给儿子的话 #2 奉献

关于奉献

若不是基督徒，不必奉献；

若不明白了解，不用奉献；

若不甘心乐意，不要奉献。

神所喜爱的奉献 «歌林多後書9:7»

寡妇的奉献 «馬可福音 12:41»

亚伯拉罕献以撒 «創世記 22:1-14»
活祭 «羅馬書 12:1»

神的国 和 神的义

…你们要先求他的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。（太6:33）

…seek firt his kingdom and his righteousness, all all these things will be given to you as well. ( Matthew 6:33 )

耶稣叫我们别为肉体的需要而烦恼，反而要先「求神的国和神的义」，天父都知道我么的需要。

什么是「神的国」和「神的义」? 答案不难、不远，不必绞尽脑汁，更不必自己瞎猜，圣经已经写的很清楚。

神的国

我们在天上的父 : 愿人都尊你的名为圣。愿你的国降临…（太6:9b-10a）

耶稣出来传道，说:“神的国近了，你们当悔改” （太4:17，可1:15）

问题是 :“什么是神的国?”

「神的国」是「天堂」吗？华人对「天堂」并不陌生，有者称「天庭」、「仙境」。

民间向往的「天堂」，是永远幸福快乐的，没有烦恼、痛苦、疾病、眼泪。天堂也是神仙居住的地方。若人得道、或修成正果、或多行善，也就可以进天堂，永享富贵。无疑是一种对世上享受的延伸，是死后的一种盼望。

法利赛人问 : 神的国几时来到？耶稣回答说 : 神的国来到不是眼所能 见的。人也不得说 : 看哪，在这里！看哪，在那里！（路17:20-21）

耶稣都叫我们不应该把焦点集中在「天堂」的位置、「天堂」里的金银宝石、或「天堂」降临的时间。

有一个律法师起来试探耶稣，说 : 夫子！我该作甚麽才可以承受永生？耶稣对他说 : 律法上写的是甚麽？你念的是怎样呢？他回答说：「你要尽心、尽性、尽力、尽意爱主─你的神；又要爱邻舍如同自己。」耶稣说 :「你回答的是 ; 你这样行，就必得永生。」（路10:25-28）

因为神的国就在你们心里（心里 : 或作中间）（路17:21b）

很明显 : 当人遵行天父的旨意、并遵守戒命，神的国就在我们里面。

具体一点 : 就是要尊神为王（尼9:32，诗5:2，诗44:4，诗47:6-8，诗68:24，诗74:12，诗84:3，诗95:3，诗145:1，诗146:10，塞52:7，耶10:10，提前15:25）; 尊基督为王 （约1:49，徒5:31）; 做基督的仆人（罗15:16，林前7:22-23，林前11:23，加1:10，加4:1，多1:1，多2:9，来3:5，雅1:1）; 完全献上自己（罗12:1，徒5:31）; 讨基督欢心（加1:10）; 顺服神（弗5:24，腓2:12，雅4:7，彼前1:2，彼前2:16-18）; 遵行天父的旨意（太7:21，弗6:5-6，西2:6，约壹2:17，约壹3:22）; 顺从圣灵（罗8:13，加5:16 - 6:8）…

并且不要爱世界（太19:16-22，约壹2:15）; 不要效法世界（罗12:2）; 不可事奉玛门（太6:24）; 不放纵肉体的情欲（加5:15-21）; 不可不义（哥前6:9-10）…

孰不愿进天堂？难道就是「口里承认，心里想信」那么儿戏？

口里认耶稣为主，心里信神叫他从死里复活，就必得救。（罗10:9）

然而耶稣却说 : 你们为甚麽称呼我主阿，主阿，却不遵我的话行呢？（路6:46）

因为耶稣不止想听罢了，他更要看果子呀！（太7:16-20，太12:33，路3:8，路6:43-44，约15:8，罗6:22，加5:22）

你们要结出果子来，与悔改的心相称。（太3:8）

  

神的义

神的义在律法以外已经显明出来，有律法和先知为证，就是神的义因信耶稣基督加给一切相信的人，并没有分别。因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀，如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。 神设立耶稣做挽回祭，是凭着耶稣的血，借着人的信，要显明神的义。因为他用忍耐的心宽容人先时所犯的罪，好在今时显明他的义，使人知道他自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义。（罗3:21-26）

因基督也曾一次为罪受苦（有古卷作:受死），就是义的代替不义的，为要引我们到神面前。（彼前3:18）

 「义」一般指公正合宜的道德、道理或行为。

神固然是公正、公平、正值、无伪的（申32:4）。可是人却常埋怨上天不公，善无善报，世界不公平。

论「神的义」，必从头说起。神预先定下、呼召、又称义了一群人（罗8:28b-30）。但世人都犯了罪（罗3:23），而罪的后果就是死（罗6:23），即永远与神隔绝（赛59:2，弗4:18，西1:21）。按理，罪人是不能为自己赎罪、自救。亦不能靠行为称义（罗3:10，加3:11）。神为了爱他的选民，法外开恩（罗3:24，罗6:14，弗1:7，提后1:9），差他的独生子替人的罪而死（约3:16，罗5:8，弗5:2，约壹4:10）。基督的死，使无罪的代替有罪的（林后5:21），就是义的代替不义的（彼前3:18），叫人可以坦然无惧到神面前（约壹4:17）。

「神的义」就在福音上显明出来了（罗1:17），这福音的主角就是耶稣（可1:1， 徒10:36），并借着这福音，人得以同为后嗣，同为一体，同蒙应许（弗3:3-6）。

饥渴慕义的人有福了！（太5:6）

To Accept or Not To Accept, That is NOT the Question...

Facebook的比喻

Facebook 在讲究自由和人权的社会里是享有至高的地位。

有facebook 的我你他都知道它 add friend 的规矩 : 不经我你他的同意，任何人都不能 add 我你他为friend。

一厢情愿是绝对起不了作用。我你他有绝对的权力和选择 accept 任何人的friend request : 或爽快接受、或KIV、或干脆一口拒绝。

E-mail的比喻

E-mail应该是现今社会最初普及的网上产品。几乎人人有个email户口。

写信人按了 [send] 楗后，收信人必收到信件。没得拒绝。

写信人决定 [send] 谁，就是谁。

收信人顶多不打开信箱。无论如何，信件还是受到了。

当然收信人的反应不在讨论的范围内。

《圣经》

细读《罗马书》及《以弗所书》不难看到「预定」、「召」、「称义」等词汇，明显且强烈带出关于救赎计划的唯一功臣 — 神。

²⁹因为他预先所知道的人，就预先定下效法他儿子的模样，使他儿子在许多弟兄中作长子。

³⁰预先所定下的人又召他们来；所召来的人又称他们为义；所称为义的人又叫他们得荣耀。

( 罗马书  VIII: 29-30 )

⁴就如神从创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们。

( 以弗所书  I:4 )

¹⁴这样，我们可说甚麽呢？难道神有甚麽不公平麽？断乎没有！

¹⁵因他对摩西说：我要怜悯谁就怜悯谁，要恩待谁就恩待谁。

¹⁶据此看来，这不在乎那定意的，也不在乎那奔跑的，只在乎发怜悯的神。

( 罗马书  IX:14-16 )

然而，现今社会人人都高喊自由和人权。「相信」应该是个人本身的决定。神已完成救赎的上半部工作，下半部就等人来接受这份礼物了。难道不是吗？天韵合唱团不是也唱《一份礼物》吗？礼物是等我来接受了！

⁸你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信；这并不是出於自己，乃是神所赐的；

⁹也不是出於行为，免得有人自夸。

( 以弗所 书 II:8-9 )

如此看来，人算什么？难道连选择相信的自由意识都没有？！

话说回来，人对神的认识，决定了人对神救赎计划的态度。

你认识的神是万有、万能、万知的神吗？

你愿意谦卑于神的大能吗？还是坚信「人定胜天」？

Ingrafted Branches of Olives

Bible says …

In Romans 11:16-21, the apostle Paul ( 5 – 67 AD ) talks about grafting of olive.

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“if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." ²⁰Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” ²²Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. ²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

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What is Grafting ?

Grafting is a propagation technique of inserting a shoot from a desirable source ( scion ) into another tree ( stock ) of which is to support and nourish it. The two unite and become one tree. ( www.biology-online.org )

.A successful grafting requires a vascular cambium connection taken place between the stock and scion.

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Purpose of Grafting

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Grafting is very important in domestication of agricultural crops.

Planting of crop from seed takes longer time to mature. Often, plants planted from seed do not produce same desired quality of fruit.

.Thus, grafting of desired scion on rooted stock result in faster yield of expected crop quality. The rootstock continues to provide nutrient from the soil through vascular xylem.

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History of Grafting

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The exact origin of grafting of plants is unknown. The practice of grafting should have occurred independently, though no necessary the same time, in several parts of the world.

The earliest grating is believed to have originated from observation of the natural union of twig of closely growing trees.

The Chinese were thought to have practiced grafting as early as 2000 B.C.., but no records to support the claim. The earliest documented record was 《汜胜之书》, published in sometime between 32 BC – 7 AD , by 汜胜之, of Han Dynasty, which documented technique of grafting in gourd cultivation.

Greek philosopher Aristotle ( 354-322 BC ) and Theophrastus ( 371 – 287 BC ) wrote about grafting too. Theophrastus wrote Enquiry into Plants, and On the Cause of Plants, about his observations on plants physiology.

Roman naturalist Gaius Plinius Sedundus ( 23 – 79 AD) wrote on his encyclopedic work, Naturalis Historia, of grafting.

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Commentary

The Wiersbe Bible Commentary : The Complete New Testament

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The olive tree ( Rom 11:16b-24). This is a symbol of the nation of Israel ( Jer 11:16-17; Hos 14:4-6 ). Please keep in mind that Paul was not discussing the relationship of individual believers to God, but the place of Israel in the plan of God. The roots of the tree support the tree; again, this was a symbol of the patriarch who founded the nation. God made His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He cannot deny them or change them. Thus it is God’s promise to Abraham that sustains Israel even today.

Many of the Jewish people did not believe. Paul pictured them as branches broken off the tree. But he saw an amazing thing taking place : other branches were grafted into the tree to share in the life of the tree. These branches were the Gentiles. In Romans 11:24, Paul described this “grafting in” as “contrary to nature.” Usually a cultivated branch is grafted into a wild tree and shares its life without producing its poor fruit. But in this case, it was the ‘wild branch’ ( the Gentiles ) that was grafted into the good tree ! “Salvation is of the Jews” ( John 4:22 )

To say that the olive tree, with its natural and grafted branches, is a picture of the church would be a great mistake. In the church, ‘there is no difference”; believers are “all one in Christ Jesus” ( Gal.3:28 ). God does not look on the member of Christ’s body and se them as Jews or Gentiles. The olive tree illustrates the relationship between Jew and Gentiles in the program of God. The ‘breaking off of the branch” is the equivalent of “the fall” (Rom 11:11 ), “the diminishing” ( Rom 11:12 ), and the “casting away” ( Rom 11:15 ). To read into this illustration the matter of eternal destiny f the individual believer is to abuse the truth Paul was seeking to communicate.

Paul warned the Gentiles that they were obligated to Israel, and therefore they dared not boast of their new spiritual position ( Rom 11:18-21 ). The Gentiles entered into God’s plan because of faith, and not because of anything good they had done. Paul was discussing the Gentiles collectively, and not the individual experience of one believer or another.

It is worth noting that, according to Bible prophecy, the professing Gentile church will be “cut off” because of apostasy. First Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3, along with 2 Thessalonians 2, all indicate that professing church in the last days will depart from the faith. There is no hope for the apostate church, but there is hope for apostate Israel ! Why ? Because of the roots of the olive tree. God will keep His promises to the patriarchs, but God will break off the Gentiles because of their unbelief.

No mater how far Israel may stray from the truth of God, the roots are still good. God is still the “God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” ( Ex 3:6; Matt 22:23 ). He will keep His promises to these patriarchs. This means that the olive tree will flourish again !