基督的十架是我的荣耀
在昨天的经文中，我们看到保罗因为极爱福音，就能忍受那些带着自私动机的传道人。现在，他又使我们更加敬畏他被基督浸透的人生观，因为他说即使自己死了，也会以某种方式彰显神的荣耀。并不是保罗想要死，而是他知道，神若赐他勇气忠于基督，哪怕是他自己的死也会荣耀神。
我们又一次被挑战了。但这一点符合新约中一个更大的模式。毕竟，我们宣扬耶稣在十字架上得了荣耀。但在罗马世界中，没有人会将十字架和荣耀这两个词联系在一起。十字架是一种可怕的刑具，被用来恐吓人们缴纳税款，绝不抵抗罗马皇帝凯撒。如果一个人死在十字架上，那是一个屈辱的结局。结束。
然而耶稣的死却开启了永生之门。在那块木头上，祂以某种方式被尊崇了。而保罗知道这一点。他在他所有的书信中都写到这一点，走到任何地方都传讲这一点。神的国是个颠倒的现实，这也是唯一能颠覆一个已经颠倒的罪恶世界的方式。
活着就是基督，死了就有益处。它是那么简单，又那么独到。一个显著的真理是，我们唯一的盼望是基督！
亲爱的主，无论我们是生是死，请帮助我们牢记自己属于祢，好使我们或生或死都荣耀祢！奉耶稣的名，阿们。
腓立比书 1:18b-21
18为此我就欢喜，并且还要欢喜。
19 因为我知道，这事藉着你们的祈祷和耶稣基督之灵的帮助，终必叫我得救。
20 照着我所切慕、所盼望的，没有一事叫我羞愧，只要凡事放胆，无论是生是死，总叫基督在我身上照常显大。
21 因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处。
In The Cross Of Christ I Glory
"To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." — Philippians 1:21
In yesterday’s verses we saw that Paul loved the gospel so much that he could put up with selfishly motivated preachers. Now Paul increases our awe at his Christ-saturated view of life by saying that even if he dies, it will somehow work out for God’s glory. It’s not that Paul wants to die, but he knows that if God grants him the courage to stay true to Christ, even his own death will bring glory to God.
Once again we are challenged. But this fits a larger New Testament pattern. After all, we proclaim that Jesus was glorified on the cross. But in the Roman world cross and glory were not words anyone would put together. A cross was an instrument of terror, a threat to scare people into paying their taxes and never say anything against Caesar, the Roman emperor. If you ended up on a cross, it was the shameful end of you. Period.
Yet Jesus’ death opened up the pathway to eternal life. He was somehow exalted on that spit of wood. Paul knew this. He wrote about it in all of his letters and preached it wherever he went. The kingdom of God is an upside-down reality and is the only way to flip a sinful world that is already upside-down.
To live is Christ, and to die is gain. It is that simple. It is that profound. The remarkable truth is that our only hope is Christ!
Whether we live or die, dear Lord, help us to remember that we are yours so that, in life as well as in death, we will bring you glory! In Jesus, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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