796 英翻中 (496) We are saved “by grace, through faith” (Eph. 2:8–9). 我们得救是 “本乎恩，也因着信”（弗 2:8-9） 12/07/2024796 英翻中 (496) The Rich spiritual wealth. 豐盛的屬靈财富. 12/07/2024

 796 英翻中 (496)

We Christians need power for several reasons. To begin with, by nature we are too weak to appreciate and appropriate this wealth, and to use it as it should be used. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). To turn this vast spiritual wealth over to a mere human being, living by human wisdom and strength, would be like handing an atomic bomb to a two-year-old. God’s power enables us to use God’s wealth.

我们基督徒需要上帝的大能有几个原因。首先，我们的本性太弱，无法感受和運作这些财富，也无法按照適當應該使用的方式運用它。 “你們的心灵固然愿意，肉体却软弱了”（太  26:41）。将这巨大的屬靈财富交给单纯的人，靠人的智慧和力量生活，就像把原子弹交给两岁的孩子。上帝的大能使我们能够運用祂所賜的财富。

But there is a second reason why we need God’s power. There are enemies who want to rob us of our wealth (Eph. 1:21; 6:11–12). We could never defeat these spiritual foes in our own power, but we can through the Spirit’s power. Paul wanted us to know the greatness of God’s power so that we would not fail to use our wealth, and so that the enemy would not deprive us of our wealth.           

第二个需要上帝大能的原因是有些敌人想要抢夺我们的财富（弗  1:21；6:11-12）。我们永远无法靠自己的力量打败这些属灵的敌人，但藉由圣灵的大能可以打敗。保罗要我们认识上帝的大能，使我们不至于誤用财富，也不至于让仇敌剥夺我们的财富。

 

The power is seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament people measured God’s power by His creation (Isa. 40:12–27) or by His miracle at the exodus of Israel from Egypt (Jer. 16:14). But today, we measure God’s power by the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Much more was involved than merely raising Him from the dead, for Christ also ascended to heaven and sat down in the place of authority at the right hand of God. He is not only Savior; He is also Sovereign (Acts 2:25–36). No authority or power, human or in the spirit world, is greater than that of Jesus Christ, the exalted Son of God. He is “far above all,” and no future enemy can overcome Him, because He has been exalted “far above all” powers.

从耶稣基督的复活可以看出上帝的大能。在旧约中，人们藉由祂的创造（赛   40:12-27）或祂在以色列出埃及时所行的神迹（耶  16:14）来衡量祂的大能。但現今我们以基督复活的神迹来衡量上帝的大能。所涉及的不仅仅是让祂从死里复活，因为基督已升天并坐在上帝右边的权威寶座上。祂不仅是救主；也是至高无上的君王（徒  2：25-36）。没有任何权威或力量，无论是屬人的，还是灵界的，都不能比上帝崇高的儿子耶稣基督的权威或大能更高大。祂 “超越所有”，没有將来的敌人可以胜过祂，因为祂已经被高举 “远高過一切” 的力量。

 

But how does this apply to you and me today? In Ephesians 1:22–23, Paul explained the practical application. Because we are believers, we are in the church, which is Christ’s body—and He is the Head. This means that there is a living connection between you and Christ. Physically speaking, the head controls the body and keeps the body functioning properly. Injure certain parts of the brain and you handicap or paralyze corresponding parts of the body. Christ is our spiritual Head. Through the Spirit, we are united to Him as the members of His body. This means that we share His resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. (Paul will amplify this later.) We too are seated in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6), and all things are under our feet.

但这教義如何适用于今天的你和我？ 在以弗所书 1章22-23兩節中，保罗解释了实际的应用。因为我们是信徒，所以在教会里，教会是基督的身体 — 祂是元首。这意味着你和基督之间有活生生的联系。从生理上讲，头部控制身体并保持身体正常运作。若大脑的某些部位受伤，它就会使你身体的相应部位残疾或瘫痪。基督是我们属灵的元首。我们藉由圣灵作为祂身体的肢体与祂联合。这意味着我们分享祂的复活、升天和高舉。 （保罗将在后面详述这一論点。）我们也坐在天上（弗  2:6），万物都在我们脚下。

 

No wonder Paul wants us to know “the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward”! Apart from this power, we cannot draw on our great wealth in Christ.

难怪保罗要我们知道 “对我们這信基督的人，祂無窮的大能是何等的大”！ 没有祂的大能，我们就无法取用我们在基督里的巨大财富。

 

I recall going to the hospital with one of our church members to try to get her husband to sign a paper that would authorize her to draw on his private checking account so she could pay his bills. The man was so weak he could not sign the paper. She finally had to get witnesses to verify his “X” on the document. His weakness nearly deprived her of his wealth.

還记得我和我们教会的一直位教友一起去医院，试图让她的丈夫签署一份文件，授权她从他的私人支票账户上取款，这样她就可以支付他的账单。那人太虚弱了，无法在文件上签名。她最终不得不让证人核实他在文件上的 “X”。他的软弱几乎剥夺了她的财富。

 

The power of the Holy Spirit, through the resurrected, ascended Christ, is available to all Christians—by faith. His power is to “us-ward who believe” (Eph. 1:19). It is grace that supplies the wealth, but it is faith that lays hold of the wealth. We are saved “by grace, through faith” (Eph. 2:8–9), and we live “by grace,” through faith (1 Cor. 15:10).

圣灵的大能，藉由复活升天的基督，所有基督徒凭着信心都可取用。祂的大能是針對 “我们这信的人”（弗  1:19）。賜予财富是恩典，但憑信心保守财富。我们得救是 “本乎恩，也因着信”（弗  2:8-9），我们也因憑着信，而 “本乎恩” 的活著（林前  15:10）。

 

In the four gospels, we see God’s power at work in the ministry of Jesus Christ, but in the book of Acts, we see that same power at work in ordinary men and women, members of the body of Christ. What a transformation took place in Peter’s life between the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts. What made the difference? The resurrection power of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).

在四福音书卷中，我们看到上帝的大能在耶稣基督的事工中所发挥的作用，但在使徒行传中，又看到同样的大能在一般男人和女人身上，即基督身体的肢体中发挥作用。在福音書结束和使徒行传开始之间，彼得的生活发生了多麼大的转变。是什么能力造成的不同？  是耶稣基督复活的大能（徒  1:8）。

The greatest power shortage today is not in our generators or our gas tanks. It is in our personal lives. Will Paul’s prayer be answered in your life? Will you, starting today, begin to know by experience God— God’s calling—God’s riches—and God’s power?                                                 今日最大的能力的短缺，不是因為我们的发电机不運轉，或我们的油箱缺油。是因為我们的个人生活。保罗向上帝的祈求，会在你的生命中得到回答吗？  你願從今天開始決心藉由 — 經歷上帝 — 上帝的呼召 — 上帝的豐盛 — 和上帝的大能，要去知道這回答嗎?