基督十字架_(八)以神為友_Cross_of_Jesus_Chinese_(8)Relationship

《生命之光广播电台》

(美国阿拉斯加州播音）

World Christian Broadcasting, Chinese Dept.

©By Edward Short（谢德华）

我寫這篇稿子時，想到一位過去很要好的朋友。後來為了某些原因我們失去了聯絡。他結了婚，離了婚；他搬了家，沒有給我們新的地址。聽說他離了婚以後就開始賭博，不好意思回來見老朋友們。我們完全失去了聯絡。到今天不知道他在哪兒，但是很想知道他的近況，很想和他恢復往來；我一直等待著他。跟要好的朋友失去聯絡或斷絕往來是一生當中最難過的事情之一。有時候必須怪自己，有時候可以怪對方，有些時候卻要怪周圍的人或事情。無論如何，對一般人來說，失去朋友的來往差不多跟親人去世一樣難受；令人心中很不舒服。

　　基督徒用一些不同的說法，不同的比喻，形容神的愛和耶穌在十字架上的犧牲。一個說法是“關系”兩個字。人們與天上的神已經斷了來往和關係；我們能不能再次建立關系呢？聖經的佳音是我們共同的天父，創造人類的神，願意與他所創造的人建立關係。事實上，神自己已經付出了很寶貴的代價使得我們回到他的跟前。回來再次遇見神時我們也不需要覺得不好意思與他建立往來。

　　中國古代的著作《三字經》說，“人之初，性本善”。每一個孩童出生時是完美純潔的，就如聖經記載神創造人類時，亞當，夏娃是純潔美好一樣。他們的本性是好的。今天您我的本性也是好的，但《三字經》第二句話也很準確，“性相近，習相遠。”我們所遇到的環境和社會使得我們離開那美好的本性，結果我們犯錯。我們違背良知，違背良心，達不到【天】所給予的道德標準。用基督徒的詞句形容﹕我們“犯罪”。犯罪就是離開神，不再跟他往來，也就是與神斷了關係。

　　但是聖經帶來好消息告訴我們﹕“當我們還是上帝的敵人時，通過他兒子的死，我們與上帝重歸於好了。既然我們與上帝重歸於好了，那麼，藉着基督的生，我們豈不更會得到拯救嗎？不僅如此，通過我們主耶穌基督，我們在上帝之中歡喜，通過我們現在得以跟上帝和解”（新約聖經普通話譯本羅馬書5:10-11）。另外一本聖經翻譯本把這個經文翻為“...基督已經使我們成為上帝的朋友...”（現代中文譯本聖經）。

　　耶穌的十字架使得我們成為神的朋友。耶穌流出他的寶血洗清世人的罪。我們怎麼接受呢？請看見神的愛，使得您回頭；請被神的愛感動使得您悔改承認罪孽；請表示您相信神的愛﹕承認耶穌為神的兒子；請接受神的愛和赦免﹕受洗。當我們受洗的時刻神用耶穌的血洗清我們的罪，讓我們與他建立關係，稱我們為他的朋友和兒女。朋友，您想要回到神的面前，再次與他建立往來，成為他的朋友嗎？神很想要跟您恢復往來；他一直等待着您。

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本冊的前四片文章，感謝Harold Shank博士提供一些材料給我。

本文參考的漢字《聖經》翻譯本是:

和合本聖經(Chinese Union Version).

English Scripture taken from:

THE HOLY BIBLE, TODAY'S ENGLISH VERSION. Copyright © American Bible Society, 1971.
2002/ 08

As I write this article, I’m thinking of a very close friend of mine, with whom I have lost contact. We were friends some ten years before he married. He divorced after only a few years of marriage, however; then he moved and did not send me his new address. Someone told me that after his divorce he began gambling and was embarrassed to come back and see his old friends. Now, we’ve lost contact completely and I have no idea where he is today. Actually, I’d really like to know where and how my good friend is, and I’d like to reestablish contact with him; I’m still waiting for him.

I think that one of the most burdensome situations in life is to lose or to break contact with a good friend. Sometimes we must blame ourselves, sometimes the other party is at fault and other times the responsibility lies with yet other people or situations. No matter who’s to blame, a broken relationship leaves us with a void in our hearts and lives.

“Relationship” is is one of the figures of speech the Bible uses to describe the need for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross. The Bible affirms that, due to our sins, we have broken our relationship with God. The question is whether or not this relationship can be reestablished. The good news of the Bible is that, “Yes! The God who created us wants to re-establish contact with his creation!” In fact, God himself has already paid a very high price to enable us to return, and (unlike the old friend I just mentioned) we need not be embarrassed to come back into God’s presence.

China’s “Three-Character Classic,” written about A.D. 1100, begins with the statement that man’s basic nature is good—that is, that all children are born pure and undefiled. This agrees with the Bible’s record that Adam and Eve were pure and innocent in the beginning; their nature was good. You and I were also born pure. However, as the second line of the “Three-Character Classic” states, our natural tendency is influenced by society toward the opposite of goodness. Society and our environment cause us to leave our good nature and do dishonorable things. We go against conscience and fail to meet the moral standard that God gives us. To express it in normal Christian terms—we sin. Sin is leaving God, and failing to walk his road; sin is separation from God.

But the Bible brings us Good News! That good news is, “...while we were God’s enemies, God made friends with us though the death of his Son. So surely, now that we are God’s friends, God will save us through his Son’s life. And not only will we be saved, but we are also very happy now. We are happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends” (Romans 5:10-11 ETRV). Can you imagine what it would be like to be called a friend of God?

It’s because of the cross of Jesus Christ that we can be called the friends of God, as Jesus makes forgiveness of sins available to all mankind through his death. And how is it that we receive this forgiveness? Through the love of God: See God’s love—and turn back toward him. Be moved by God’s love—and confess sin and repent of it; confess Jesus as God’s Son. Receive God’s love and forgiveness—by being baptized. At the point of baptism, God washes our sins away with the blood of Jesus; he reestablishes a relationship with us and accepts us as his children. Do you want to return to God, to restore the relationship with him and become his friend? God wishes to reestablish his relationship with you, and he’s still waiting for you.

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I am indebted to Dr. Harold Shank for some of the material in the first four sections of this booklet. The material was used by Dr. Shank in a bi-lingual sermon in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, for which I served as oral translator. I am grateful for Dr. Shank's permission to adapt this sermon and use it in this booklet.