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382. 惡者無信
凡是否定創世的上帝, 因而否定上帝的存在, 這樣的人為惡者, 因為他們是不信上帝的唯物主義者。稱他們為惡的原因在於:一切的善(無論是屬世的還是屬靈的)皆從上帝而來。因此, 凡否認上帝之人不願意,因而無法接受其它來源的任何事情, 除非來自於他們的自我。人的自我就是他肉體的欲望, 由此生發的是屬靈之惡, 儘管從屬世的角度或許顯為善。像這樣的人, 理論上是惡的。
實踐上也是為惡的, 是那些視上帝誡命為無物(這些誡命總結在十誡之中), 並逍遙於律法之外的人。原因在於他們內心否定上帝(儘管當中有許多人口頭承認上帝), 而上帝與其誡命是聯合為一的。這就是為何十誡被稱為"耶和華"(民數記10:35-36;詩篇132:7-8)。
為了更清楚證明惡人無信, 以下兩個論點可以引用:
(1)惡者無信, 因為惡屬於地獄,信屬於天國。
(2)基督徒世界中棄絕主與聖言的人都沒有信, 哪怕他們活出道德的生活, 合理地談論,教導與書寫, 甚至涉及的主題為信。
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382. 10. Evil People Have No Faith
All people who deny that God created the world, and who therefore deny the existence of God, are evil. They are atheistic materialists. They are all evil, because everything good that is good not only in an earthly way but also in a spiritual way comes from God. Therefore people who deny the existence of God do not want to, and therefore cannot, accept anything good from any other source outside what is their own. What is their own is the craving of their flesh. Anything that comes from that craving is spiritually evil, however good it may appear from an earthly perspective. People like this are evil in a theoretical way.
There are also people who are evil in a practical way. They are people who have no use for the divine precepts that are summed up in the Ten Commandments. These people live like outlaws. They too deny God at heart (although many of them confess him with their lips), because God and his commandments are united, which is why the Ten Commandments are called "Jehovah there" (Numbers 10:35-36; Psalms 132:7-8).
The following two propositions will make it more obvious that evil people have no faith:
a. Evil people have no faith, because evil relates to hell and faith relates to heaven.
b. All people in Christianity who are dismissive of the Lord and the Word have no faith, no matter how morally they behave or how rationally they speak, teach, or write, even if their subject is faith.
We will take these points up one at a time.
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382. X. The wicked have no faith.
All those who deny the creation of the world by God, and so deny God, are wicked, for they are godless nature-worshippers. The reason they are all wicked is that all good, which is not only naturally but also spiritually good, is from God. Those, therefore, who deny God are unwilling and for that reason unable to accept anything good from any source except their own self. A person's self is the longing of his flesh, and whatever arises from this is spiritually evil, however good it seems naturally. These people are wicked in theory; and the wicked in practice are those who pay no heed to God's commands, which are summed up in the Ten Commandments, and live outside the law. The reason why they too at heart deny God, although many of them confess God with their lips, is that God and His commands make one. This is why the Ten Commandments are addressed as the presence of Jehovah (Numbers 10:35-36; Psalms 132:7-8). But to make it plainer that the wicked have no faith, a conclusion will be drawn from two propositions:
(i) The wicked have no faith because evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven.
(ii) All those in the Christian world have no faith who reject the Lord and the Word, although they live moral lives, and talk, teach and write rationally, even about faith.
But these propositions must be examined one by one.
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382. X. WITH THE EVIL THERE IS NO FAITH.
The evil are all who deny that the world was created by God, and thus deny God, for they are naturalistic atheists. All such are evil because all good, which is not only naturally but also spiritually good, is from God; consequently those who deny God will not and therefore cannot receive good from any other source than what is their own; and what is man's own is the lust of his flesh; and whatever proceeds from that is spiritually evil, however good it may seem naturally. Such are evil in theory; while those who have no regard for the Divine commandments (which are exhibited in a summary in the Decalogue), and live like outlaws, are practically evil. Such are also deniers of God in heart (although many of them confess Him with their lips), for the reason that God and His commandments make one; and this is why the ten commandments are called,
Jehovah there (Numbers 10:35, 36; Psalms 132:7, 8).
But to make it still clearer that the evil have no faith, let us from the two following propositions draw a conclusion:
(1) The evil have no faith, since evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven.
(2) All those in Christendom who reject the Lord and the Word have no faith, although they live morally, and even speak, teach, and write rationally about faith.
But of these points separately.
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382. X. THE EVIL HAVE NO FAITH.
All those are evil who deny that the world was created by God, and consequently deny God, for they are athetistic materialists. They are evil, because all good, which is not only naturally but also spiritually good, is from God; and therefore those who deny God are not willing, and thus are not able, to receive good from any source but their own proprium. Now a man's proprium is the lust of the flesh, and whatever proceeds from this is spiritually evil, however it may appear good naturally. Such persons are evil in principle, but those are evil in practice who set at nought the Divine commandments which are summarized in the Decalogue, and who live like men subject to no law. They also deny God in their heart, although many of them confess Him with their lips; for God and His commandments make one, and for this reason the ten commandments of the Decalogue were called:
"The presence of Jehovah" Numbers 10:35-36; Psalms 132:7-8.
However in order that it may be quite clear that the evil have no faith, proof will be established under these two propositions:
(1) The evil have no faith, because evil is of hell, and faith is of heaven.
(2) Those in Christendom have no faith who reject the Lord and the Word, although they live morally, and speak, teach and write rationally, even about faith.
These propositions will now be treated separately.
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382. X. Quod nulla fides sit apud malos.
Omnes illi mali sunt, qui negant creationem Mundi a Deo, et sic Deum, nam sunt Naturalistae athei; quod omnes illi mali sint, est quia omne bonum, quod non modo naturaliter sed etiam spiritualiter bonum est, a Deo est, quare illi, qui negant Deum, non volunt et ideo non possunt recipere aliquod bonum aliunde, quam ex suo proprio, et proprium hominis est concupiscentia carnis ejus, et quicquid ex hac procedit, spiritualiter malum est, utcunque naturaliter apparet bonum: hi sunt theoretice mali; at practice mali sunt, qui nihili faciunt Praecepta Divina, quae in summa exstant in Decalogo, et vivunt sicut exleges; quod illi quoque corde negent Deum, tametsi multi ex illis ore confitentur Deum, est quia Deus et Praecepta Ipsius unum faciunt, quapropter decem Praecepta Decalogi vocata sunt JEHOVAH IBI, Numeri 10:35-36, Psalm 132:7-8. Sed ut manifestius pateat, quod nulla fides sit malis, conclusio fiet ex his duobus Problematibus, I. Quod Malis nulla fides sit, quia malum est Inferni, et fides est Coeli. II. Quod omnibus illis in Christianismo nulla fides sit, qui reprobant Dominum et Verbum, tametsi moraliter vivunt, ac rationaliter, etiam de fide, loquuntur, docent et scribunt; sed de his singulatim.