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倒空 (Kenosis / 虚己) (序言)

序言           今天,在基督徒日常的交 谈 以及 教会 讲 台上,最常听到的信仰表 达 之一,大 概 就是 “ 放下 ” 。 借着一位忠心的蒙古宣 教 士所 写 的著作, 这个 表 达 在 韩国教会 和信徒中 产 生了深刻的 属灵 共 鸣 。 从 那以后, “ 放下 ” 不再只用于 谈论教会职 分和使命,也成 为许 多基督徒表 达 自己信仰 时 所熟悉使用的 词语 。我自己也多年 来 一直使用 这个 表 达 。 然而, 当 我更深入地默想 圣 经 , 并 在牧 会 现场观 察信徒的生活 时 ,我 开 始思考: 与 “ 放下 ” 相比, “ 倒空 ” 这个 表 达 ,是否更能 显 明 圣 经 所 说 的 门 徒生命的本 质 ? “ 放下 ” 含有把手中所 抓 住的 东 西 暂时 放下的意思。我 们 放下 贪 欲,放下 执 着,有 时 也放下自己所 拥 有的 权 利或利益。 当 然, 这 是信仰生活中十分重要的操 练 。然而, 它 有一 个 局限:即使把手里 抓 住的 东 西放下了,也不等于那 颗 想要 紧紧抓 住 它 的心已 经 改 变 了。 今天我放下了,明天却可能再次 抓 住。外表看 来 ,我似乎已 经 放下了 贪 欲,但在 内 心深 处 ,我可能仍然想要自己作主。 当 环 境改 变 、 处 境 变 化 时 ,我也可能再次 抓 住自己的意志和欲望。 因此, 圣 经对 我 们 的要求, 并 不停留在 简单 地放下某 样东 西 这个 行 动 上。把 “ 我是自己生命的主人 ” 这 一想法本身 从 心里倒空, 并 把生命的中心和主 权 交 给 上帝,才是更深 层 次的 门 徒之道。 这 一切的中心,就是耶 稣 基督的 “ 自我倒空 ” 。 腓立比 书 2 章 7 节说 : “ 反倒 虚 己,取了奴仆的形像,成 为 人的 样 式。 ” 耶 稣 在本 质 上 与 上帝 为 一,但 为 了拯救我 们 , 祂 谦 卑自己,取了奴仆的形像。 这 里所 说 的 “ 虚 己 ” 或 “ 倒空自己 ” , 并 不是 说 耶 稣 放弃了 祂 的神性。相反, 它 的意思是: 祂没 有 坚 持自己的 荣 耀和 权 利,而是 谦 卑自己,降到奴仆的位置,完全 顺 服上帝的旨意。...

God’s Love

God’s Love       “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.   …   Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 43:4; 49:15)   “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).     The Bible declares that God loves each one of you.   What does the Bible say about this love of God towards you?     Firstly, the Bible states that God esteems you as precious.   In Isaiah 43:4, God testifies, "Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you ...."   All of you are considered precious in the sight of God.   How did we, as sinners, become esteemed in God's sight?   The reason is that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. ...

Unbreakable love (Romans 9:1-8)

  Day 6: Romans 9:1-8     Unbreakable love     In Paul's unbreakable love for the people of Israel, there was "great sorrow" and "unceasing anguish" (Rom. 9:1-2).  The reason for this was Israel's unbelief.  Paul's "great sorrow" and "unceasing anguish" stemmed from the fact that his kinsmen according to the flesh, the Israelites (v. 3), sought to attain righteousness not by faith but by works (v. 11).  Paul was particularly distressed to see a privileged nation like the Israelites, who had the privilege of knowing and believing in God (vv. 4-5), not availing themselves of that privilege.   Yet, amidst witnessing the disobedience of the Israelites, and feeling the urgency and agony for the salvation of their souls, there was something that comforted his heart.  It was the word of the unbreakable covenant of God (v. 6).  The promise in that word was, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (v. 7).  The core of th...

Let us love each other (Romans 13:8-10)

          Let us love each other.         [Romans 13:8-10 ]            Are you good at interpersonal relationships?   There is an eternal classic of human management that has provided useful clues to solutions for people struggling with human relationships.   The name of that classic book is “How to Win Friends and Influence People.’   The author of this book is Dale Carnegie, considered the master of human relationships.   I want to share with you today some of his 30 relationship quotes (Internet): (1) Take a sincere interest in others, (2) Be a good listener.   Create a comfortable atmosphere so that the other person can speak freely about themselves, (3) Try talking about the other person's interests as a topic, (4) Give generous praise for small progress, (5) Don't criticize, belittle, or complain about the other person's opinion.   What do you think? ...

Community of love (Romans 12:9-13)

Community of love             [Romans 12:9-13]         What do you think of when you think of a community called church?   When I think of “community,” I think of the early church community in the Book of Acts.   And I think of the community of the Early Church as a community of love.   At the same time, I often ask myself, 'How can our church be established as a community of love like the Early Church?'   In doing so, I can't forget the 5 steps I get through studying the Book of Acts on how the Lord establishes the church, which is the body of the Lord: (1) About 120 people also gathered together and prayed holding onto the word of promise (Acts 1:14), (2) When they prayed in unison, they received the fullness of the Holy Spirit (Ch. 2), (3) When they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they boldly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ (4:31), (4) The Lord added people who are being saved daily...

Inseparable love (Romans 9:1-13)

Inseparable love         [Romans 9:1-13]     We have already meditated on Romans 8:31-39.   In particular, I thought of the third and last of the three assurances, “Assurance of love.”   I personally shared verses 38-39 with you: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   Even death cannot separate you and me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   In the midst of this, as we read Romans 9:1-3, we can see a glimpse of Paul's heart of loving the Israelites with God's inseparable love.   An example of this is Romans 9:3 – “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”   As I meditated o...