4 月 11 日 预苦期第五周 星期五

(陈喜瑞传道 谢恩堂)

经文-罗马书 11：1-12

1 我且说，神弃绝了他的百姓吗？断乎没有。因为我也是以色列人，亚伯拉罕的后裔，属便雅悯支派的。 2 神并没有弃绝他预先所知道的百姓。你们岂不晓得经上论到以利亚是怎么说的呢？他在神面前怎样控告以色列人说： 3 “主啊，他们杀了你的先知，拆了你的祭坛，只剩下我一个人，他们还要寻索我的命。” 4 神的回话是怎么说的呢？他说：“我为自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的。” 5 如今也是这样，照着拣选的恩典，还有所留的余数。 6 既是出于恩典，就不在乎行为；不然，恩典就不是恩典了。 7 这是怎么样呢？以色列人所求的，他们没有得着，唯有蒙拣选的人得着了，其余的就成了顽梗不化的。 8 如经上所记：“神给他们昏迷的心，眼睛不能看见，耳朵不能听见，直到今日。” 9 大卫也说：“愿他们的筵席变为网罗，变为机槛，变为绊脚石，做他们的报应。 10 愿他们的眼睛昏蒙，不得看见，愿你时常弯下他们的腰。”11 我且说，他们失脚是要他们跌倒吗？断乎不是。反倒因他们的过失，救恩便临到外邦人，要激动他们发愤。 12 若他们的过失为天下的富足，他们的缺乏为外邦人的富足，何况他们的丰满呢？

经文反思

上面的经文提到： “既是出于恩典，就不在乎行为；不然，恩典就不是恩典了。”这应该是一把极为宝贵的属灵钥匙。以色列的“过失”，却是成就了外邦人的“富足”，这是恩典，曾经和现在有“过失”的以色列将来蒙救赎，那也是恩典！我们基督徒千万要牢牢记住，我们都是罪人，我们得蒙救赎，都是因为主耶稣基督的恩典。我们看到其他人的软弱时，不要想当然定其罪，倒要祷告主耶稣基督的恩典也临到他，改变他的生命！

祷告

主耶稣基督啊，求您怜悯我的软弱，让我们时时刻刻警醒自己，我们也仅仅是一个蒙了您的救赎的恩典而已，我们自己完完全全没有什么可夸之处。求主耶稣基督光照我们，多多为更多的罪人得到您的救赎恩典代求而非指责。

应用

我们一定要常常提醒我们自己，我们只是一个“蒙恩的罪人”，我们在主耶稣基督的救赎上面完完全全没有可以夸口，因此，我们要多多为身边的其他罪人代求而非急着指责。

11 April The Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent

(Ps Cyril Chen Camberwell Methodist Church)

Scripture - Romans 11:1–12

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

Reflections on the Scripture

The passage above mentions: "If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." This is a precious spiritual key. Israel's "failure" has resulted in the "riches" of the Gentiles—this is grace. The Israel that once had "failures" and still has them will one day be redeemed, and that, too, is grace! As Christians, we must always remember that we are all sinners, and we have been redeemed only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we see the weaknesses of others, we should not presumptively condemn them but instead pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ would also come upon them and transform their lives!

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, please have mercy on my weaknesses. Help us remain alert at all times, recognizing that we are nothing but recipients of Your redeeming grace, and have nothing to boast about on our own. May You enlighten us, that we would pray more for the salvation of other sinners and not be quick to condemn.

Application

We must constantly remind ourselves that we are "saved sinners," and in the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have absolutely nothing to boast about. Therefore, we should pray more for the other sinners around us instead of rushing to point fingers.