報復比恩典更甜蜜 / Vengeance sweeter than grace

I suspect many who hold without doubt to the doctrine of hell and eternal torment of unspeakable pain and agony is not that they believe God can't forgive even the sin of unbelief, but they themselves won't.

我猜想那些堅決強調地獄的教條，

讓還未信主的人永遠遭受到不能形容的痛苦，求生不得，求死不能，他們不是不相信神不能原諒不信的罪，而是他們自己心中不願意。

They cannot forgive the hard of hearts because they have not tasted of themselves (by the revelation of grace) the sacrificial death Christ had made in overlooking every trespass. In their minds justice still needs to be served, and in their hearts punishment is still deserved.

他們不能原諒鋼硬頑固的人，因為他們本身還未嚐到 (由恩典的啟示) 耶穌為了赦免一切的過犯，那般自我犧牲的願意。在他們的理念中，公義還是必須要爭取的，和在他們的心裏，罪的懲罰還是應得的。

But the clear message on the cross is this: No sin escapes the wrath of God, yet no sin is imputed to the sinner, for the lamb of God has taken all the fiery judgment of His wrath.

但是在十字架上，清清楚楚的信息是這樣: 沒有一項罪可以逃過神的憤怒，然而沒有一項罪將會估算在罪人身上，因為神的羔羊已經替受了一切神的烈火審判。

In God's love, grace has already swallowed up the justice that still rages in man's mind and and burns in his heart -- against his own brothers.

在神的愛，恩典已經吞滅了那還狂奔在人的意念與燃燒在他心中的公義 -- 敵對著他自己的弟兄。

But God says, "Forgive, for I have forgiven you; love, because I first loved you."

神卻說，"原諒，因為我已經原諒了你; 愛，因為我先愛了你。"

I have heard a minister admit that "Sometimes in a believer's sinfulness vengeance is sweeter than grace." I ask, what is more vengeful than the doctrine of hell?

我聽過牧師感嘆的說，"有時在信徒的罪性，報復還比恩典更為甜蜜。" 我問，有什麼還比地獄的教義更懷報復的心?

Only those who still do not accept the total forgiveness of grace find vengeance sweet, and project such sense of self-righteous justice upon the hands of God to carry out the measure of man's own wrath.

只有那些還沒有接受在恩典裏那完全的赦免，才會感覺復仇是甜蜜的，而把這自我的正義投射在神的手上，為了判刑出那份屬於人心的憤怒。

When we were nailed to the cross with Christ in repentance of sins, it was not just that our old nature of flesh that died but -- ever more important -- the new nature of spirit that lives in the rebirth of soul. And that spirit is of God's total love and forgiveness -- grace.

當我們悔改而與基督同釘十字架的時候，並不是只有我們的肉體老我死了，更重要的是，我們已經重新誕生在新的屬靈生命。在這新生命裡，這靈就是有了神完全的愛與赦免 -- 恩典。

Therefore in moments of our righteous yet unforgivng anger we live no more under grace that gave us new life in Christ. When we forget how loved and forgiven by not being under the constant washing of grace the flesh once again takes over the soul; and in living by the law of obedience we become blinded by the veil of justice against man.

所以，如果還處在雖然有正義，但不願原諒的憤怒時候，我們就不是活在耶穌生命裡的恩典。當我們因沒有活在恩典時時的灌溉而忘了神有多麼的愛著和原諒了我們，肉體將會再一次霸佔靈魂，而被遵守律法的公義心態遮住眼睛，對人不放棄審判。

For truly, unforgiveness and punishment is often justified and fair for the offense committed against man and God, but a heart of law cannot rise above justice to forgive. Only a heart of grace can and will. Mercy and grace is patently unfair for the giver -- just look upon the cross and be reminded what a spirit of love looks like and lives for.

說實在的，正義的不赦免與懲罰常是公平的，而且對人和對神所犯的罪多半也不是無辜的; 神的公義不會判錯人。只是，一個懷抱律法的心，流不出誠懇的原諒。而只有一顆屬恩典的心會願意做也做的到。憐憫與恩典本來就是對那付出的人不公平 -- 我們只需望著十字架就會看到愛的形象，和祂是為了什麼而活。

So when justice is on the mind, forgiveness lives not in the heart. God already satisfied the bloody vengeance of His justice upon the body of His only begotten son; justice now lives inside grace who took all our punishment.

所以，只要公義還在一人的信仰上，他的心中就沒有原諒。神已經將公義的報復燒燼在祂的獨生子的身上; 如今，公義只是活在接受了我們所有應得懲罰的恩典。 

By one sacrifice of Christ God is righteous in making sinners righteous, for justice is no more in searching out man's every last sin, but evermore in forgiving man from the depth of His heart. Justice now lives inside grace to guarantee our being forgiven, and never the executioner of punishment!

由耶穌一次的犧牲，神的正義就是將罪人提為正義的，因燃燒過的公義已經不再追尋人的一切罪惡，而是永久在神心中賜予人的赦免。公義現今活在恩典裡，作為原諒我們的保證，永遠不作懲罰罪的劊子手。

God now extends to us His nail-scarred hands of that very grace and asks, "Won't you join me, and be as one?"

神的恩典伸出祂留著釘痕的雙手，問我們，“要不要跟我來，合而為一？”

Amen