不可思議的恩典

壹.  前言

「耶穌基督並他釘十字架」是我們信仰的中心。這個題目所包含的重點成為試驗真假信徒、教會的標準。在這個題目後面有一個非常驚人的思想: 恩典 !  許多詩歌、文章都描述讚嘆這樣的恩典。 “Amazing Grace” 這首200多年的福音詩歌竟然在十多年前成為排行榜十大好歌之內! 在這個世代中，人人渴望恩典 ; 但是靠人的愛給出的恩典常常是有條件的、非常微弱、稍縱即逝的。唯有從耶穌基督捨命流血所給出無條件的的恩典、能使軟弱變剛強、越久越甘甜。今天信息的負擔是從兩段經來看恩典不可思議的兩方面:  (1).  自己的不配   (2).  神不放過的愛。

貳.  本文

[路 23:32-34][32]又有兩個犯人，和耶穌一同帶來處死。[33]到了一個地方，名叫「髑髏地」，就在那裡把耶穌釘在十字架上，又釘了兩個犯人：一個在左邊，一個在右邊。[34]當下耶穌說：「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」兵丁就拈鬮分他的衣服。

[路 23:39-43][39]那同釘的兩個犯人有一個譏誚他，說：「你不是基督嗎？可以救自己和我們吧！」[40]那一個就應聲責備他，說：「你既是一樣受刑的，還不怕神嗎？[41]我們是應該的，因我們所受的與我們所做的相稱，但這個人沒有作過一件不好的事。」[42]就說：「耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我！」[43]耶穌對他說：「我實在告訴你，今日你要同我在樂園裡了。」

 ~  這是路加福音獨特的記載，而且是十架七言的前兩句:

     第一句：站在神子的地位，呼求父神赦免罪人 ; 

     第二句：站在神的地位，宣告罪人因信而得救 ; 

     第三句：站在人子的地位，藉十字架使背景不同的人成為一家人，正如今日的教會一樣。

     第四句：大聲卻又無力的呼喊“我的神，----為什麼離棄我”，說出了耶穌站在罪人的地位，承受了地獄火的審判 …
     第五句、第六句、第七句 … etc.

一.   真理:    

1.  對釘死祂的罪人(忘恩負義)的代求 : 「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」

~   受盡羞辱，誣告，鞭打，遊街，剝光後與強盜同釘的反應，竟然是禱告而不是控告，咒詛。心中流出來的是恩典，
        而不是苦毒!

~   你我的反應會如何? 哀嚎，咒詛或是吐他一身？

      ~    那穌喊出赦免時的心情與地位:

            心情:  知道不蒙赦免者的痛苦，也知道不赦免人者擺脫不掉的鎖鍊，完全是站在罪人無力的地位上求恩典!

            地位:  以完全無罪的 “神子” 而代死而付上赦免的代價! 不是 “算了” 的口頭語。

♦  從人的角度看:   (1)實在是偉大， (2) 但我作不到 ;

     ~  我們不想要認罪，不願意赦免的原因是因為:

(1)   不明白認罪和赦免其實是神要給我們的禮物，要讓我們更經歷祂恩典的過程，不要中了撒旦的詭計以為:

              ~  向祂認罪會被修理(約壹1:8-9)? 不認罪身體越來越好 (詩32:3)?

(2)   以為是要靠自己的力量，不知道呼求天父，從「先和好，再獻祭」的過程來承受天上的福氣。

♦  從以基督為中心的角度看:  (1) 站在神子的地位，呼求父神赦免罪人  
                                                   (2) 我也是釘死耶穌的罪人，卻蒙受這樣無條件的赦免
                                                   (3) 求神的生命使我也能赦免那些忘恩負義的人

2.  對蒙恩罪人(悔改稱義)的保證 :  「我實在告訴你，今日你要同我在樂園裡了。」

♦  從人的角度看:   (1)實在是不公平，沒有好行為   (2) 我到死前才信，比較划算要靠行為得救，也不可能公平、
                                    不合理 (e.g., 修橋補路如何能補上貪污殺人罪?   小孩掃地補償考試不及格)!  只有無罪的神來
                                    承受罪的刑罰: 精神的、肉體的…

     ~  我們不能認同的原因是因為:

(1)   以為自己比那認罪的強盜有骨氣，或者不認為自己會是其中的人物，因此可以旁觀批判 ;

(2)   不知道陰間的可怕，以為人死如燈滅，惟物主義，卻不敢走黑路 ;

e.g.,  掉到墳墓旁邊深洞裏，卻能跳出來 ;

♦  從以基督為中心的角度看:  (1) 耶穌是神有赦罪的權柄  (2) 我也是那個不配卻蒙恩的強盜， (3) 因為悔改而稱義的人，
            有得救的保證

     ~  太 27及 可15提到強盜們都譏誚耶穌，路加卻記載了後來一個強盜的改變

     ~  第一個強盜:真是“強”盜，渾身是勁，死不悔改，不怕死，不怕神，不認罪，還有精力譏誚耶穌。

~   V 40-41 “怕神” ， “認罪”，”耶穌無罪”  V 42   “你的國降臨時，求你記念我”

     V 43   “今日你要與我同在樂園裏了”

     ~   這個強盜應驗了 “口裏承認，心裏相信，就必得救” (羅十 9-10)

           也印證了耶穌是基督，站在神的地位，宣告罪人因信而得救 ;

♦  各各他山上的十字架是世界上最矛盾的對比:

    ~  邪惡與善良，軟弱与能力，愚味與智慧，死亡與生命。

    ~  代表三种死: 死在罪中 (die in sin)，向罪死了 (die to sin)，為罪而死 (die for sin).

三.  應用: 

以恩典的兩面來看生命中的傷痕:          
                                                                                            Scars of Life 
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.   His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

♦  從傷痕中看到自己的錯誤、惡者的攻擊、和神不放過的愛

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too; No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.
 
♦ The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way but sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.
 
♦  讓恩典的心思引導我們的生活，不論斷別人的傷痕因為你不知道全部的事實

 Never judge another person's scars, because you don't know how they got them.

參.  結論

 1.   什麼是恩典不可思議的兩方面:  (1).  自己的不配   (2).  神不放過的愛

      ~  十架七言的前兩句: 「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」 和「我實在告訴你，
                今日你要同我在樂園裡了。」看到自己的不配和神不放過的愛嗎?

 2.   以恩典的眼光來看生命中的傷痕:  看到自己的傷痕中神不放過的愛嗎?

 3.   回應禱告