Lesson 9 Principles For Applying The Law And Gospel

A. Law And Gospel Principles 律法与福音的原则

Here are some of the major principles to keep in mind as you use the two precious truths of law and gospel and apply them to people’s lives:

当你运用律法与福音两大宝贵真理的时候,务必牢记以下主要原则。

  1. Seek diligently a true, clear and deep knowledge of God’s teachings of the law and gospel, which is essential to a correct understanding of the Bible.
努力寻求神的律法与福音教导真实、明晰、深刻的内涵,此为正确理解圣经的本质所在。
  1. Look to God the Holy Spirit for help in the important and challenging task of properly applying the law and gospel to the lives of people.
寻求圣灵的帮助来完成恰当地应用律法与福音这一重大的具有挑战性的功课。
  1. Let the law be the law (proclaim the law as the very hard news it is for people) and let the gospel be the gospel (proclaim the gospel as the very good news it is for people)。 Do not mix gospel elements with the law and do not mix law elements with the gospel.
律法就是律法(宣讲律法严酷的信息),福音就是福音(传讲福音好消息)。不可将福音要素与律法相混淆,也不可将律法要素与福音相混淆。
  1. Apply the law to create in people a genuine sorrow for sin (contrition), to restrain sinful behavior, and to provide guidance to Christians in how to please God.
应用律法使人真诚悔罪、约束恶行,指导基督徒做蒙神喜悦的事。
  1. Apply the gospel to create faith in Jesus Christ, to provide assurance of salvation and to supply spiritual desire and strength to live a Christian life.
应用福音建立在耶稣基督里的信心,使人对救恩确信无疑,具有属灵的力量与渴望活出基督徒圣洁的生命。
  1. Proclaim the law to those who are comfortable and secure in their sins and proclaim the gospel to those who are in terror and despair over their sins.
向那些心安理得的罪人宣讲律法,向那些因自己的罪而过度惊恐与绝望的人传讲福音。
  1. In general, proclaim the law first and then the gospel to help people in their salvation and sanctification.
通常是讲律法在先,讲福音在后,帮助人们懂得救恩与基督徒圣洁的生命。
  1. The greatest misuse of the law and the gospel is to confuse the two teachings so that the gospel with its message of free grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ is turned into a message that requires sinners to earn their salvation in part or entirely by their own works.
最大的误用是混淆两大教导:将福音信息——在耶稣基督里神无偿的恩典与救赎——变成要求罪人靠自己的全部或部分努力赚取神的救赎。
  1. Direct those who are terrified by the law to find comfort in the gospel promises and what Jesus had done to save them. Do not direct them to try to find comfort in their works, in their intentions, in their feelings, or in their prayers.
指导那些因律法而恐惧战兢的人知晓耶稣已完成救赎人类的伟业,让他们在福音应许中寻得安慰而非凭着自身的行为、意向、感觉或祷告得安慰。
  1. Teach that saving faith in Jesus Christ is not just the mind’s acceptance of certain truths about Jesus. Rather teach that saving faith is the heart’s reliance on Jesus and His redeeming work for deliverance from the sins that condemn a person.
建立在耶稣基督里的信心不是仅仅在理性上接受关于耶稣的真理,而是全心全意地信靠耶稣,相信他的救赎大业。
  1. Teach that faith in Jesus Christ is “saving” faith because it is God-created reliance on the Savior and not because it produces love and other positive changes in one’s life.
对主耶稣基督的信心是让人得拯救的信心,因为它是由神在人内心建立的对救主耶稣的完全信靠,而不是因为它会产生爱和改变人生命的积极作用。

(附:这些副产品只是信心的一种体现。)
  1. Teach that contrition and faith are the Spirit-created means by which a person is ready and able to receive God’s gifts of pardon and salvation and not the reason or basis on which God decides to forgive a person their sins.
悔过和信心是由圣灵产生的并借以让人预备好能够去接受神赦免和拯救的恩典的途径,而不是神决定赦免人罪行的原因或基础。
  1. Teach that saving faith is something God creates in a person’s heart through the gospel and not something a person creates or helps to create for himself/herself.
信心是神通过福音在人的内心建立起来的,而非靠人自我建立。
  1. Teach that saving faith is a necessary Spirit-created means by which we receive and possess the forgiveness of sins and not a meriting condition by which we earn or deserve forgiveness.
信心是圣灵的工作,是我们罪得赦免所不可缺少的。信心的建立绝非我们的功劳,免得我们认为自己可以赚得或配得神的宽恕。
  1. Do not equate saving faith in Jesus Christ with progress a person makes in improving his/her outward behavior such as getting rid of certain vices or doing good things.
不可把在耶稣基督里的信心等同于一个人外在行为的改善(如除掉恶习、做善事等)。
  1. Proclaim all sins to be serious violations of God’s will and deserving of His eternal punishment and not just minor offenses.
所有的罪都严重违背神的意愿(绝非微不足道的冒犯而已),应得神永恒的惩罚。
  1. Treat believers in Christ as people who are ruled by a believing, spiritual nature that trusts God and loves to do His will and who are also burdened with a defiant, sinful nature that fights against God and the holy beliefs and desires of the spiritual nature.
要如此看待基督徒:他们受信靠主的、属灵本性的支配,他们信赖神,乐意遵循神的旨意;他们同样背负着叛逆的罪性,这又使他们对抗神,对抗神圣的信念与属灵的渴求。
  1. Teach that good works are the expected, proper fruit of a true faith in Jesus Christ and are not optional and unnecessary for Christians.
一切善行都是对耶稣基督的信靠所结出的预期的适当的果实,而非多余或可有可无的。
  1. Be careful to distinguish between critical spiritual conditions such as the difference between a person with weak faith in Christ and a person with no faith in Christ, between the good works of a Christian and the outward morality of a non-Christian, between godly sorrow for sins (contrition) and worldly sorrow for sins (unbelieving regret)。
谨慎区分不同的关键性的属灵状况,比如:信心软弱与没有信心,基督徒的善行与非基督徒的外在道德行为,属灵的虔诚悔罪与属世的懊悔(与信心无关的后悔)。
  1. Regard and administer the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion as forms of the gospel that God uses to create and preserve saving faith in Christ and to strengthen Christians to live a sanctified life. Do not rob them of their gospel content and turn them into mere empty symbols or acts of obedience.
尊重与实施圣洗礼与圣餐礼,将其视为神用来建立与保守我们在耶稣基督里的信心、坚固基督徒过圣洁生活的福音盛典。不可抽掉圣礼中福音的内涵,而将它们仅仅当作空泛的象征或顺服的行为。
  1. Remember that Christians, because of their sinful natures, still need the law applied to their lives so they can continue to repent of their sins, be warned against falling away from faith in Christ and receive guidance to know how to live a God-pleasing life.
由于罪性尚存,基督徒仍然需要在生活中应用律法来认罪悔过,警钟长鸣以免丧失在耶稣基督里的信心,应用律法来指导他们过蒙神喜悦的生活。
  1. Teach that a person’s salvation depends entirely on the perfect sacrifice and merits of Jesus Christ and does not depend in any way on a person’s own efforts and works.
一个人得救恩全然仰靠耶稣基督,而非凭任何个人的努力与行为。
  1. Use the gospel to provide Christians with the spiritual desire and strength to keep the law and produce the good works God desires of them in their sanctified live. Avoid religious legalism and religious moralism, which use the law as motivation for good works for Christians.
运用福音为基督徒提供属灵的力量与渴望去遵行律法,在他们圣洁的生活中多做神希望他们去做的善事。避免像宗教律法主义、宗教道德主义那样以律法作为基督徒善行的动因。
  1. Do not turn the gospel of God’s saving love in Christ for all into the false teaching of universalism, which asserts that God will save everyone apart from contrition and faith in Jesus.
不可将福音——神在耶稣基督里泽及万民的救赎之爱——变成普救论。(普救论认为神会救赎任何一个不认罪悔改、不相信耶稣的人。)
  1. Make sure that the gospel is the prominent teaching in your ministry to people’s souls. Use the law properly as God intends in service of the gospel. Preach both of these precious teachings in a spirit of love.
明确福音是你服事人灵魂的主体教导,在福音事工中依照神的心意恰当运用律法。以爱心传扬律法与福音两大真理。

最后更新于 2012年8月25日 星期六 08:50