第五部分：分享好消息

一天，我逮着个机会和我11岁的侄女克蕾斯蒂分享一个话题：成为一个基督信徒意味着什么？我说：“克蕾斯蒂，如果你今晚就会死去，站在上帝面前，他对你说，‘为什么我要让你进入我的天堂呢？’你会说什么呢？”
“恩，”她回答道，“我会说，‘因为我曾经是一位好女孩。’”
“你曾经怎么个好法啊？”我问，“你曾经很完美么？”
“不，”她承认道，“我不曾完美过。”
“这就对了，”我说，“没有谁是完美的。事实上，圣经说，‘因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀(罗马书：Romans 3:23)’。但是，上帝要求我们完美(雅各书：James 2:10)，谁能完美呢？没有，对吧？没有任何人是完美的。”

我告诉他，超度是信仰的赠礼！《以弗所书》（EphesiansEphesians 2:8-9）说，“你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信，这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的。 也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。 ”我说，“你不会因为做了好事而被超度；你是被上帝的恩典超度的，上帝的恩典意味着上帝在免费地给予你一些你不应得到的东西。”

我还告诉她，圣经说上帝是神圣而公平的。《希伯来书》（Hebrews 10:31）说，“落在永生神的手里真是可怕的。” 《出埃及记》（Exodus 34:7）说上帝“必赦免罪孽”，既然上帝是公平的，他会审判那些有罪的人。《彼得前书》（1 Peter 1:16）说，“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。”

我继续说，上帝是一个仁爱的上帝，著名的《圣经》赞美诗句《约翰福音》（John 3:16）说，“神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。”上帝审判了那些有罪的人，但是他仍然仁爱他们，他让他的儿子死在了十字架上，替我们忍受罪孽和审判。

上帝怎么样才能审判了有罪的人但还仁爱他们呢？为了证明这个答案，我给她讲了个关于一位英明的国王的故事，这个国王是一个公正对待国民的统治者：

有人从国王的国库偷了东西，于是国王在整个国家发布了一个通令，说：“是谁有罪，请自首接受正义的惩罚：鞭打10次。”但是没有人来自首。

第二个星期，有人继续从国王的国库里偷东西，于是国王把惩罚增加到了20次鞭打。但仍然没有人来。

第三、第四个星期过去了，偷盗行为仍然在发生。第五个星期，国王把惩罚增加到了50次鞭打。

终于，犯罪嫌疑人被发现了。从国王国库里偷东西的人竟然是国王的母亲！整个国家都在观望，看国王会怎么做，因为他们知道这确实是一个两难困境：一方面国王爱着他的母亲，然而他知道50次鞭打的结果很可能会打死母亲的；另一方面，国王是一个享有声誉的公正的国王，他一定会惩罚罪犯。

在审判执行的那天，国王的母亲被被绑在一棵大树桩上，一个强健的男人准备用皮鞭抽打她。接着国王发布了命令：“实施惩罚！”，话音未落，国王脱掉了自己的王袍，露出自己的背部，并双手环抱他的母亲，接受他母亲应受的鞭打，从而满足了正义审判的要求。

《圣经》说：
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
那知他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚我们得平安。因他受的鞭伤我们得医治。 我们都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路。耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。 (Isaiah 53:5-6). 他被挂在木头上亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然在罪上死，就得以在义上活。因他受的鞭伤，你们便得医治。(1 Peter 2:24).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
我告诉小克里斯蒂，这个故事正好与耶酥基督为我们所做的一样。耶酥基督用他的死亡及肉体的复活，替我们的罪孽受罚，为我们在天堂买下一块地方，作为礼物赠给信仰他的人们。我告诉她：“这一生中你有一个选择，当你死的时候，你可以站在上帝面前，说：‘曾经是一个优秀的女孩’；但你会犯错，你可以说，‘我功大于过’；但你仍然还会犯错，你甚至可以创造并接受让自己的进入天堂的标准，但是上帝的标准是完全公正的。或者，你可以谦卑地接受上帝的礼物，如圣经中所描写的礼物：‘除他以外，别无拯救。因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠着得救。’(Acts 4:12)。耶酥说, ‘耶稣说，我就是道路，真理，生命。若不藉着我。没有人能到父那里去。’ (John 14:6)。’

“除了基督替你的罪孽而死在十字架上以外，没有谁能接近父，没有谁能进入天堂。这正是圣经上说的。所以真正的信仰是为你的超度而唯一信任耶酥——真正信仰的表现就是需要彻底地顺从主的安排。耶酥在《路加福音》（Luke6:46）中说，你们为什么称呼我主阿，主阿，却不遵我的话行呢。’这是使他成为“主和救世主”的意思。

作为总结，我很感谢上帝，使我有机会在那么一天和克蕾斯蒂分享圣经中关于救世主所说的内容。但是你呢？你也愿意在上帝面前谦卑地他承认自己也是一个有罪的人吗？也愿意忏悔，离开你的罪孽，接受基督成为你的救世主和主吗？你可以从内心请求进行如下祷告：
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I’ve been trusting in my own good deeds to save me, but now I’m putting my trust in You. I accept You as my personal Savior. I believe You died for me. I receive You as Lord and Master over my life. Help me to turn from my sins and follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
我希望你会自己做这个祷告，以便你可以加入我一道为上帝的荣耀而生活。如果你有任何问题，希望你可以与当地的基督教堂联系，或者给我写信：
Christopher Parkening
PO Box 2067, Malibu, CA 90265-7067

第六部分：
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。（John 3:16）
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

原文：

Part Five
One day I had the opportunity to share with my 11-year-old niece, Christi, what it means to be a Christian. I said, “Christi, if you were to die tonight and stand before God and He were to say to you, ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?’ what would you say?”

“Well,” she replied, “I would say ‘Because I’ve been a good girl.’”

“How good have you been?,” I asked, “Have you been perfect?”

“No,” she admitted, “I haven’t been perfect.”

“That’s true,” I said, “No, no one is perfect. In fact, the Bible says, ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).’ But God requires us to be perfect (James 2:10), and who can be perfect? Nobody, right? Nobody can be perfect.”

I told her that salvation is a free gift received by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” I said, “You’re not saved by your good deeds; you are saved by grace, and grace means God is freely giving you something you don’t deserve.”

I also told her the Bible says that God is holy and just. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And Exodus 34:7 says that God “will by no means clear the guilty.” Since God is just, He will judge those who sin. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

I went on to say that God is also a loving God. That famous Bible verse, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God judges those who sin, but in love He gave His Son to die on a cross to bear our sin and judgment.

How can God judge sinners and yet love them? To illustrate the answer, I told her a story about a king who was a wise and just ruler of his people:

Someone was embezzling from the king’s treasury, so the king issued an edict throughout all the land, saying, “Whoever is guilty, come forward and receive a just punishment of 10 public lashings.” But no one came forward.

The second week someone was continuing to steal from the king’s treasury, so the king set the punishment at 20 public lashings. But still no one came forward.

The third and fourth weeks went by and the thievery continued. On the fifth week the king set the punishment at 50 public lashings.

Finally, the guilty person was discovered. The one embezzling from the king’s treasury turned out to be the king’s own mother! The whole kingdom turned out to see what the king was going to do because they knew he was in a real dilemma: On the one hand he loved his mother, yet he knew that 50 lashes would very likely kill her. On the other hand he had a reputation for being a just king who would certainly punish the crime.

On the day for sentencing to be carried out, his mother was tied to a stake and a big man was ready to flog her with a whip. Then the king gave his order: “Render the punishment!” Just as he spoke, he took off his own robe, baring his own back, and putting his arms around his mother, he then took the lashes that she deserved, thereby satisfying the demand for justice.

The Bible says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6). Who his own self bare the sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1 Peter 2:24).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I told little Christi, that’s exactly what Jesus Christ did for us. Jesus Christ, by His death and physical resurrection, paid for our sins and purchased a place in heaven for us, which He offers as a gift that may be received by faith. I told her, “You have a choice in this life: You can stand before God when you die and say, ‘I’ve been a good girl,’ but you will fall short. You could say, ‘The good I’ve done outweighs the bad,’ but you will still fall short. You can even invent your own standard for heaven and achieve that, but God’s standard is perfect righteousness! Or, you can humble yourself and receive the gift that God has described in the Bible: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’ (John 14:6).

“Apart from the death of Christ on the cross for your sins, no one has access to the Father, no one has access to heaven. That’s what the Bible says. True saving faith, then, is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation—and the response to true faith will be an overwhelming desire to be obedient to the Lord. Jesus said in Luke 6:46, ‘And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?’ That’s what it means to make Him ‘Lord and Savior.’”

In conclusion, I’m very thankful I had the opportunity that day to share with Christi what the Bible says about true salvation. But what about you? Are you willing to humble yourself before God and confess to Him that you are a sinner? Are you willing to repent, turn from your sins and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord? If so, you might wish to pray the following prayer from your heart:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I’ve been trusting in my own good deeds to save me, but now I’m putting my trust in You. I accept You as my personal Savior. I believe You died for me. I receive You as Lord and Master over my life. Help me to turn from my sins and follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope that you will make this prayer your own so that you can join with me in living life for God’s glory. If you have any questions, I hope you will contact a Bible teaching church in your area or write to me at:

Christopher Parkening
PO Box 2067, Malibu, CA 90265-7067

Part six

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16