8月15日

標 題：勝過罪

經 節：因信耶穌基督加給一切相信的人，並沒有分別。因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了神的榮耀；如今卻蒙神的恩典，因基督耶穌的救贖，就白白地稱義。神設立耶穌作挽回祭，是憑著耶穌的血，藉著人的信，要顯明神的義；因為祂用忍耐的心寬容人先時所犯的罪，好在今時顯明祂的義，使人知道祂自己為義，也稱信耶穌的人為義。（羅馬書三章22下∼26節）

因為罪的緣故，亞當和夏娃虧缺了神當初在他們身上完美的創造。因為罪的緣故，以色列人棄絕成為神聖潔國度的榮耀，這是他們原本可以享有的體驗。因為罪，猶大失去成為耶穌基督使徒的其中一員。罪會腐化你生活中每個層面，使你無法完成在結婚之初的許諾，使你在身為父母、教會一員、敬拜者和朋友的角色上有虧欠。你生活中每個層面，都很容易受罪腐蝕的影響。

救恩的奇妙之處在于神完全處理了罪的問題。祂做了我們所做不到的事。因著基督的犧牲，我們蒙受神的恩典，得到救恩，使罪的刑罰都被取消。因著神的恩典，祂使一條虧缺神榮耀的生命有了意義。祂提供一個機會，就是我們若認自己的罪，神必要洗淨我們一切的不義（約翰一書一：9）。祂修補一顆破碎的心。祂的恩典消除憤怒與苦毒。祂使一個被罪蹂躪的生命完整無缺。祂使我們的失敗變成美好的事情。

只有神才能醫治罪的蹂躪。只有祂能夠成為祂的榮耀與你罪之間的橋樑（羅馬書三：23）。你一定要相信祂。如果你請求祂，祂會把你由罪的捆綁中釋放出來，再次創建你與祂的關係，恢復你成為完全。

Victory over Sin

For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:22b-26)

Because of sin, Adam and Eve fell short of the perfection God intended for them. Because of sin, the Israelites relinquished the glory they could have experienced as God’s holy nation. Because of sin, Judas fell short of the opportunity to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. Sin will corrupt every area of your life that it touches. Sin will cause your marriage to fall short of the promise it held in the beginning. Sin will cause you to fall short as a parent, a church member, a worshiper, or a friend. Every area in your life is susceptible to sin’s destruction. The wonder of salvation is that God completely dealt with sin. He did what we could not do. Through Christ’s sacrifice, God, by His grace, offered His salvation and canceled the penalty of our sin. By His grace, He takes a life that has fallen short of God’s best and gives it meaning. He provides the opportunity to immediately confess our sin and to be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He mends a broken heart. His grace erases anger and bitterness. He restores severed relationships. He takes a life devastated by sin and makes it whole. He takes our failures and produces something good. Only God can heal sin’s devastation. Only He can bridge the gap between His glory and your sin (Rom. 3:23). You must trust Him to do so. If you will ask Him, He will free you from the of your sin, reestablish your relationship with Him, and restore you to wholeness.