RETURN TO THE LORD 歸向神 （Joel 約珥書2:13-14)
Warren E. Berkley
Translation & Edition 翻譯：Joyce Yang
Built in to the message of the prophets was the appeal to repent. These men were sent by God to expose sin and urge the guilty to repent. Often the appeal was framed as a challenge to return to the Lord (Isaiah 6:10; Jeremiah 3:1; Malachi 3:7). For instance, Joel’s appeal to Judah was for the people to repent of their sins. “So rend your heart”, and “return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13). Through the distribution of His judgments (locusts, drought, desolation), God admonished His people to come out of their sin and back to Him. It was His loving purpose to prompt a change in their direction. The essential definition of repentance has not changed through the dispensations. We can, therefore, use Joel’s statement as the basis for our understanding of returning to the Lord. And this study can find application for those who have been baptized but left their God.
先知的信息中內含著悔改的呼籲。這些人是神派來揭露罪惡、敦促有罪之人悔改的。這種呼籲常常被界定為“歸向神的挑戰”（以賽亞書6：10;耶利米書3：1;瑪拉基書3：7）。例如，約珥對猶大的呼籲，是要百姓悔改他們的罪。“你們要撕裂心腸”，並“歸向耶和華你們的神”（約珥書2：13）。通過分派祂的審判（蝗蟲、乾旱、荒涼），神告誡祂的子民要走出罪惡，回到祂身邊。祂愛的目的，是要促使他們改變方向。悔改的基本定義並沒有因時代而改變。因此，我們可以用約珥的陳述作為我們理解“回歸主”的基礎。這項研究也適用於那些已受浸，但之後離開神的信徒。
Repentance is a change in direction. The simple word “turn” shows that to be so. Those guilty of sin (before or after baptism) need to turn; a change of direction is needed. If you’ve been letting the world influence your thinking, your speech, your conduct, your dress or attitude, you need to change your direction. If you’ve abandoned the assembly, harbored ill-will in your heart, accepted false teaching, helped false teaching advance, participated in party strife or refused to grow, God seeks a change in your direction. Repentance is a change in your direction, turning from your sin to the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).
悔改是方向的改變。簡單的“轉”字表表明了這一點。那些犯了罪的人（浸禮前或後）需要轉向;需要改變方向。如果你一直讓世界影響你的思想、言語、行為、著裝或態度，你需要改變你的方向。如果你放棄了聚會，心懷惡意，接受了錯誤的教導，幫助推廣假道理，參與分黨爭競，或拒絕成長，神尋求改變你的方向。悔改是改變你的方向，從你的罪中離開，歸向神（帖撒羅尼迦前書1：9-10）。
Repentance occurs in the heart. Observe the phrase “with all your heart” in Joel 2:12. Everything we do before God ought to be done with a whole heart. Repentance, to be complete and genuine, must come from a whole heart: a heart of reverence for God, love for God; a heart influenced by the cross of Christ. Repentance should be the product of a heart of mature responsibility toward everything that is holy and right. The conviction of sin from the Word should be let in, so that repentance finds its true and good expression.
悔改發生在心裡。注意約珥書2：12中“一心”這個詞。我們在神面前所做的每一件事，都應該全心全意（一心一意）地去做。悔改要完全和真誠，必須來自全心全意：一顆敬畏神的心，對神的愛;一顆受基督十字架影響的心。悔改應該是一顆對一切聖潔和正確的事物，負有成熟責任心的產物。應該讓神的話語使我們認罪，這樣，悔改才能找到它真實和良好的表達。
Repentance is not just a ritual. “So rend your heart, and not your garments”. It was customary among the Jews to express their emotions in very public, visible ways. To this day in middle eastern cultures, when a family member dies, there may be public weeping and wailing; throwing dust in the air; beating the breast and the rendering of garments. The problem to be noted here is, the emotion must not be ritualized and confused with true repentance. The fact that someone may cry in public or come down an aisle doesn’t assure wholehearted repentance. Repentance is a personal decision to leave sin behind and come to God. It’s a decision of heart, productive of good fruit. It may be accompanied by some open expression, but the essence of the matter lies in the heart and the results in life.
悔改不僅僅是一種儀式。“所以撕裂你的心，而不是你的衣服”。猶太人習慣於以非常公開、可見的方式表達他們的情感。直到今天，在中東文化中，當家庭成員去世時，可能會有公開的哭泣和哀號;向空中拋灑灰塵;捶胸頓足，撕破服裝。這裡要注意的問題是，情感不能被儀式化，不能與真正的悔改混淆。有人可能在公共場合哭泣，或走下過道（小編：可能是從台前悔改後走下來），但這一事實並不能保證全心全意的悔改。悔改是個人決定離棄罪惡，來到神面前。這是心中的決定，結出好的果子。可能伴隨著一些公開的表達，但悔改的本質在於內心和生活的結果。
Repentance is made possible by a gracious God. “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love …” If you are alive to hear the Word, be convicted and repent, thank God that you have such a blessed opportunity. Thank Him for the precious blood of Christ. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. If you’re alive today, you can repent. Thank God for the time He has given you to return to Him, but don’t presume upon His grace and providence. “He relents from doing harm”, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Repent while there is time.
悔改因為有一位仁慈的神而變得可能。“歸向耶和華你們的神；因為他有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛......”如果你活著聽到神的話語，因而被定罪和悔改，感謝神，你有這樣一個蒙福的機會。為基督的寶血感謝祂。“主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改”。如果你今天還活著，你就能夠悔改。感謝神賜給你時間回到祂身邊，但不要過分利用祂的恩典和應許。“他後悔不降所說的災”，但耶和華的日子將在黑夜中像賊一樣來臨。我們當在有時間時儘快悔改。
If you are reading this as one convicted of your sin, now is the time to repent. If you just plan to repent someday, that isn’t good enough. Ask God to relent, turn from your sin, and enjoy peace with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ.
如果你讀這篇文章時是一個被（神的話語）定罪的人，現在是時候悔改了。如果你只是打算有一天再悔改，那還不夠好。求神的憐憫，離棄你的罪，藉著主耶穌基督與祂同享平安。
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