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！

Hiking Through the Wilderness

When you hike alone in a remote desolate place, if you happen to cross path with another hiker, you would instantly feel close to each other. For such a hiker, even a glimpse of a small figure walking over the far ridge would bring much joy. He cannot resist the urge to wave his hand or even give a shout out at this fellow hiker. This natural warm feeling towards fellow human being would quickly dissipate in a crowd. In a much crowded place, you would feel tired of people and rather escape to a desolate place. Walking around the Time Square in New York, you may get annoyed by the hustle and bustle of pedestrians and wish for a clearing of the place, so you can better enjoy the moment. If you meet the same guy at the Time Square and at your remote hiking trip, he would leave a totally different impression on your mind. Our mindset and emotional receptiveness are situation dependent. Therefore, during hardship and lonely walk of life, even with fewer people crossing our path, it is easier to grow true friendship and love. While living in a comfortable and bustling place, it is harder to find soul mate and intimate friend.


This apparent conflicting nature of drawing and repelling between human souls is equally reflected in our relationship with God. When we are buffeted with loneliness, emptiness, and fear, we are more interested in spirituality and open to conversation of faith. We want to search for God and meaning for life. On the other hand, when life becomes easy and enjoyable, or when faith has been turned into a bondage of religious programs, our spiritual interest gets smoldered and we would like to escape to secularism. God changes not (Jam. 1:17), but situations do change, and so do our hearts. Therefore, for an ever-changing human to approach the never-changing God and to please Him, faith is required. (Heb. 11:6) What is faith? It is a promise kept faithfully between two parties, it is a determination in mind and in heart that changes not with situations, it is a dedication of the rest of our lives to the one who saved us.


With a mighty hand God led Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. Before He led them to the promised land flowing with milk and honey, He must lead them through the wilderness. The same people who rejoiced by the shore of the Red Sea, treaded down the wilderness full of complaints, as if the God who split the sea for them and the God who led them in the desert were not one and the same. Yet God determines that after the baptism of the Red Sea, His people should walk through the wilderness of temptation. As Moses reminded them, And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deut. 8:2 ESV) Even Jesus, the Son of God, after receiving baptism, went down to the wilderness. For forty days and forty nights, He was tempted by Satan. (Lk. 4:1) Therefore, we who become children of God through faith in Jesus, must also walk through this wilderness of testing. As it is written, we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Ps. 66:12 ESV)


Therefore, we count it all joy, when we meet trials of various kinds, (Jas. 1:2 ESV) because we know it is the Lord who is walking us through the wilderness. As in a dry and weary land where there is no water, we earnestly seek for God and our flesh faint for Him. (Ps. 63:1 ESV) Only in the wilderness God would bring water out of flinty rock for His people, (Deu. 8:15) which is our steadfast faith. (Jam. 1:3-4) In the same token, we must stay awake when life becomes easy and enjoyable. On the one hand, we are constantly reminded of our own redemption from sin, that is our Red Sea. On the other hand, we are looking forward to the riches and glory of the promises of God, that is our land of Cannon. Recognizing these two landmarks, we would know that our life on earth, whether long or short, steep or flat, is a spiritual wilderness. We are a group of backpack hiker walking on a heaven-bound trail. Daily we are reminded not to fall in love with this present world (2 Tim. 4:10 ESV), but ever move forward with earnest longing for God. Together we are marching towards the glorious eternal kingdom of God.

Prayer: O Lord! Help us to thirst after you and follow your footprint in this journey of pilgrimage. Let us forget what lies behind and press on and strain forward towards the heavenly goal!

走在旷野

当你独自在人迹罕至的野外远足，对于途中偶遇的健行者，会有一种特别的亲切感。在旷野独行的人，就算在远处的山脊上发现一个小小的身影，也会莫名奇妙的兴奋，忍不住挥手，甚至尖叫着打声招呼。这样同类相亲的感受，人一多就开始饱和。周围人太多还会让人心生反感，想找个没人的地方躲起来。走在纽约的时代广场上，你对周围熙熙攘攘的人流毫无兴趣，可能心里还希望人越少越好，巴不得偌大的广场变成自己的专场。就算你在旷野和在时代广场遇到同一个人，你对这人会有完全不同的印象。人心会随着境遇而变得忽软忽硬。所以当人在艰难和孤单中行走，纵然遇到的人稀少，却往往能收获真正的友谊和爱情；反而那些生活在舒适和热闹地方的人，住在人堆中却难找到知心的朋友和心灵伴侣。


人心之间这种彼此既渴慕又排斥的矛盾心态，也反映在人对神的态度上。落在孤独、空虚、和惧怕中的人，会有较强的属灵追求和宗教情结，想要认识神并寻求人生的意义。但在舒适和喧嚣的生活中，或者当信仰被宗教程序所绑架而变成了重担，人就对属灵的事心生厌倦，想要回归世俗。虽然神并没有改变【雅一17】，变的只是外在的环境和人里面那随风起舞的心态。所以无常善变的人若想要亲近永恒不变的神，讨神的喜悦，就必需有信心【来十一6】。所谓信心，就是两造之间一个不改变的承诺，就是一个定意不随风起舞的心态，就是一个一旦被拯救，便以余生报恩的坚持。


神曾用大能的手带领以色列人出埃及，过红海，但在带他们进入那流奶与蜜的迦南美地之前，却先领他们走过旷野。那些曾经欢呼雀跃地过了红海的百姓，后来却满腹牢骚地走在野地里，好像那位为他们分开红海的，与领他们行走旷野的，并非同一位神。但神却定意让他的百姓经过红海的洗礼后，去经历旷野的试探。正如摩西对以色列人的提示，你也要记念耶和华你的神在旷野引导你这四十年，是要苦炼你，试验你，要知道你心内如何，肯守他的诫命不肯【申八2】。连神的儿子耶稣受洗之后，都要到旷野被魔鬼试探四十昼夜【路四1】。因此，我们这些因信耶稣而成为神儿女的人，也必要先走过旷野。如经上所记，我们经过水火。你却使我们到丰富之地【诗六十六12】。


所以我们若落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜乐【雅一2】。因为知道是主正在领我们行走旷野，走在干旱疲乏无水之地的人，更自然地会去渴想神【诗六十三1】。只有在旷野无水的地方，才能喝到神从磐石中给我们流出来的活水【申八15】，那就是主所赐恒久忍耐的信心【雅一3-4】。我们若生活平顺，就当警醒，一面不忘主如何在罪中拯救了我们，那就是我们的红海，一面仰望主所应许的丰盛，那是我们的迦南地。牢记这两个地标，就知道我们在这世的日子，无论顺逆长短，都是属灵的旷野，我们是一群走在这旷野中的天路背包客。求圣灵每天提醒我们的心不去贪爱这世界【提后四10】，乃是一路向前，带着对神的渴慕，携手走向那荣耀丰富的永恒国度。


祷告：主啊，求你让我们渴慕你的同在，每天以朝圣者的心跟随你，忘记背后，努力面前，向着天上的标杆直跑！

Listen to the Colossians (2): A Spiritual Distance Running

⁹And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. (Col. 1:9-11 ESV)


If the Colossians had not yet believed the Lord, we would understand Paul’s prayer for them. But not only did they already believe, they were also well-known for their faith, love, and hope in Christ. Yet Paul did not relieve them from his care, rather he prayed for them even more earnestly. Let’s pay close attention to Paul’s prayer for them, since we share the same faith with the Colossians, this prayer equally applies to us. This is a prayer only for Christians. This one area that all believers must grow is to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. All believers have already known God and His will, therefore the key of Paul’s prayer here centers on the idea of being filled with complete knowledge of God. If the will of God is a vast ocean and we come to its shore with an empty bucket. Do not leave with a few scoops but fill your bucket to the brim. This is the privilege exclusively granted to the children of God, no one in this world could know the will of God, not even a single drop of it, because they have no spiritual wisdom and understanding.


When you are driving on the highway with other cars moving around you, you know neither those drivers nor their thoughts. You have no interest in knowing them anyway, because you want to focus on the road. If suddenly you see the car driving behind you turns on its flashing lights, immediately you know who is driving behind you and you know his thought too: this police officer wants you to pull off right now for a traffic stop. You better obey him to avoid bigger troubles. Likewise, the moment you see God, you would immediately know His will, and you want to obey His will right away. These three cognitive steps are actually one and the same. Our outside obedience reveals our true knowledge of God. This obedience from knowing God manifests at: walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work. When you start to obey, you start to know God. As we are increasing in our obedience, we are increasing in the knowledge of God. Obeying police officer for traffic stops always brings us anxiety, and we pray that we would never meet police in that manner on the highway. Meanwhile, obeying God will bring us joy, therefore Paul prayed that we would always meet God in the highway of life and walk with the Lord daily.


If we are not careful, “Walking with the Lord” can become a cliché for Christians. As if for Christians, walking with the Lord does not require any effort. Yet in order to know more about God, not only we must press on without reserve, but we also need some divine help. This is exactly how Paul prayed: being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might. This “walking” takes a combined effort of both God and man. There is an outward sign for someone to get this far, a milestone in his journey of knowing God, that is his endurance and patience in all things with joy. From a worldly view, this is a strange and even conflicting combination, because by nature enduring is no fun at all. But with spiritual wisdom and understanding, we can recognize the power of God. The Son of God with the same divine power has accomplished the work of redemption. As it is written, for the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2) Therefore, all who are walking with the Lord are in for a spiritual distance running team, with Jesus as team captain and forerunner. It is an ultimate marathon for life with endurance and with joy. (Heb. 12:1)


For many people, distance running means suffering. Yet, many distance runners have a different experience. They enjoy a euphoric feeling during and after running. It turns out during strenuous cardiovascular exercises, human brain would release endorphins, which are hormones that block pain and bring on euphoric feelings. Occasional runners would not get these, only daily runners will maximize the potential benefits of endorphins. Likewise, our spiritual distance running also means suffering, because we must carry our cross to follow Jesus daily. Everyday when you sacrifice you time, your money, your physical strength, and your sweat for someone else, the one you care may not care, and may even return your love with insult. Will you stop loving that person? If you can carry on, that is endurance. If you can carry on with joy. That is beyond endurance, because you know God is walking alongside with you and He is pleased with what you are doing. Realizing that, you would be happy to run even harder in this race of love. This is what Paul is praying for all believers. He would love to see all of us set off on this spiritual distance running of knowing God. Therefore, let us put on our running gears and get outside, run with Jesus in rain or in shine, through the cycle of four seasons of our life.

Prayer: O Lord! May your love lead the way and your power push from behind, so that we can carry out this spiritual distance running and walk with the Lord daily!

听歌罗西书（2）：属灵长跑

⁹因此，我们自从听见的日子，也就为你们不住地祷告祈求，愿你们在一切属灵的智慧悟性上，满心知道神的旨意。¹⁰好叫你们行事为人对得起主，凡事蒙他喜悦，在一切善事上结果子，渐渐地多知道神。¹¹照他荣耀的权能，得以在各样的力上加力，好叫你们凡事欢欢喜喜地忍耐宽容。【歌一9-11】


如果这些歌罗西人还没有听信耶稣，保罗为他们祷告合情合理。但这些歌罗西人不但已经信主，并且在信、望、爱三方面都声名远扬【歌一8】，保罗不但没有松一口气，反倒非常迫切不住地为歌罗西人祷告祈求。我们也当留心听这祷告，因为我们和歌罗西人信的是同一位基督，我们也需要这个祷告。这个只有基督徒才能领受的代祷，也是基督徒必需长进的地方，就是满心知道神的旨意。信主的人已经认识神，也知道神的旨意，所以保罗祷告的重点在于满心知道这四个字。神的旨意如同汪洋大海，浩瀚无边，满心知道就像是提一个空桶去海边，别舀一点水就走，要满载而归。这是神的儿女才能享受的特供品，这世上的人无从知晓神的旨意，他们一滴都得不到，因为他们没有属灵的智慧悟性。


当你在高速路上开车，前后左右都是车，你既不认识在你周围开车的人，也不了解他们的心意。而且你也不想了解，只想专心开好你的车。如果跟在你后面的车突然亮起警灯，那一瞬间你立刻知道后面跟的是谁，也马上晓得警察的心意是要你立刻停车接受检查。因此你必需马上顺服，否则麻烦更大了。同样的道理，当人认出神的那一瞬间，就立刻明白神对自己的心意，也会马上顺服。所以认识神，知道神的旨意，并顺服这旨意，好像是分开的三步，其实是一体的。人外面的顺服有多大，他里面所认识的神就有多大。人因认识神而有的顺服在于：行事为人对得起主，凡事蒙他喜悦，并在一切善事上结果子。当人开始这样顺服，他就开始认识神。当人越多这样顺服，他就渐渐地多知道神。顺服警察只会让我们战战兢兢，在开车的路上我们祷告千万别遇上警察。但顺服神则会让我们欢欢喜喜，在人生路上保罗为我们祷告要天天遇见神，与主同行。


如果不小心，“与主同行”会成为套话，好像基督徒不用努力，就自动与主同行了。我们若要更认识神，不但要用尽全力，更需要有神助我们一臂之力，这就是保罗的祷告：“照他荣耀的权能，得以在各样的力上加力。”这样以神人共力方能达到的境界，有一个外在的标记。这个认识神的路上的里程碑，就是我们凡事欢欢喜喜地忍耐宽容。以属世的眼光来看，这是一个奇怪的矛盾组合。因为当人忍耐之时，总是无法欢喜的。我们若有属灵的智慧悟性，就晓得这是出于神的大能。神的儿子耶稣正是以这样的神力完成救赎。如经上所记，他因那摆在前面的喜乐，就轻看羞辱，忍受了十字架的苦难，便坐在神宝座的右边。【来十二2】 所以，我们与主同行，就是参加一个属灵长跑队，耶稣是队长又是领跑者，这是一个欢喜忍耐的人生终极马拉松长跑【来十二1】。


长跑对于许多人来说，是痛苦的代名词。但许多坚持长跑的人却有另外的体会，他们在长跑当中和跑完之后常有一种说不出来的满足感。原来人在高强度的耐力运动中，大脑会释放出内啡肽，这天然的止痛剂会带给人兴奋和愉悦。偶尔跑一下没用，要天天长跑才能促进内啡肽的释放。与此类似，基督徒的属灵长跑，也是痛苦的，因为这是一个天天背起十字架跟随主的过程。当你每天牺牲自己，为别人的益处操心、花钱、出力、流汗的时候，可能别人还不在乎，甚至顶撞你。你要不要止住你的爱心呢？如果你要继续下去，这就靠你的耐力。如果你不但能坚持，竟然会有一种欢欢喜喜的感受，这就不仅是你的能耐，因为你知道有神与你同行，你在行他所喜悦的，所以你就在这爱的长跑上跑得更欢了。这就是保罗为一切信主的人所祷告祈求的，他巴不得每个人都早点开始认识神的属灵长跑。让我们天天换上跑鞋，出去风雨无阻地和耶稣一起跑过一轮又一轮的春夏秋冬。

祷告：主啊，愿你的爱在前面牵引，你的大能在后面推动，让我们每天与主同行，加入这个属灵的长跑！

Separation and Join in Love

We are all apprentices of love, who seek not after a human guide or our own feelings, but after the Word of God, because God is love. (1 Jn. 4:8, 16 ESV) God’s love first calls for separation. He called Abraham first and separated him out from a place and culture he called home. Later God gave a unique law to the Israelites and purposely set them apart from the nations. Israel’s love for God has been constantly evaluated by their faithfulness in keeping this law so different from the rest of the world. People have raised this objection: how can love be associated with separation? There are already so many man-made separations that trump love, such as the barriers of race, class, and culture. Of all these barriers to love, the barrier of religion perhaps tops them all. If this world was already broken and full of hatred, then why would God raise another wall and establish another divisive religion? No wonder many people do not see love in the Old Testament. When Jesus came, he lived well within the wall of Judaism and had no intention of tearing it down. Jesus once said, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matt. 5:17 ESV) Once a Gentile woman asked Him for help, he did not hide His reluctance just because she was not a Jew! (Matt. 15:21-28) If there is love in the Old Testament, it sounds like a very narrow-minded love.


Once an expert of the Law asked Jesus about the greatest commandment in the Old Testament. And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40 ESV) Not only is the central teaching of the Old Testament love, but it has been dissected with a surgical knife for our benefit: The core of love is first of divine, and human love comes out second. The former love expresses itself in religion, it is mystical in nature and the root of all love. The latter love expresses itself in ethics, it is practical kindness and the fruit of love. Perfect love encompasses from root to fruit as one whole body. Divine love is a jealous love (Exo. 20:5), because God is one. Therefore God taught the Israelite people to separate themselves from a world of idolatry and secularism, to be holy unto God, to lay down a divine foundation for love, and to bear fruits. But the fruit of love has not manifested until the coming of Christ. Jesus explained the fruit of love summarized in “Love your neighbor as yourself” in a parable of the good Samaritan. (Lk. 10:29-37) In that parable, both the Levite and the priest held correct religious doctrines. With a foundation of love laid so well for them, they were expected to bear fruits of love. Yet little did we expect that it is the Samaritan who came forth with the fruit of love. In this surprising twist, Jesus was in no intention commending Samaritan’s religious doctrine, he was emphasizing the importance of fruit-bearing and this fruit of kindness ought to extend to all people and join everyone together, because we are all created in the image of God. There is indeed both separation and join in love.


It is exactly because of this dichotomy of love that improper application of separation and togetherness could lead to unhealthy love. The Pharisee only worked on the root and ignored bearing fruit. They were good at separation in piety, but failed to join together in kindness. This type of mistake that concentrates solely on divine love and self-righteousness would either lead to bondage of legalism or indulging in secretive religious experience. They turn love into something exclusive or intangible in this world. On the other hand, if we raise the banner of universal kindness and ditch the only divine source, we strip love down to a couple of moral principles. This would remove both the engine and the turning wheel from love itself. By cutting its root and embracing only the fruits, love becomes a castle in the air and remains forever a human fantasy. This dual nature of love even plays a role in human relationships. Human love has its best in the love between a man and a woman. This fierce and sometimes crazy love can bring extreme happiness to lovers, but it can also destroy those who fall in love. As it is written, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. (Song. 8:6 ESV) This is the mystical side of human love. Besides your only lover, you would not share this side of love with another. Yet human love also has another side stamped with responsibility and kindness. It manifests itself in life-long faithfulness and sacrifice. Love in this respect can be and should be shared beyond your lover, and the more the better. This duality of separation and unity in human love can be messed up as well. If you share freely what is only meant to be enjoyed with your lover, love becomes lust. If you hold back what is meant to share with everyone else, your “love” becomes a public threat to those outside your love circle. When a man and a woman fall in love, if they only pursue for passion and ecstasy, and ignore responsibility, their love will never last. If they only stress sacrifice and ignore watering the root of love, their love would become a burden wearing out soon. The Bible used the love between husband and wife as an analogy for Christ and His church, because both loves consist a mystical origin and daily sacrifice.


The mystical origin of all love is Christ, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16 ESV) Besides Christ, there is no other foundation of love. (1 Cor. 11:3) If people accuse this idea as narrow-minded, it is because they do not understand the mystery of love. Apart from Christ, no effort of love can be sustained or even produced. Only in Christ, love is able to transcend all man-made barriers and we can truly love one another. This is the blessing God promised to bless the nations through the offspring of Abraham. In His church, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28 ESV) Therefore we love all who are outside the church, and the greatest good we can ever do to them is to lead them to know the love of Christ. And we love even more those who are inside the church, because There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph. 4:4-6 ESV) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 6:10 ESV)

Prayer: O Lord! Help us to know more about your wondrous love and let it blow our mind! Help us to love this world with your kindness!

离合之爱

我们都是爱的学徒，但不是随从人的指点和自己的感受，而是听从神的话，因为神就是爱【约壹四8、16】。神的爱中首先要求隔离。他先叫亚伯拉罕离家出走，又赐给以色列人独特的律法，故意把他们从万民中分别出来。而以色列人对神的爱就在于他们能否坚守这与众不同的信仰。有人会反对说，爱中怎么能有隔离呢？这世界已经有许多人为的藩篱来阻挡爱，诸如种族、阶级、文化之类。而宗教带给人的隔离和敌意更不在话下。为什么神要在已经四分五裂，彼此仇恨的人间又立一堵高墙，又带来一个分裂人群的信仰呢？无怪乎许多人在旧约中看不到神的爱。当耶稣在地上传道，他也活在犹太教这堵墙里，并没有拆毁它的意思。耶稣说，莫想我来要废掉律法和先知。我来不是要废掉，乃是要成全。【太五17】 当有外邦女子求医，耶稣也显得很不情愿，就因为这人不是犹太裔【太十五21-28】。如果旧约中有爱，这爱好像很狭隘。


曾有律法专家来请教旧约中最大的诫命，耶稣对他说，你要尽心，尽性，尽意，爱主你的神。这是诫命中的第一，且是最大的。其次也相仿，就是要爱人如己。这两条诫命，是律法和先知一切道理的总纲【太廿二37-40】。不但旧约的中心就是爱，而且它好像用手术刀一般把爱分解给我们看：爱的核心是神人之爱，其次是人间之爱。前一个是爱在信仰层面的体现，这是爱中奥秘的一面，是爱的根基；后一个是爱在道德上的体现，这是爱中怜悯的一面，是爱的果实。有根有果才是完整的爱。神人之爱是忌邪的【出二十5】，因为只有一位神。因此神教导以色列人从偶像崇拜的世俗中分别为圣，为神圣之爱打下根基，好结出果子来。但直到耶稣基督降世，爱的果子才开始显明。耶稣用好撒玛利亚人的故事来解释何谓“爱人如己”的果子【路十29-37】。故事中的利未人和祭司有正确的信仰教义，按理说有了爱的根基后，就应该接出爱的果子来。没想到却是撒玛利亚人显出怜悯的爱。耶稣用这出其不意的对比，毫无称赞撒玛利亚人信仰的意思。他是在强调爱要结果，而且怜悯的爱应该包括天下所有的人，因为每个人都是按照神的形象造的。所以，真正的爱中，既有分离，又有联合。


爱中既有离合，自然会有离合失当的错爱。法利赛人错在只要根却不结果，只有虔诚分离，没有怜悯包容。此等偏差就把神圣之爱要么变成禁锢人的教条，要么引入神秘灵修的体验，总之把爱变得不食人间烟火。但如果高举怜悯普世的大旗，拔掉爱那唯一奥秘之源，就把爱简化成为道德说教，让爱既失去了动力，又迷失了方向。这样只求果效，无谓根基的爱根本是空中楼阁，可望不可及。其实爱的双重本质，也在人间之爱留下痕迹。人间爱的极致，应该是男女之爱，这种激烈甚至不讲理的爱，既能带给人极大的幸福，也能带来玉石俱焚的毁灭。如经上所记，爱情如死之坚强。嫉恨如阴间之残忍。所发的电光，是火焰的电光，是耶和华的烈焰【歌八6】。这是爱的奥秘之处。除了你唯一的爱人，情爱是不能与外人分享的。人间之爱，不但有激情的一面， 还有责任的一面。这种慈怜之爱表现在一生的持守和自我牺牲，这样的爱却是可以也应该和爱人之外的人分享，而且多多益善。人间之爱的离合，也同样马虎不得。如果把本该独享的爱与他人分享，爱就堕落成为淫乱；把应该分享的爱拿去独享，爱就因一家一族之私而沦为社会公害。如果男女之间只要激情，不要责任，爱就不能持久；若只讲责任，不要感情，爱则成为重担，让人度日如年。圣经用人间的夫妻之爱来比喻基督和教会的关系，因为这两样的爱都有每日的奉献和奥秘的根源【弗五32】。


一切爱的奥秘的根基，就是基督。因为神爱世人，甚至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】。除此以外，别无爱的根基【林前三11】。若有人因此指责教会狭隘和不宽容，因为他们不晓得爱的奥秘。离开基督，所有的爱都是无本之木，无源之水。唯有基督的爱，才能让人超越一切人为的藩篱，让人真正彼此相爱。这就是神要借着亚伯拉罕使万民得的福气，就在基督的教会中，并不分犹太人，希利尼人，自主的，为奴的，或男或女。因为你们在基督耶稣里都成为一了【加三28】。我们爱一切教外的人，而我们向他们所能行的最大的善举，就是带领他们认识基督的爱。我们更亲爱教中的弟兄姐妹，因为我们同有一个指望，一主，一信，一洗，一神，就是众人的父，超乎众人之上，贯乎众人之中，也住在众人之内【弗四4-6】。所以有了机会，就当向众人行善。向信徒一家的人更当这样。【加六10】

祷告：主啊，求你让我们更认识你奇妙大爱，让我们为爱癫狂！让我们用你的怜悯来爱这个世界！

Listen to the Colossians (1): Live Out the Legend

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing-- as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. (Col. 1:3-6 ESV)


The Colossians first heard the gospel and understood the grace of God, then Paul heard their testimony, and then he wrote this letter to them. He expected this letter to be read out loud so that more people could hear about it. Indeed, it has been heard, for thousands of years and in diverse tongues, in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing. This is nothing short of a legend that has been recounted thousands of years and counting. This legend is the word of the truth, the gospel, which begins from Christ Jesus. When the Colossians heard of it and believed, they became part of the legend. As soon as Paul heard of their faith, he thank(ed) God the Father of Lord Jesus Christ for them. For the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Rom. 1:16) Everyone who has been saved becomes a witness. One witnesses to ten people and ten to a hundred, and all the way down to the present. We are the fruits of the gospel and have become part of this legend.


Paul often pray(ed) for people, because he set his mind on God’s mind and wished that all should reach repentance and be part of this legend, (2 Pe. 3:9) which starts first with our faith in Christ Jesus. This faith comes only by the grace of God. Man may fake it but would never acquire it on his own. From the very beginning man is seeking for immortality. From serious undertaking of religious practices to imaginative exercise of creative writings, there are many mad-made ways towards heaven, but no one would imagine the way of the cross, which is folly to those who are perishing. (1 Co. 1:18) Not only they could not imagine that, they would not believe even when it has been made known. When Jesus’ disciples, who had followed him for three years, were told about the resurrection, they would not believe it. (Mar. 16:11) No wonder prophet of old had lamented, who has believed what he has heard from us? (Isa. 53:1) If anyone who is neither mentally incapable nor crazy dare to believe such a gospel, that would be puzzling. If many people believe the gospel, they must know something that I do not. If this gospel has spread all over the world, and more and more people are believing, it is a legend like none other.


This incredible faith brings out incredible love, that is the love for all the saints. We had love on earth, and the love of man is no more than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends, (Joh. 15:13) for his lover, or for a good person. Yet while we were still sinners, despising, rejecting, even killing him, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:7-8) All believers are mesmerized by the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ, (Eph. 3:17) which motivates us to love in turn. That is to love all believers as Christ loved us. (Joh. 15:12) This love breaks down walls set up by races, politics, classes, grudges, generational gaps, and upbringing and make us one family in Christ Jesus. The church is set up as a miracle of love and has weathered thousands of years and still thriving. We love because Christ first loved us, (1 Joh. 4:19) and all other kinds of love pale before this legendary love. All who live and love in this way, live out the same legend. 


Once this legendary life sets off, always looks out for better days to come. Because of the hope laid up for us in heaven, we rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. (1 Pe. 1:8) All the hopes of man under heaven must be tested out by the toil under the sun, (Ecc. 1:3) and ultimately by death. (Ecc. 3:18, 19) Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, (Psa. 23:4) because our hope is in heaven. If anyone does not have this resurrection hope, he has not yet believed the gospel. Because this hope is inseparable from the word of truth, the gospel. For all who has this hope, their stories here on earth serve as short preludes to their eternal stories in heaven. All such stories are sequel to the gospel legend played out between heavens and earth, it is a legend about faith, love, and hope. If you have not heard about this legend, we want to tell you about it. If you have heard already, we invite you to join our little flock, to love each other with the love of Christ, for the greatest of these is love. (1 Co. 13:13) The letter Paul wrote to the Colossians, he wrote to all who live in Christ, for we are all part of the same legend.

Prayer: O Lord! May all who heard the gospel believe the way, and carry on the only legend under heaven, the legend of faith, love, and hope! Help us labor in preaching and living it out ourselves!

听歌罗西书（1）：续谱传奇

³我们感谢神我们主耶稣基督的父，常常为你们祷告。⁴因听见你们在基督耶稣里的信心，并向众圣徒的爱心。⁵是为那给你们存在天上的盼望。这盼望就是你们从前在福音真理的道上所听见的。⁶这福音传到你们那里，也传到普天之下，并且结果增长，如同在你们中间，自从你们听见福音，真知道神恩惠的日子一样。 【歌一3-6】


先是歌罗西人听见福音真理的道，真知道神的恩惠，然后保罗因听见歌罗西人的见证，就写了这封歌罗西书，他也知道这封信会被念出来让更多人听见。不但如此，这信一念就念了几千年，而且用不同的方言，传到普天之下，并且结果增长。能够如此传说千年而不衰的，一定是个传奇。这传奇不是别的，就是福音真理的道。这福音本是从基督耶稣开始的，当歌罗西人听信之后，他们也成了这传奇的一部分，所以保罗一听见，就为歌罗西人感谢神主耶稣基督的父。这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的【罗一16】。每个得救的人，都是这福音的见证，一传十，十传百，一直传到今天，我们都是这福音所结的果子，也都在这传奇中有份。


保罗常常为人祷告，因为他体贴神的心意，愿意人人悔改，都加入这个传奇中【彼后三9】。这传奇开始于我们在基督耶稣里的信心。这等信心只能出于神的恩惠。人固然可以假冒，但绝不可能自我修炼出来。人自古都在寻求不朽之道，从身体力行的宗教，到挖空心思的文学创作，人们发明了许多升天之道，但没有人能想出十字架的道理，因为这道理在那灭亡的人看为愚拙【林前一18】。人不但想不到，当面告诉他也不会信。连跟从了耶稣三年的门徒，初听到死里复活的消息，都不敢相信【可十六11】。难怪自古就有先知感叹说，我们所传的，有谁信呢【赛五十三1】？如果有人相信，而这人既不傻也不颠，那就有点奇怪。如果有许多人相信，这里面一定有不为人知的奥秘。如果这福音越传越广，相信的人也越来越多，这就成了独一无二的传奇。


这不同凡响的信心，会带出不同凡响的爱心，那就是向众圣徒的爱心。人间也有爱，有人爱朋友、爱情人、或者爱仁人志士，爱的最高境界莫过于以身相许，以命殉情【约十五13】。唯有基督在我们还是罪人，还在羞辱、抵挡、甚至杀害他的时候，就为我们舍命【罗五7-8】。基督那长阔高深的爱就让一切相信的人叹为观止【弗三17】，也让我们以爱来回应，就是以基督的爱来爱教会中的弟兄姐妹【约十五12】。这爱超越了种族、政治、阶级、宿怨、代沟、和教养带来的藩篱。因着耶稣基督，我们成为一家人。教会就是这样一个爱的奇迹，历千年而不朽。我们如此相爱，是因为基督先爱我们【约壹四19】。与这传奇般的爱相比，人间其他的爱都显得苍白。凡一切如此相爱的人，他们的人生就是传奇。


这传奇的人生一旦开始，就没有止境，而且越来越妙不可言。因为神为我们存在天上的盼望，就有那说不出来，满有荣光的大喜乐。【彼前一8】人一切的盼望，都要接受日光之下劳碌的检验【传一3】，而最终的检验就是死亡【传三18、19】。但我们在世虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害【诗廿三4】，因为我们的盼望存在天上。人若没有这样死里复活的盼望，就还没有相信福音，因为这盼望来自福音真理的道。凡一切有这等盼望的人，他们在地上的故事，只不过是天上永恒故事中的简短序曲。所有这些故事，都是在天地间延续那一个在耶稣基督里的传奇。这传奇中有信，有望，有爱。没有听过这传奇的，我们乐意再讲给你听。听见的，我们邀请你加盟我们这小群，以基督的爱彼此相爱，因为其中最大的是爱【林前十三1】。保罗写给歌罗西人的信，也是写给一切如此住在基督里的人，因为我们都在他里面成为传奇。


祷告：主啊，愿一切听见福音的人，都信从这道，在信、望、爱中继续这天下人间唯一的传奇！帮助我们每天传扬并活在这福音传奇中！