God’s forgiveness defies our labels of failure or pride.

不管人们给你贴上什么标签，上帝都愿意饶恕你。

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，上帝的爱就在此向我们显明了。-罗马书5章8节

A church in my city has a unique welcome card that captures the love and grace of God for everyone. It says, “If You Are A . . . saint, sinner, loser, winner”—followed by many other terms used to describe struggling people—“alcoholic, hypocrite, cheater, fearful, misfit . . . . You are welcome here.” One of the pastors told me, “We read the card aloud together in our worship services every Sunday.”

在我居住的城市里，有间教会制作了非常独特的欢迎卡，充分表达上帝对世人的慈爱与恩典。欢迎卡上写道：“无论你是一个圣人、罪人、失败者、赢家、酗酒的人、伪君子、骗子、胆小鬼或是不容易适应环境的人……我们都欢迎你来我们的教会。”其中一位牧师告诉我：“在每个主日聚会中，我们会一起大声朗读这张欢迎卡。”

How often we accept labels and allow them to define who we are. And how easily we assign them to others. But God’s grace defies labels because it is rooted in His love, not in our self-perception. Whether we see ourselves as wonderful or terrible, capable or helpless, we can receive eternal life as a gift from Him. The apostle Paul reminded the followers of Jesus in Rome that “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).

很多时候，我们容易接受别人贴在我们身上的“标签”，认定自己是个怎么样的人。另一方面，我们也会轻易地在别人身上贴标签。但上帝的恩典足以除去一切的标签，因着上帝的慈爱，我们就不再以自己的观点来做评判。不论我们觉得自己是好人还是坏人、是人才还是庸才，都可以得到上帝所赐的永生。使徒保罗提醒那些在罗马的基督徒，说：“因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。”（罗马书5章6节）

The Lord does not require us to change by our own power. Instead He invites us to come as we are to find hope, healing, and freedom in Him. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). The Lord is ready and willing to receive us just as we are.

上帝不是要我们靠自己的力量寻求改变，相反地，祂欢迎我们以本来的面目来到祂的面前，在祂里面得着盼望、医治和自由。“惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，上帝的爱就在此向我们显明了”（8节）。上帝随时乐意按我们的本相接纳我们。

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing love in Jesus.

天父，谢谢祢藉着耶稣，彰显祢的奇妙大爱。

Romans 5:1-11New International Version (NIV)

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c]also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

罗马书 5:1-11Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

因信称义的福

5 我们既因信称义，就借着我们的主耶稣基督得与神相和。 2 我们又借着他，因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。 3 不但如此，就是在患难中也是欢欢喜喜的。因为知道患难生忍耐， 4 忍耐生老练，老练生盼望， 5 盼望不至于羞耻，因为所赐给我们的圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里。

基督为罪人死显明神的爱

6 因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。 7 为义人死是少有的，为仁人死或者有敢做的； 8 唯有基督在我们还做罪人的时候为我们死，神的爱就在此向我们显明了。 9 现在我们既靠着他的血称义，就更要借着他免去神的愤怒。 10 因为我们做仇敌的时候，且借着神儿子的死得与神和好，既已和好，就更要因他的生得救了。 11 不但如此，我们既借着我主耶稣基督得与神和好，也就借着他以神为乐。

整理：于姊妹