我第一次听到别人给我传福音时，我收到了一个小册子叫《四个属灵的原则》。小册子说若要成为一个基督徒，我必须接受耶稣作我的主。

The first time I was evangelized, I was given the “The Four Spiritual Principles” tract. This tract introduced the idea that you have to accept Jesus as your Lord to become a Christian.

时隔多年，随着自己对圣经熟知更多，我想再细嚼这个说法是否成立：我们接手耶稣作我们的主，真的是我们成为基督徒的条件吗？

As my Bible understanding grew, I began to wonder if it is true that accepting Jesus can make someone a Christian?

打个比方，是不是我接受牛津大学作为我的授课方，我就自动成了这所学校的学生？

For example, do I become a student of Oxford University by accepting it as my school?

又好比，是不是我接受沃尔玛作为我的工作单位，我就自动成了沃尔玛的总裁？

Or, do I become the CEO of Walmart by accepting it as my workplace?

是不是觉得这个逻辑有点异想天开？

Isn’t that a naive assumption?

现实情况是，我的接受不重要，选择权在牛津大学和沃尔玛手里。牛津大学肯录取我，沃尔玛肯招我，我才能进到他们那里。

The reality is that my acceptance doesn’t matter, their choices matter. I can only study or work there if they give me an offer.

通过这个比方，来看看基督徒。我们接受耶稣，或耶稣接受我们，哪个是定义基督徒的条件?

So let’s rethink: Are we Christians by accepting Jesus or by Jesus accepting us?

当然是耶稣肯接受我们!

Of course, by Jesus accepting us!

“我接受了耶稣作我的主”这样的说法在基督徒中太常见了。但事实是，不管你接不接受，耶稣都是万物的主。真相不会因为你不接受而失真。反过来，他不接受你，你接受他，也不能把你变成基督徒。

“I accept Jesus as my Lord” is so common to hear in Christianity. However, no matter whether you accept it or not, Jesus is the Lord of everything. The truth will still be true even if you deny it. On the opposite side, if he doesn’t acknowledge you as a Christian, you accepting him doesn’t make you one.

问题来了，那怎样耶稣才会接纳我们呢？
若我想进牛津或沃尔玛，我需要通过考试或面试来证明自己合格，才能拿得到录取通知书和聘用证。

So how will Jesus accept us? If I want to get an offer from Oxford University or Walmart, I will have to prove myself qualified through tests or interviews.

耶稣也有他的考核。他只接纳义人。可惜的是, 没有一个人合格。

Jesus has his qualifications, too. He only accepts the righteous man. Sadly, no one is qualified.

“就如经上所记：没有义人，连一个也没有。”— 罗马书3章10节

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” —Romans 3:10

像我们这样的罪人说自己接纳了耶稣，就像没资历的人走进沃尔玛总裁的办公室，堂而皇之地说他接受在这里办公。最后的结果，估计就是被保安轰出去。

A sinner accepting Jesus is like someone without any job experience walking into the CEO’s office of Walmart and claiming to accept working there. He will get kicked out.

耶稣不需要罪人的接纳，但罪人却需要神的接纳。而被神接纳的义人唯有祂的爱子耶稣基督 。只有在基督里，我们才能得到神的接纳。

Christ doesn’t need acceptance from sinners, but sinners need it from God. God only accepts his righteous son Jesus Christ. When we are in Christ, we will be accepted by God.

“使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞，这恩典是他在爱子里使我们得蒙接纳。”— 以弗所书1章6节

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”— Ephesians 1:6

这句经文提到了，我们需要“在爱子里”，也就是“在基督里”，才能得蒙接纳。那通过什么样的途径才能在基督里呢？这途径是“信心”。

The only way for us to be accepted by God is that we are in the beloved Son Jesus Christ. The way to be in the Christ is “faith”.

“「算他为义」的这句话不是单为他写的，也是为我们若信 神使我们的 主耶稣从死里复活而得算为义之人写的。耶稣被交给人，是为我们的过犯；复活，是为叫我们称义。”—罗马书4章22-25节

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that [righteousness] was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”— Romans 4:22-25

“算为”二字的潜在意思是，我们本不具备，但被赠与了这种属性。若信耶稣的死、埋葬和复活是为了我们，那因着这信，我们罪人被神赠与了基督的义。因信称义，使我们在基督里被神悦纳。

“Impute” means you don’t have something but are gifted. God will impute his righteousness to sinners through faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf. Being justified by faith, we are accepted by God in Christ.