【双语灵修】圣父 The Father

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“从此以后，你不是奴仆，乃是儿子了。既是儿子，就靠着上帝为后嗣。” - 加 4:7

人们有时会说：“我们都是上帝的儿女。”不错，上帝创造了我们每一个人，所以我们可以称呼上帝为我们的父亲。

然而，我们需要澄清一下，做上帝的儿女究竟是什么意思。首先，三位一体上帝的第二位格耶稣，是上帝的“独生子”（参看约翰福音 1:14; 3:16），这里强调耶稣与父上帝的独特关系。然而，透过相信耶稣并且相信上帝藉着祂拯救我们的能力，我们也成为了上帝的儿女（参看约翰福音 1:12-13）。使徒保罗在加拉太书4章说：“上帝差他儿子”－就是耶稣－来拯救我们，因为我们曾经与上帝隔绝了，是因着我们的罪，使我们与上帝分开。但是，藉着耶稣的生命、受死、和复活，现在我们便能够得蒙上帝接纳、成为祂的儿女；作为归属圣父上帝的后嗣，我们便可以享受所有相应的权利和恩典了。

在宣告“我信上帝…父”时，我们的心应该充溢着赞美和感恩，我们记着，满有怜悯的上帝已经赦免了我们所有的罪、又叫我们成为祂的儿女。我们也因此得到极大的安慰，神既毫无保留地牺牲祂的独生儿子，祂也必定会无微不至地看顾和保护着我们－祂的儿女。

让我们也如此去爱我们周围的人、并且劝导他们也来信靠上帝为他们的父亲吧。

祷告

我们在天上的父，感谢你收纳我们做你的儿女。求你帮助我们，在这个极度需要认识你的世界与人分享你的父爱。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

加拉太书 4:4-7

4及至时候满足，神就差遣他的儿子，为女子所生，且生在律法以下，
5要把律法以下的人赎出来，叫我们得着儿子的名分。
6你们既为儿子，神就差他儿子的灵进入你们 的心，呼叫：“阿爸！父！”
7可见，从此以后你不是奴仆，乃是儿子了；既是儿子，就靠着神为后嗣。

The Father

“You are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has also made you an heir.” - Galatians 4:7

Sometimes people say, “We are all God’s children.” And it’s true that God made us all. That’s why we call God our Father.

But it’s important to clarify what it means to be God’s children. First, Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity, is God’s “one and only Son” (see John 1:14; 3:16). This underscores Jesus’ unique relationship with God the Father. But through Jesus, and by belief in God’s power to save us through him, we too are God’s children (see John 1:12-13). As the apostle Paul explains in Galatians 4, “God sent his Son”—that is, Jesus—to save us because we were cut off from God. We were separated from God because of our sin. But now, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we can be adopted as God’s children. And we can enjoy all the rights and privileges of belonging to God the Father as his heirs.

Confessing “I believe in God the Father” should flood our hearts with praise and thanksgiving as we remember this. God, in his great mercy, has forgiven all our sins and made us his children. This should also give us great comfort. Surely God, who did not spare his only Son, will spare nothing to watch over and keep us, his children.

In turn, let us also love the people around us and call them to trust in God as their Father too.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, thank you for making us your children. Help us to share your fatherly love in a world that desperately needs to know you. Through Jesus, Amen.