Ministry in Word

The Essence and Benefits of Repentance

悔改的本质和好处

1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion." 4 "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; 6 his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. 7 Men will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon. 8 O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me." 9 Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

1 以色列啊，你要归向耶和华─你的 神；你是因自己的罪孽跌倒了。2 当归向耶和华，用言语祷告他说：求你除净罪孽，悦纳善行；这样，我们就把嘴唇的祭代替牛犊献上。3 我们不向亚述求救，不骑埃及的马，也不再对我们手所造的说：你是我们的 神。因为孤儿在你─耶和华那里得蒙怜悯。4 我必医治他们背道的病，甘心爱他们；因为我的怒气向他们转消。5 我必向以色列如甘露；他必如百合花开放，如利巴嫩的树木扎根。6 他的枝条必延长；他的荣华如橄榄树；他的香气如利巴嫩的香柏树。7 曾住在他荫下的必归回，发旺如五谷，开花如葡萄树。他的香气如利巴嫩的酒。8 以法莲必说：我与偶像还有甚麽关涉呢？我─耶和华回答他，也必顾念他。我如青翠的松树；你的果子从我而得。9 谁是智慧人，可以明白这些事；谁是通达人，可以知道这一切。因为，耶和华的道是正直的；义人必在其中行走，罪人却在其上跌倒。

Hosea 14:1-9
何西阿書14:1-9

Introduction
引言

As the prophet Hosea earnestly called the people of Israel to return to Yahweh their God, he is also calling the peoples of the world to return to Yahweh, who is also our God. God is the Creator of everything and He gives rise to every nation. All peoples share a common origin and all nations are blessed by God through Abraham (Gen 12:2-3). We must let God deal with our sins so that we may return to Him. Hosea explains what this process of returning to the LORD is all about in chapter 14 of the Old Testament biblical book bearing his name.

当日先知何西阿热烈地呼唤以色列人归向耶和华他们的神，今天他也在呼唤世上的民族归向耶和华，他也是我们的神。神是万物的创造者，他又使每个国家兴起。所有民族都有一个共同的起源，所有国家都是神藉着亚伯拉罕赐福〔创12:2-3〕。我们必须让神处理我们的罪好让我们可以归向他。何西阿在以他为名的旧约圣经书卷第14章中解释归向耶和华这过程是怎麽一回事。

I. Repentance involves confession, returning to the Lord, asking for forgiveness, and having faith in God alone (14:1-3)

一、 悔改牵涉到认罪、归向耶和华、请求饶恕和单单信靠神〔14:1-3〕

Hosea says that the first step of repentance is to “take words with you and return to the LORD” (14:2). The repentance process starts with the conviction of our sins by the Holy Spirit. When we are made aware of our sins by such conviction, we must go to the LORD with words of confession, for that shows how our understaning of and agreement with His conviction.

何西阿说悔改的第一步就是「归向耶和华，用言语祷告他」〔14:2〕。圣灵指出我们的罪就开始了悔改的过程。当我们这样被提醒知罪的时候，我们必须到耶和华面前承认我们的罪，因为这样做显出我们了解并同意他所定我们的罪。

The next step of repentance is to ask the LORD for forgiveness of “all our sins”, that is the list of transgressions included in our words of confession in the last step. This is to prepare us for our petition for God “to receive us graciously”. Graciously is the only way God will receive us because our salvation is all of grace bestowed on us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus and our faith in Him. It is “not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Instead of boasting we will “offer the fruit of our lips”, our praises and thanksgiving to God for His mercy (14:2).

悔改的下一步就是求耶和华「除净罪孽」，就是包含在上一步我们所承认全部的过犯。这是为了准备我们求神「悦纳善行」。喜悦地接纳我们是神接纳我们的唯一方法，因为我们得救是本于他儿子耶稣的牺牲所赐给我们的恩典及我们对他的信心。这并「不是出於自己，乃是神所赐的；也不是出於行为，免得有人自夸。」〔弗2:8-9〕我们要献上「嘴唇的祭」来代替自夸，就是赞美和感谢他的怜悯〔14:2〕。

The final step of repentance is to trust in the LORD alone from now on. We declare our dependency and allegiance to our Lord, confessing that worldly power cannot save us, just like Assyria could not save Israel, and our own strength (represented by war horses) will not save us either. We also declare that we will no longer idolize man-made things, knowing that only in God will we find compassion for our needs (the orphans.) (14:3)

悔改的最後一步就是从今以後单单信靠耶和华。我们声明我们对主的依靠和效忠，承认世上的强权不能拯救我们就如亚述国不能救以色列一样，而我们凭己力〔以战马代表〕也不能自救。我们也声称我们不再以人造之物作偶像，知道我们只有在神那里才能获得对我们的需要〔孤儿〕的同情〔14:3〕。

Is your understanding of repentance including these elements from Hosea 14:1-3, that is,detailed confession to God, unmerited forgiveness from God, faith in God alone?

你对悔改的了解是否包括何西阿书14:1-3内的这些要素呢，就是对神详细的认罪、不配得的神的赦免和对神单一的信心？

II. Repentance brings God’s blessings as a result of a right relationship with God (14:4-7)

二、 悔改带来因着与神正确关系的祝福〔14:4-7〕

Having repented and justified by Christ’s blood, we are saved from God’s wrath (Ro 5:9). God has turned away His anger from us upon our repentance and has brought us two great blessings: healing of our waywardness and loving us freely (14:4).

悔改并因基督的血称义後我们藉着他免去神的忿怒〔罗5:9〕。在我们悔改时神的怒气向我们转消了并为我们带来两大福气：医治我们背道的病，甘心爱我们〔14:4〕。

Our sinful nature includes a tendency to backslide from our faith. We cannot resist the worldly temptation in our own strength. But God says that He will heal this spiritual sickness of ours so that we can fight the spiritual battle and win. How does God heal us? He does so by giving us “a new heart and put a new spirit” in us and He will remove  from us our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. And He will put His Spirit in us and move us to follow His decrees and be careful to keep His laws (Eze 36:26-27).

我们的罪性带有背道的倾向，我们靠自己的力量不能抵抗世间的试探。但是神说他要医治我们这个属灵的病让我们可以打属灵的仗而得胜。神如何医治我们呢？他医治的方法就是要赐给我们「一个新心，将新灵放在」我们里面，又从我们的肉体中除掉石心，赐给我们肉心。他必将他的灵放在我们里面，使我们顺从他的律例，谨守遵行他的典章〔结36:26-27〕。

The healing should cure our backsliding, and if it does not, God says He will love us freely. His love is given to all because God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but has eternal life (Jn 3:16). This love requires no personal merit because He loves us freely. It does not matter how we feel, the fact is God loves us freely. He loves us so much that He gave us his one and only Son, therefore He loves us enough to receive us as we are but also conforms us into his Son’s image by disciplining us. It is said that God disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:6).

这治疗应该会医好我们背道的病，如果仍未好神说他甘心爱我们。神赐他的爱给所有的人因为他爱世人，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〔约3:16〕。这份爱不要求个人的功绩因为他甘心爱我们。不论我们感觉如何，事实上神甘心爱我们。他爱我们，甚至将他的独生子赐给我们，所以他也因为爱我们所以他照我们本相接纳我们，但同时以管教我们来使我们成为他儿子的形象。圣经有说神所爱的人他必管教〔来12:6〕。

Having the right relationship with God also leads to an abundant spiritual life because God’s love and righteousness nourish us as dew to the lily and as the mighty cedar of Lebanon sending down its roots we ground ourselves on His teaching. We spread God’s fragrance to the world while we stand firm on His Word.

与神的正确关系也引至一个丰富的属灵生命，因为神的爱与义养育我们如甘露滋润百合花，又如壮大的利巴嫩香柏树扎根我们扎根在他的教导上。我们站稳在他的话语上向世界播放神的香气。

What kinds of blessings are resulted from your right relationship with God? How has He healed your waywardness, and how has He loved you freely? How has your “sending down roots” helped your spiritual life?

你与神的正确关系给你带来什麽样的福气呢？他如何医治你背道之病和他如何甘心地爱你呢？你的「扎根」如何帮助你的属灵生命呢？

III. Repentance leads to a fruitful life with wisdom and discernment (14:8-9)
三、 悔改引至一个有智慧又通达的结果子的生命〔14:8-9〕

In our sins we may fear man or demon. After our repentance we regard the LORD Almighty as holy and He is the one that we fear (Isa 8:13). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Pr 9:10). Then through such reverence of God we gain wisdom and discernment, because we delight in the law of the LORD and meditate on His law day and night. As a result we are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever we do prospers. (Ps 1:2-3) Remember that our fruitfulness comes from the LORD (14:8). This describes the sanctified life of a believer who lives in awe and love of God, full of wisdom and understanding, with continual spiritual growth.

我们在罪中可能会惧怕人或邪灵。我们悔改後就尊万军之耶和华为圣，以他为我们所当怕的，所当畏惧的〔赛8:13〕。「敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端；认识至圣者便是聪明。」〔箴9:10〕藉着对神这般的敬畏我们得着智慧和通达的心，因为我们喜爱耶和华的律法，昼夜思想。如此我们就像一棵树栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯乾。凡我们所做的尽都顺利。〔诗1:2-3〕这形容一个活在神的敬畏和爱中，满有智慧和聪明，有不断的属灵成长的成圣生活。

How has your repentance led to a life of wisdom and discernment?
你的悔改如何引至一个有智慧又通达的生命呢？

Conclusion
结语


A sincere repentance includes our confession of sins convicted by the Holy Spirit, asking for God’s forgiveness of our offenses against Him, returning to Him with a single-minded faith in Him.

真挚的悔改包括我们承认圣灵所定的罪，求神宽恕我们对他的冒犯，以专一对他的信心归向他。

After repentance we may backslide but we can take hold of God’s promise that He has healed us of our waywardness so we can depend on Him to live victoriously. We can come to the LORD for forgiveness just as we are for He will love us freely. With our continual cleansing by His forgiving mercy, we can live a fruitful spiritual life empowered by the LORD.

在悔改後我们可能背道，但是我们可以凭着神已经医治我们背道的病的应许来靠他过得胜的生活。我们可以以本相来求耶和华饶恕因为他甘心爱我们。凭着他宽恕的怜悯不断洁净我们，我们可以过一个以耶和华为动力的满有果子的属灵生活。

Repentance brings reverence of God into our heart. This sprouts a life of godly wisdom and understanding. With us in Christ and Christ in us, the LORD prospers the work of our hands.

悔改带对神的敬畏进我们心中，这样就萌生一个敬虔智慧和聪明的生命。我们在基督里和基督在我们里，耶和华使我们所做的尽都顺利。

Tom and Tehwan Tso
仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

“信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9