Lesson 14 Spiritual Warfare

属灵的争战

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

你 们 要 休 息 , 要 知 道 我 是 神 ! 我 必 在 外 邦 中 被 尊 崇 , 在 遍 地 上 也 被 尊 崇 . 诗篇46:10

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Introduction

引言

History has chronicled some pretty gruesome wars. World War I claimed the lives of an estimated 20 million people, which includes soldiers and civilians. Some historians estimate that World War II claimed the lives of nearly 72 million people.

历史将一些骇人听闻的战争载入史册。第一次世界大战夺走了估计两千万人的性命,其中包括士兵和百姓。一些历史学家估计第二次世界大战夺走了近七千二百万人的性命。

War is ugly and messy, but it doesn’t even compare to the spiritual war that takes place every day in a person’s life, a war that Satan has waged against the children of God. This is a war that few understand, and a war that many of us underestimate. As we study the topic Spiritual Warfare, we

will learn that there is a much different strategy than the one used by worldly empires. Instead of fighting the devil, Christians are told to “stand their ground” (Ephesians 6:14)。 Instead of fighting the old evil foe, the Bible teaches the church to “Be still,” and allow God to fight the battle for us. This study will help us identify the battle we are in, as well as point us to our defense against the devil.

May God bless our study of his Word!

战争虽然丑恶,混乱不堪,但不及一个人生活中每天发生的属灵争战——撒旦向神的儿女发动的战争。这是一场很少有人知晓,被很多人低估的战争。当我们研究属灵争战的课题时,我们将认识到在属灵的争战中所用的策略与世上各个帝国采取的策略极为不同。圣经告诉基督徒,不是要和魔鬼交战,而要“站稳阵地”(以弗所书6:14)。 不是和邪恶的敌人交战,圣经教导教会“休息,”让神为我们战斗。本课的学习将帮助我们认清我们面临的战争,并指导我们抵御魔鬼。

愿神祝福我们学习他的话语!

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The War begins at Conception

争战始于母腹

Job 14:4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!

约伯记14:4谁 能 使 洁 净 之 物 出 於 污 秽 之 中 呢 ? 无 论 谁 也 不 能 !

  1. At what point does a young child become “impure?”

幼儿在哪方面是“不洁的”?

Psalm 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

诗篇51:5我 是 在 罪 孽 里 生 的 , 在 我 母 亲 怀 胎 的 时 候 就 有 了 罪 .

  1. How could David be “sinful” at conception?

大卫怎能在母亲怀胎时就 “有罪”?

John 3:5,6 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

约翰福音3:5,6耶 稣 说 : 「 我 实 实 在 在 的 告 诉 你 , 人 若 不 是 从 水 和 圣 灵 生 的 , 就 不 能 进 神 的 国 . 6从 肉 身 生 的 就 是 肉 身 ; 从 灵 生 的 就 是 灵 .

  1. What is meant by, ”Flesh gives birth to flesh?“

”从 肉 身 生 的 就 是 肉 身 “是什么意思?

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

罗马书5:12这 就 如 罪 是 从 一 人 入 了 世 界 , 死 又 是 从 罪 来 的 ; 於 是 死 就 临 到 众 人 , 因 为 众 人 都 犯 了 罪 .

Note the progression of verse 12:

注意12节经文的进程:

罪 Sin entered the world through one man, and

clip-image001 罪 是 从 一 人 入 了 世 界

死 Death through sin, which resulted in

clip-image005 死又 是 从 罪 来 的,导致

死 Death to everyone because

clip-image006 临到每个人因为

众人 All sinned

犯罪

  1. How do we know that tiny infants, including the unborn are also included in Paul’s progression of thought in Romans 5:12?

我们怎么知道小婴孩,包括未出生的胎儿也包括在保罗在罗马书5:12节的思路中。

· There are many Christian churches today who underestimate the power of sin and the spiritual warfare that is already undertaken from the moment of conception by refusing to acknowledge what Scripture plainly teaches that people begin life – ”dead in trespasses and sins“ (Ephesians 2:1)

· 今天有很多基督教教会低估罪的力量,低估从母腹就开始了的属灵的争战,拒绝承认圣经中明白的教导:人们的生命开始时——”你 们 死 在 过 犯 罪 恶 之 中 “ ( 以弗所书2:1) .

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God’s Rescue Plan in the Old Testament

旧约中神的救赎计划

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

创世纪3:15我 又 要 叫 你 和 女 人 彼 此 为 仇 ; 你 的 後 裔 和 女 人 的 後 裔 也 彼 此 为 仇 . 女 人 的 後 裔 要 伤 你 的 头 ; 你 要 伤 他 的 脚 跟 .

Offspring of the devil Offspring of Eve

魔鬼的后裔 夏娃的后裔

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· In the Old Testament, Adam and Eve were given a rescue plan that was to be for them and for all of their descendants – the seed of the woman – Jesus Christ was to be the Savior that they were to look towards for forgiveness of their sins and for salvation. Moms and dads were responsible for telling their children about their Savior. Read the following…

· 旧约中,神给了亚当和夏娃一个既为他们也是为他们子孙后代的救赎计划——女人的后裔——耶稣基督将成为他们盼望的,使他们罪得赦免并获得拯救的救主。父母们有责任告诉孩子们关于他们的救主。阅读以下经文…

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

申命记6:6-9我 今 日 所 吩 咐 你 的 话 都 要 记 在 心 上 , 7也 要 殷 勤 教 训 你 的 儿 女 . 无 论 你 坐 在 家 里 , 行 在 路 上 , 躺 下 , 起 来 , 都 要 谈 论 . 8也 要 系 在 手 上 为 记 号 , 戴 在 额 上 为 经 文 ;又 要 写 在 你 房 屋 的 门 框 上 , 并 你 的 城 门 上

  1. Apply these Words of God to your family life…

把神的这些话应用到你的家庭生活…

  • Talk about them when you sit at home

  • 谈论这些话当你坐在家中

  • When you walk along the road

  • 当你在路上行走

  • When you lie down

  • 当你躺下

  • When you get up

  • 当你起来

· The Hebrew word translated, ”Impress“ in verse 7 is the same word used to brand or tattoo something to the body. So God places a heavy responsibility on parents to teach their children the way of salvation through his promised Savior.

· 在第7节中,翻译成”使铭记“的希伯来单词和表达在身上烙印或刺青的词是同一个词语。因此神委以父母们重任来教导他们的儿女籍着他应许的救主的得救之路。

Exodus 20:4-6 ”You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

出埃及记20:4-6不 可 为 自 己 雕 刻 偶 像 , 也 不 可 做 甚 麽 形 像 彷 佛 上 天 、 下 地 , 和 地 底 下 、 水 中 的 百 物 . 5不 可 跪 拜 那 些 像 , 也 不 可 事 奉 他 , 因 为 我 耶 和 华 ─ 你 的 神 是 忌 邪 的 神 . 恨 我 的 , 我 必 追 讨 他 的 罪 , 自 父 及 子 , 直 到 三 四 代 ; 6爱 我 、 守 我 诫 命 的 , 我 必 向 他 们 发 慈 爱 , 直 到 千 代 .

  1. Compare God’s anger (third or fourth generation) with God’s love (thousand generations)

比较神的愤怒(三或四代)和神的爱(千代)

  1. Why do some countries have more Christians than other countries?

为什么有些国家的基督徒人数多于其他的国家?

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· God chose the nation of Israel, descendents of Abraham to bring forth the Savior of the world. That Savior was born in Bethlehem. But you will notice on the graph above that less than 10% of the area that Jesus was from is Christian today. 16th century reformer, Martin Luther once said that the gospel is like a rain shower. It rests over one land and showers it with the gospel and the people are blessed by God’s Spirit as a result of that rain shower. But eventually the Word is rejected and moves on just like a rain cloud to water, and flourish among other nations. Could that be what we’re seeing today, in America? 250 years ago, many people fled Europe because of religious persecution and came to this country to be able to worship their Lord without any fear of the government hindering their worship. But more and more in this country the gospel is being rejected and pushed out of America.

· 神拣选以色列民族,从亚伯拉罕的子孙中产生人类的救主。这位救主降生在伯利恒。但你在上面的图表上将看到在耶稣出生的区域今天只有不到10%的地方是基督徒。 16世纪宗教改革家,马丁路德曾说福音就像一场阵雨。它停在一片土地的上空,把福音撒向这片土地,人们因为这场阵雨受到圣灵的祝福。但是最后神的话被拒绝,就像降水云又继续行进,又在其他民族兴旺。这会是我们今天在美国所看到的情形吗?250年前,许多人因为宗教迫害逃离欧洲来到美国为的是不用再担心政府阻碍他们敬拜神。但是福音在这个国家越来越遭到拒绝,正被挤出美国。

God protects his children through Circumcision

神籍着割礼保守他的子民

Genesis 17:10-14

创世纪17:10-14

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.“

你 们 所 有 的 男 子 都 要 受 割 礼 ; 这 就 是 我 与 你 并 你 的 後 裔 所 立 的 约 , 是 你 们 所 当 遵 守 的 . 11你 们 都 要 受 割 礼 ( 原 文 作 割 阳 皮 ;14 ,23 ,24 ,25 节 同 ) ; 这 是 我 与 你 们 立 约 的 证 据 . 12你 们 世 世 代 代 的 男 子 , 无 论 是 家 里 生 的 , 是 在 你 後 裔 之 外 用 银 子 从 外 人 买 的 , 生 下 来 第 八 日 , 都 要 受 割 礼 . 13你 家 里 生 的 和 你 用 银 子 买 的 , 都 必 须 受 割 礼 . 这 样 , 我 的 约 就 立 在 你 们 肉 体 上 作 永 远 的 约 . 14但 不 受 割 礼 的 男 子 必 从 民 中 剪 除 , 因 他 背 了 我 的 约 .

  1. What blessing was there for an 8 day old child if he were circumcised in the Old Testament?

旧约时代,如果一个8天大的婴孩受割礼会有什么祝福?

  1. What curse was on the child if he was not circumcised (verse 14)?

如果孩子没有受割礼会有什么咒诅(14节)?

  1. Was this covenant that God made with Jews alone? (verse 12)

这个约是神唯独和犹太人制定的吗?(12节)

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God ties our hands and not the other way around. We never tie his hands. In other words, for the Old Testament Israelite parent, God gave to them circumcision in order to bring their tiny little children into covenant with him. But what about the babies that died before 8 days old? Were they never brought into covenant with God? This is where we refuse to tie the hands of the infinite, sovereign God who doesn’t reveal those answers to us in Scripture. God can do anything, and if he

desires to save the child from eternal death before they are circumcised, he can certainly do so. King David seemed confident that he would see his son, who died a day before he was to be circumcised. Read the following…

神捆住我们的手,而不是我们去捆神的手。我们永远捆不住神的手。换句话说,神为旧约的以色列民制定割礼是为了让父母把他们的小婴孩带来和他立约。但是如果孩子出生后8天前就夭折了怎么办?他们就永远都不会进入神所立的约定吗?这就是我们不愿捆神的手的地方,至高的神在圣经中没有向我们揭示这些答案。神无所不能,如果他想把受割礼前死去的孩子从永死中拯救出来,他当然可以做到。大卫王似乎确信他将见到受洗前一天死去的儿子。阅读以下经文…

2 Samuel 12:18-23 On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, ”While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.“ 19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. ”Is the child dead?“ he asked. ”Yes,“ they replied, ”he is dead.“ 20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. 21 His servants asked him, ”Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!“ 22 He answered, ”While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.“

撒母耳记下12:18-23

18 到第七日,孩子死了。大卫的臣仆不敢告诉他孩子死了,因他们说,孩子还活着的时候,我们劝他,他尚且不肯听我们的话,若告诉他孩子死了,岂不更加忧伤么。19 大卫见臣仆彼此低声说话,就知道孩子死了,问臣仆说,孩子死了么。他们说,死了。20 大卫就从地上起来,沭浴,抹膏,换了衣裳,进耶和华的殿敬拜。然后回宫,吩咐人摆饭,他便吃了。21 臣仆问他说,你所行的是什么意思。孩子活着的时候,你禁食哭泣。孩子死了,你倒起来吃饭。 22 大卫说,孩子还活着,我禁食哭泣。因为我想,或者耶和华怜恤我,使孩子不死也未可知。23 孩子死了,我何必禁食,我岂能使他返回呢。我必往他那里去,他却不能回我这里来。

· Had the boy lived just one more day, David would have had him circumcised and had the comfort of knowing that his boy was brought into the covenant family of God through God’s ordinance of circumcision and protected from the devil. However, God had other plans, and while David’s hands were tied to an ordinance (circumcision) God was not tied to his own ordinance. We see other examples in Scripture where God takes a young child out of this life to keep him from the wickedness that would otherwise overtake him in life. Read the following…

· 如果这个男孩刚好再多活一天,大卫王会为他行割礼,知道孩子通过神的割礼的法令被带进神立约的家庭,而且受到保护免遭魔鬼伤害对他是个安慰。然而,神有其他计划,虽然大卫王受到(割礼)法令的束缚,神不会受他自已定的法令的束缚。我们在圣经里看到其他的例子,神为了保护孩子阻止将来降临到他生命中的邪恶,而取走幼儿的性命。阅读以下经文…

1 Kings 14:12,13 ”As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.

列王记上14:12,13所 以 你 起 身 回 家 去 罢 ! 你 的 脚 一 进 城 , 你 儿 子 就 必 死 了 . 13以 色 列 众 人 必 为 他 哀 哭 , 将 他 葬 埋 . 凡 属 耶 罗 波 安 的 人 , 惟 有 他 得 入 坟 墓 ; 因 为 在 耶 罗 波 安 的 家 中 , 只 有 他 向 耶 和 华 ─ 以 色 列 的 神 显 出 善 行 .

· Here we see premature death being a blessing from God as God took the young boy from the wicked family of Jeroboam out of this world early.

· 这里我们看到当神从耶罗波安的邪恶的家中取走幼子的性命时,夭折成为神的祝福。

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

以赛亚书57:1义 人 死 亡 , 无 人 放 在 心 上 ; 虔 诚 人 被 收 去 , 无 人 思 念 . 这 义 人 被 收 去 是 免 了 将 来 的 祸 患 ;

· God calls for his church to place their undivided trust in him; we can’t fathom the spiritual battle that we’re in, but God can and God knows when it is time to bring his elect home. For some people, that might be before they even make it out of the womb of their mother; for others it might be after a long, fruitful life here on earth. It’s not for us to question, but for us to be “Still and know that he is God,” and that he will bring us the victory through faith in Jesus over the powers of this dark world.

· 神要求他的教会专一信靠他;我们无法彻底明白我们经历的属灵争战,但是神可以,他知道何时把他拣选的人带回天家。对有些人来说,可能甚至在出母腹之前;对另一些人可能在经历了世上很长,硕果累累的人生之后。

· 我们不应去质疑,但我们要“ 休 息 (或静候) , 要 知 道 他 是 神 !”,并且他藉着我们相信耶稣战胜这个黑暗世界的力量的信心将把胜利带给我们。

· Circumcision brought Jew and Gentile into covenant relationship with God in the Old Testament; God also prescribed the worship life of his children to follow up their circumcision so that they might continue to grow in their faith. Aside from their weekly Sabbath worship, they had 7 main festivals each year that brought the people together to reflect on different aspects of God’s goodness to his people. Therefore, circumcision was not a free ticket to heaven, but rather an entrance into God’s family that gave them access to his Words and Promises, which would sustain them in faith. When Israel rebelled against God’s promises, the prophets went back to Circumcision to remind them of the covenant between them and God. Read the following…

· 割礼在旧约时代使犹太人和外邦人与神建立契约关系;神也规定了他的子民的敬拜生活来跟进割礼,以使他们的信心可以继续增长。除了他们每周的安息日敬拜,他们每年有7个主要的节期,把信徒聚集到一起反思神对子民在不同方面的恩慈。因此,割礼并不是去往天国的免费车票,而是进入神的家庭的入口,从而使他们通向神的话语和得到神的应许,使他们持守信心。当以色列违背神的应许,先知们回到割礼上来提醒他们与神所立的约。阅读以下经文…

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Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

申命记10:16所 以 你 们 要 将 心 里 的 污 秽 除 掉 , 不 可 再 硬 着 颈 项 .

  1. How would an Israelite “Circumcise” his heart?

以色列民怎样将“ 心 里 的 污 秽 除 掉”?

God’s Rescue Plan in the New Testament

神在新约中的救赎计划

Colossians 2:9-12

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

歌罗西书2:9-12因 为 神 本 性 一 切 的 丰 盛 都 有 形 有 体 的 居 住 在 基 督 里 面 , 10你 们 在 他 里 面 也 得 了 丰 盛 . 他 是 各 样 执 政 掌 权 者 的 元 首 . 11你 们 在 他 里 面 也 受 了 不 是 人 手 所 行 的 割 礼 , 乃 是 基 督 使 你 们 脱 去 肉 体 情 欲 的 割 礼 . 12你 们 既 受 洗 与 他 一 同 埋 葬 , 也 就 在 此 与 他 一 同 复 活 , 都 因 信 那 叫 他 从 死 里 复 活 神 的 功 用

  1. Who are the “powers” and “authorities” that Jesus is over?

谁是耶稣超越的“掌权者”和“执政者”?

  1. How can each Christian say that they have been circumcised (even girls)?

为什么每个基督徒能说他们已经行了割礼(甚至女孩)?

  1. What is it mean that we have been circumcised, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men, but with the circumcision done by Christ?

我们已经接受了割礼,不 是 人 手 所 行 的 割 礼 , 乃 是 基 督 使 你 们 脱 去 肉 体 情 欲 的 割 礼 .这句话是什么意思?

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“

马太28:18-20耶 稣 进 前 来 , 对 他 们 说 : 天 上 地 下 所 有 的 权 柄 都 赐 给 我 了 . 19所 以 , 你 们 要 去 , 使 万 民 作 我 的 门 徒 , 奉 父 、 子 、 圣 灵 的 名 给 他 们 施 洗 ( 或 作 : 给 他 们 施 洗 , 归 於 父 、 子 、 圣 灵 的 名 ) . 20凡 我 所 吩 咐 你 们 的 , 都 教 训 他 们 遵 守 , 我 就 常 与 你 们 同 在 , 直 到 世 界 的 末 了 .

Follow the progression of thought in the Great Commission

跟随大使命中的思路

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Go and make disciples

你们要去,使万民作我的门徒clip-image001image

Command of Jesus

耶稣的命令

· In the command of Jesus to baptize all nations, Jesus does not exclude little babies. And because we know that little babies are under the influence of the devil from the moment of conception, and because we know that God brought little babies into covenant with him in the Old Testament and because we know that Paul parallels baptism with the covenant of circumcision in Colossians we don’t withhold this precious gift to tiny little babies because we know that baptism, not much different than circumcision, brings us into the family of God, washes away our sins, and protects us from the evil one.

· 在耶稣要求为万民施洗的命令中,耶稣没有排除小婴孩。因为我们知道小婴孩从母亲怀胎时就在魔鬼的势力下,因为我们知道神在旧约中将婴孩带进他的约定,并且知道保罗在歌罗西书中将洗礼和割礼的约作比较,所以我们不能阻止神给小婴孩这个珍贵的礼物,因为我们知道洗礼和割礼没有多大区别,它把我们归入神的家庭,洗净我们的罪,并保护我们远离魔鬼。

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Galatians 3:26,27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

加拉太书3:26,27所 以 , 你 们 因 信 基 督 耶 稣 都 是 神 的 儿 子 . 27你 们 受 洗 归 入 基 督 的 都 是 披 戴 基 督 了 .

· Let us remember that in spiritual warfare, unlike physical warfare between nations, God’s children are completely impotent and helpless to fight against Satan and his evil angels. But the good news is that while we are impotent against the devil, the devil is impotent against Jesus! And in baptism, all of Jesus is communicated to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember God’s words through the Psalmist in Psalm 46, ”Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.“ This is his battle that he chooses to fight for us and Jesus gives us the victor’s spoils, which is forgiveness of our sins, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and salvation as our future home.

让我们记住在属灵的争战中,不同于国家之间的实体战役,神的儿女对抗撒旦和他邪恶的天使时完全无能为力。但好消息是虽然我们无力对抗魔鬼,而魔鬼无力对抗耶稣。在洗礼中,耶稣通过圣灵的力量和我们交通。记住神通过诗篇作者在诗篇46讲的话,”你 们 要 休 息 , 要 知 道 我 是 神 ! 我 必 在 外 邦 中 被 尊 崇 , 在 遍 地 上 也 被 尊 崇。“这是他的战争。他选择为我们而战。耶稣给我们胜利的战利品就是:我们罪的赦免,我们心中的圣灵,救恩和我们未来的天家。

· Baptism, like circumcision, has long been considered a Christian’s entrance into the family of God. But what about before the child is baptized? Again, we don’t tie the hands of God, and where the Bible doesn’t speak, we don’t either. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, including people who have died before they even came out of the womb of their mother. They are in God’s hands and he will do what is just and right. But what about the people after baptism, who have fallen away from the faith? Well, just like Israel, when Moses said, ”circumcise your hearts,“ in other words, ”repent“ of your sin and turn back to the God of all grace, so too, we Christians know and understand that baptism is NOT a free ticket to live our lives as we please. For the Bible teaches us that our spiritual warfare continues on until the day that our heart stops beating. But just like God had provided his Old Testament Children with opportunities to grow in their faith and be protected from the evil one, so it is that God has provided us with means to defend ourselves against the devil and the evils spirits that lurk around us intending to devour our faith.

洗礼,和割礼一样,一直被认为是基督徒进入神的家庭的入口。可是孩子受洗之前呢?再一次说明,我们不要束缚神的手,圣经里没有讲明的地方,我们也不要发言。耶稣为世人的罪而死,包括为那些还没从母腹中生出来就夭折的胎儿。他们在神的手中,神是公正公义的的。但那些受洗后又背离信仰的人呢?就像以色列民,当摩西说,”心 里 的 污 秽 除 掉“,换句话说,”悔改“并归向仁慈的神,因此,我们基督徒同样知道并明白洗礼并不是让我们随心所欲 地生活的自由通行证。因为圣经教导我们属灵的争战会继续直到我们的心脏停止那一天。但是就像神提供给旧约的子民增强信心的机会,并保守他们免于邪恶,因此神也为我们预备了方法来保护自已防御魔鬼和潜伏在我们周围企图吞噬我们信心的邪灵

最后更新于 2013年8月22日 星期四 09:48