伯纳的父亲成年后,因为家中已有几位兄弟投身牧职,故选择了进入政府行政部门,成为一名税务总署的律师(Solicitor of Excise),并逐渐崭露头角,以公正和博学在专业和社会上广受人们尊敬。不过即便从事了世俗职业,家族跨越数代的信仰传承,仍潜移默化地浸润在他的生命里,并折射在他对家中每个孩子的培养过程中。
伯纳的母亲是玛乔丽・梅特兰(Marjory P. Maitland)。她同样出身牧师之家,性情温柔敏感、富有怜悯心,亦是一位颇有才华的作家与诗人。除了悉心打理家务,她还以日常的祷告、读经以及对子女的谆谆教导,维系著家中日常的属灵生活,让孩子们从小就生活在敬虔的氛围之中。 家族的信仰传承、父母亲身上的特质与言教,在伯纳的成长过程中相互交织,既为他埋下了深刻的信仰种子,更对他日后的性情塑造与人生价值观的建立,产生了深远影响。
现在让我们回到伯纳的诗歌创作。他创作诗歌的历史最早可以回溯到神学院毕业后在利斯(Leith)教会担任助理牧师的那段时期。那时他为青少年主日学撰写了许多赞美诗,并发表在《旷野之歌》(Songs for the Wilderness)刊物上。然而,他创作的丰收与成熟阶段,乃是在十九世纪的四十至五十年代,特别是他加入到自由教会之后。在那些岁月里,他围绕着基督的救赎、恩典的普世性、得救的确据、与神相交的甘甜、及基督再来的盼望等主题,写下数百首圣诗;其中就包括我今日要重点介绍的《没有血,没有祭坛》(No Blood, No Altar Now)。该诗的名字是按当时的惯例,取自诗歌的第一句歌词;但伯纳在1861年发表该诗歌时曾将其改名为:”The Finished Sacrifice”,即《已成全的献祭》。全诗共分五节,歌词与曲谱如下:
Not all guilt is bad. God uses appropriate doses of guilt to awaken us to sin. God’s guilt brings enough regret to change us. Satan’s guilt, on the other hand, brings enough regret to enslave us. Don’t let Satan lock his shackles on you. Colossians 3:3 (NIV) says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
You see, when God looks at you, he sees Jesus first. In the Chinese language the word for “righteousness” is a combination of two characters: the figure of a lamb and a person. The lamb is on top, covering the person. Whenever God looks down on you, this is what he sees. The perfect Lamb of God covering you.
It boils down to this choice: Do you trust your Advocate, Jesus, or your Accuser, Satan? Give no heed to Satan’s voice. You have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous.
Satan’s condemnation brings no repentance or resolve, just regret. Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. To steal your peace, to kill your dreams, to destroy your future. Satan has deputized people to peddle his poison. Friends dredge up your past, preachers proclaim all guilt and no grace, and parents—oh your parents! They own a travel agency that specializes in guilt trips. “Why can’t you grow up?” they say. “When are you going to make me proud?” they say.
But your accusers will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on your behalf. Jesus has risen to your defense. Hebrews 10:22 (NCV) says, “Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience.” Not just for our past mistakes, but also for our future ones.
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The voices in our world and the voices in our head.Who is this morality patrolman who issues a citation at every stumble? Does he ever shut up? No. Because Satan never shuts up.
Revelation 12:10 (NLT) says, “For the accuser has been thrown down to earth, the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.” Satan is relentless, tireless. The accuser makes a career out of accusing, but he will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on our behalf.
He stooped. Low enough to be spat upon, nailed, and speared. Low, low enough to be buried. And then he stood. He stood up. Romans 8:34 promises that he is in the presence of God at this very moment standing up for us. So we have a clean conscience. We have a clean record. Free from condemnation, a new life in Christ! Grace.
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