8月22日 赦免罪人的喜乐
赦免罪人的喜乐
促使神赦免不敬虔之人的根本动机，乃在于祂“喜爱施恩”。
神的严厉显明了忠心传讲祂的信息是何等严肃之事。保罗一想到怠惰便战兢不已，他说：“若不传福音，我便有祸了。”基督也深深触及彼得的心灵来劝勉他：“你爱我吗？……你牧养我的羊。”（约21:16）这仿佛在说：“彼得，你正在哭泣，也因胆怯否认我而深感内疚；但你仍有一条路可以显明你的爱，那就是牧养我的羊。只管去做，不要再被过去背叛的失败所困扰。”基督再次显明，祂顾念自己的羊，甚至胜过顾念祂自己。
当罪人接受神所赐的平安时，神便显出喜乐。喜乐乃是对我们所得平安的最高见证。爱与喜乐的关系，犹如柴薪与火焰；若爱只拾取了几片碎柴，即心中仅存微小的渴慕，那么由此燃起的喜乐之火也不会炽热。既然神如此满心喜乐地赦免罪人，就说明祂在赐下平安时，必定怀着极大的慈爱。事实上，促使神赦免不敬虔之人的根本动机，正是祂“喜爱施恩”。“神啊，有何神像你，赦免罪孽，饶恕你产业之余民的罪过，不永远怀怒，喜爱施恩？”（弥7:18）
若你问一位钓鱼的人为何整夜握着钓竿守在水边，他会告诉你因为他热爱垂钓。如今你也明白了，为何神愿意等候罪人，经年累月地借着讲道呼唤他们，因为祂极其喜悦藉着祂的恩典与怜悯来赦免他们。世俗的官员有时赦免囚犯，往往是为了取悦他人而非取悦自己；然而神赦免罪人，乃是为了使祂自己的心欢喜。因此，当基督降世使罪人与神和好时，祂的救赎之工被称为“耶和华所喜悦的事”（赛53:10）。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：撒上14章，罗12章，
个人灵修：耶51章，路19章
AUGUST 22, SATURDAY
THE JOY IN PARDONING SINNERS
The motive which prevails with God to forgive the ungodly is that “he delighteth in mercy.”
God’s strictness emphasize the seriousness of delivering His message faithfully. Paul trembled at the very thought of laziness: “Woe is me if I preach not.” And Christ reached deep into His own heart to persuade Peter: “Lovest thou me? … Feed my sheep” (John 21:16). It is as if He had said, “Peter, you are crying and feeling guilty because cowardice made you deny Me; but there is still a way to demonstrate your love—feed My sheep. Do this and stop worrying about that traitor of the past.” Once again, Christ showed more care for His sheep than for Himself.
God expresses joy when sinners accept His peace. Joy is the highest testimony which can be given to our peace. Love is to joy as fuel is to fire. If love gathers only a few scraps of kindling—only small desires in the heart—then the flame of joy that comes out of it will not be very hot. Now because God takes such great joy in pardoning sinners, His affection is also great in His offer of peace. In fact, the motive which prevails with God to forgive the ungodly is that “he delighteth in mercy.” “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18).
If you ask a fisherman why he stands with his hook in the water all night he will tell you it is because he enjoys fishing. Now you know why God waits for sinners—months, years—preaching to them; He delights in forgiving them by His grace and mercy. Now and then a government official will pardon an offender more to please others than himself; but God forgives to make His own heart glad. Thus when Christ came to reconcile sinners to God, His ministry was called “the pleasure of the Lord” (Isaiah 53:10).