神的应许与亚伯拉罕的信被算为义
在这里，我们需要说说恩典与祝福的不同。多数基督徒所认为的恩典，其实是祝福。祝福是甚么？祝福是兴盛、利益、丰裕等。许多基督徒喜欢用恩典的形容词说，“哦，神对我们真是有恩惠！”但这话与恩典真正的意义差得很远。在圣经里，恩典一点不差就是神自己；在圣经里，恩典就是神自己进到我们里面成为我们的享受。约翰一章十七节说，“因为律法是藉着摩西赐的，恩典和实际都是藉着耶稣基督来的。”约翰一章十四节说，“话成了肉体…丰丰满满的有恩典，有实际。”约翰一章十六节告诉我们：“从祂的丰满里我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。”
祝福是为着我们的生存，恩典却是为着达成神的目的。我们的生存的确需要神的祝福，神若不祝福我们，我们会失去职业、健康，甚至会失去肉身的生命。然而，仅仅生存不过是虚空的虚空。新约中没有一卷书的结语是“愿祝福与你们同在，”几乎所有书信的结语都是，“愿恩典与你们同在。”（加六18，弗六24，腓四23，西四18）。在旧约里主要的是祝福，但在新约里，物质的祝福被属灵的福分顶替了。祝福是为着我们的生存，而恩典是为着达成神的目的。
神拒绝亚伯拉罕的题议之后，就应许要为他作一些事，使他能从本身生出后裔，甚至像天上的星那样多（创十五5）。亚伯拉罕照着神的话相信神，神就将他的信算为他的义（创十五6）。这种信就是相信神要在我们里面作工，好生出基督，就是那后裔；这种信对神是宝贵的，并且在神眼中是我们的义。这种信是为着接受神的恩典，不是为着接受神的祝福。
今天大多基督徒都注重祝福，不太在意恩典。许多基督徒仍活在旧约时代里，只注重祝福，不在意恩典。我们的确需要祝福。但比这更重要的是，我们需要恩典。我们需要神进来，并说，“你所有的不算数，你所能作的，你所要作的也不算数。我要将一些东西作到你里面，这要生出后裔。这信不是相信神要给我们生存所需要的一切，乃是相信神要将祂自己作到我们里面，为要生出基督这独一的后裔，就是为着达成神目的所需要的后裔。
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Seed and Land (5) – Gen. 15:5
God’s Promise and Abraham’s Faith Reckoned as Righteousness
Now we need to speak about the difference between grace and blessing. What most Christians consider to be grace is actually blessing. What is blessing? Blessing is prosperity, benefit, abundance, etc. Many Christians like to use the word “grace” by saying, “Oh, God is so gracious to us!” But this is far from the true meaning of grace. In the Bible, grace is nothing less than God Himself; in the Bible, grace is God Himself coming into us to be our enjoyment. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and reality came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh… full of grace and reality.” John 1:16 tells us: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”
Blessing is for our existence, but grace is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Our existence certainly needs God’s blessing. If God does not bless us, we may lose our jobs, our health or even our physical lives. However, mere existence is but vanity of vanities. Not a single book in the New Testament ends with “May blessing be with you”; almost all epistles conclude with “May grace be with you” (Gal. 6:18, Eph. 6:24, Phil. 4:23, Col. 4:18). In the Old Testament, it was primarily blessing, but in the New Testament, material blessings are replaced by spiritual blessings. Blessing is for our existence, while grace is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
After God rejected Abraham’s suggestion, He promised to do something for him so that he could bring forth a seed from himself, even as numerous as the stars in heaven (Gen. 15:5). Abraham believed God according to His word, and God reckoned his faith to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). This kind of faith is believing that God will work in us to bring forth Christ, who is the Seed. This kind of faith is precious to God and is righteousness in His eyes. This faith is for receiving God’s grace, not for receiving God’s blessing.
Today, most Christians focus on blessings and do not care much for grace. Many Christians still live in the Old Testament age, focusing only on blessings and ignoring grace. We do need blessings. But more important than this, we need grace. We need God to come in and say, “What you have does not count; what you can do and what you want to do do not count either. I will work something into you, and this will bring forth the seed.” This faith is not believing that God will give us everything we need for existence, but believing that God will work Himself into us to bring forth Christ as the unique Seed, which is the Seed needed to fulfill God’s purpose.