QT 14/06/2024 Fri Romans 5. Unity: United in receipt of the free gift. 合一：都有机会领受免费的礼物。

QT 14/06/2024 Fri Romans 5. Unity: United in receipt of the free gift.
READ
http://www.esvbible.org/rom5
LISTEN
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Romans.5

The Gentiles and the Jews were UNITED by the fact that the MEANS of justification were the SAME for both. Paul continued to speak of being "justified by faith" (Rom 5:1)—a concept not easily accepted by the Jews of Paul's time.

Peace with God was through our Lord Jesus Christ, having been justified through FAITH (Rom 5:1). Peace with God was not merely through CEREMONIAL LAW held on to so dearly by the Jews of Paul's time:-

DIETARY LAW: Do not dispute over the one who "eats only vegetables (Rom 14:2), because "God has WELCOMED him" (Rom 14:3);

HOLY DAYS distinctions: Do not dispute over the one who "esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike" (Rom 14:5), because every one "observes it in honor of the LORD" (Rom 14:6).

Circumcision (See Romans 4).

INSTEAD, realise that just as sin came into the world through the one man Adam, many will receive the free gift of God due to the works of Jesus Christ alone.

REFLECTION: The Jewish laws were NOT totally useless because they MAGNIFIED the trespass (5:20). As such the Gentiles should not consider these ceremonial laws quirky. In fact, the existence of sin contrasted with this - "grace INCREASED all the more" (5:20).

This outworking of law and sin highlighted God's grace even more - the grace which would "reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (5:21).

APPLICATION: Let us be at peace with one another as we are UNITED in being justified by faith "through our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Rom 5:11).

星期五 2024年6月14日 今日读经：罗马书5章. 合一：都有机会领受免费的礼物。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Rom/5/

听音频罗马书5章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/rom.5.cnvs

外族人和犹太人是合一的因为他们称义的方式是一样的。保罗继续传讲“因信称义”(罗5:1)--这样的概念对于保罗那时的犹太人来说是不容易被接受的。

借着主耶稣基督与神和好，因信称义(罗5:1)。与神和好不光是靠保罗当时的犹太人紧紧抓住的礼仪条规:-

饮食条规：不要为“只吃蔬菜”的人争论(罗14:2),因为“神已经接纳他了”(罗14:3)；

圣日的区分：不要为“有人认为这日比那日好，也有人认为日日都是一样”(罗14:5)的事情争吵,因为每个“守日的人都是为主守的”(罗14:6)。

割礼(见罗马书4章)。

相反的，就如罪从亚当一个人身上进入这个世界，许多人也会因着耶稣基督一个人的作为得到神免费的礼物。

反思：犹太人的律法并不完全是没有用的，因为它们叫过犯增多(5:20)。因此外族人不应该把这些礼仪条规看为是诡诈的。事实上，罪的存在与恩典成了对比--“罪在哪里增多，恩典就更加增多了”(5:20)。

这律法和罪的运作更加地突显了神的恩典--这恩典也“借着义掌权，使人借着我们的主耶稣基督进入永生”(5:21)。

应用：让我们和平相处，因为我们因信称义而合一，“借着我们的主耶稣基督与神复和”。(罗5:11)