12月25日，到底哪里出了问题？
12月25日，周四
到底哪里出了问题？
“求祢彻底洗净我的罪孽，洁除我的罪。”（诗篇51:2）
诗篇51篇，是圣经中关于“悔改”这件事与其教义内涵的经典篇章。之所以有许多人对基督福音的许多核心真理感到陌生、甚至觉得多余，根源常常在这里：他们并不真正明白圣经对“罪”的教导。 因此，今天不少人会说：他们看不出“道成肉身”的必要；不理解为什么神的儿子要降世为人；也不明白为什么基督信仰强调神迹与超自然；更无法领会“代赎”的教导，以及“称义”“成圣”“重生”等这些教义的意义。他们会问：为什么要把事情讲得这么复杂？为什么这一切好像都是必须的？
于是他们提出一种看似“务实”的反驳：“这不就是教会在历史中逐渐发展出来的一套理论吗？不就是一些抽象的概念吗？不就是神学家头脑里想出来的东西吗？这些跟我有什么关系呢？到底有什么现实意义？” 但问题恰恰在于：会这样说的人，正是因为还没有领会圣经对罪的完整意义。他们没有真正认识到：自己是罪人；罪不仅是“做错几件事”，更是人内在对神的背逆、是以自我为中心、偏离神的标准与荣耀。然而，圣经从起初到末了都在反复强调这一点，与人的自我感觉形成鲜明对比。
我们活在一个现代却令人困惑的世界里。我们都隐约知道“哪里不对劲”，也常常追问：“到底哪里出了问题？”政治家似乎解决不了这些根本问题；哲学家不断地提出问题，却给不出能真正医治人的答案；我们做了许多努力，世界却依然难以“恢复正常”。 圣经却直截了当地说：“你们忽略了关键。”关键就是——罪。罪是个人生命混乱的根源，是亲密关系破裂的根源，也是国际冲突与社会失序的根源。问题不只是外在制度或环境，而是人心出了问题；不只是“需要改良”，而是“需要被洁净、被更新、被拯救”。因此，福音里关于基督降卑、代赎、称义、成圣与重生的一切，都不是多余的理论，而是针对人类真正问题的解决方案。
默想主题：
人之所以这样说话，是因为他们没有明白圣经关于“罪”的教导的全部含义。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代下30章，启16章
个人灵修：亚12:1-13:1，约15章
December 25, Thursday
WHAT IS WRONG?
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (PSALM 51:2)
Psalm 51 is a classic statement on the whole matter and doctrine of repentance. Because so many people do not realize the biblical teaching concerning sin, they fail to realize so many other things that are contained in the Christian Gospel. So many people today say that they do not see the need of the Incarnation, that they do not understand all this talk about the Son of God having come down to earth, that they do not understand this talk about the miracles and the supernatural, that they cannot follow this idea of the atonement and terms such as justification and sanctification and rebirth. They say that they do not understand why all this seems to be necessary.
They would argue like this: “Isn’t it the church that has evolved all these theoretical, purely abstract ideas? Aren’t they things that have been conjured up in the minds of theologians? What have they to do with us, and where is their practical relevance?” I would like to point out that people who talk like this do so because they have not realized the full meaning of the biblical teaching about sin. They have not realized that they themselves are sinful. But the Bible, in sharp contrast, constantly insists upon this from the beginning to the end.
Here we are in this modern and perplexing world; we are conscious that something is wrong, and the question is, “What is wrong?” Politicians do not seem to be able to solve our problems. Philosophers are asking questions, but they do not seem to be able to answer them. All our efforts do not seem to put the world right. The Bible says, “You are ignoring the one thing that is the key to the situation! It is sin. Here is the cause of the trouble in individuals, in intimate human relationships, in international relationships everywhere. This is the difficulty.”
A Thought to Ponder: People who talk like this do so because they have not realized the full meaning of the biblical teaching about sin.