1. Hello listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好。
2. We are delighted that you tuned in to listen to this broadcast.
很高兴你今天收听我们的节目。
3. If you are joining us for the first time,
如果你是第一次收听，
4. we are just starting a series of broadcasts on the awesome character of God’s grace.
我们刚刚开始新一系列的信息，有关于神恩典的奇妙。
5. Last time we learned that God is eternal . . . but His grace is not.
上次我们谈到，神是永恒的，但祂的恩典却不是。
6. There is a time coming,
当时候到了，
7. when the grace of God will be withdrawn.
神的恩典便会撤回。
8. There is a time coming,
当时候到了，
9. when we will have to face God’s judgment of our lives.
我们必须面对神的审判。
10. Therefore, we must receive God’s grace while it can be found.
所以，我们必须在仍然可以寻求的时候，接受神的恩典。
11. In the last broadcast, we left off with Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the one and only forbidden tree.
上次，我们也讲到亚当和夏娃吃了禁果。
12. Everything in the world was theirs except the fruit from one tree.
世界上一切都是属于他们的，惟独那一棵树上的果子。
13. So, what did they do?
但是，他们做了什么呢？
14. They ate from that tree!
他们吃了那禁果。
15. And they started the cycle of temptations that each of us face every single day.
他们导致了我们每一天要面对的，不断循环之试探的开始。
16. But we also learned that the amazing grace of God can release us from these temptations.
但我们也知道，神的奇异恩典能够将我们从这些试探中释放出来。
17. First, let us look at how some people rationalize their thoughts.
首先，让我们看看某些人是如何为他们的思想作出解释的。
18. First step,
第一步，
19. “God is not good, if He was good, He wouldn’t tell me not to do something that I want to do.”
神不好，如果祂是好的话，就不会禁止我做想做的事情了。
20. “God must not want me to be happy.”
神必定不想让我快乐。
21. This leads to the second step.
这就引发了第二步。
22. Satan told them that: “God lies.”
撒但告诉他们说，神会说谎。
23. And Satan tells our generation that the Bible is not true.
撒但对现今的世代说圣经不是真确的。
24. Satan told Adam and Eve that freedom means going against the command of God.
撒但对亚当和夏娃说要得自由便要违背神的命令。
25. That will lead to the third step.
这又引发了第三步，
26. Satan tells our generation that: “Unless I can be free to do whatever I want, I cannot be truly fulfilled in life.”
撒但对现今的世代说，除非我能够自由地做我想做的事情，否则我便遗憾终身。
27. Adam and Eve’s temptation are precisely our temptations today.
亚当和夏娃的试探正是今天我们所面对的试探。
28. Their disobedience and fall is a true picture of the state of all human beings.
他们的叛逆和堕落是所有人类的真实写照。
29. But here is the truth,
然而，真理却是，
30. whether we like it or not,
无论我们喜不喜欢，
31. whether we admit it or not,
无论我们接不接受，
32. whether we acknowledge it or not,
无论我们承不承认，
33. this is God’s universe, and not ours.
宇宙是属于神的，不是我们的。
34. And God rules in His universe, any way that He wants to rule in His universe.
而神统管宇宙，以祂的心意来治理祂的创造。
35. God’s justice requires that sin must be judged.
神的公义要求罪必须受到审判。
36. God’s justice requires that sin must be punished.
神的公义要求罪必须受到刑罚。
37. If you really want to understand how that works:
如果你真的想明白这个道理，
38. refuse to work on the job and see what happens!
试试看，在你上班时拒绝工作，会有什么后果？
39. You will get fired and no amount of excuses will help.
不论你有多少的理由，你也会被开除，
40. God said to Adam and Eve that refusal to do what God said to do would lead to death.
神对亚当和夏娃说，违反神的命令必定死，
41. and no amount of excuses would help.
不论你有多少的理由也无济于事，
42. But both Adam and Eve made excuses.
但亚当和夏娃有很多借口，
43. Let’s turn again to the Scripture Genesis chapter 3 beginning at verse 8.
让我们再把圣经翻到创世记3章由第8节开始。
44. My listening friends, do you know what both Adam and Eve’s excuse really was?
亲爱的朋友，你知不知道亚当和夏娃真正的借口是什么？
45. Do you know whom they were really blaming for their rebellion?
你知不知道他们为自己的反叛而真正在埋怨谁？
46. Ultimately, they were blaming God for their sin and rebellion and disobedience.
他们最终是在埋怨神，是神导致了他们反叛。
47. Adam said: “the woman YOU gave me made me do it.”
亚当说，是你所赐给我的女人要我吃的。
48. And Eve said: “The creature YOU created made me do it.”
夏娃说，是你所造的蛇叫我我吃的。
49. And we have been making excuses ever since.
从此以后我们便不断制造借口了。
50. I am sure that some of you are asking this question by now,
我相信我们当中有些人，现在必定会问，
51. “where is that grace that you are supposed to be talking about?”
那么你所说的恩典在那里呢？
52. What I am doing is putting up the screen first, in order to project a picture of grace.
我只是先拉开银幕，然后才投射一幅恩典的影像。
53. I have been painting the dark picture of sin before you can see the light of grace.
在你可以看见恩典的光辉之前，我一直在描绘罪的黑暗图画，
54. For it is only in the context of sin that grace can be truly appreciated.
因为恩典在罪中才会显得伟大。
55. And that is why Satan’s modern day deception is to blur sin and therefore the need for grace.
正因如此，撒但今天的欺骗手段就是要人对罪恶感到模糊，对恩典的需要也是一样。
56. Here is how Satan works,
这就是撒但的手段：
57. If everyone says, “Sin is not really a sin, it is just a mistake and who doesn’t make a mistake?”
如果人人说：罪并不算是罪，只是小小的错误，有谁没犯过错呢？
58. If he can deceive people into believing that God is only merciful and He will go easy on sin,
如果撒但欺骗人，使人相信神只是仁慈的，祂是不会斤斤计较我们的罪恶的。
59. then there is no need for grace.
那么人就不需要恩典了。
60. And if there is no need for grace,
而如果无需恩典，
61. when we get into trouble, we try to make an excuse.
当我们犯罪的时候，我们会找借口，
62. But these excuses won’t help you.
但这些借口却帮不了我们，
63. Well, first, let’s look at God’s grace in the Garden.
好，我们先来看看在伊甸园里，神是如何施行恩典的。
64. And the first thing that you notice is that – Adam and Eve did not immediately die.
第一件你会留意到的事，就是亚当和夏娃并没有立即死去。
65. They did die spiritually,
他们的灵确实死了，
66. and that is why they were hiding from God.
所以他们躲避神，
67. God said that: “The day you eat from the tree . . . is the day you will die.”
神说：那树上的果子你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。
68. That is justice.
这就是公义。
69. If you break the law, then you go to prison.
如果你违反法律，你就要坐牢。
70. That is justice.
这就是公义。
71. But grace comes in and says, “I will give you time to repent.”
但恩典却说：我会给你悔改的机会。
72. Now the God of grace will do even more.
现在赐恩典的神，要给的更多。
73. He is going to give them time to believe on the Savior that is coming to the world.
神给他们时间，叫他们相信有一位救主会来到世界。
74. Today, if you are not a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ,
今天，如果你不是主耶稣基督的跟随者，
75. the reason that you are alive right now is so that God might give you an opportunity to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
你现今还活着的原因，就是神让你有机会悔改，并相信主耶稣基督。
76. Secondly,
第二，
77. The God of grace promised a redeemer to undo Satan’s deception.
赐恩典的神应许派一位救赎主，来揭穿撒但的骗局。
78. Look at Genesis 3:15.
请看创世记3章15节。
79. Genesis 3:15 is the first announcement of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the whole of the Bible.
创世记3章15节是全本圣经里第一次宣布主耶稣基督的福音。
80. Adam and Eve at the time did not comprehend all that God was telling them,
亚当和夏娃当时并不明白神对他们所说的一切，
81. but they understood enough to know that a redeemer was coming.
但他们知道有一位救赎主会来，
82. In fact, they thought that their first born was given to them to be the redeemer.
实际上，他们以为他们的长子便是那位救赎者。
83. That’s why they called him Cain.
因此他们叫他该隐。
84. which means “Here he is!”
就是“得到”的意思。
85. To their utter devastation, Cain turned out to be the first murderer.
然而，有如晴天霹雳，该隐成为第一个杀人犯。
86. It took thousands of years before the redeemer was announced to a virgin in Nazareth.
经过几千年的时间，救赎主才在拿撒勒地方由一位童贞女所生。
87. The angel Gabriel told Mary and Joseph to “name Him Jesus,”
天使迦百列对马利亚和约瑟说：给他起名叫耶稣。
88. “because He will save His people from their sins.”
因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。
89. That is why Adam named his wife Eve.
因此亚当叫妻子为夏娃。
90. which means “Life” or “Giver of life”.
意思是生命，或生命的赐与者。
91. Why?
为什么？
92. Because of the promise of God that He will send a life-giving Savior through her.
因为是神的应许。是神要借着她差派一位赐人生命的救主来。
93. This was Adam’s way of responding to the grace of God.
这就是亚当回应神恩典的方法。
94. It is as if Adam is saying:
亚当彷佛在说，
95. “I did not believe your word then but I do believe your word now.”
我从前不相信你的话，但如今我相信了。
96. “I did not hold fast to your word then but I will now.”
我从前没有把握住你的话，但如今我要把握了。
97. It was the God of Grace who did not let them die as they should have.
虽然他们该死，但神并没有让他们死，这就是神的恩典了。
98. It was the God of Grace that gave to them promise of a redeemer.
神的恩典就是应许赐给他们一位救赎主。
99. And, it was the God of grace who saved our first parents.
而神的恩典就是这样救了我们的祖先。
100. Let’s look at it in Genesis 3:21.
再让我们看创世记3章21节。
101. the Lord made garments of skin for them and clothed them.
神就用皮给他们做了衣服穿上。
102. To do that, Adam and Eve had to witness the first slaying of an innocent animal.
为此，亚当和夏娃见证了第一次宰杀无辜的动物。
103. It was the first animal sacrifice in the history of the universe.
这也是宇宙历史中，第一次的动物牺牲。
104. The first lesson in grace was that an innocent dies for the guilty.
恩典的第一课就是：无罪的为有罪的死。
105. This is the first Biblical glimmer of understanding that the perfect holy sinless innocent Son of God.
这也是圣经首次展露了一点点，那完美，圣洁，无罪的神子的形象，
106. will die for the guilty sinners who are all of the children of Adam and Eve.
祂会为有罪的罪人，就是一切亚当和夏娃的后裔而死，
107. It is the garment of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that will make us acceptable to the Father.
主耶稣基督便是那公义的袍，让我们穿上，得蒙天父接纳。
108. It is the garment of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that will justify us before God the Father.
主耶稣基督便是那公义的袍，让我们在父神面前得称为义。
109. Of course this must have been astonishing to Adam and Eve.
当然，这必然使亚当和夏娃感到惊讶，
110. The grace of God is always astonishing to those who experience it.
神的恩典常常使经历过的人感到惊讶。
111. Adam and Eve expected to die.
亚当和夏娃想他们必死无疑，
112. Adam and Eve deserved to die.
因为他们死有余辜。
113. Adam and Eve should have died.
因为他们罪有应得，
114. But instead . . . they found life.
然而，他们却找到了生命。
115. Being surprised by the grace of God should be the story of everyone who has experienced that grace of God.
神的恩典使他们惊讶，这也是每一个经历过神恩典之人的同感。
116. Constantly being awed by the grace of God should be the lifestyle of every disciple of Jesus Christ.
每一位耶稣基督的信徒，在日常生活中，也应该是不断因经历神的恩典而惊叹不已的。
117. What about you, my friend?
亲爱的朋友，你是这样的么？
118. Have you experienced the Grace of God?
你有没有经历过神的恩典呢？
119. Have you confessed your sins?
你有没有认你的罪呢？
120. Have you accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as a payment for your sin?
你有没有接受耶稣，因祂为你的罪付上的代价，在十字架上为你牺牲？
121. You might ask: “How can a sinless man die for me?”
你会问：一个无罪的人怎能为我死呢？
122. “That is impossible.”
那是不可能的。
123. That is why it is called grace.
其实，这正是它之所以被称为恩典的原因。
124. You cannot pay for it.
你不能用钱买的。
125. You cannot achieve it on your own.
你不能凭自己得到。
126. But God is offering it to you.
是神白白赐给你的。
127. Will you come to Him
你会不会来到神面前，
128. And say to him, “Lord, I thankfully accept your grace.’
对祂说：主啊，感谢你，我愿意接受你赐给我的恩典。
129. “I repent of my sins.”
我要为我的罪悔改。
130. “I receive your forgiveness.”
我要接受你的宽恕。
131. If you have prayed this prayer, please write to us and let us know.
如果你有这样的祷告，请你来信告诉我们。
132. Until we meet again I wish you God’s richest blessing
愿神大大的赐福给你，下次再会！
