音频：

视频：

•1我们与　神同工的也劝你们，不可白受他的恩典；2因为他说：

•“在悦纳的时候，我应允了你；

•在拯救的日子，我帮助了你。”

•看哪，现在正是悦纳的时候！看哪，现在正是拯救的日子！

  在旧约时代，上帝规定每到第五十年为“禧年。”在这一年，所有的债务都被免除；所有以前因为欠债而抵押的财产都被归还；所有的奴隶都被释放得自由。我不确定以色列人多久庆祝一次禧年，但上帝希望他们这样做。“禧年”预表了以赛亚预言的“上帝悦纳的时候”，在那个时候，上帝赦免了我们欠下的罪债，把我们从罪、死亡和撒但的奴役中释放出来。

               保罗在写给哥林多信徒的信中引用了以赛亚的话，他说：“现在正是上帝悦纳的时候，现在正是拯救的日子。”他的话体现了一种紧迫感。不要以为你可以把认识耶稣、相信耶稣的日子一再推迟。或许那一天永远不会到来。但如果你此时正好看到这句话，那就是上帝正在呼召你悔改并相信耶稣。现在正是上帝悦纳的时候，是他赐恩给你的时候。此刻，上帝要你明白这个好消息——耶稣成为我们的罪，平安和自由来自于这个好消息。再多的钱，再多的成功，都无法带给你唯独从耶稣那里得到的平安和喜乐！

               你也不该这样想：“对我来说已经太晚了。上帝悦纳我的日子已经过去了。” 你不必像旧约的“禧年”那样，等到每隔五十年才有资格领受神的恩典。如果你今天听到了这个福音，那现在就是你得救的日子。对那个与耶稣一同钉十字架上的强盗来说，他得救的日子就是是他生命的最后一天。耶稣说：“今日你要同我在乐园里了。”他不必再多等一天。现在正是拯救的日子。现在正是上帝悦纳的时候，正是他赐给你救恩的时候。不要再等。

祷告：主耶稣，你今天向我发出满有恩典的邀请，使我相信，因为你的缘故，我被上帝所悦纳。我的罪债被取消了。我不再被罪捆绑，也不再被死亡的恐惧所奴役。求你教导我活在你永恒的恩典，也是“现在”的恩典之下。阿们。

2 Corinthians 6: As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (NIV)

In the Old Testament, God set aside the fiftieth year as the “Year of Jubilee.”  In that year all debts were canceled. All ancestral properties were returned. All slaves were given their freedom. I’m not sure how often the children of Israel celebrated the Year of Jubilee, but God wanted them to.  It looked forward to the “time of the Lord’s favor” that Isaiah prophesied, when God would forgive the debt of our sins and free us from our slavery to sin, death and Satan. 

As Paul writes to the Corinthians and quotes Isaiah, he says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” There is a sense of urgency in his words. Do not think you can put off learning of Jesus and believing in him to another day. That day may never come. But if you are reading these words, God is calling you to repent of your sins and trust in Jesus only. Now is the time of God’s favor. Now God wants you to know the peace and freedom that comes from believing the good news we learned in the last chapter, that Jesus became our sin so that we might become his righteousness. A boatload of money and a ton of success cannot give you the peace and joy that you can find in Jesus alone!

Nor should you think, “I am already too late. The day of God’s favor has passed me by.”  You don’t have to wait for every fiftieth year to come to be eligible for God’s grace. If you are hearing this gospel today, now is your day of salvation. For the thief on the cross, that was the last day of his life, when Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise!”  It’s a good thing he didn’t wait another day!  Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time of God’s favor.

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, what a gracious invitation you extend to me today, to believe that for your sake, I live under God’s favor. My debt has been canceled. I am no longer bound to sin or a slave to my fear of death. Teach me to live under the grace of your eternal “now.”  Amen.