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希伯来书：23照着天上样式作的物件，必须用这些祭物去洁净；但那天上的本物自然当用更美的祭物去洁净。24因为基督并不是进了人手所造的圣所（这不过是真圣所的影像），乃是进了天堂，如今为我们显在神面前；25也不是多次将自己献上，像那大祭司每年带着牛羊的血进入圣所（牛羊的血原文作不是自己的血）。26如果这样，他从创世以来，就必多次受苦了。但如今在这末世显现一次，把自己献为祭，好除掉罪。27按着定命，人人都有一死，死后且有审判。28像这样，基督既然一次被献，担当了多人的罪，将来要向那等候他的人第二次显现，并与罪无关，乃是为拯救他们。
我的思绪尤其被末后两句经文吸引。当我们死去，我们会面临审判。这就是我们实际要面对的审判日。但当耶稣死在十字架上的时候，那是耶稣的审判日。他因为全世界的罪被定为有罪。那无罪的替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。（哥林多后书5:21）耶稣因为我们的罪被定为有罪，我们才能在上帝的面前被定为无罪。
这就是为什么我们不必害怕死亡到来的那一天。当那日，会有痛苦和折磨吗？我们中的某些人可能会，生活对他们来说可能是残酷的。但我更常看到的，是信徒在安静中去世，对他们而言，死亡不过是喘最后一口气而已。我们不必担心接下来会发生什么。我们死亡的那天就是我们的审判日。只不过我们因为耶稣的缘故，已经在天父上帝的面前被定为无罪。这正是本乎恩、因着信的真正含义。
当耶稣再来，最终的审判日来临时又会怎么样？依然没有恐惧！他将二次显现，但不是为了担负罪，乃是要拯救那些等候他的人。当耶稣二次来临，全世界的信徒会齐声欢呼，因为他们知道他们的救恩已经来到。无论生或死，我们的救主都为我们带来何等的平安啊！
祷告：主耶稣，我知道我属于你，你也属于我。当你被定为有罪死在十字架上的时候，我知道所有的罪都被偿还了。主啊，现在我热切地等候你二次降临，并为所有相信你的人带来救赎洪恩。主耶稣，我愿意你快来！阿们。
Hebrews 9: 23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
My thoughts are drawn to the last two verses especially. When we die, we face the judgement. That is our judgement day in reality. It was fudgment day for Jesus, too, when he died on the cross. He was judged guilty for the sins of the whole world. The One who knew no sin became sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because Jesus was judged to be guilty of our sins, then we are judged to be innocent in the sight of God.
That’s why we do not have to fear the day of our death. Will there be some pain and suffering on that day? Maybe for some of us. Life can be cruel. More often than not I have seen members who just slipped away quietly. Death was no more than taking one last breath. What we don’t have to be worried about is what will happen next. The day we die is our judgment day. Only, we have already been judged in the sight of God to be innocent of all sin for Jesus’ sake. That’s what it means to be justified by grace through faith.
And when then of the big Judgment Day when Jesus comes again? No fear there either! He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. When Jesus comes a second time, believers around the world will stand up a cheer, because they know their salvation has come. What peace our Savior gives us in life and in death!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that I am yours and you are mine. All my sins were paid for when you were judged guilty of them as you died on the cross. Now, Lord, I wait eagerly for you to come a second time and bring salvation to all who believe in your. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.