阅读经文 

Ilya作为耶和华见证人的信徒差不多有四十年，他尽自己所能去赚取救恩和寻求与神和好。有一天，他收听了某一个基督教电台的广播节目，听到关于本乎恩和因信基督得救恩的信息。对Ilya来说，这是一件令他耳目一新的道理。他从此便开始研读基督教的《圣经》和参与附近一间基督教教会。

今天，他是一个公开承认耶稣基督为他的生命之主和救赎之主的忠心门徒。他说，研读《圣经》最终帮助他能够与神和好。

在今天的经文中，使徒保罗解释说，藉着相信耶稣，我们的犯罪记录被清除干净，就好像我们始终都能满足神公义的标准那样。我们被带进一个与神为友、与祂联合、与祂相交的地位。

我们的罪使我们与神隔绝，无论如何努力，我们总不能靠行为弥补令我们与父神分开的裂痕。我们所有的善行，都不足以让我们达到与神和好的地步。例如，我们的宗教背景、我们的种族或我们的文化传统，都不能叫我们与神相和。我们的本性太软弱、太罪恶，实在不能靠自己得自由。

然而，神的儿子却能叫我们得自由。当我们全然相信和遵行耶稣基督的教导时，我们便找到真正的平安了。你有没有找到神的平安和在基督里的盼望呢？

As a Jehovah’s Witness for almost 40 years, Ilya tried his best to earn salvation and find peace with God. But one day he heard a Christian radio program about salvation by grace through faith in Christ. For Ilya this was an eye-opener. He started studying the Christian Bible and visited a local Christian church.

Today he is a committed believer, professing Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He says that studying the Bible has helped him finally find peace with God.

In our verses for today the apostle Paul explains that through faith in Jesus, we have a sinless record, as if we’ve always obeyed God’s righteous standards. This ushers us into a place of friendship, unity, and peace with God.

Our sin separates us from God. No matter how hard we work, we cannot bridge the gap that separates us from God the Father. All our good deeds aren’t enough to bring us to the point of being at peace with God. Things such as our religious background, our ethnicity, or our cultural heritage cannot make us right with God either. We are too weak, too sinful, to free ourselves.

But the Son of God can set us free. We find real peace when we wholeheartedly believe in and follow the teaching of Jesus Christ. Have you found God’s peace and hope in Christ?