6月3日
标 题：悔改
经 节：约翰下监以后，耶稣来到加利利，宣传神的福音，说：“日期满了，神的国近了。你们当悔改，信福音！”（可1:14-15）
悔改是文字里最富积极意义的其中一词。施洗约翰的讲道重心是悔改（太3:2；可1:4；路3:3）。耶稣也传讲悔改，祂要自己的门徒同样要悔改（可1:14-15；路24:47）。天使预言弥赛亚会由罪中拯救祂的百姓（太1:21）。得到救恩的必要条件是悔改。
悔改的意义是停止往一个方向走，完全回转到另一个方向。悔改需要定意全然地改变。当我们所做的事会导致灭亡时，神催促我们要悔改。悔改会把我们由悲惨的下场中拯救出来！这是多么美好的一个词，造物主居然那么爱我们，愿意警告我们那迫在眉睫的危险！
我们的问题是以为悔改是消极保守的。当察觉自己的罪时，我们喜欢“再次奉献”生命给神。我们甚至会告诉其他人，我们比从前更有决心忠诚向主。然而，圣经从来没有提过再次奉献自己。它强调要悔改！悔改表示有决心地改变，而不是一种满怀希望的决心。如果继续犯罪，就代表我们尚未悔改！
悔改是彻头彻尾地改变自己的心思意念，我们同意神对罪的评判，且愿意以行动改变自己，好能够合神的心意。想改变的欲望不等于是悔改，悔改一定会以行动回应神的话语。悔改的证据不是那些下决心的话语，一个被改变的生命才是。
Repentance
Now after John
was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom
of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Repentance is one of the most positive of all words. John the Baptist
centered his preaching on repentance (Matt. 3:2, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). Jesus
also preached repentance, commanding His disciples to do likewise (Mark
1:14–15; Luke 24:47). The angel predicted that the Messiah would save His
people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). The requirement for this salvation would
be repentance.
To repent means to stop going one direction, to turn around completely,
and to go the opposite way. Repentance involves a dramatic and decisive change
of course. God urges us to repent when the path we are taking leads to
destruction. Repentance will save us from disastrous consequences! What a
wonderful word! How comforting that the Creator loves us enough to warn us of
impending danger!
Our problem is that we think of repentance as something negative. When
we recognize our sin, we prefer to “rededicate” our lives to God. We may even
tell others we have resolved to be more faithful to God than we were before we
failed Him. Yet the Bible does not speak of rededicating oneself. It speaks of
repentance! Repentance indicates a decisive change, not merely a wishful
resolution. We have not repented if we continue in our sin!
Repentance involves a radical change of heart and mind in which we agree
with God’s evaluation of our sin and then take specific action to align
ourselves with His will. A desire to change is not repentance. Repentance is always
an active response to God’s word. The evidence of repentance is not words of
resolve, but a changed life.
