既然说是出于恩典,就不再基于行为,不然恩典就不再是恩典了。 这该怎么说呢?以色列人努力追求,却一无所得,只有蒙拣选的人得到了,其他的人都变得顽固不化。 正如圣经上说:

“上帝使他们至今心智昏迷,
眼睛看不见,耳朵听不到。”

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上帝选择他的子民是靠他的恩典,而不是取决于他们的表现,使他们成为上帝的子民。如果成为上帝的选民取决于表现,那么,上帝的恩典就不再是恩典了。

结果怎样呢?以色列人寻求上帝的祝福,但是,他们没有得到这祝福。被挑选的人却得到了他的祝福,其余的人则变得固执己见,不肯听从上帝, 正如《经》上所说的那样:

“上帝让这些人沉睡。 (A)
时至今日,
上帝合上他们的眼睛,所以他们不能看,
    上帝关闭他们的耳朵,所以他们不能听。” (B)

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And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;(A) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.(B) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,(C) as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,(D)
to this very day.”[a](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 29:10