Listen to the Colossians (6): Minister of the Mystery

²³… of which I, Paul, became a minister. ²⁴Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Col. 1:23-29 ESV)


After a brief introduction of the beloved Son and the gospel, Paul began to introduce himself. Though he and the Colossians had known each other well, they had not met in face yet (Col. 2:1). Paul first introduced himself as a minister of the gospel, he once called himself a minister of Christ (1 Co. 4:1), and later he addressed himself as a minister of the church. All these titles are one and the same. The church is the body of Christ, ministering to the church is equivalent to ministering to Christ. Minister here does not refer to a specific church office, but anyone who is serving. All who serve the church, are ministers of the church. With this understanding, Paul not only introduced himself, but introduced all servants of Christ and His gospel. For whomever is aspiring to become a servant of Christ, this passage serves as a mirror for self-inspection.


Paul wrote this letter from prison. Yet he rejoiced in his sufferings. This apparent contradiction begs a little explanation. There are all sorts of sufferings in life, and most of them bring no joy to sufferers. This suffering for the church, however, is a new kind of suffering brought in by Christ Himself. For He came to this world for the sole purpose of suffering for the church, as prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah, Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:11 ESV) When someone has truly known Christ the righteous servant of God, he would want to share His sufferings, become like Him in His death. (Phi. 3:10) They share sufferings both in the purpose, that is for the church; and in the occasions, as the Spirit of Christ continues to suffer inside Paul’s flesh. It is as if Paul emptied his flesh for Jesus to move in. Jesus had many sufferings in His flesh, yet He had not suffered in prison. But now through the flesh of Paul, Christ was filling up the affliction of prison in His afflictions. The Christ living in us continues to suffer for His church, until the church becomes fully grown, then the afflictions of Christ would become complete and without lacking. For all who have become one with Christ, though they suffer outside, yet they rejoice inside.


From human perspective, it is Paul who through his genius idea plus tireless labor and sacrificial spirit had established churches among the Gentile. Yet Paul knew that the causal relation works the other way around. There was first the need of the church, then God raised him up to be a minister for the church. From start to finish, the church is a work of God. Now that the origin is from above, Paul knew he was tasked to make the Word of God fully known. This message can neither worn out nor evolve with time. Two thousand years later, we are still studying his writings word for word for it is the Word of God. It is all about a mystery that is hidden for ages and generations in the Old Testament. Now through the apostles, especially Paul, God has revealed to his saints. As a mystery revealer set apart by God, Paul was grateful and honored, (1 Co. 15:10) and he toiled without ceasing.


This mystery is not simply a hidden idea, which upon exposed, is mystery no more. This mystery of God is more like a door suddenly revealed in a tall and forbidden wall. The moment this door opens, the mystery is revealed. Yet this revelation marks not the end of the mystery, rather an invitation to enter it. As ministers of the mystery, it is far from enough by pushing the door open. We must lead people who live in the darkness outside the wall through this door beaming with glorious light and into the riches of the glory of God. We are able to lead the way because we are struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within us. This analogy of wall can be reversed to describe our hardened hearts. When we open a door to let Christ in, He becomes in us, the hope of glory. This hope is alive and growing, until we are mature in Christ. As ministers of Christ, we grow alongside with everyone else, with all wisdom warning everyone, because there is the danger of growing awry; and teaching everyone, because there is also the temptation of laziness and fruitless. As ministers of this mystery, it is for this we toil for life.


Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for becoming in us the hope of glory and for giving us stewardship of becoming a minister of the gospel of mystery!

听歌罗西书（6）：奥秘执事

²³我保罗也作了这福音的执事。²⁴现在我为你们受苦，倒觉欢乐，并且为基督的身体，就是为教会，要在我肉身上补满基督患难的缺欠。²⁵我照神为你们所赐我的职分，作了教会的执事，要把神的道理传得全备。²⁶这道理就是历世历代所隐藏的奥秘，但如今向他的圣徒显明了。²⁷神愿意叫他们知道，这奥秘在外邦人中有何等丰盛的荣耀。就是基督在你们心里成了有荣耀的盼望。²⁸我们传扬他，是用诸般的智慧，劝戒各人，教导各人。要把各人在基督里完完全全的引到神面前。²⁹我也为此劳苦，照着他在我里面运用的大能，尽心竭力。【歌一23-29】


简短介绍了爱子和福音之后，保罗开始自我介绍，因为他和歌罗西人虽然神交已久，但素未谋面【西二1】。保罗先介绍自己是福音的执事，他也曾说自己是基督的执事【林前四1】，紧接着他又称自己是教会的执事，这都是同一个意思。教会乃基督的身体，服事教会就是服事基督。这里的执事，非指教会中的职务，而是泛指一切的仆人。一切在教会中服事的人，都是教会中的执事。连基督也在天上的圣所中作执事【来八2】。这样一来，保罗介绍的就不仅仅是他自己，也是一切基督和福音的工人。对于一切立志服事基督的人，这一段描述就是我们自我对照的镜子。


保罗写这封信时，他正在监狱中服刑。然而他不以为苦，反以为乐。这显然有违常情，需要解释一下。人生在世有各种患难，而落难之人大都快乐不起来。但是为教会受苦，却是基督来之后才有的苦难新品种。基督降世只有一个目的，就是为教会患难受苦，如先知以赛亚所预言的，他必看见自己劳苦的功效，便心满意足。有许多人，因认识我的义仆得称为义。并且他要担当他们的罪孽【赛五十三11】。当人真的认识了神的义仆基督之后，就甘愿和基督一同受苦，效法他的死【腓三10】。这一同受苦，既在于同一目的，就是为了教会；也在于同一时间，是基督的灵借着保罗的肉身继续受苦。保罗好像是把自己的肉身腾空借给了耶稣。耶稣的肉身受过许多苦，但还没受过长期囚禁之苦，现在耶稣借着保罗的肉身，就补上了这牢狱之苦。活在我们里面的基督如今仍然在为教会受苦，直等到教会完全长大为止，那就是基督的患难圆满无缺的时候。能如此与主联合的人，虽然肉体受苦，心中倒觉欢乐。


在人看来，好像是保罗凭着自己的天才思想加上昼夜的辛劳和牺牲精神，才建立起来外邦人的众教会。但保罗知道这中间的因果关系刚好反过来，是因为先有教会的需要，神才兴起他这个教会的执事来。教会的建立从始至终乃是神的作为，并非人的发明。既然是神所赐，他就知道自己所传的乃是神全备的道理，是岁月无法消磨，也不会随时间进化的。两千年后，我们仍然在字斟句酌地学习保罗从前所写下的神的道理。这道理乃是一个奥秘，在历世历代中隐藏在旧约中，但神却借着使徒们，特别是保罗，向众圣徒显明了。作为神特派的揭秘者，保罗既倍感荣幸【林前十五10】，更为此格外劳苦。


这奥秘绝不只是一个从未听说过的想法而已，否则一旦挑明，就无所谓奥秘了。神的奥秘更像是在高大的围墙上突然开了一扇门。门开的那一刻，奥秘就显明了。但这个显明不是奥秘的终结，而是进入这奥秘的邀请。作为奥秘的执事，仅仅打开这扇门还远远不够，更要把墙外生活在黑暗中的人，领入这光芒四射的门，而且一直领他们奔向那光明的源头，那里有何等丰盛的荣耀。我们这样尽心竭力地领跑，因为有主在我们里面不断释放能力。这围墙的比喻也可以反过来比作我们刚硬的心，当我们开门让基督进来，他就在我们心里成了有荣耀的盼望。这盼望是活的，要不断地长大，直到在基督里完全。我们作基督的执事，与众人在主里一同成长，并用诸般的智慧，既劝戒各人，因为有长歪的危险，又教导各人，因为有闲懒不结果子的诱惑。一切作教会执事的，都终生为此奥秘劳苦。

祷告：主啊，感谢你成了我们心中荣耀的盼望，又赐给我们作执事的职分，去向众人显明神奥秘的福音！

Merry Christmas

Most newborn babies have brought joy and hope to their parents and families. History has seen some privileged babies that their birth had brought joy to the entire city, or even the entire land. Yet no other baby has ever come close to the birth of Jesus Christ in terms of growing world-wide popularity and the joy it brings to people. Among all world religion founders, you cannot find another one with this kind of celebrated birth. I say this not only counting on the fact that Christianity is the number one religion by head counts. Ranking the familiarity of the birth story of a religion founder among nonbelievers, Jesus Christ is still the undisputed champion. I used to be a total stranger to Christianity, never read a single page of the Bible. Rather I had spent much time studying Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Even then I knew the date of Christmas day, and heard about virgin birth of Mary, and knew the common calendar was divided by the birth of Christ. Yet I knew almost nothing about the birth of Buddha, Confucius, and Laozi. Indeed, their birth record were near blank.


The fame about the birth of the Christ, cannot be simply brushed away as a result of successful propaganda by Christians. The core of Christianity centers squarely on the person of Christ, that is His birth, death, and resurrection. All religions are preaching in words, but only with Christianity, the Word became flesh, born into this world in human form, walked on earth, suffered hunger and fatigue, ate bread and drank wine, died on the cross, buried but left an empty tomb behind, and received back to heaven in the cloud in front of a gaping crowd. His words and deeds, His gestures and signs, even His flesh and blood, all speak to us. This Word came from heaven to earth, and He first stopped at a manger in Bethlehem. Therefore, the birth of Christ is an undivided part of the truth. As long as this truth is proclaimed in the world, there will always be a merry Christmas for men.


Of all the incidents surrounding Christ’s birth, the most amazing one may belong to the virgin conception. Critics often laugh at this common sense-defied doctrine and considered it sheer fabrication by Christians to boost Christ’s divine origin. Can we judge truth with our common sense? Not only all religions categorically contradict common sense, any breakthrough in science, indeed even the birth of scientific inquiry itself, start with shattering people’s common sense. Truth, by definition, transcends common sense, unless you consider we human have already bagged the entire truth. Therefore, for those who pursue truth, they must not be held back by common sense. For a truth-seeking scientist, when he observed something that contradicts common sense, not only would he not shy away from it, but all the more pay attention and study with diligence. The Nobel prize is set up only to reward those common sense-shattering scientists. On the other hand, if people try to boost Christ’s divine nature with fabrication, comparing to all the imagined deities demonstrated in all human fairy tales and fantasy stories, the virgin birth story would appear surprisingly modest.


In ancient times with the vast majority being illiterate, difficulty in writing, and without paper, people wrote in extreme concise and succinct style. It was rather exceptional among ancient documents that the birth of Christ has been preserved with much details about times, locations, and people. If this happened in ancient China, this portion alone would take several dozen pounds of inscribed bamboo-slips. This record testifies the importance of the birth of Christ. It vindicates the authenticity of the two-thousand-year-old Hebrew Bible. Even the virgin birth, answers back to the judgment God pronounced against Satan in the Garden of Eden that one day he would be destroyed by the seed of the woman. (Gen. 3:15) The countless Christians after Christ also vindicated the authenticity of the birth of Christ. When they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and have lived a new life entirely alien to this world, would that demonstrate a similar miracle like unto the virgin birth?

 Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for descending into our world in human flesh two thousand years ago! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!

圣诞快乐

大多数的新生儿，都会给父母和家庭带来喜乐和盼望。历史上也有过一些婴儿的降生曾经轰动过全城，甚至全国，但恐怕没有哪个婴儿的降生，能比耶稣基督的降生更具有普世持久的知名度了，并且仍在不断地带给世人喜乐和欢笑。算上所有世界宗教的领袖们，也找不到另外一个的出生会有如此深远的影响。我这样说，并不单单是因为基督教徒的人数最多而已。如果只算教外人士对教主出生的了解程度，耶稣这位基督教的教主也肯定是打遍天下无敌手。我从前对基督教一无所知，也从未读过圣经，却对佛教、儒家、和道德经相当感兴趣，也投入过不少精力去研究。就算在那个时候，我也知道圣诞节是几月几号，听说过童女怀孕这回事，也晓得世界通用的公元纪年是以耶稣的出生开始。但对佛陀、孔子、和老子的出生故事，就一无所知，因为本来也没有太多记载流传下来。


耶稣基督的出生如此有名，不是单用基督徒的炒作就能解释过去的。因为基督教的核心就在于基督这个人，更具体地说，就是他的生、死、和死里复活。如果说一切宗教都是在传道的话，那么唯有基督教的道，成了肉身，有血有肉地降生于世，走在人间，饿过累过，吃过喝过，又被高高挂上十架，匆匆埋葬后却人去坟空，又在众目睽睽之下，驾云而去。基督的一言一行，一举一动，甚至他的血、他的肉，都是道。而这道裂天而降，在人间出场的第一幕，就是他降生在伯利恒的马槽。所以基督的出生，乃是真理中不可分割的有机成分。只要这道还在世上传播，总不断有人会因圣诞而快乐欢欣。


在基督降生的事迹中，最传奇的部分恐怕要算童女怀孕了。基督教的批判者嘲笑这个违反常识的教义，自以为是地断定这是基督教的传播者为了神化耶稣而杜撰出来的。常识能用来验证真理吗？不但所有宗教知识都有违常识，所有科学上的突破，包括科学本身的兴起，也都是从突破常识开始的。真理一定是超越人的常识的，除非你认为人类已经真理在握。所以追求真理的人，一定要超越常识。一个追求真理的科学家，当他观察到违背常识的现象，他非但不会排斥，反而更加兴奋地进一步去观察和思考。诺贝尔奖就是用来奖励那些打碎人心中常识的科学家的。而且，如果真要杜撰一个神奇的降生来显出耶稣的神性，那么与古今中外的神话奇幻小说中的各路天神比起来，童女怀孕这件事，实在显得非常低调。


在普遍文盲、书写困难，又没有纸质媒介的古代，人的写作风格一律都是简明扼要，开门见山。耶稣基督降生的许多细节，包括时间、地点、人物，都详细记录下来，这在古代文献中是绝无仅有的。在同时代的中国，单单这个记录恐怕要用掉好几十斤的竹简。这足以说明耶稣降生的重要性。他一举验证了之前两千年所写的希伯来圣经的正确性。连童女怀孕这件事，也是在呼应神在伊甸园中对撒旦的审判，就是将来有一位“女人的后裔”要制服他【创三15】。而后世千千万万的基督徒，都是基督降世真实的见证人。当他们被圣灵充满，开始活出完全不属于这个世界的生命与性情的时候，岂不也和童女怀孕有异曲同工之妙？

祷告：主啊，感谢你两千年前道成肉身，降临人世！在至高之处荣耀归与神，在地上平安归与神所喜悦的人！

Listen to the Colossians (5): Hope in a Full Draw Bow

²¹And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. (Col. 1:21-23 ESV)


After the brief excursion into the Song of the beloved Son, Paul returned to the main theme of the letter, which is the theme of all Paul’s letter, and indeed of the entire Bible. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In terms of relationships, the gospel is about a dramatic reverse in relationship between God and man. Just as reverse in any relationship, this change happens both in time and with a cause. The cause, which is the core of the gospel, rests in Christ who died in his body of flesh. We were once alienated and hostile in mind and cast out from God. This resembles a practice in Chinese history during Tang and Song dynasties. If the emperor found fault with someone, the offender’s fate came down to two choices: either immediate execution or exile, either north to Cangzhou or south to Lingnan. In other words, the sinner would suffer either a quick death or a slow and painful one in a remote wilderness. This example helps us understand why it is a good news when God sent His Son into the world, endured from sinners such hostility against Him, and sacrificed His life on the cross for sinners. If you were exiled by the emperor to a faraway wilderness to suffer and die, and suddenly you heard someone was sent for you by the emperor from the royal court. It cannot be for a trivial matter for a royal envoy to travel this far and descend into the banished land. If he did not bring bad news, then it must be a good one. The exiled would have every reason to be terrified by the news at first, and he would think, alas, the emperor must change his mind and sent for my quick death. (This happened quite often in Chinese history.) But if the royal envoy did not kill you, rather, he took upon his shoulder all the hard labor and your due punishment, (By the way, this never happened in Chinese history.) what does that mean to you? I bet you would immediately pack your belongings and set out for the capital city without delay.


It is a small thing for the birth of Christ to divide human history into before (BC) and after (AD). When Christ enters into a person, He would divide that person’s life into a before and an after. The moment when the Colossians believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, a new era had begun for them. The gospel inserts a time dividing marker into each believer’s life, separating the new from the old, and he can always tell the huge difference between the once and the now and the future full of hope. Without believing in the gospel, a person can be born in 2000AD, but still live in the old era of BC, still alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. Such a person is still separated from Christ, having no hope (future) and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12 ESV) In this sense, the gospel is like a door God placed before everyone, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matt. 7:8 ESV) When this door opens, time begins to move forward. God is waiting on the other side, this door opens to the future that’s full of hope.


For each who received Christ, the door of reconciliation has swung open. He is standing over the threshold of this open door, with his past of alienation at his back, and holy and blameless before God’s presence beckoning in front. Every day he is stretched out by this tension in time: to never forget his past and never lose sight of the future. This tension inherent to the gospel would stretch each believer’s life like a full draw bow: By remembering the past, through the redemption of Christ, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. (Rom. 5:20 ESV) With such grace upon grace and strength upon strength, we can draw our bow into the shape of a full moon. By looking forward to the future, we aim at the target of resurrection of our body and the glory of children of God, which is the hope of the gospel. Because our faith in the gospel is not an occasional emotional spasm, but an aiming with a full draw bow stretched out in time, Paul encouraged the Colossians to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. The gospel would thus prepare us for a lifetime, and the arrow will be let out the moment we depart from this world. It will surely hit the bull’s eye and we will receive the crown of righteousness. (2 Tim. 4:8)


This hope in the gospel indeed resembles a full draw bow towards heaven. It was first promised by God after the great flood. When God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants, God said, I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Gen. 9:13 ESV) When God judged the world with the flood, He was aiming his bow of wrath downward, then He promised peace for sinners by hanging His bow upside down in the cloud. That is a sign of the covenant of peace which ultimately fulfills in Jesus Christ. All who put their trust in Christ are like little full draw bows looking towards heaven. We are bows of peace in a rebellious world, and are signs of new covenant between God and sinners. This gospel of peace will be proclaimed in all creation under heaven, so that all can escape death and as an arrow, shoot into the eternal life.

Prayer: O Father! Thank you for reconciling with us in the beloved Son and for giving us the ministry of reconciliation.

听歌罗西书（5）：举目弯弓

²¹你们从前与神隔绝，因着恶行，心里与他为敌。²²但如今他借着基督的肉身受死，叫你们与自己和好，都成了圣洁，没有瑕疵，无可责备，把你们引到自己面前。²³只要你们在所信的道上恒心，根基稳固，坚定不移，不至被引动失去福音的盼望。这福音就是你们所听过的，也是传与普天下万人听的。【歌一21-23】


在爱子之歌的插曲之后保罗又书归正传，回到这封信的主题，也是保罗一切书信和全本圣经的主题，那就是福音。从关系层面上看，福音是神人双边关系的转危为安。既然是转变，一要花时间，二要有推动转变的原因。这个原因，也是福音的核心，就是基督的肉身受死。我们从前心里与神为敌，就与神隔绝。好像在中国历史上的唐宋期间，人若得罪了圣上，要么就地斩首，要么往北刺配沧州，或者往南发配岭南。一个是速死，另一个是在山高皇帝远的苦地方慢慢受死。这个例子可以帮助我们理解为什么神派爱子来到世上，忍受罪人的顶撞，并献身为祭，替罪人受死，是罪人的福音。如果你是一个被贬出京城，到边疆荒凉之地受苦的死囚犯，突然从京城皇帝身边来人找你。这人不远千里来到流放之地，一定非同小可，他带给你的，不是噩耗，就是福音！罪人的头一个反应可能是，糟了，看来圣上终于没有放过我，派人来给我赐死的（这在中国历史上时常发生）。但若这人不但没杀你，却替你做起了苦役，代你受了你应得的刑罚（这在中国历史上从未发生过）。你想这会是什么意思呢？你一定会马上打点行装，即刻启程返京！


基督的降临从历法上把人类历史划分为史前与史后还算小事，当福音进入一个人，就要把这个人的故事分为“史前”与“史后”。在歌罗西人听信耶稣基督的福音的那一刻，时间就在他们的身上开始了一个新的纪元。福音立刻把一个信徒的生命分出新旧来，让他感受到从前、如今、和所盼望的将来之间的巨大差异。一个没有福音的人，就算他生在基督降世两千年后，他还是活在史前，还是与神隔绝，因着恶行，心里与他为敌。这样的人与基督无关，并且活在世上没有指望，没有神【弗二12】。所以福音就好像神放在每个人面前的一扇门，叩门的，就给他开门【太七8】。门开之后，时间就开始了，因为门的那面就是神，就有将来，而且满了指望。


每个接受基督的人，与神和好的大门已经在他面前敞开。每一天他就站在这门槛上：他的背后是满身污秽，与神隔绝的从前，他的前方是成为圣洁，被引到神面前的盼望。他每天都活在这样一个时间的张力底下，既不忘从前，又放眼将来。福音中固有的时间张力就这样把我们塑造成一把拉如满月的弓：回首过去，因基督的赦罪之恩，罪在哪里显多，恩典就更显多了【罗五20】，如此恩上加恩，力上加力，就让我们可以开弓如满月；展望将来，那从死里复活的盼望和神儿女的荣耀，就是我们瞄准的靶标，就是福音的盼望。正因为福音所带来的决志，不是偶然的冲动，乃是在全部时间张力下的弯弓凝视，保罗勉励歌罗西人说，只要你们在所信的道上恒心，根基稳固，坚定不移，不至被引动失去福音的盼望。 福音就是这样预备我们一生，直到离世的那一刻，如箭离弦，一发中的，得着那公义的冠冕【提后四8】。


福音的盼望好像一把向上拉开的弓，这弓最初是神在洪水之后所应许的。神与挪亚的子孙立约，不再用洪水毁灭全地。神说，我把虹放在云彩中，这就可作我与地立约的记号了【创九13】。在许多语言中，包括希伯来文，虹与弓本是同一个字，因为他们形状类似。当神用洪水毁灭大地，仿佛他在天上拉弓朝下射箭。现在他把这审判人的弓倒了过来，不再瞄准地上的罪人，而是挂在云彩上，显为雨后彩虹。这和平之约的记号，最终应验在基督耶稣的身上。我们这些相信耶稣基督的人，都这样向天弯弓凝视，都仿佛是一道小小的彩虹，显在悖逆的人间，成为神与罪人所立新约的记号。这和平的福音要传与普天下万人，好让人人都能脱离死亡，如离弦之箭，射进永生。


祷告：父啊，感谢你在爱子里叫我们与你和好！又把劝人与你和好的职分交付我们！

Life Measured by A Grateful Heart

A grateful heart is a virtue harvested late in life. We are all born into this world as a baby, if we don’t get fed on time, we simply act up with a nasty cry. We take all the love and care from our parents for granted, but we must grow up from there. Oftentimes it is after we leave home that we begin to feel home sick, and the voice of our parents begin to sound sweet to our ears. We are all like the prodigal son that after we leave home and wasted away all our inheritance, we begin to miss daddy. It is only after a prodigal son returns home, he would discover the amazing love of the father. (Lk. 15:11-32) If we must leave home first in order to appreciate the love of parents, how far do we have to go in order to appreciate the much greater love of God?


China does not celebrate Thanksgiving. I had my first Thanksgiving after I came to the States. Yet we Chinese do love to give thanks and are adamant in returning favors. There is a saying in China: For every drop of favor you received, return it with a running brook. For all the help and kindness we received in our time of need, we mark down as debts. We make sure to pay back in full to our debtors. If a benefactor has passed away, or simply disappears, then we are relieved from the debt. This explains why there are always some ungrateful people around. They purposely forget the favor they have received, so that they do not have to pay back a dime. These ungrateful people are despised everywhere, but there is another type of people of similar standing. These are those who walk around and assert everyone that they always repay favors and owe nothing to nobody. People who make such bold claim must keep a private log that records each transaction he receives and pays out, and he is confident that his account would always stay in black. For anyone who can sincerely make such a boast, he is still ignorant and has not grown up yet. Meng Jiao, a poet from Tang dynasty, wrote about a mother’s love for her son in The Wandering Son’s Song, “Who says mine heart like a blade of grass, Could repay her love’s gentle beams of spring sun?” Even if we only count the love and kindness received from other people, everyone in this world would be deep in debt and no one can ever pay back in full. I do not know whether China has produced more ungrateful sons than other cultures, but I am quite sure that Chinese culture is a champion in the tug-of-war of favor-returning game. As for those general blessings lack of a specific benefactor, such as the passing of four seasons, the annual harvest, our flourish family, and even our eating and drinking and merry times, we are slow to investigate, and in fact convenient to forget for the benefit of receiving them without pay. Therefore, China does not celebrate Thanksgiving even to this day!


Man must leave home first in order to grow up. It was after I left China I learned to thank God. The Psalmist says, Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Ps. 100:3 ESV) Our habitable little planet Earth that we call home is the pasture we received from God. Just as the famous poem goes, “Why can’t I tell the true shape of Lu-shan? Because I myself am in the mountain.” Yet there is no need for us to leave our home planet in space shuttle in order to appreciate the love of God for humanity. For God has sent His Son from heaven down to earth, so that through Him we may perceive and receive His wonderful love, which surpasses all human love combined. We neither deserve nor are able to pay back this love. We can only respond with a forever grateful heart. For us as individual, every day when we still have breath, it is a Thanksgiving Day; But for the world, the annual Thanksgiving celebration gives us an opportunity to shout out our thanksgiving to the world. There are still so many people in the world who are blind to the love of God. They need to grow up in grace and appreciate God who crowns our year with His bounty. (Ps. 65:11) The true life in God, is both verified (for existence) and measured (for maturity) by a grateful heart.


We are all ever growing in our thanksgiving to the Lord. At the very beginning, we only know how to receive and never give thanks. Then gradually we learn to be grateful for people and for circumstances. Then through Jesus Christ, we come to know the greatest benefactor in our life is the God Almighty. He generously gives us life and breath and everything we have. I have heard this complaint: Why would God be so mindful of our thanksgiving? Didn’t He even teach us to do good to others without seeking favor in return? (Mt. 6:2-3) Not to mention that such a complaint reveals a hidden ungrateful heart, and it betrays an ignorance of a greater gift God is going to give us. God has already given everyone the grace of creation and life and all the blessings necessary to sustain life. In these last days, through Jesus Christ, God gave the grace of salvation. Unlike former grace, this time only those who believe would receive such grace with a grateful heart. This is the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matt. 13:12 ESV) This true life in God has an amazing growth chart: It either keeps growing, all the way to infinity, that is called eternal life; or it keeps shrinking, all the way to nothing, that is called eternal death. There is no other curve. When this amazing new life projects unto a person, it shows up in a grateful heart. No wonder Apostle Paul said, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:18 ESV) Therefore we always thank God, because He deserves, and because it is our new life!


Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for bringing us out of nothing and for saving us from sin and give us eternal life! We will enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise! We will give thanks to you and bless your name forever!

岁月恩冕

感恩都是后天才能学会的。我们先天都像初生的婴孩，不给奶喝就会放声大哭，把父母的养育之恩当成天经地义。但人总是要长大，往往在我们离开温暖的家以后，才开始想家，开始想念父母的好处。我们都好像浪子一样，是在离家之后，又把父亲所给的家产挥霍殆尽，才会想起父家的好处来。而浪子回家之后，才真正认识到父爱的宽广【路十五11-32】。如果人必需先离家出走，方能深刻体会到父母的厚爱而心怀感恩的话，我们要走多远，才能明白神那更加长阔高深的爱呢？


中国没有感恩节，我是到美国之后才第一次过感恩节。我们中国人当然也讲究报恩。俗话说，“受人滴水之恩，当以涌泉相报。”我们视恩如债，欠了债，就一定要还。既是还债，一定要还给债主。如果恩人不在了，或者找不着恩人，这债才可以免，因为无法偿还了。这也是为什么总有忘恩负义的小人。因为故意忘恩，就相当于把欠下的债务给一笔勾销了。这样的人，特别被人看不起。与忘恩负义的无耻相类似的，就是夸耀自己有恩必报，从不欠别人的恩情。如此夸口的人，心里必定有本账，账上记着他欠别人的和别人欠他的。而且他敢保证在这本账上他不会有赤字。这样夸口的人，如果是真心，就一定出于无知，还没有长大。唐朝诗人孟郊在《游子吟》中这样歌颂母爱，“谁言寸草心，报得三春晖。”单算人间的恩情，我们都负债累累，无人能完全偿还。我不敢说中国历史中忘恩负义的小人比其他文化更多，但我有把握说，我们中国人比其他文化的人更讲究礼尚往来，不欠人情。对于那些无人认领的恩债，就如四季更替、风调雨顺、人丁兴旺、甚至吃喝享受，我们就懒得去查证这些福气背后有没有恩主，并且乐意忽略掉，也省下许多额外的感恩了。所以在中国至今也不过感恩节。


人要离开家，才会长大。我是离开中国以后，才学会向神感恩的。诗篇说，你们当晓得耶和华是神。我们是他造的，也是属他的。我们是他的民，也是他草场的羊。【诗一百3】我们这颗适宜居住的小小地球，就是神赐给我们的草场，赐给所有人的美丽家园。我们“不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中。”但我们不必乘飞船逃到地球之外，去认识神对世人的厚爱，因为神差他的独生子从天降到人间，让人因为信他，就能认识并领受神那无与伦比的大爱。这爱远超过人间一切爱的总和，是我们既不配得，也无法还清的恩典。既然无法还清，我们里面就有了一颗永无止息的感恩之心。虽然对于个人而言，只要一息尚存，天天都是我们的感恩节。但对于这个世界，一年一度的感恩节就成了我们见证神恩惠的机会，因为这世上还有许多人生在福中不知福，还需要在恩典中长大。神以恩典为人年岁的冠冕【诗六十五11】。真实生命的有无多寡，正是通过人里面的感恩之心来衡量的。


我们都要在恩典中不断长大。回想当初，我们只知索取，不懂感恩。然后我们开始学会对人感恩，对事感恩。因信耶稣基督，我们更认识到人生最大的恩主，就是神。他赐我们生命气息和现在所有的一切。我听过这样的抱怨：神为什么这般计较，这么喜欢听人向他感恩戴德？神不是还教导我们行善不求感恩吗【太六2-3】？且不说这样问的人，就暴露出他里面的忘恩负义，他也完全不知道神把更大的恩典留在最后。神已普遍赐下他的创造和供养之恩，在这末后的日子，神在耶稣基督里更赐下救赎之恩。与先前所赐之恩有所不同的是，这一次只有相信的人，只有感恩的人，才能领受。这就是天国的奥秘，凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余。凡没有的，连他所有的，也要夺去。【太十三9】真正的生命有一张奇特的生长图表：要么越长越大，一直长到无穷大，那叫永生；要么越长越小，一直缩小到零，就是永死。只有这两种长法。而这肉眼看不见的奇特生命，投射在一个人的内心，就是他的感恩之心。难怪保罗说，我们要凡事谢恩。因为这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。【贴前五18】 所以我们凡事谢恩，既是神配得的，更因为这就是我们的新生命！

祷告：主啊，感谢你把我们从虚空中创造出来，又把我们从罪中拯救，赐给我们永生！我们要以称谢进入你的门，以赞美进入你的院，要感谢你，称颂你的名，直到永远！

Listen to the Colossians (4): The Song of the Beloved Son

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col. 1:15-20 ESV)


When Paul mentioned the beloved Son in his prayer for the Colossians, he cannot help but jumping over to this topic. He may be carried away in form, but in content he is right on the target, for in everything the beloved Son should be preeminent. In the original Greek, this paragraph is nicely divided into two parallel parts with repeating key phrases and words. To help perceive this beautiful balanced structure, we can reduce this paragraph in a stiff way, and mark out exact repeating key words in red and echoing words in blue: He is the image, the firstborn of all creation. For in him all things were created. All things in heaven or on earth were created through him and for him. (Transition phrase: He is before all things, and he is the head of the body.) He is the beginnings, the firstborn from the dead. For in him all the fullness of God dwell. All things on earth or in heaven were reconciled through him and for him. In Greek, the word image and beginnings also sound very similar. Therefore, to the ear of the Colossians, this song of the beloved Son really sounded like a melody from heaven.


The beauty of this song resides not only in its form, but even more so in its ground shattering content. The repeating key words of the firstborn, which almost become obsolete in our modern times, was once upon a time a weighty word from average household all the way to the royal courts. A king may have dozens and even hundreds of sons, but only his firstborn son would inherit the whole kingdom. Therefore, this scripture passage emphasizes a single point: that the beloved Son of God is His firstborn Son, who will inherit everything that belongs to God. What is the most treasured inheritance that God would pass on to His firstborn Son? There are two precious inheritances for Him: One is the vast universe, and the other is the Church. Even for these two, the beloved Son Himself helped create from the scratch. He designed them (in him), He built them (through him), and He brought them to perfection (for him). He is well deserved to take these as His inheritance.


The Lord God is a God who hides Himself (Isa. 45:15), He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16), no one has ever seen God, neither would anyone be able to, only in the beloved Son can we see God (Jn. 1:18). It is in this sense that He is the image of the invisible God. In this universe, all visible beings, all invisible yet conceivable beings, including our very self, came from Him. All the forces of this world that shape our destiny, forces of the physical world or of spiritual realm or from human authorities, that make us dwarfed, helpless, and hopeless, are all under His control and serve Him at His bidding. Whether these are celestial bodies that spin and pause and explode and contract in dazzling fashions above, or human dynasties that rise and fall and thrive and wane beneath, they all move along the precise orbit predestined by the beloved Son for His good pleasure. He thus moves heavens and earth for one purpose, which is why He created them in the first place, is for a new creation, a resurrection from the dead, that is His church, His bride, (Rev. 21:9) the bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh. (Gen. 2:23) Therefore He is making peace by the blood of His cross.


Therefore, the two inheritances from God are not symmetrical in nature, but with one on top of the other. The beloved Son created the heavens and the earth with His finger (Psa. 8:3), but He bled and died for the Church. The first creation is indeed wonderful in nature but is incomplete by itself. Only through the Church, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and bring peace to the previous creation by the blood of His cross. The beloved Son first created a world, like that of a clam. Then He became flesh (Jn. 1:14) and came into the world He created, like a tiny object was inserted into the clam and injured itself. Without such painful tears from the wound, no precious pearl would be formed. The pearl forms in a clam much like the Church forms in the world, for the Church is like one pearl of great value. (Mat. 45-46) Without a world, there would be no Church. In order to create the Church, a world must be created first. Both belong to the beloved Son; they are both His rightful inheritances and His sweat and blood. This is the wonderful song of the beloved Son.

Prayer: O Father! Thank you for electing us in the beloved Son that we may be fellow heirs with Christ and share in the inheritance of the saints in light!

听歌罗西书（4）：爱子之歌

¹⁵爱子是那不能看见之神的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。¹⁶因为万有都是靠他造的，无论是天上的，地上的，能看见的，不能看见的，或是有位的，主治的，执政的，掌权的，一概都是借着他造的，又是为他造的。¹⁷他在万有之先，万有也靠他而立。¹⁸他也是教会全体之首。他是元始，是从死里首先复生的，使他可以在凡事上居首位。¹⁹因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛，在他里面居住。²⁰既然借着他在十字架上所流的血，成就了和平，便借着他叫万有，无论是地上的，天上的，都与自己和好了。【歌一15-20】


保罗在为歌罗西人祷告中，既然提到爱子，他就忍不住插入这一段题外话。这一段在形式上好像有点跑题，但在内容上却切中主题，因为爱子本当在凡事上居首位。这一段在希腊原文中从结构到句型乃至于用词，都是非常对称的两部分。为了体会原文的对称之美，可以把这段稍微删节后用生硬的中文改写，并用红色标明上下对应完全相同的希腊词，用蓝色标明上下呼应类似的希腊词，这段话就成这样的：一、他是隐身神之影像，是一切受造之长子，因为一切被造在他里面，无论天上地下的万有都是借他而造，又为他而造。（过渡句：他为万有之先，他亦为教会全身之首。）二、他是元始，是死里复活之长子，因为一切丰盛在他里面，无论天上地下的万有都借他和睦，又为他和睦。而且影像与元始这两个希腊词，在原文的发音相类似。所以这首爱子之歌在歌罗西人的耳中听来，如天籁般优美动听。


这首歌不光是美在形式，其内容更是惊动天地的绝唱。其中首生的和首先复生的，在原文中都是用长子这个词，这个快被现代人淘汰的字，从前无论是在家在朝都非同小可。君王可以有几十甚至上百个的儿子，但他国中所有的一切，都只归长子一人所有。所以这一段所强调的重点就是，神的爱子乃是他的长子，是要继承神所有的一切。而神有什么产业要传给他的爱子呢？神手中有两样的宝贝要给他，其一是浩瀚的宇宙万有，其二则是他的教会！而这两样产业，无论从构想（靠他）、到搭建（借着他）、到最后完工（为他），全都是这爱子白手起家，身体力行而成就的。所以他得这些产业当属名至实归。


耶和华以色列的神是自隐的神【赛四十五15】，他住在人所不能靠近的光中【提前六16】。从来就没有人看见神，也不能看见，唯有神的爱子能让我们看见【约一18】。因此，爱子是那不能看见之神的像。这宇宙中，一切能看见的存在，和一切不能看见，却能感知到的存在，包括我们自己，都是来自爱子。这世界中所有左右我们人生的，无论是物理规律，是幽暗势力，是人间强权，这一切让我们感到渺小、无助、和无望的东西，尽在爱子的掌握中，都是为他打工一族。无论是天体间那眼花缭乱的转停聚散，还是历史上那错综复杂的朝代更替，都精确地运行在爱子为他们所预先定好的轨道上，为要成就他的美意。而爱子运作天地的美意，也就是他创造宇宙的初衷，是为了另外一个再创造，一个从死里复生，就是他的教会，他的新妇【启廿一9】，就是他骨中的骨，肉中的肉【创二23】。为此他在十字架上流血，成就了和平。


由此可见在神赐给他爱子的两个产业间，彼此不是平行的关系，乃是递进的关系。因为爱子用指头就创造了天地【诗八3】，但他却为教会流血牺牲。头一个创造固然奇妙精深，但仍不完全。只有在教会中，神才赐下他一切的丰富，又因爱子在十架上所流的血，才为先前所造的万有成就了和平。爱子先造了一个物质世界，仿佛一只蚌，他自己就道成肉身进入到所造的世界中【约一14】，仿佛一粒小小的异物种入蚌内使它受伤。若不经过这个痛苦流泪的过程，蚌就无法结出宝贵的珍珠来。从蚌中生出来的珍珠，就好像从世界中生出来的教会。教会就是这样一颗重价的珠子【太十三45-46】。所以没有世界，就没有教会。正是为了得着教会，才先有了世界。这两样都属爱子；既是他当得的产业，又是他的血汗之工。这就是妙不可言的爱子之歌。

祷告：父啊，感谢你在爱子里拣选了我们，让我们和他同为后嗣，与众圣徒在光明中同得基业！

Out of Vanity Came Something Sweet

It is both a curse and a blessing to experience the vanity of life. We may agree to the curse, but where does the blessing come from? As a shepherd boy turned into a king, David lived a legendary life with no vanity at all. There were people hunting for his life both before and after his enthronement. He was kept busy all the way to his deathbed, and never had the leisure of experiencing the emptiness of life. On the other hand, his son Solomon enjoyed much more blessings. He was raised as a prince and sent directly to the throne of his father. He enjoyed peace during his reign and was exempt from bloodshed and wars. Not only was he full of wisdom and knowledge, but of silver and gold too. His luxurious lifestyle became such a legend. If you are given of the choice between Solomon’s life and David’s life, which one do you want to live? I bet most people would choose to live after Solomon’s life. But it is this super blessed Solomon, the son of David, king in Jerusalem (Eccl. 1:1 ESV) who wrote the Ecclesiastes, in which he detailed all kinds of vanities he experienced under the sun.


It is certainly no pleasure in experiencing vanities of life, yet not all people are qualified to this pain either. You must first sacrifice your life for certain cause. The moment you discovered that the cause you served on your altar was in fact an illusion, you would experience vanity of vanities. Small vanities are very common. For example, after lining up for two hours, you are called to the window, then you discover that you have been standing in the wrong line all the time. The frustration you would experience is but a small vanity. If you have lined up for many decades, or even a lifetime, in the end you discover that you are in the wrong line. That is vanity. Anyone who is too lazy in life to stand in line, would never experience vanity like that. For people without a purpose in life, would never suffer the loss of it. Even for those who do live a purpose driven life and tirelessly climb towards the summit, not everyone would wake up in time and realize the mountain they have been climbing is but a mountain of garbage. Before breathing their last, they would never have the chance of realizing they were marching in the wrong line the whole time. If you have known it before death, you are a prophet indeed. Solomon was such a prophet, Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (Eccl. 1:2-3 ESV)


Those who come to such realization, who find out they are standing in the wrong line of life, would have various reactions. A typical Chinese may react like Jia Baoyu, who saw through this vanity of life and seek comfort in Buddhism. Others may react with various kinds of escapism or total despair. The former reaction is a line-switching strategy. They ditch the line of secular pursuit and line up for a spiritual purpose instead. The latter reaction is one of quitting. They don’t want to stand in line anymore. Those who do well may devote the rest of their lives to a personal cause, such as a hobby and others simply choose to waste away their time in idling. The worst would dishearten to a point losing the desire to live. If these are the consequences of such enlightenment, would it be better off to remain in ignorance? Wouldn’t it be better to stand in a line enthusiastically without realizing it is a wrong line? If death is the end of all, I would agree to leave the dying men alone. But if death is not the end of all, this would be a costly self-deception. That is why Solomon wrote the Ecclesiastes, to wake people up who standing at the wrong line, so that they may have time to switch line.


For those who thus find out that they are in the wrong line, it is indeed a painful discovery. Yet this birth pain is necessary. Jesus said, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matt. 5:4 ESV) Who are these who mourn? In these eight blessings Jesus proclaimed, He used simple yet strong contrasts to overturn some common sense of the world. These mourners are those who have fallen into total despair in this world. They mourn because no one in this world can ever comfort them. These are the people who come to realize that they are at the wrong line at the checkout window. They mourn because all that they have in this life are vanity of vanities. Jesus said they are blessed, because now they can form a new line after Him. What they are going to receive would be so great, that they would not remember their former pain and vanities. Solomon, the son of David, have revealed the vanity of vanities to the world. A few hundred years later, Gautama Buddha came up with an alternative line for those who see through the vanity of this world, but the true lifeline that would bring joy to the despair and the true comfort comes from the other Son of David: Jesus Christ.  

Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for saving us from the vanity of this world! You let us pass through the Valley of weeping and bring us to a place of springs!

否极泰来

能体会到人生之虚空，既是一种诅咒，又是一种福气。说是诅咒似乎容易理解，但这算什么福气呢？从牧羊童一路做到以色列的君王，大卫的一生充满传奇，毫不空虚。无论是在他登基之前还是称王以后，常有人想要取他的项上人头，他一直到死都忙得不亦乐乎，哪有空体会人生的空虚？但大卫的儿子所罗门就有福得多，在王宫长大以后就被直接保送上君王的宝座，而且四境太平，终身无仗可打。这所罗门不但智慧超群，而且极其富有，尽享人间荣华富贵。如果在大卫和所罗门这两种人生中任你挑，你想要过哪种日子？我猜大多数人都想当所罗门。但正是这位在耶路撒冷作王，大卫的儿子，【传一1】 超有福气的所罗门写下了传道书，告诉我们他所经历到日光之下的各种虚空。


人生的空虚是个痛苦的体验，但也不是随便就能吃到这个苦头的。人必需先要有人生追求，并祭以青春热血。等到你祭坛上的理想幻灭的那一刻，你才能经历到虚空的虚空。小的空虚常会发生，比方说你耐心排了两个小时的队，到了窗口才发觉你排错了，这种空虚还不算什么。如果你排了几十年甚至一辈子的队，最后发现你排错了窗口，那才叫空虚。不愿排队的懒人是不会经历这样的空虚。因为不曾为理想耕耘的人，必不会经历理想破灭的虚空。也不是每个辛苦攀登理想高峰的人，会及时醒悟自己所努力攀爬的，不过是一座垃圾山。很多在这条日光之下的长征路上“出师未捷身先死”的人，就是到死也不晓得自己排错了窗口。能够在排到之前突然醒悟过来的人，算得上是人生的先知。所罗门就是这样一位先知，他说，虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空。凡事都是虚空。人一切的劳碌，就是他在日光之下的劳碌，有什么益处呢？【传一2-3】


如此觉悟的人，就是那些提前发现自己排错了队的人，会对人生有不同的应对。从前中国人中常见到的反应，就是像贾宝玉那样看破红尘，出家了。也有人会变得玩世不恭，或者寄情山水，甚至万念俱灰，从人生追求中急流勇退。前一种人的反映，是去排另一个队，那个队伍所追求的乃是超越世俗的理想，是宗教信仰上的追求。后一种人的反映，相当于就地解散，什么队都无心再排了。这样的人，好的可以在个人爱好中寄托余生，差一点的就浑浑噩噩地混日子，最糟糕的就变得心如死灰，对人生毫无依恋。如果这就是醒悟的结果，也许还不如根本不要醒过来，兴致勃勃地排错队排到死。如果人死就完了，如此将错就错也说得过去，但如果人死之后没有完的话，这就是典型的自欺欺人。所以所罗门写了传道书，就是要把一切如此排错了队，在世俗中追求的人及早叫醒，好让他们能改弦更张。


如此被叫醒的人起初会异常痛苦，但这生产之痛是必需的。耶稣说，哀恸的人有福了，因为他们必得安慰。【太五4】谁是哀恸的人？在八福中，耶稣用简单鲜明的对比，颠覆人的常识。这里哀恸的人，指的是在这世上彻底绝望，在人间再也无法得到安慰的人，是痛苦地发现自己人生排错了队的人。他们因一无所有的虚空人生而哀恸。耶稣说这样的人有福了，因为他们可以欣然来到耶稣那里重新排队。而且他们所得到的赏赐是如此之大，以至于从前的空虚和痛苦都不再被纪念了。大卫的儿子所罗门向世人说破了日光之下的空虚。几百年之后出现的佛教，试图给如此看破红尘的人提供一条出路。但那真正让绝望之人破涕为笑的安慰，来自大卫的另一个儿子耶稣基督。


祷告：主啊，感谢你把我们从世界的空虚中拯救出来，让我们经过流泪谷，叫这谷变为泉源之地！

Listen to the Colossians (3): A Royal Adoption of Prisoners

¹²Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:12-14 ESV)


Paul prayed that the Colossians would always be grateful for who they are and giving thanks to the Father. This may sound like giving a worn-out household teaching that everybody knows. It is in fact a unique teaching from the Bible and serves as the corner stone to all Christian ethics. The father that Paul mentioned here, is no human father at all, but the Almighty and eternal God. Everybody has a father, but not everyone has a heavenly Father. Only those who are chosen by Him (Rom. 8:29) have the privilege of giving thanks to the Father. The gratitude expressed in these words, is equivalent to a spiritual gene for Christians, certifying us as true children of God. (Rom. 8:15-16)


Although both being sons, there is a huge difference between a son of a beggar and that of a king. Yet this difference would altogether disappear in comparison to a son of God. This difference in sonship comes from fatherhood, because all that a father owns would pass down to his son. While a beggar owns nothing, and a king could own everything under the sun. But if God becomes our Father, He would qualify us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light and all the creation are ours to keep. (1 Cor. 3:21) This inheritance in light would make everything in this world pale in comparison. This cursed world is only a place of exile for us human after being driven out of paradise and it is a domain of darkness. God has delivered us and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. The way of rescue is that God gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16) The children of man, by believing in the Son of God, are transferred to His kingdom. Now this kingdom of God has manifested in believer’s heart and in His church (Lk. 17:21) and will eventually be revealed to the entire universe in glory. (Rev. 11:15) Only the children of light who are born again will be able to enter the bliss. (Jn. 3:3, 5)


By believing Satan’s lie, man sinned and were driven out of the paradise of God. Henceforth, Satan owns us and sends everyone unto a death march. On a rescue mission, the Son of God became man and came to this world. He was equally tempted by Satan, yet He did not sin. (Heb. 4:15) He willingly submitted Himself to the power of darkness (Lk. 22:53) and died on a cross. But this time Satan miscalculated, he killed a man he never owned! As a result, all who believe in Jesus and follow the truth have redemption in Jesus. All their debt of sin and verdict documents that belong to Satan, he lost them to Christ. And Christ set aside this record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands and nail it to the cross, (Col. 2:14) and grant us forgiveness of sins. (Lk. 23:34) From a dark prison cell, He freed us and transformed us to children of light. (1 Th. 5:5)


This is an incredible identity transformation. It is a personal transformation that every Christian has gone through. Therefore, we ought to always giving thanks to the Father. Yet Satan never wish to lose a single captive, and forgetfulness is one stumbling block he lays before every believer. It was after my father passed away that my desire of thanking him became ever stronger. Now I have my own children and have taught them many things too. Their obedience would correspond to their thankfulness. My prayer for them is that their thankfulness would one day exceed mine. If it is this hard to thank our visible earthly father, how much harder would it be to thank our invisible heavenly father? Indeed we need the constant reminder by the Holy Spirit and stay awake. That is why Paul prayed this prayer for the Colossians and for all who have received the same mercy: never forget the great love of our heavenly Father. We must give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. (1 Th 5:18)

Prayer: O Lord! May the great love of our heavenly Father forever compel us! Let us forget what lies behind and straining forward for what lies ahead and press on toward the goal!

听歌罗西书（3）：朝囚暮爵

¹²又感谢父，叫我们能与众圣徒在光明中同得基业。¹³他救了我们脱离黑暗的权势，把我们迁到他爱子的国里。¹⁴我们在爱子里得蒙救赎，罪过得以赦免。【歌一12-14】


保罗为歌罗西人的祷告，是让他们做感恩的人，更准确地说，是做感恩的儿女。感谢父，这句听起来再平常不过的家常说教，好像是谁都知道的道理，其实是圣经所独有的教训，是基督教伦理的基石。保罗在这里所提到的父，并不是指人间的生父或养父，而是指永生全能的父神。谁都有父亲，但并不是谁都有天父，唯有神所拣选的【罗八29】，才能感谢父。这三个字所描述的感恩之心，是我们基督徒独有的基因，证明我们真是神的儿女【罗八15-16】。


虽然同为儿子，乞丐的儿子与皇太子之间有很大的差别，但这点差别，若与神的儿子相比，就可以忽略不计了。儿子间的差别来自父亲，因为子承父业。乞丐一无所有，皇帝应有尽有，但若神成了我们的父，我们就能与众圣徒在光明中同得基业，因为神所造的万有全是我们的【林前三21】。与这光明中的基业相比，这世上的一切都黯然失色。这被咒诅的世界，本来是人的始祖被赶出伊甸园后的流放之地，属恶者的辖区，人的儿女都囚在他黑暗的权势下。但神救了我们，把我们迁到他爱子的国里。神救人之法，乃是将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生【约三16】。人的儿女因为信了神的儿子，他们就被迁到他的国里，这国现在只显在信徒的心中和主的教会里【路十七21】，将来要临到全世界【启十一15】。这是重生的光明之子才能进入的世外桃源【约三3、5】。


人是因为信了撒但的谎言，犯罪之后才被逐出神的乐园。撒但从此拥有了我们，他让我们去死，我们就不得不死。为了救我们，神的儿子道成肉身来到世上。他也受撒但的试探，却没有犯罪【来四15】，又甘愿服在黑暗的权势下【路廿二53】，在十字架上受死。但这次撒但输了，因为他杀死了一个他从未拥有过的人。所有相信耶稣顺从真理的人，就在爱子里得蒙救赎。因为他们所犯一切的罪，也就是攥在撒但手中的状子，被基督赢了过去，他把这一切控告人的罪状，都在十字架上撤去【西二14】，让我们的罪过得以赦免【路廿三34】。我们因此就从黑暗中的囚徒，转而成为光明之子【贴前五5】。


这是一个超乎想象的身份转换。这是每个基督徒都经历的人生巨变。所以感谢父应该是如此蒙恩之人自然的心态。但撒但并不甘心交出他的俘虏，健忘就是他摆在信徒脚前的一个绊脚石。我自己对生父的感恩之心，是在他去世之后变得越来越强烈。我自己也有儿女，也常常教训他们，而他们的顺服程度就反映出他们的感恩之心。我对他们的祷告就是，他们的感恩之心有一天能够超过前人。如果感谢看得见的地上的父亲都如此知易行难的话，感谢看不见的天父更需要圣灵的提醒和我们自己时常的警醒。所以保罗才这样为歌罗西人，也是为所有蒙恩之人祷告：时刻不忘天父的厚爱大恩。我们当凡事谢恩，因为这是神在基督耶稣里向我们所定的旨意【贴前五18】。

祷告：主啊，愿天父的大爱时常激励我们，努力面前，忘记背后，向着标杆直跑！