14.1 信心的恩德是基督之灵在选民心里的工作1，使他们能够信而得救2，这信心通常是藉着听道而成3，并藉着圣道的宣讲、圣礼的施行和祈祷，得以增加并巩固4。
1林后4:13；弗1:17 19；2:8；2来10:39；3罗10:14，17；4彼前2:2；徒20:32；罗4:11；路17:5；罗1:16，17
14.1 The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls,1 is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,2 and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word,3 by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.4
1 Heb 10:39; 2 2 Cor 4:13; Eph 1:17–19; 2:8; 3 Rom 10:14, 17; 4 1 Pet 2:2; Acts 20:32; Rom 4:11; Lk 17:5; Rom 1:16–17.
得救的信心可以被定义为：全心全意地接受圣经作为上帝的话语，特别是关于基督之位格与工作的事实。显然，不是世界上所有人都有这样的信心。我们便可以如此问道：信心从何而来？它源自于人还是上帝？
Saving faith may be defined in terms of wholehearted acceptance of the Bible as the Word of God and especially of those truths relating to the person and work of Christ. It is clear that not all people in this world have this faith. The question we may ask is: Where does this faith come from? Does it originate from man or from God?
我们的信条回答了这个问题，将信心定义为选民心中上帝的恩典与圣灵的工作。在以弗所书2:8中，使徒保罗明确地解释信心是与恩典相连的：“你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信。这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；”
Our confession answers this question by speaking of faith in terms of God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the elect. In Ephesians 2:8, the apostle Paul explicitly connects grace with faith when he writes, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
得救的信心源自于上帝，是上帝的恩赐。它不是堕落的人类可以自行产生的，因为他们属灵上是死的。没有圣灵在一个人心中有权动工，他/她根本不会以得救的信心来相信。而且，圣灵只会在上帝从永恒中拣选之人的心中施行这救赎之工。
Saving faith originates from God and is a gift of God’s grace. It is not something that fallen human beings can produce of themselves since they are all spiritually dead. Without the Spirit’s powerful work in the heart of a person, he or she will never believe with a saving faith. And the Holy Spirit will do this saving work only in the hearts of the elect or those whom God has chosen from all eternity.
我们的信条继续告诉我们，这得救的信心通常是借着圣言这一蒙恩之道形成的。上帝不仅拣选了将得救的人，而且祂也选择了他们被救的途径，即是圣言的传道。使徒保罗又一次写道：“然而，人未曾信他，怎能求他呢？未曾听见他，怎能信他呢？没有传道的，怎能听见呢？……可见信道是从听道来的，听道是从基督的话来的。”
Our Confession goes on to tell us that this saving faith is ordinarily produced through the ministry of the Word. God has not only chosen the people who would be saved but He has also chosen the means by which they will be saved, namely, the preaching of His Word. Again quoting the apostle Paul, who wrote, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?… So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:14, 17)
在通常情况下，我们若轻视听道，就不能指望被得救。不仅如此，传道也是上帝增加并增强祂子民的信心的一种蒙恩之道，另外两种蒙恩之道便是圣礼与祷告。
Under ordinary circumstances, we cannot expect to be saved if we neglect to hear the preaching of the Word. Furthermore, preaching is also the ordinary means by which God increases and strengthens the faith of His people, together with the two other means of grace, namely, the sacraments and prayer.
如果我们想得救，并想增强我们的信心，我们便应当经常使用这些上帝设立的方式，即使我们有时并不想这样做，或者觉得它们没有意义。记得乃缦原本拒绝按照上帝制定的方式清洗，因为他觉得亚兰的河比约旦河更好。后来，当他的使者说服他去按照他被吩咐的方式，他便这样做了，并且完全被洁净。愿我们也能按照上帝所指定的方式来接受并增长信心，并得到祂丰富的祝福。
If we desire to be saved and to have our faith strengthened, then we should regularly attend to these God appointed means, even when we do not feel like doing so or see the point of them. Remember Naaman, who initially refused to follow God’s appointed way for cleansing because he felt that the Syrian rivers were superior to the river Jordan. Later, when his servants persuaded him to do as he had been instructed, he went and was thoroughly cleansed. May we too follow in God’s appointed way for receiving and growing in faith, and be richly blessed by Him.
原文作者： 林集章 、蔡林斯 、欧阳效正
中文譯者： 何恩杰，刘行
來源： Westminster Confession of Faith — With Brief Pastoral Comments
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