开始善工的神

“我深信那在你们心里动了善工的，必成全这工，直到耶稣基督的日子。” - 腓 1:6

　　我的外公在我父母结婚以前就去世了。据说他一辈子都是个敬拜神的人，但却从未加入教会。母亲告诉我说：“你外公总觉得自己不够好，没资格领圣餐。”很可惜，他是个好人，却没能领受恩典——我们来领主的圣餐并不是因为我们配得，而是因为基督已经使我们称义了。

　　大斋节期教导我们，我们相信神儿子的人，乃是“靠着基督，只一次献上他的身体，就得以成圣” (来 10:10)。外公是一位勤奋的人，是属于苏格兰长老会，移民到加拿大新斯科舍的。最后他在美国新英格兰安顿下来，使自己和家人都过上了好日子。然而，他却觉得自己没有好到与神为伴的程度。

　　外公说得对，他是不够好。尽管这样，神还是想要我们永远与祂为伴。然而，保罗和外公都承认，靠着我们自己是无法做到的。

　　神必须使我们变得可以被接纳。基督挪去了我们的罪对神的冒犯，而如今圣灵正在重塑我们，使我们更像基督 (林后 3:18)。我们是具有神形像的人 (创 1:26-27)，祂会使我们得以完全。大斋期的好消息是：“那在你们心里动了善工的，必成全这工”。

　　你能相信这一点吗？

祷告

天父，求祢成全起初在我们身上的善工，即在基督里赐给我们信心。当我们疑惑时，帮助我们坚定相信祢的恩典和赦免。我们祈求祢，今天就在我们心里动工。阿们。

 

腓立比书 1:1-11

1基督耶稣的仆人保罗和提摩太写信给凡住腓立比、在基督耶稣里的众圣徒，和诸位监督，诸位执事。
2愿恩惠、平安从神我们的父并主耶稣基督归与你们！
3我每逢想念你们，就感谢我的神；
4每逢为你们众人祈求的时候，常是欢欢喜喜地祈求。
5因为从头一天直到如今，你们是同心合意地兴旺福音。
6我深信那在你们心里动了善工的，必成全这工，直到耶稣基督的日子。
7我为你们众人有这样的意念，原是应当的；因你们常在我心里，无论我是在捆锁之中，是辩明证实福音的时候，你们都与我一同得恩。
8我体会基督耶稣的心肠，切切地想念你们众人；这是神可以给我作见证的。
9我所祷告的，就是要你们的爱心在知识和各样见识上多而又多，
10使你们能分别是非，作诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子；
11并靠着耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子，叫荣耀称赞归与神。

"He Who Began A Good Work"

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." — Philippians 1:6

英语音频 English Audio

My grandfather died some years before my parents were married. He was a lifelong worshiper but never joined the church. "Grandpa never felt he was good enough to take communion," Mom said. He was a fine man, but he failed to appreciate grace—that we don't come to the Lord's Supper because we're worthy but because Christ has made us righteous.

Lent teaches us that we who believe in the Son of God "have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). Grandpa was a hard-working, Scottish Presbyterian immigrant from Nova Scotia. He settled in New England and made a good life for himself and his family. But he didn't think himself good enough for God's company.

Grandpa was right; we aren't good enough. In spite of that, however, God wants us in his company forever. But as Paul and Grandpa agree, we can't get there on our own.

God must make us acceptable. Christ took away the offense of our sin against God, and now the Spirit is at work reshaping us to be like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are God's imagebearers (Genesis 1:26-27), and he is making us whole. The good news of Lent is that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

Can you believe that?

Prayer

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳