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2022 年 4 月 2 日／3 日 Click here for English 苦困環繞 如此我信
周曉暉牧師
在苦困環繞之際，至親的生命驟然逝去，叫人悲痛不已。 約翰福音十一章記載，馬大的兄弟拉撒路病故，到了安葬後的第四天，耶穌才來到。面對著馬大，主說：「復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人雖然死了，也必復活；凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。」接著還問她：「你信這話嗎？」（25-26 節） 馬大如此回答耶穌：「主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是神的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。」（27 節）在這傷心地，馬大宣認她一直相信的內容，她「信」了，現在仍如此「信」。我們所信的，斷不會與環境際遇分割開來；反而，環境際遇煉淨我們，顯露出信心的真偽。馬大如此認信，後來亦確實經歷了上帝的大能。 希伯來書十一章 1 節說：「信就是對所盼望的事的把握，是看不見之事的明證。」（新譯本）對於「信」，有兩點要說明： 第一，所「信」的內容是有著實證。從過去到現在已發生的事，成為了明確的證據。就好像一位爸爸，生日時收到年幼孩子畫的生日咭，上面寫著：多謝爸爸的愛，還多謝爸爸天天送他上學，又在假日陪他玩。對這孩子來說，過去到現在爸爸所作的是愛的明證。我們能「信」，是因有確實的證據。 第二，「信」是對將來事情的實現有著把握。神應許將來的事一定會發生，不是空談。對神所應許的事，世人會以機率和可能性作衡量，但我們須明白，重點並不在於那件事能否實現，卻在於由誰實現那事。即是說，信就是對所期盼的事的到來有把握。那些在主裡睡了的人將來必定復活，關鍵全在於那位能令事情實現的神。 聖經一直鋪陳和敘述這些明證和必能實現的應許，這一切成為了我們所「信」的內容。今天耳熟能詳的《使徒信經》，就是早期教會在面對內外挑戰和衝擊的時候，極力把所「信」的重要內容概括撮寫，好讓信徒能牢記基督教會的信仰準繩和要理。 這一季的講壇，將會藉著經文選段反思《使徒信經》。信經各點的宣講，是因應這一年的受苦節、聖週六、復活節、基督升天日、聖靈降臨主日作編排，故其次序會與背誦時的內容有些不同，但信經中的每一句，皆會論及。 甚願歷代基督教會共同接納的基本信仰綱要，幫助我們在苦困環繞之際再次宣認：主啊，我信！ Pastor's Sharing This I Believe amid Calamities Rev Arnold Chow Amid calamities and when loved ones pass away, how can one not deeply grieve? It is recorded in John 11 that Martha’s brother Lazarus was dead and had already been in the tomb for four days when Jesus arrived. Facing Martha, the Lord said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." Then He asked her, “Do you believe this?" (vv. 25-26) Martha replied Jesus, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." (v. 27) Heartbroken, Martha nevertheless confessed the content of the faith she had always had. She “believed,” and she still “believed.” What we believe is not separated from our environment or circumstances. On the contrary, what befalls us refines us and reveals whether our faith is genuine. Martha confessed her faith and later did experience God’s mighty power. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." About "faith," there are two points I would like to expound on: First, there is solid evidence for the content of our "faith." What happened in the past and the present is clear evidence. It is like a birthday card a father receives from his young child on which is written: Thank you, dad, for your love. Thank you for taking me to school every day and for playing with me during the holidays. For this child, what dad has done for him from the past to the present is proof of his dad’s love. We can “believe” because there is solid evidence. Second, "faith" is assurance about what will happen in the future. What God promises about the future is not empty talk but will certainly happen. When it comes to God's promises, the world may consider them by probability or likelihood. But we must understand that whether something can be realized is not the focus but rather who will make it happen. That is to say, faith is confidence in the realization of what we hope for. So those who have fallen asleep in the Lord will surely resurrect in the future. It is all because of God who can make it happen. The Bible describes and narrates evidence and promises that will surely come true, and these become the content of our "faith." The "Apostles' Creed" familiar to many today is what the early church, when faced with challenges and attacks from within and without, wrote down as best they could to capture the essence of the "faith" to enable believers to firmly grasp the foundations and truths of the faith of the Christian church. In our sermons for this quarter, we will reflect on the Apostles' Creed through selected passages in the Scripture. The passages are arranged according to this year's Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost Sunday. So, the order will not be the same as what we read in the Apostles’ Creed but every line of the creed will be covered. It is my hope that the core doctrines of faith accepted by the Christian church down the ages will help us, amid calamities, to once again confess our faith: Lord, I believe! |