信心之父 (葉偉明長老)
「興起！發光！」，基督徒的生活如何有光？其中一個重要的特徵就是「信心」，有信心的生活就有光，就是發光！講到信心，不得不提到聖經中的一位人物，就是亞伯拉罕。亞伯拉罕被稱為信心之父。信心之父，就是說，我們的信心要照著他的信心樣式，他的信心是今天我們可以效法和傳承的。今天我們就一起來看看信心之父的信心到底是甚麼樣的信心？
信心之父的信心樣式可以歸結為非常基本的一個操練：抓住神的應許，聽到一句神的話，就相信一句，活在這一句道上，靠神的話語不斷糾正，靠神的話語漸進明白，靠神的話語信心成全。
羅馬書 4:17-24 (和合本)
- 亞伯拉罕所信的是那叫死人復活，使無變為有的神，他在主面前做我們世人的父，如經上所記：「我已經立你做多國的父。」
- 他在無可指望的時候，因信仍有指望，就得以做多國的父，正如先前所說：「你的後裔將要如此。」
- 他將近百歲的時候，雖然想到自己的身體如同已死，撒拉的生育已經斷絕，他的信心還是不軟弱，
- 並且仰望神的應許，總沒有因不信心裡起疑惑，反倒因信心裡得堅固，將榮耀歸給神，
- 且滿心相信神所應許的必能做成。
- 所以這就「算為他的義」。
- 「算為他義」的這句話不是單為他寫的，
- 也是為我們將來得算為義之人寫的，就是我們這信神使我們的主耶穌從死裡復活的人。
Romans 4:17-24 (NIV)
- As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
- Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
- Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
- Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
- being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
- This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
- The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone,
- but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.