恩典藉着义作王，叫人得永远的生命
罗马五章二十一节说，恩典作王。我们有另一位王，因为现今我们在另一个国里。从前我们在死的国里，罪藉着死作我们的王。现今我们在生命的国里，恩典是我们的王。“恩典也照样藉着义作王，叫人…得永远的生命。”这思想非常深。为甚么恩典必须藉着义作王？因为我们是罪人。我们若没有构成为罪人，就会是清洁、公义的，在我们这人里面没有抵触神性格的东西。若是这样，我们就不需要义了。然而，我们已被构成罪人。恩典，就是神自己，怎能作这样不义之人的王？恩典需要凭借、方法来作王。这个凭借，这个方法，就是神的义。因此，恩典藉着神的义作王，叫人得永远的生命。因为基督在十字架上死了，为我们完成救赎，又因为神的义已经向我们显明出来，我们就有地位享受神作恩典。我们甚至有地位要求神作我们的恩典。所以，恩典能藉着义作王，叫人得永远的生命。
恩典的意思是我接受我所不当得的礼物。我若为你作工，你欠我工价，这是债务，不是恩典。然而，你若给我五百元为礼物，那是恩典，因我不当得。藉着神的义，我接受了我所不当得的恩典。神已将祂自己赐给我们，作我们不当得的恩典。我们从未为此作工，我们也无法偿付；代价太高了。神藉着义，将祂自己赐给我们作恩典；这恩典成为我们的分，给我们享受，并且藉着义作王，结果乃是永远的生命。这不是指永远的福分，乃是指永远的生命，是我们今天可享受的。这不是人的生命，或受造的生命，这是神圣、永远、非受造的生命。
在基督的血下，我们要求神作我们的分，我们也从神领受我们不当得的分量。这分量就是恩典作我们的享受。这享受的结果是永远的生命，这生命要变化我们全人。这会全然圣别我们，并彻底对付我们的性质。因此，我们会成为圣别、变化、模成并得荣的人。
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The Result of Christ’s Obedience (3) – Rom. 5:20-21
Grace Reigned through Righteousness unto Life Eternal
Romans 5:21 says, “grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Grace reigns. We have another king because now we are in another kingdom. Once we were in the kingdom of death, and sin was our king through death. Now we are in the kingdom of life, and grace is our king. “Grace reigns through righteousness unto life eternal.” This thought is very deep. Why must grace reign through righteousness? Because we were sinners. If we had not been constituted sinners, we would have been clean and righteous, with nothing in our being contradicting God’s character. If such had been the case, we would not have needed righteousness. However, we were constituted sinners. How can grace, which is God Himself, reign over such unrighteous people? Grace needs an instrument, a means to reign. This instrument, this means, is God’s righteousness. Thus, grace reigns through God’s righteousness unto life eternal. Because Christ has died on the cross to accomplish redemption for us and because God’s righteousness has been revealed to us, we have a position to enjoy God as grace. We even have the position to claim God as our grace. Therefore, grace can reign through righteousness unto life eternal.
Grace means that I receive a gift which I do not deserve. If I work for you, you owe me my wages as a debt, not as a grace. However, if you present me five hundred dollars as a gift, that is grace, for I do not deserve it. Through God’s righteousness I receive grace, which I do not deserve.
God has given Himself to us as a grace that we do not deserve. We never worked for it and we cannot pay for it. The price is too high. God simply gives Himself to us as grace through righteousness. This grace becomes our portion for our enjoyment and reigns through righteousness, resulting in life eternal. This does not refer to eternal blessing, but to eternal life, which we may enjoy today. It is not the human life or the created life; it is the divine, eternal and uncreated life.
Under the blood of Christ, we claim God as our portion, and we receive from God a measure which we do not deserve. This measure is grace as our enjoyment. The issue of this enjoyment is life eternal, a life which will transform our whole being. It will sanctify us completely and deal thoroughly with our disposition. Thus, we will become sanctified, transformed, conformed and glorified persons.