Listen to the Colossians (11): Rebirth After Death

¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4 ESV)


When Paul said to the Colossians, “If then you have been raised with Christ,” he did not say it out of doubt for their faith, rather it was to encourage and challenge them. Like a swimming coach taking a group of graduates to the bay, he told them while pointing to the other side of the shore, “If indeed you have learned how to swim, then jump into the water and swim to the other side.” He would not say that out of his doubt, but rather out of his confidence in their swimming skill. Of course, a true swimmer does not have to take this challenge, but a true Christian must take Paul’s challenge to the Colossians. Therefore, here is a better illustration. On a slowly sinking cruise ship, a swimming coach would tell the new graduates, “If indeed you have learned how to swim, then jump in the water and swim to the shore to save yourself.”


Our minds were all set on things that are on earth, this is what we were good at doing. When we believed in Christ, and have been raised with Him, suddenly it is as if we have acquired a new skill. This new skill we must practice diligently is to seek the things that are above. With this new skill under our belt, we would not automatically forget our old skills. In order to prevent our old self from choking the new life within, Paul reminded us to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, which are all the pursuits under the sun. Whether we tried to help ourselves, or extend the care to others, the years of our life is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. (Ps. 90:10 ESV) But now that we have been raised with Christ, tasted the powers of the age to come (Heb. 6:5 ESV) and knew that Christ is seated at the right hand of God far above the sun, let us forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14 ESV)


Resurrection is only possible for those who have died. Therefore, before we were raised with Christ, we have already died. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. (Rom. 6:4 ESV) When Moses was forty years old and in his prime, with his Hebrew birthright and royal upbringing in Egypt, he recommended himself with zeal to free the Israelites, yet he was abandoned by both the Egyptians and the Israelites and fled for his life into the Midian desert. In his exiled life, he lived as a hired shepherd for forty years. The once young and ambitious Moses was dead, and only an oblivious old chap was waiting for his exit. Yet the LORD God chose this living dead man Moses. Leaving his sheep behind, with his shepherd staff he led the Israelite out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. By knowing Christ Jesus, we were also dead and non-responsive to this world and all its pleasures of sin, but we are now very much alive to the love of Christ and His gospel, because it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, (Gal. 2:20 ESV) as He is our life. 


When Christ first came into this world, the Word of eternal life was wrapped up in an unattractive and lowly body. For all mortals who seek the eternal life, this is a once-in-a-lifetime hide-and-seek with an amazing reward. And the one who seeks finds. (Matt. 7:8 ESV) When they found Him, they are willingly emptying out their corrupting lives and let Christ move in, so that with Christ wrapping inside of them, they may lead other seekers to find the Word of eternal life. When our lives are thus hidden with Christ in God, in the last day, when the great hide-and-seek has been called off, it will be revealed by fire, (1 Cor. 3:13 ESV) and that all the packaging material will be burned up, and the eternal life of Christ will be unveiled. When Christ finally appears, because we have Christ in us, we also will appear with Him in glory.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father! When we were dead in the trespasses and sin, You made us alive together with Christ! You raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus!

听歌罗西书（11）：死而后生

¹所以你们若真与基督一同复活，就当求在上面的事。那里有基督坐在神的右边。²你们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。³因为你们已经死了，你们的生命与基督一同藏在神里面。⁴基督是我们的生命，他显现的时候，你们也要与他一同显现在荣耀里。【歌三1-4】


当保罗对歌罗西人说“你们若真与基督一同复活”，他表达的不是怀疑，而是激励与挑战。好比一群人学会游泳之后，教练就带他们到海湾，指着对岸对他们说，“你们若真的学会了游泳，就跳下水游到对面去。”他表达的不是怀疑，乃是对他们的信心。当然真正的泳者不是必须要接受这个挑战，但是真正的基督徒却必须要接受保罗对歌罗西人的这个挑战。所以一个更好的比方，就是在一艘缓慢下沉的邮轮上，教练对一群刚刚学会游泳的人说，“你们若真的学会了游泳，现在就跳到海里，逃到对岸去。”


我们从前所擅长的，所思念的，都是地上的事。当我们信了基督，与他一同复活之后，仿佛突然间掌握了一个新本事。这件我们必需要去做的新事，就是求在上面的事。虽然有了新本领，但从前的套路并不会自动忘掉。为了防止里面的“老我”抑制了新生命的成长，保罗提醒我们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。所谓地上的事，就是一切在日光之下的追求，无论是独善其身，还是兼济天下，到头来不过是劳苦愁烦，转眼成空，我们便如飞而去【诗九十10】。但如今我们与基督一同复活，既觉悟来世的权能【来六5】，晓得在日光之上有基督坐在神的右边，就当忘记背后努力面前的，向着标杆直跑，要得神在基督耶稣里从上面召我们来得的奖赏【腓三13-14】。


只有死人，才有复活的资格。所以在我们与基督一同复活之前，早已经死了。我们是借着洗礼归入基督的死，已经和他一同埋葬了【罗六4】。摩西四十岁正当壮年的时候，以纯正希伯来血统加上埃及皇室的栽培，满腔热血地出来要为希伯来人出头。不料被埃及人和以色列人双双弃绝，只身亡命天涯，逃到米甸的旷野，隐姓埋名替人放了四十年的羊。从前那个豪气干云的摩西早已经死了，只剩下一个心灰意冷的垂垂老者。但耶和华神却拣选摩西这个活死人，让他撇下羊群，从死里复活，用他的牧羊杖带领以色列人走出埃及，去往迦南美地。因为认识耶稣基督，我们对于这个世界和其中的罪中之乐也万念俱灰，如同死人；但是对于基督的爱和他的福音却大有能力地活着，而且现在活着的不再是我，基督是我们的生命，是他在我们里面活着【加二20】。


当基督初次降临世界，以其貌不扬的肉身，承载着永生之道。对所有羡慕永生，却难逃一死的人，这仿佛是一个不容错过的，有着惊人回报的捉迷藏。神让一切寻找的，就寻见【太七7】。寻见之后，他们也把自己残败的生命倒空，让基督的生命住进来，让那些还在寻找的，也能从他们的身上寻见基督的永生之道。当我们的生命如此与基督一同藏在神里面，在末日，也就是捉迷藏最终揭晓之时，有火发现【林前三13】，既烧掉一切外面的包装，就能显出基督不朽的生命来。当他如此显现的时候，因着活在我们里面的基督，我们也要与他一同显现在荣耀里。

祷告：天父，感谢你，当我们死在过犯罪恶中，你叫我们与基督一同活过来！又叫我们与基督一同复活，一同坐在天上！

Voyage Upon the Spring Swell

While some people may consider peace of mind as of paramount importance in life, others may brush it aside as unnecessary sentimental of the weak. This somewhat abstract concept that often divides the people suddenly rests upon a solid ground during this global pandemic. Now we have all learned the value of peace in life, even if through a hard way, as this beautiful world brightened by the spring sun was suddenly thrown back into a virtual freeze by the invisible global snowstorm of a virus. Whether young or old, rich or poor, all have been shut indoors without peace. Whether we are wishing for the health to our family and friends, for the global pandemic to get under control, or for the economy to rebound, ultimately we are searching for what we have lost: that inner peace we used to enjoy without due appreciation.


Life is a voyage. Everyday we have stories played out on the deck, some are happy and some are sad. Yet everything that happens above the water line are carried upon quietly by the part that is below. The peace of those who live above the water line rest upon the part that is below. Our visible life really depends on the invisible peace of mind, and each boat of life has its own storm to weather. The moment when water breaks into its lower chamber, the boatman loses his peace. Each time after he successfully plugged the leak and weathered the storm, he would be able to enjoy more of the peace of mind. The current pandemic sweeps across the globe like a super storm. With the warning cry of “Storm ahead and watch for leaks!” surging like tides over towns and countries, they instantly took peace away from millions of boatmen on their voyage of life. Everyone wants to know how long the storm would last, and whether his little boat would survive the onslaught. Perhaps it is time to search for peace at a deeper place: is there lasting peace for boatman amidst stormy sea of life?


At the table of His last supper with disciples, Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (Jn. 14:27 ESV) If one is troubled and afraid of the storm, he knows only the peace from the world, not the peace that Jesus gave us. What is the difference? When soldiers stormed the garden of Gethsemane, for Jesus and His disciples, it was a fierce storm of life. In fear all the disciples ran away, and Jesus alone was left to face this overwhelming storm with calm. He bled on the cross and His life was poured to the ground like water. His boat of life publicly disintegrated and sank to the bottom. Three days after He was swallowed by the river of death, Jesus walked upon that water and walked onto the floating boats of His disciples. As soon as they saw the resurrected Jesus, they have received the peace from Him. Since then they were neither troubled nor afraid anymore, but sailed right into their own storms of life with a calmness like Jesus. Though their sails have long disappeared, yet “by the side of a vessel sunk, a thousand sails are floating past.” This peace from Jesus has been passed down throughout generations. Even now in this global pandemic, this peace from Jesus is still with us.


Contrary to the peace of this world, the peace given by Jesus grows ever stronger in the storm. The peace of this world ties to the build of the boat, and it begins to dwindle under the raging storm. But on an early spring morning about two thousand springs ago, Jesus rose from the dead, and have done away with the fear of the river of death. During springtime, many rivers rise because of snow melt and appear much wider than normal. If you go rafting upon such a spring swell, you will see extraordinary sights. On a clear day with blue sky and white clouds reflected by the water around, you will experience what Tang poet Du Fu described, “Upon spring water I feel like boating in heaven.” This water of death that would drown you, can produce a beautiful illusion to appear as a door screen towards heaven. When Jesus rose from the dead, He turned this illusion into a solid ground for His disciples. Ever since, to them life voyage becomes a rafting expenditure to them. They still row as hard as they can, and they would never abandon the boat without a fight. But now they knew that at the end of this voyage, they would return the battered rafts to the rental place, they would retain all the wonderful memory of this rafting trip and move on to a wonderful new life. This is the peace that Jesus gives to everyone who believes in Him, so that without fear and trouble, they would brave their life storms to reach the beautiful shore where He is waiting for us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus! Thank you for giving us your peace! May your peace reign in our hearts that in this darkest hour we may shine for you!

春水行船

说到内心的平安，有人觉得它重于泰山，也有人觉得它属于多愁善感之人的装腔作势。这个本来让人见仁见智的抽象概念，在这场全球瘟疫中，一下子就坐实在世人的心里了。现在我们都得到一个教训，都同意平安的重要了。因为原本一个阳光灿烂、春回大地的世界，忽然间被一场看不见的病毒风暴重新拉回到寒冬腊月。无论贫富老幼，都惴惴不安地居家避疫。无论我们心中所求的是亲朋好友的健康，是全球瘟疫得到控制，还是个人和国家经济的复苏，都是要重新找回我们曾经拥有，如今倍感珍惜，那份内心的平安。


人生好比行船，甲板上每天都有故事，既有开心的故事，也有伤心的故事。但无论在吃水线以上发生什么故事，都是由吃水线以下的船体默默地承载。所以活在吃水线以上人的平安的基础，是来自吃水线以下。我们看得见的人生，都是被看不见的平安托起来的。每条人生小舟，都有自己的风暴，而船舱进水那一刻，船家就失去了平安。每次堵住破口，驶出风暴，都会让行船人更加珍惜内心那份难得的平安。如今这场瘟疫，好像一场看不见的风暴席卷全球。一句“前方飓风，小心进水”的警告如潮水般攻城掠地，所到之处，让成千上万的人生小舟瞬间失去了平安。现在人人都想知道，这场风暴还要持续多久？自己这条船能否安然渡过？或许现在正是时候来寻找更深处的平安。水上泛舟的船家在哪里能找到真平安呢？


耶稣在最后的晚餐桌上，对门徒们说，我留下平安给你们，我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的，不像世人所赐的。你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯【约十四27】。在风暴中忧愁胆怯的人，都只晓得世界的平安，却不认识耶稣的平安。耶稣的平安有什么不一样呢？当军兵突袭客西马尼园，对于耶稣和他的门徒来说，就是一场人生风暴。慌乱之中，他的门徒纷纷夺路而逃，只留下耶稣坦然驶入这场针对他个人的灭顶之灾。在十字架上他血流成河，如覆水难收。耶稣这条人生小船在众目睽睽之下痛苦解体而沉没。三天以后，被死亡之河吞下的耶稣，却从那水面上走进门徒们的人生小舟。当他们一看见复活的耶稣，就得了耶稣的平安。他们真的不再忧愁，也不再胆怯，一个个带着耶稣的平安驶入他们的人生风暴中。虽然他们帆影不再，然而“沉舟侧畔千帆过”，这平安从此在人间流传下来。就在这瘟疫肆虐的当下，耶稣所赐的平安仍然与我们同在。


与世人的平安正相反，耶稣的平安在风暴中更加显明。世人的平安来自船体的牢固程度，所以风暴越大越吃紧。但在大约两千个春天前那一个春日的清晨，耶稣从死里复活，把死亡之河的恐惧彻底除掉。春天河水涨溢，两岸显得格外宽阔，这时候去漂流更是别有一番风景。若配以蓝天白云倒映水中，就能体验杜甫诗中所说的境界，“春水船如天上坐”。那能淹死人的河水，产生一个奇特幻觉，成了穿越到另外一个美丽世界的门帘。耶稣的死里复活，就把这幻觉坐实在他的门徒心中。从此人生行船，仿佛是坐皮艇漂流，划船人仍然努力前行，也绝不轻言弃船。但他们知道，当他们穿过一切人生波浪，抵达终点之后，他们会把这破败的皮艇还回租船处，然后带着漂流旅行的所有美好回忆，去活一个更精彩的人生。这就是耶稣的平安，他要赐给一切信他的人，让他们不再忧愁胆怯，勇敢地乘风破浪，抵达美丽的彼岸，在那里有耶稣在等我们。

祷告：主耶稣啊，感谢你把你的平安赐给我们，求你的平安在我们心中作王，在这至暗的世界中显出你的大光！

Listen to the Colossians (10): Treasure the Case over the Pearl

¹⁶Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. ²⁰If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- ²¹“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²²(referring to things that all perish as they are used)-- according to human precepts and teachings? ²³These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Col. 2:16-23 ESV)


As a true guide into the mystery of Christ, Paul exposed the tricks of the false ones. They enjoyed preaching on food and drink, or benefits of observing a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath, setting themselves up above others. If you and your church are thus judged as incompetent in these matters, do not feel ashamed. There are no perfect religious rituals as they are a shadow of the things to come. The orthodox Judaism is good at worshiping with a specific set of rules governing their food and daily life, as they are prescribed in the Old Testament for setting apart from the world. Yet all these were only preparations, for the substance of all Jewish rituals belongs to Christ.


Christianity certainly cannot exist without any forms. Worshiping God in a prostrate form is good, but when everyone else is bowing their head, if you insist on prostrating, your unique worshiping style would immediately set you up above the other worshipers. This pretense reveals someone who is puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind. Religious regulations are like a case, and the pearl within is Christ. Though we do need a case to hold it up, yet it is the treasure inside that case that steals our hearts. If someone insists that this case must have certain shape and design, he is not holding fast to the Head, and is being contrary to the way of Christ. Now that Christ gave Himself up for us (Gal. 1:4), let us come after Him by denying ourselves (Lk. 9:23). For Christ’s sake, is there any favorite religious ritual that we cannot give up? Paul set a good example for us when he said, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. … To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” (1 Cor. 9:19, 20, 22 ESV)


If a jewel merchant met a customer who wants to pay the full price just for the jewel case without the jewel, he probably would be happy to let him. Why not? The more of this kind of customers he has, who would pay the price of jewel for a wood box, the more profit he would pocket. But Paul, the servant of Christ, would not bear with anyone who dares to switch the gospel of God into the elemental spirits of the world by regulations – “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” These people who came to Christ would only go away with an empty case, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:15 ESV). They are blind guides (Matt. 15:14 ESV) who would lead many into the destruction.


Like an exquisite jewel box, these regulations according to human precepts and teachings often impress people with their grand scheme and claims of spiritual benefits. These systems of superficial works are but Towers of Babel built with human hands. No matter how impressive they look, they are contrary to the sacrifice of Christ. This kind of asceticism is promoting self-made religion, having an appearance of wisdom but are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rm. 8:8 ESV).

Prayer: Our heavenly Father! Thank you for setting us free in Christ Jesus. With Christ we have died and released from the law of sin and death and enjoyed the glorious freedom of the heirs of God.

听歌罗西书（10）：买椟还珠

¹⁶所以不拘在饮食上，或节期，月朔，安息日，都不可让人论断你们。¹⁷这些原是后事的影儿。那形体却是基督。¹⁸不可让人因着故意谦虚，和敬拜天使，就夺去你们的奖赏。这等人拘泥在所见过的，（有古卷作这等人窥察所没有见过的）随着自己的欲心，无故地自高自大，¹⁹不持定元首，全身既然靠着他，筋节得以相助联络，就因神大得长进。²⁰你们若是与基督同死，脱离了世上的小学，为什么仍像在世俗中活着，服从那不可拿，不可尝，不可摸，等类的规条呢？^{21 22}这都是照人所吩咐所教导的。说到这一切正用的时候就都败坏了。²³这些规条，使人徒有智慧之名，用私意崇拜，自表谦卑，苦待己身，其实在克制肉体的情欲上，是毫无功效。【歌二16-23】


作为领人进入基督奥秘的向导，保罗曝光了假向导善用的招数。他们喜欢用饮食上的规矩，或者遵守特别的节期，月朔，和安息日的仪式，以显出自己教派的卓越超群。若有人以此来论断你和你的教会，不要上当，因为无论多正宗的宗教仪式，都是后事的影儿。正统犹太教所擅长的，也是旧约圣经中所教导的“分别为圣”，就是以独特的饮食起居方式来敬拜和修行。然而，这一切都是预备，因为这些宗教仪式的形体却是基督。


基督信仰固然离不开表达形式。伏地敬拜神的方式本是好的，但当周围的人都低头敬拜，你却执意要全身伏地，你这特有的敬拜方式岂不在众人中显出你的“谦虚”来。但这样故意的谦虚，其实是随着自己的欲心，无故地自高自大。宗教规条仿佛是盒子，里面的珍珠才是基督。虽然我们必需用盒子捧在手中，心中所挂念的，却是里面的宝贝。如果有人坚持这珠宝盒必需有固定的样式，就是不持定元首，与基督之道相悖。基督既为我们舍己【加一4】，我们也当舍己跟随他【路九23】。为了基督，有什么虔诚仪式我们不能舍弃呢？保罗自己也说，“我虽是自由的，无人瞎管，然而我甘心作了众人的仆人，为要多得人。向犹太人，我就作犹太人，为要得犹太人。…向软弱的人，我就作软弱的人。向什么样的人，我就作什么样的人。无论如何，总要救些人。”【林前九19、20、22】


如果珠宝商遇见有人买椟还珠，可能乐得与之计较。愿意花珍珠般的重价去购买木头盒子的人越多，他的利润就越高。但基督的仆人保罗却不能容忍有人把神的福音变成了世上的小学，僵化为一套不可拿，不可尝，不可摸，等类的规条。这些到基督面前买椟还珠的人，装作仁义的差役【林后十一15】，是瞎眼领路的【太十五14】，要把许多人引到灭亡中去。


好像精雕细琢的宝盒，这些人为的宗教规条，常以其周详的架构和神奇的应许，让人佩服不已。但这些表面功夫，不过是用人手搭建的巴别塔，无论看起来多么宏伟壮观，却恰恰与基督的舍己相反。他们乃是到神面前自表谦卑，是用私意崇拜，使人徒有智慧之名，在克制肉体的情欲上，是毫无功效。这等属肉体的人，不能得神的喜欢【罗八8】。


祷告：天父，感谢你在耶稣基督里释放了我们，让我们既与基督同死，就脱离了罪和死的律，得享神儿女自由的荣耀！