十月四日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/10/1004.mp3″]
经文: 若有人犯罪,在父那里我们有一位中保,就是那义者耶稣基督。(约翰壹书二:1)
我们虽然犯罪,但仍有一位中保。约翰没有说:“若有人犯罪,他就丧失了这位中保。”虽然我们是罪人,我们有一位中保。信徒不论犯了什么罪,都不能毁坏他与主耶稣基督的关系,祂是中保。主的名字──耶稣──在此是富有很深含意的。祂是我们所需要的中保,因为耶稣就是一位以拯救为工作和喜乐的上帝。“你要给祂起名叫耶稣,因祂要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。”(太一:21)其次,祂的名是耶稣基督──受膏者。这一名字表示祂有为我们代求的权柄。基督有恳求的权利,因为祂是父上帝亲自指派的中保和亲自拣选的祭司。上帝所指派的这一位是大有能力的,我们可以安心将困难交给祂,因上帝已指派祂来帮助我们。祂是基督;所有祂有权柄;祂是基督,所以祂有资格;因为受膏已使祂完全满足祂的工作的要求。祂能不停地恳求以致感动了上帝的心达到目的。当受膏者站立为我恳求时,祂的话语是何等温柔,句子是何等动人!祂还有一个名──那义者耶稣基督。倘若那义者作我的中保,那么我的案件就有绝对的优势,否则祂不会接受。祂以公义的恳求代替我不公义的控告。祂宣告以自己作我的替身,却将祂的顺服归在我的名下。信徒有这样一位完全配作中保的良友。信徒啊,将你自己完全交在祂的手中吧!
Evening, October 4
Scripture: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”(1 John 2:1)
“If any man sin, we have an advocate.” Yes, though we sin, we have him still. John does not say, “If any man sin he has forfeited his advocate,” but “we have an advocate,” sinners though we are. All the sin that a believer ever did, or can be allowed to commit, cannot destroy his interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, as his advocate. The name here given to our Lord is suggestive. “Jesus.” Ah! then he is an advocate such as we need, for Jesus is the name of one whose business and delight it is to save. “They shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” His sweetest name implies his success. Next, it is “Jesus Christ”-Christos, the anointed. This shows his authority to plead. The Christ has a right to plead, for he is the Father’s own appointed advocate and elected priest. If he were of our choosing he might fail, but if God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, we may safely lay our trouble where God has laid his help. He is Christ, and therefore authorized; he is Christ, and therefore qualified, for the anointing has fully fitted him for his work. He can plead so as to move the heart of God and prevail. What words of tenderness, what sentences of persuasion will the anointed use when he stands up to plead for me! One more letter of his name remains, “Jesus Christ the righteous.” This is not only his character BUT his plea. It is his character, and if the Righteous One be my advocate, then my cause is good, or he would not have espoused it. It is his plea, for he meets the charge of unrighteousness against me by the plea that he is righteous. He declares himself my substitute and puts his obedience to my account. My soul, thou hast a friend well fitted to be thine advocate, he cannot but succeed; leave thyself entirely in his hands.