9.4  When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He freeth him from his natural bondage under sin;1 and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;2 yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.3

 

1 Col. 1:13; Jn 8:34, 36; 2 Phil. 2:13; Rom 6:18, 22;  3 Gal 5:17; Rom 7:15, 18–19, 21, 23.

 

在之前一节，我们承认了在罪的状态中，我们的本性便是”死在过犯罪恶中”。感谢上帝，这并不是故事的结局。以上帝所赐的白白的救赎，通过基督的死与复活，并以圣灵的力量帮助，我们通过重生或回转被迁移进恩典的状态中；圣经称此过程为属灵的复活 —— 真正地从罪的捆绑中被释放，从死里复活并凭义服侍上帝（约8:34、36；罗6:13、18、22）。有基督复活的大能行在他心里，信徒的意志现在是posse non peccare，就是说有能力不犯罪——又一次能够拒绝罪，并选择喜悦上帝的事。确实，你目前的身份是上帝实在的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善（弗1:19—2:10；腓2:13）！

In the previous paragraph, we confessed how, in the state of sin, we are all by nature “dead in trespasses and sins.” Thankfully, that is not the end of the story. By God’s free gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been translated into the state of grace by our regeneration or conversion, which the Bible describes as a spiritual resurrection—being truly set free from our previous bondage to sin and made alive again to serve God in righteousness (John 8:34, 36; Rom. 6: 13, 18, 22). Having the power of Christ’s resurrection working in him, the believer’s will is now posse non peccare—able again to refuse to sin and to choose instead what is pleasing to God. Indeed, your present identity is that of the very workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph. 1:19–2:10; Phi. 2:13)!

 

但这也表明了信徒的罪比非信徒的更无可推诿，因为我们有避免它们的能力。基督徒犯罪的话，以”我不能控制住!“作为借口是不被允许的。如果你由圣灵重生，并重造于基督祂自己圣洁与正义的形象之中，你一定是可以控制住的!上帝说祂已经”将一切关乎生命和虔敬的事赐给我们”（彼后1:13）。

But this also means that the sins of believers are even less excusable than those of unbelievers, since we have every ability to do otherwise. Christians are no longer allowed to say “I can’t help it!” when they sin. If you are born again of the Holy Spirit and recreated in the image of Christ’s own holiness and righteousness, you certainly can help it! God says that he has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

 

但是，上帝凭祂的智慧也选择了不去消除所有的败坏，反之，当我们还在这会死的肉体之中时，允许它们残留于我们之中，以至于我们最好的意愿和行为还是与罪所混合的。在我们之中好像是有两个不同而互相冲突性情在交战，情欲反对圣灵，圣灵反对情欲。（加5:7；罗7:15—23）基督徒是可能作出正确的选择，但这并不容易。如果一个人要抵抗魔鬼，世界，和肉体，随性的态度是不行的。不犯罪的选择不仅仅是理智上的，而需要所谓完全的”意志力”。即使是每天把肉体连肉体的邪情私欲同钉在十字架上也不为过。（加5:24；西3:5）这过程将是无比的痛苦。但凭着上帝的恩典和胜过世界的信心，真正的信徒会与残留内住的罪作战，直到荣耀的一天当他获得完全的胜利；因为上帝在我们心里动了善工，也必成全这工。（腓1:6）

And yet, God in his wisdom has also chosen not to erase every trace of corruption, but to allow some of it to remain in us as long as we are in this mortal body, such that even our best desires and deeds are all still mixed with sin. There are, as it were, two conflicting natures at war within us, the flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh (Gal 5:7; Rom. 7:15–23). Doing right is possible to the Christian, but it will not come easily. There can be no laidback attitude if one is to resist the devil, the world, and the flesh. The choice to not sin is not a merely intellectual one, but one that will take all the “strength of the will”, so to speak. It will take nothing less than the daily putting to death and crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24; Col. 3:5). It will be agonizingly painful. But by God’s grace and through the faith which overcomes the world, the true believer will battle against indwelling sin until the day of glory when he gains the full victory over it, as God will certainly bring to completion the good work he began in us (Phi. 1:6).

 

所以，当我们做这令人警醒的忏悔时，花些时间反思你有没有好好打这属灵的仗，这是你一生中最紧急而重要的责任。你这一周中做的选择有没有反映一位已经与基督一同升起，凭圣灵而行，并愿意喜悦上帝而非自己情欲的人的新生活? “你们若顺从肉体活着，必要死；若靠着圣灵治死身体的恶行，必要活着。”（罗:13） 但是，如果上帝的确在你们心里运行，为要成就祂的美意，那么感谢并赞美主，因为这显然是你救赎的证据。（腓2:13）

As we make this sobering confession then, take time to reflect upon how you have or have not been fighting this spiritual battle which is your most urgent and most important duty in this life. Do your choices this past week reflect the newness of life of one who has been raised again with Christ, who walks by the Spirit, and desires to please God and not the flesh? “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom 8:13). But give thanks and praises to the Lord if he has indeed been working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, which is a clear evidence of your salvation (Phi. 2:13).

 

中文譯者： 何恩杰，刘行
來源： Westminster Confession of Faith — With Brief Pastoral Comments  

2020 © Pilgrim Covenant Church