问题34：既然我们是单单靠着恩典、借着基督得救，那么我们还必须行善、遵守神的话吗？
答：是的，因为基督用祂的宝血救赎了我们，也用祂的灵更新了我们，这样我们的生活才能表明对神的爱和感恩，以便我们透过果子得着信心的确据；而且这样，我们就能通过敬虔的行为赢得别人归向基督。
儿童版：是的，这样我们的生活才能表明对神的爱和感恩；而且这样，我们就能通过敬虔的行为赢得别人归向基督。

Question 34: Since We Are Redeemed by Grace Alone, Through Christ Alone, Must We Still Do Good Works and Obey God’s Word?
Answer: Yes, because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his Spirit; so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ.
For Kids: Yes, so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ.


歌谱 Lead Sheet

经文

《彼得前书》2 章9 节至12 节：

　　惟有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗、入奇妙光明者的美德。

你们从前算不得子民，
现在却作了神的子民；
从前未曾蒙怜恤，
现在却蒙了怜恤。

　　亲爱的弟兄啊，你们是客旅，是寄居的。我劝你们要禁戒肉体的私欲，这私欲是与灵魂争战的。你们在外邦人中，应当品行端正，叫那些毁谤你们是作恶的，因看见你们的好行为，便在鉴察的日子归荣耀给神。

注解

司布真

　　亲爱的朋友们，基督徒必定有好行为，但这不是救恩的根，而是果实。好行为不是信徒的得救之路，而是表明他已经走在了得救的路上。好树会结好果子。所以，如果神使我们的本性变好了，我们所结的果子也会是好的；但如果果子不好，那是因为这棵树本来就不好。在基督里新造的人会想要脱离一切的罪。我们会犯罪，但我们不爱罪。令人悲伤的是，罪有时会胜过我们，而且自己犯罪后的那种感觉就像死了一般；尽管如此，罪却不能辖制我们，因我们不在律法之下，乃在恩典之下；所以我们要攻克它，并且得胜。

默想

里根·邓肯

　　如果救恩是唯靠恩典，唯借信心，唯在基督里的；如果我们得救、被赦免、蒙神接纳，不是基于我们的善行，也不是我们应得的，而是单单凭借耶稣为我们所成就的得到的。那么，基督徒生命中还需要顺服与行善吗？圣经给了我们明确的答案：是的。

　　首先，救恩使我们不只是免于罪的惩罚，还脱离了罪的权势。借着耶稣基督所成就的救恩，我们不只是已被赦免，我们也被改变，在耶稣基督里成为新造的人。祂在我们的生命中，将我们从罪的捆绑中释放了。但因恩典得到救恩并不意味着基督徒就不需要再改变了。因着神使圣灵在我们里面工作，所以，基督徒的生命不断地成长和改变就成了可能。

　　在基督徒的生命中要顺服神的话语，那么律法在其中的角色是什么呢？就是感恩、确据与见证。
在基督徒的生命中，我们所有的顺服，都是以感恩回应上帝在耶稣基督里对我们的施恩。还记得保罗在《以弗所书》2章说了些什么吗？祂说：「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。我们原是祂的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是神所预备叫我们行的。」（弗2:8-10）听清保罗说的了吗？祂并没有说，通过善行得救。事实上，祂特别排除了这一点。但祂说我们得救，是为了叫我们行善。是为了善行。所以基督徒生命中的善工，并不是为了拯救我们，或者让神爱我们，而是为了把我们的感谢呈给神，回应祂在耶稣基督里对我们的爱，以及在耶稣基督里白白赐给我们的救恩。我们对神话语一切的顺服都是为了表达对祂的感恩。

　　顺服同时也是救恩的确据。在保罗给帖撒罗尼迦的第一封书信，1 章3 节至5 节中，保罗向他们说，我知道你们是蒙神拣选的。这样说是很大胆的。你如何知道这人是神所拣选的？保罗在第三节对帖撒罗尼迦人说：「你们因信心所作的工夫，因爱心所受的劳苦，因盼望我们主耶稣基督所存的忍耐。」他其实是在说，「我看见了你们因信，圣灵在你们生命中工作，我由此而知，你们是神的孩子。」而在第五节，他解释了他们的确据是什么。看到神在我们里面工作，改变我们，我们就有了得救的确据，这体现在我们顺服神的命令上。

　　但主在基督徒生命中的工作，除了善行与顺服外，还有第三种方式，那就是个人的见证。我们遵守神的话，我们行善，我们就荣耀了我们的天父。而那些看到我们如此行的人，他们也会归荣耀给天父。彼得在他的书信中解释道，神要我们活出敬虔的生命，静静地展示在世人面前，所以当世人看到我们的好行为，就归荣耀给爱我们、施恩拯救我们的天父。（参彼前2:12）

　　因此，我们蒙恩得救，我们得以活在喜乐地行善与顺服神的生活中。行善不是为了让神爱我们，而是因为神已经爱了我们。我们要像祂的儿子一样说：「我的食物就是遵行差我来者的旨意。」（约4:34）

祷告

　　天父，祢已经救我们脱离罪恶。求祢不要让我们继续陷在罪里，仿佛我们仍是它的奴隶。祢给我们的命令就是生命之道。让我们珍爱这些命令。愿所有认识我们的人，因看到我们的好行为就归荣耀给祢。阿们。

Scripture

1 PETER 2:9–12

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Commentary

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

So, then, dear friends, these good works must be in the Christian. They are not the root, but the fruit of his salvation. They are not the way of the believer’s salvation; they are his walk in the way of salvation. Where there is healthy life in a tree, the tree will bear fruit according to its kind; so, if God has made our nature good, the fruit will be good. But if the fruit be evil, it is because the tree is what it always was—an evil tree. The desire of men created anew in Christ is to be rid of every sin. We do sin, but we do not love sin. Sin gets power over us sometimes to our sorrow, but it is a kind of death to us to feel that we have gone into sin; yet it shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law, but under grace; and therefore we shall conquer it, and get the victory.

Devotional

LIGON DUNCAN

If salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—if we are saved and forgiven and accepted based not on our good works, not on our deserving, but on what Jesus has done for us—is there still a place for good works and obedience in the Christian life? The Bible gives an emphatic answer: yes.

First, there’s a place for good works because, in salvation, we’re saved not only from the penalty of sin, but also the power of sin. In salvation, through the work of Jesus Christ, we not only find forgive- ness, but we also find transformation. We are made new creations in Jesus Christ. He liberates us from the dominion of sin in our life. And so, salvation by grace does not mean that change or growth is unnecessary in the Christian life. It means that change and growth are now possible by God through his Holy Spirit working in us.

So what is the role of obedience to God’s Word, of God’s law in the Christian life? Gratitude, assurance, and witness.

In the Christian life all of our obedience is an act of gratitude to God for the grace that he has shown us in Jesus Christ. Remember what Paul says in Ephesians 2: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (vv. 8–10). Now, did you hear what Paul said there? He didn’t say that we were saved by good works. In fact, he explicitly excluded that. But he did say that we were saved to good works, for good works. So the role of works in the Christian life is not to save us. It’s not to get God to love us. It’s to express our gratitude to God for the prior love that he’s shown us in Jesus Christ and for the salvation that he’s freely given us in Jesus Christ. And so all of our obedience to God’s Word in the Christian life is an act of gratitude.

Second, good works done in faith also serve to assure us. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul explains that he knows that they are the chosen of God (1 Thess. 1:3–5). Now that’s a striking thing to say. How would you know people are chosen of God? In verse 3, Paul speaks of the Thessalonians’ works of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. He’s essentially saying, “I see the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, and that lets me know that you are the children of God.” And then he explains how that serves their own assurance (v. 5). We are given assurance in the Christian life when we see God at work in us to change us, and that’s expressed in our obeying God’s commands.

A third way that the law works in the Christian life and that good works and obedience work in the Christian life, is in the area of witness. When we obey the Word of God, when we do good works, we glorify our heavenly Father. And those who see us are given reason to glorify our heavenly Father. Peter explains that when he says that he wants us to live godly lives quietly before the world so that the world will look at us and glorify our loving heavenly Father who saved us by grace (1 Pet. 2:12).

So, though we’re saved by grace, we’re saved to a life of joyful good works and obedience. Not to get God to love us, but because God does love us, and we want to be like his Son, who said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me” (John 4:34).

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have saved us from sin. Let us not continue in it as if we were still enslaved to it. You have given us commands that are the path of life. Let us treasure those commands. May all who know us see our good works and glorify you because of them. Amen.