11月25日 罪的权势与罪咎
11月25日，周二
罪的权势与罪咎
父差遣子作世人的救主，这是我们见过的，并且现在作见证。（约翰壹书4:14）
我们的主、我们的救主耶稣基督，首先所成就的，就是把我们从罪的罪咎与刑罚中拯救出来。我们每一个人都在神和祂圣洁的律法面前有罪；在祂面前，我们是被定罪的。因此，我最首先、最迫切需要的，就是从罪的罪咎中被释放。在这点上，我比在任何事情上都更需要一位救主。
因为我违背了神的律法，在那圣洁的律法下被定罪。如果连“罪咎的问题”都没被解决，我根本无法真正谈救恩、谈得救。所以新约福音给我们的第一则荣耀的信息就是：在基督里，我的罪咎已经被除去。
光是立志在未来过一个更好的生活是没有用的。因为我仍旧必须面对自己的过去 —— 我逃不掉，我的过去如影随形。我违背了律法，我必须面对我的罪咎。然而，我无法挽回过去，我无法为自己过去所有得罪神的恶行作出任何补偿。我必须从罪的罪咎中被释放，而这项拯救，唯有基督 —— 唯有基督一人 —— 能够完成。
然而，即便我确信罪的罪咎已经被处理，我仍然要面对另一个现实：罪的权势。我仍旧必须与世界、肉体和魔鬼争战；这些来自我内外的势力都在试图拖我下沉，我也深知它们的力量有多可怕。如果一个人还没有意识到罪环伺四周、其影响之深，他在属灵的事上就不过是一个初学者。而在这世上，只有一位真正战胜撒但、胜过世界的：就是那位“父差遣作我们救主的儿子”。耶稣基督不仅能救我脱离罪的罪咎，也能救我脱离罪的权势。
默想主题：
耶稣基督不仅能救我脱离罪的罪咎，也能救我脱离罪的权势。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代上21章，彼前2章
个人灵修：拿4章，路9章
November 25, Tuesday
THE POWER AND GUILT OF SIN
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. （1 JOHN 4:14）
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ clearly saves us, in the first instance, from the guilt and the penalty of sin. We are all guilty before God and before His holy law. We are guilty in His presence; so the first thing I need is to be saved from the guilt of my sin. I need a Savior in that respect apart from anything else. I have broken the law of God, and I am under the condemnation of that holy law; so before I can talk about salvation or about being saved, I must be perfectly clear that I am delivered from the guilt of my sin. That is the glorious message that the New Testament Gospel brings to me.
In Christ my guilt is removed. It is no use my facing the future and proposing to live a better life. I am confronted by my own past— I cannot avoid it, I cannot escape it. I have broken the law—I must deal with the problem of my guilt—and I cannot do so. I cannot undo my past; I cannot make atonement for my misdeeds and for everything I have done against God. I must be delivered from the guilt of my sin, and Christ—and Christ alone—can so deliver me.
But having thus had the assurance that the guilt of my sin has been dealt with, I am still confronted by the power of sin. I battle the world and the flesh and the devil; forces and factors outside me are trying to drag me down, and I am aware of their terrible power. The man or woman who has not realized the power of sin all around him or her is a novice in these matters. There is only One who has conquered Satan, there is only One who has defeated the world, and that is this Son whom the Father sent into the world to be our Savior. Jesus Christ can deliver me from the power of sin as well as from the guilt of sin.
A Thought to Ponder: Jesus Christ can deliver me from the power of sin as well as from the guilt of sin.