什麼是謊言 3 / what is a lie 3

在福音上，我強調的都是神的觀點。為什麼有些人認為恩典的完全彰顯會導致放縱罪的行為? 因為他們是以人的觀點看恩典。是的，人的肉體會放縱。在一個社會，如果法律被廢除，而不再有行為過犯的刑罰，那多數的人會更加做出不好的行為。可是，一但相信主耶穌是我們的救主，我們已經不屬於肉體，而是靈魂。但是一個靈魂與基督連接的人，還是不能在律法上的遵守得解放，而只有從恩典帶來的稱義才能親密的接近神。這是以神的觀點而看。

神有這個信心，先將赦免賜給人 (恩典)，人就會悔改 (不願活在肉體) 來跟隨祂。那既然原屬肉體的我們，因恩典的感動，相信已經被赦免而稱義，悔改，而如今活在靈魂，還必須擔心肉體在恩典裏放縱嗎? 神相信我們不會，但是我們相信嗎? 教會常常說要信。為什麼? 如果必須時時提醒，那就是原本難以置信的。我們要信的是什麼? 是要遵守，順服? 是要時時省察，要不就會放縱? 這些需要堅強的信嗎? 我想不需要。而什麼才需要堅強的信? 那就是我們已經完全被赦免了，而由這赦免稱義的恩典，我們就不願犯罪，也不會放縱。

這就是福音真理 (The Gospel Truth)。我們都同意，神不會說謊言。神的意念就是真理，他說出的話不會反悔，他的信實是我們安息的確據。

那，從神的觀點，什麼是謊言? 就是沒有完全符合祂所說的旨意。這是最高的，也是應該如此的標準。人可以接受的不解與錯誤，在神就是謊言。在人，刻意的才是謊言; 在神，無意的也是謊言。我希望在這些  youtube videos 上所稱的謊言 (lies) 不會被敏感的認為是指控誰在說謊 (Who are you calling a liar?! How dare you say that the church lies?!)。希望我們 (特別是我!) 不會覺得，因為我們在講神的真理，我們講的就是真理。聖經所說的 "省察" 並不是指挖掘我們內心所有的罪，而是要警惕，我們所吸收與理解的信息，我們所相信的，是不是符合神的真理。如此，我們會發覺，很多我們接受的好像很有道理，但是在神的標準就是謊言!

讓我們在真理上不要馬虎，永不妥協。因為只有在了解真理，我們才得以自由。真理是麼? 真理在哪裡? 聖經是真理的故事，舊約是真理的前提，新約是真理的解釋，福音是真理的信息。但是這些都不是真理。其實真理就是耶穌，但不是祂的教導，而是祂本身。真理是一個生命，生命的源頭。真理是愛，耶穌的心。

那耶穌的心在對我們說什麼? 祂說，"我愛你，我已經完全原諒你的罪了。我以我的血洗清你，也永不譴責你。我相信，在我的生命裏，你會愛我，跟隨我，依靠我。我等著你，也永不離開你。" Amen

In discussing the gospel, I insist on God's perspective. The reason many fear that the message of grace may lead to promulgation of sin is that they see the gospel from man's point of view. Yes, the flesh is want to give in to sin, and in a society removed of law and the threat of punishment, it can only expect rising crime rate and even anarchy. However, once believing in Christ as our savior, we no longer belong to the flesh but the spirit. Though even as one with the spirit of Christ, a believer still cannot break the bondage of sin by obedience to law, but only by the righteousness redeemed in grace can we be blameless and intimate with God. This is the gospel view of God.

God has such faith -- to first grant us total clemency (grace), and man shall repent (reject the flesh) to follow Him. Then if even in our flesh, by grace we believe in His forgiveness, repent and receive His righteousness, are we to still worry about the temptation of flesh in grace? God believes we won't give in, but do we? The church constantly exhorts us to believe. But why? If we need to be often reminded, then the thing to believe in is by reason hard to believe in the first place. And what is it we are to believe? Is it obedience? Is it self-examination so as not to sin? Do these require great faith? I think not. Then what requires strong faith if not our obedience and holiness? It is that we are truly forgiven for all time, and by such righteousness of forgiveness in grace we not only will we not indulge in sin, we will not desire to sin.

This is the Gospel Truth! We all agree that God does not lie. His will is the truth, and what He says has no regret. His faithfulness is the foundation of our rest.

Then what is a lie from God's point of view? It is something expressed that does not fully comply with His word and will. This is rightfully the highest standard in God. Man can accept misunderstanding and mistakes, but to God even the smallest deviation is a lie. To man, falsehood with intention becomes a lie, but even the unintended is a lie in God's eyes. I truly hope that by the "lies" mentioned in these youtube videos we are not so sensitive as to conclude that the purpose is to accuse anyone, man or church. And that we are careful not to be so confident (especially me!) in telling the truth of God, think what we say IS the truth. The Biblical advise for "self examination" is not to dig up every sin in our hearts, but to be vigilant of the message we receive and accept, that they are as close to the truth as possible. If so we will find that, what we often thought to make sense become lies when measured against God's standard.
Let us not be careless in the truth, and never to compromise. Because only in understanding the truth can we truly be free. But what is the truth? Where is it? The Bible tells the story of truth, the Old Testament laid the foundation for truth, the New Testament explains the truth, and the gospel is the message of truth. But none of it is the truth, but only Jesus Christ Himself. It is not His teachings, but His very person. Truth is a life, the fountainhead of life. Truth is love, the heart of Christ.

What says the heart of Christ to us? He says, "I love you, I have already forgiven you completely. I washed you clean with my blood, and will never rebuke you. I believe, living in me, you will love me, follow me, depend on me. I will wait for you, and will never leave you." Amen

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James