Unit 2: Ephesians，Session 8
Title: "演變的恩典Transforming Grace" 4/21/2019
經文Scriptures：以弗所書Ephesians 2:1-10; 3:14-21
Worldwide Outreach Teaching School 賴美滿 校長
https://www.WorldwideOTS.org
前言PREFACE: 這信息有關 “恩典”是上帝甚至於在我們未信主之前顯示。傳統上有個名詞:
“先前的恩典”恩典在得救之前。“先前的恩典”意旨上帝在世間工作，在大家還未相信上帝前祂設計為世人工作，所以“演變恩典”是祂隨時能供應所有信主者之恩典。Today’s passage talks about the grace God shows us before we even become
believers. We have a name of that in our
tradition: Prevenient Grace, or the grace that ‘goes before” salvation. Prevenient Grace means God is at work in the world, drawing
all people to himself before they come to faith. And the transforming grace
of God is available and at work in all believers.
上週Last Week：我們看到耶穌復活的大能如何也能應驗在我們身上。 We discovered how the same power
that raised Jesus from the dead can be at work in us.
這週This Week：我們將看到如何透過耶穌死又復活的大能，我們能經驗上帝的恩典、和已演變我們的生命。
We will see how through
Jesus death and resurrection, we can experience
God’s grace and a transformed life.
1. Natural - Born Sinners: 經文 Scriptures reading: 以弗所書Ephesians
2:1-3
1. 你們死在過犯罪惡之中、祂叫你們活過來．2. 那時、你們在其中行事為人隨從今世的風俗、順服空中掌權者的首領、就是現今在悖逆之子心中運行的邪靈．3. 我們從前也都在他們中間、放縱肉體的私慾、隨著肉體和心中所喜好的去行、本為可怒之子、和別人一樣．
Ephesians 2:1-3, 1. As for you, you were
dead in your transgressions and sins, 2. in which you used to
live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom
of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3. All of us also lived
among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath.
解經: 人類有自然的專心於自我中心的、自然
自私的 、放縱自己的自身之利益。如果我 們聽過耶穌的道、領了祂的教、學了祂的真理、就要脫去 - 我們從前行為上的舊人．這舊人是因私慾的迷惑、漸漸變壞的人 (以弗所書
4:21,22)。 但我們不是無知的犧牲人，是我們自選反對上帝，是我們轉背上帝，而去跟隨那缺乏自信、和愚蠺的自己，結果是自作自受。
Commentary: Human beings are naturally predisposed to be self-absorbed,
self-centered, and self-indulgent. Surely we heard of Him and were taught in
Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were
taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which
is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; We are
easily deceived to imagine that pursuing our own desires will fulfill us. We attempt to run
our own lives, only to become slaves of unworthy masters. (4:21, 22). But we are not innocent victims. We chose to live as rebels. We
turned our backs on God to follow self-destructive and irrational desires. As a
result, we suffered the consequences.
2. 得救本乎恩By Grace We have been saved : 經文 Scriptures: 以弗所書
Ephesians 2:4-7,
4. 然而 神既有豐富的憐憫．因他愛我們的大愛、5. 當我們死在過犯中的時候、便叫我 們與基督一同活過來．（你們得救是本乎恩）6. 他又叫我們與基督耶穌一同復活、一同坐在天上、7. 要將他極豐富的恩典、就是他在基督耶穌裡向我們所施的恩慈、顯明給後來的世代看．
4. But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
6. And God raised us up with
Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7.in order that in
the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in
his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
解經載自靈修版第521頁;
2:4, 5: 保羅提到我們舊日的罪，這裏保羅強調我們不需要再活在罪惡的底下。罪的刑罰和轄制，已被十字架的基督毀滅了，藉著相信基督，我們可以在上帝面前被宣告無罪(羅馬3:21-22)。但有時我們仍會犯罪，不同的是信主前我們死在罪中，是罪之奴僕，但如今我們與基督一銅活過來了 (參考加拉太書 2:20 -
我已經與基督同釘十架．現在活著的、不再是我、乃是基督在我裡面活著．並且我如今在肉身活著、是因信 神的兒子而活、他是愛我、為我捨己)。
Commentary from N.I.V. Ephesians,
p. 2530, Ephesians 2:4, 5: In the previous verses Paul
wrote about our old sinful nature (2:1-3). Here Paul emphasizes that we do not
need to live any longer under sin’s power. The penalty of sin and its power
over us were miraculously destroyed by Christ on the cross. Through faith in
Christ we stand acquitted or not guilty, before God (Romans 3:21, 22) God does
not take us out of the world or make us robots- we will still feel like
sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we became
Christians, we were dead in sin and were slaves to our sinful nature. But now
we are alive with Christ (see also Galatians 2:20 -I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
解經Commentary : N.I.V.2:6, 因為基督之復活，我們知道今天上帝賜給我們力量，過基督徒的生活(1:19) ，將來我們的身體也會從死裡復活(參林前15:2-23)，這些意念跟 “與基督在天上同坐王” 的意象結合; 我們在基督的勝利中合一，就能肯定有與基督同在的永生。
Because
of Christ’s resurrection, we know that our bodies will also be raised from
the dead (1 Corinthians 15:2-23) and that we have been given the power to
live as Christians now (1:19). These ideas are combined in Paul’s image of
sitting with Christ in “the heavenly realms”
3 得救靠神恩、行善報主恩: 經文 Scriptures: 以弗所書Ephesians 2:8-10,
8. 你們得救是本乎恩、也因著信、這並不是出於自己、乃是 神所賜的．
9. 也不是出於行為、免得有人自誇。10. 我們原是他的工作、在基督耶穌裡造成的、為要叫我們行善、就是 神所豫備叫我們行的。
8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by
works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
解經Commentary : N.I.V p.25312:8-10載自靈修版, 以弗所書521頁;
我們成為基督徒，是因這上帝無盡的恩典，為了對這白白得來的禮物表示感激，我們要以恩慈、愛心、溫柔迪態度去幫助和服侍別人，我們的得救，不僅是為了自己的好處，也是為了榮神益人，建立教會 (以4:12)。
We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace,
not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service
on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift, we will seek to help
and serve others with free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with
kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. While no
action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our
salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our
own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12).
4 結論Conclusion: 今天，復活節，我們慶祝耶穌的死裏復活，這造成得救(SALVATION)之可能。我們經過信心被救的恩點 ，在這復活節的禮拜天 ，讓我們很慎重的讀經文。
人類本是以最壞的結局 "死在罪惡中" 但因上帝的無窮的愛救贖了我們， 這困境已經過去。(SALVATION) 救贖是我們接受 這禮物，我們的回應這恩典，是必專心服事祂。Today, Easter, we celebrate the death and
resurrection of Jesus which makes salvation possible. We are saved by grace
through faith. On this Easter Sunday, may we take seriously the message of the GOSPEL. It is while
humanity is in the worst imaginable state, “dead in…transgressions and sins,”
that God loves and redeems us. The struggle is over. Salvation is ours to
accept as a gift. Our response to grace must be a life lived in devoted service
to Him.
演變的恩典Transforming Grace
