The Opened Sight

I now send you, to open their eyes . . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins . . . —Acts 26:17-18

This verse is the greatest example of the true essence of the message of a disciple of Jesus Christ in all of the New Testament.

God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, “. . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins . . . .” When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light. But that is not salvation; it is conversion-only the effort of an awakened human being. I do not think it is too broad a statement to say that the majority of so-called Christians are like this. Their eyes are open, but they have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is a neglected fact in our preaching today. When a person is born again, he knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision. People may make vows and promises, and may be determined to follow through, but none of this is salvation. Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus Christ, namely, forgiveness of sins.

This is followed by God’s second mighty work of grace: “. . . an inheritance among those who are sanctified . . . .” In sanctification, the one who has been born again deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God’s ministry to others.

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眼開了 要叫他們的眼睛得開……得蒙赦罪……同得基業。 （徒二十六18） 

神施恩最完全的首要工作，已包括在這一句裡：[得蒙赦罪。 ]人若經歷不到信耶穌的個人體驗，幾乎都是因為他從未蒙受什麼恩典。一個人得救的唯一標誌，是他從耶穌基督那裡有所領受。作為神的工人，我們的本分就是要開人的眼睛，使他們棄暗投明。可是那並不是得著拯救，那隻是一種轉變——一個被喚醒的人的改變。我說大多數掛名信徒都屬這一類，並不算太過分。 

他們眼是開了，卻沒有接受恩典。轉變並不等於重生。今日我們所傳的資訊中，就忽略了這個因素。一個人重生，是因為從全能的神那裡所領受的一份禮物，而非他自己的抉擇。人就是立上許多誓言，而且簽署許願，勇往直前，義不回顧，這一切都不代表[得救]。得拯救是我們被帶到一個地步，憑耶穌基督得特權，從神有所領受——就是[得蒙赦罪]。 

接踵而來的，就是恩典的第二步工作——[和一切成聖得人同得基業]。人得了重生，便藉著成聖的功夫，甘心情願地把自己的主權交給主耶穌，並且把自己全然投在神賜福別人的心意上。 

祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你賜我更親切和更美善的品性；賜給我屬靈的恩賜，和對別人全然忍耐的生命。你的美善將這一切彰顯了，噢，主啊，只要我被你充滿，我的祈求便成為真實。