Glory Methodist Church）

Scripture: Romans 6:1-11

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Reflections on the Scripture

As you continue into the journey of lent, it is a season invite us to reflect upon our being before God in the light of the gospel of Jesus. Romans 6.1-11 establishes a few important principles for us to consider: first, we do not sin so that grace may increase; second, we have no part in our sins both in the past and present and third in Christ’s risen, we may walk in newness of life. Paul reminds us of our true identity in Christ, as one who have been united with Christ, the person will not give license, entertain nor enjoy sins. The true reality of someone who is justified by God in Jesus Christ, we know that our old self was crucified with Jesus on the cross, we are dying with Christ. (pause for 1mins) As Cranfield puts it, ‘Baptism here……signifies, is no empty sign but a decisive event by which a man’s life is powerfully and unequivocally claimed by God.’ Paul says ‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’ (Galatian 2:20) The lent season remind of what God has done in us, the mystery of Christ who lives in me and Holy Spirit who dwells in us. We are no longer living in the past, but we have now been redeemed, restored and reconciled with God so that we are no longer of our own, we belonged to God. We shall live for Him, live in Him, with God’s power in the gospel and grace of God.

Prayer

I draw this prayer from Jonathan Edward’s prayers:

Dear Almighty loving God, by the grace of Jesus Christ, I pray that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my direction, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. I want to live for Your Glory and your kingdom purpose. I resolve to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. I will commit to do this in whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever. I will not give my freedom to sins, and I am no longer live, but Christ live in me, In Jesus name, Amen.

Application

Let the gospel speaks to you each morning as you wake up in the morning. Take 5-10 minutes reflecting the following:

At the end, pondering on the cross of Jesus, I turn to risen Jesus Christ, and I talk to Him.

I ask how can it be that the Lord and Creator of heaven & earth should have come from the infinite reaches of eternity to this death here on earth, so that he could die for our sins. And then I reflect upon myself and ask:

What have I done for Christ?

What am I doing for Christ?

What ought I do for Christ?

And I talk to Jesus like a friend, I end with the Our Father. (taken and adapted from Hearts on fire)