玛拉基的信息中,百姓对神不忠心,是导致他们与神疏离的先兆。这段经文预料,当炼净者到来时,百姓的心将会回转,他们的献祭也能再次得到神的喜悦。
基督教其中一个似乎自相矛盾的道理,就是我们回转向神的那一刻,也是我们明白自己大大得罪了神的时候——这正是圣灵工作的记号。当神责备我们时,我们不会以骄傲、狡辩,或悖逆来回应衪,我们反而会谦卑、自责,和悔改。我们谦恭祈求神的赦免,又以感恩的心期待与基督建立新的关系。
在这过程中,我们再一次看到神对我们奇妙的大爱。在衪面前,我们是有罪的,没有任何狡辩或借口可抵赖,我们罪有应得,要承受神决定的任何刑罚。然而神选择完全不惩罚我们!我们已认识人生最宝贵的一课——我们需要亲近这位多么爱我们的神!这是祂最想我们做到的。除此以外,衪对我们别无所求,没有任何惩罚,不用偿还我们曾经失去、偷取,或破坏了的东西,也不必为我们过去带来的忧伤而赔罪,衪毫无条件地赦免了我们。这时,我们知道,我们的“献祭”已经改变,成为从心里发出的感恩了。
亲爱的耶稣,我在思想、言语,和行为上都犯了罪。我的主和救主,求祢赦免我和洁净我,又帮助我过感恩和事奉祢的生活。奉祢的名祈求,阿们。
玛拉基书 3:3-4
3他必坐下如炼净银子的,必洁净利未人,熬炼他们像金银一样;他们就凭公义献供物给耶和华。"Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD." — Malachi 3:3-4
Throughout Malachi's message, the people's lack of commitment has been a telltale sign of the distance between them and God. These verses predict that when the refiner comes, the people's hearts will return to God and their sacrifices will again please him.
It is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity that we turn to God at the same moment that we realize how much we've offended him. This is a sign of the Holy Spirit's work. Rather than responding to God's chastisement with pride, defensiveness, or rebellion, we instead respond with humility, remorse, and repentance. We humbly ask for God's forgiveness and gratefully look forward to the beginning of a relationship with Christ.
In all this we again see the Lord's amazing love for us. We stand before him admittedly guilty, without any defense or excuse, and deserving of whatever punishment God should choose. And God chooses not to punish us at all! We have learned our lesson—that we need to be close to him who loves us most. And that's all he wants of us. No retribution, no paying back what we lost, stole, or broke, no making amends for all the grief we have caused. He simply forgives us. We find at that point that our "sacrifices" are transformed into offerings of gratitude from the heart.
Dear Jesus, I have sinned in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive and cleanse me, Lord and Savior. Help me live a life of gratitude and service to you. In your name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳