Ministry in Word

God’s Saving Grace
神拯救的恩惠

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
有人声喊着说：在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道。一切山洼都
要填满，大小山冈都要削平；高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。
耶和华的荣耀必然显现；凡有血气的必一同看见；因为这是耶和华亲口说的。

Isaiah 40:3-5
以賽亞書40:3-5

Every New Year is a beginning. Let us look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth as prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3-5) long before Jesus walked on earth.
每个新年都是一个开始。就让我们以赛亚在耶稣进入世界许久之前所预言耶稣世
上事工的开始。

A voice of one calling –
有人声喊着说 --

It is through human voice and proclamation that awakes the human soul from its spiritual slumber. Paul said in Romans 10:13-14 that “‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” God ordains the human preaching to be the means of spreading the Gospel which leads to salvation of lost souls.
那是透过人声与宣言来从属灵的睡梦中唤醒人的灵魂。保罗在罗马书10:13-14说
「凡求告主名的，就必得救。然而，人未曾信他，怎能求他呢？未曾听见他，怎
能信他呢？没有传道的，怎能听见呢？」神任命人的传道作为传播福音的方法，
带来众失丧灵魂的拯救。

In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God –
在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道 --

In the aridness of our souls the Lord calls for their access. We are so weak in our faith we cannot even lift up our feeble arms to reach God. It is God who reaches into the depth of sin we are in to pull us out with an awareness of our desperate situation (Ps 144:7). That shows how great His love is for us that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners (Ro 5:8).
主呼唤要进入我们灵魂的贫瘠中。我们的信心太弱，我们什至不能举起软弱的双
臂去接触神。那是神他伸手进去我们罪的深处拉我们出来，给我们对我们悲观失
望的光景的认知〔诗144:7〕。当我们还是罪人的时候耶稣为我们死，这就显出他
对我们的爱是何其大〔罗5:8〕。

Every valley shall be raised up –
一切山洼都要填满 --

Do we have valley of guilt, thinking that the Lord’s grace is insufficient to remove our transgressions? Do we have valley of little faith, believing that God is unable and unwilling to save us? Do we have valley of emptiness in life that we are trying to fill with all the wrong things? All these valleys need to be filled in and raised up by the Spirit of God.
我们有罪恶感的山洼，认为主的恩典不够来除去我们的过犯吗？我们有小信的山
洼，相信神不能并且不愿意来拯救我们吗？我们有生命空虚的山洼，我们一直以
错误的事物来填补吗？这一切山洼都要被神的灵填满。

Every mountain and hill made low –
大小山冈都要削平 --

Do we have the mountain of pride that makes it impossible for us to humble ourselves before the Lord to receive His grace (Jas 4:6)? Do we have the mountain of bitterness that prevents us from forgiving others and that becomes a hindrance in our spiritual life (Mt 6:14, 15)? Do we have the mountain of self-righteousness that blinds us to the grace of God and making us self-reliant instead of relying on God? All these mountains and hills need to be cast out and made low by the Spirit of God. These hindrances to God’s
access to our hearts will be cleared out.
我们有骄傲的山冈让我们无法在主面前谦卑自己来得着他的恩惠吗〔雅4:6〕？我
们有苦毒的山冈阻止我们去饶恕别人，那成为我们灵命的障碍吗〔太6:14, 15〕？
我们有自义的山冈使我们看不见神的恩典和使我们倚靠自己而不倚靠神吗？所有
这些大小山冈都要被神的灵挪开和削平。这些阻挡神进入我们的心的障碍物都要
被清除。

The rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain –
高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原 --

The Lord makes our ground level so to protect our feet from stumbling (Ps 116:8), helping us not to fall into sins again. The Lord makes the rugged places a wide open plain giving us freedom to “walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps 116:9).
主使我们的地改为平坦来保护我们不致失足〔诗116:8〕，帮助我们不要再掉进罪
中。主使崎崎岖岖的成为广阔平原，赐我们自由「在耶和华面前行活人之路。」
〔诗116:9〕

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed –
耶和华的荣耀必然显现 --

All the aforementioned saving acts of God happened when Jesus entered into human history and accomplished His salvation of mankind on the cross; in His resurrection He was glorified.
当耶稣进入人类历史和在十字架上成全他对世人的拯救，前述一切神的救赎行动
都发生了；他在他的复活中被荣耀。

And all mankind together will see it –
凡有血气的必一同看见 --

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11) He is over all mankind.
「所以，神将他升为至高，又赐给他那超乎万名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地
上的，和地底下的，因耶稣的名无不屈膝，无不口称耶稣基督为主，使荣耀归与
父神。」〔腓2:9-11〕他是在所有有血气的之上。

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken –
因为这是耶和华亲口说的 --

All these have taken place, or will take place because God has spoken and His word will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He desires (Is 55:11).
这一切都已发生或将会发生，因为这是神说的而他的话决不徒然返回，却要成就
他所喜悦的〔赛55:11〕。

We should praise the Lord for His grace in accomplishing His work in us.
我们该为他在我们身上成就他的工作的恩赞美耶和华。

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