每日读经

1 Corinthians Chapter 15 - His Grace Toward Me Was Not In Vain

How have we responded to the grace of God? 

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When we think of Paul, we might think of someone capable and unafraid to do God’s work. In his missionary journeys, we see his resolve to preach the gospel and his readiness to even die for the Lord (Acts 21:13). In his epistle to the Corinthian church, we see him boldly rebuking the believers and correcting many of their erroneous ways of thinking and doing things. Even Elder Peter considered Paul to be a worker whom God had given wisdom to, to teach the believers (2 Pet 3:15-16).

Looking inwards

But what did Paul think of himself?

“For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor 15:9)

Though Paul did much and suffered much in his ministry, he still considered himself the least of the apostles, acknowledging his past identity as a persecutor of the church. During his missionary journeys, he personally testified of all the wrongs he did before his conversion – imprisoning men and women who believed, consenting to their executions, compelling them to blaspheme and persecuting them to foreign cities (Acts 22:4-5, 26:10-11). His acknowledgement of his sins against God made him all the more understand that God’s grace towards him was undeserved.

This reminds me of the incident in Luke 7 where a sinful woman came to Jesus and washed His feet with her tears, wiped His feet with her hair, then anointed His feet with fragrant oil (Luke 7:37-38). The Pharisee who witnessed it was skeptical, but Jesus was loving. He raised an analogy of 2 debtors who owed their creditor money, one owed a greater amount and the other a smaller amount. When the creditor let them both go, the one who owed a greater amount would have loved the creditor more. Similarly, it was precisely because the woman was full of sin, that she was also full of love for Jesus, and in His mercy, He forgave her.

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47)

Just like the sinful woman, and just like Paul, we too were once sinners condemned to death, and nothing we do makes us deserving of God’s grace and calling. Yet where our sin abounded, God’s grace abounded much more (Rom 5:20), and by His abundant grace He saved us from death into life. What then is our response?

Looking outwards

Paul’s response towards receiving underserved mercy was to labour for God.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured all the more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10)

Ever-present in Paul’s mind was the great debt of grace that he owed the Lord for forgiving him and choosing him, and he resolved to live his life for Christ by labouring for Him. Not just serving Him, or working for Him, but labouring for Christ. This entails a life of sacrifice, where he was prepared to suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

Are we also willing to labour for Christ?

Looking upwards

As we labour and toil for Christ, let us hold on to the greatest hope we have in our lives as Christians – that just as Christ had resurrected, we too will resurrect on the final day (1 Cor 15:22-23), where our bodies will be raised as a spiritual body in incorruption, glory and power (1 Cor 15:42-43).

“Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor 15:58)

There will eventually come an end to our lives, an end to our suffering, an end to our labour. May God’s grace towards us not be in vain, and may we always find comfort in Paul’s encouragement that all our labour in the Lord is also never in vain.

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罗马书第10章: 你将在哪里传福音?

罗马书第10章: 你将在哪里传福音?

当保罗写罗马书10章时,很可能心中挂念着许多的人。 一些研究估计,保罗是在第三次宣教旅程中写的这卷书。他是写给住在罗马的基督徒,希望最终能亲自拜访他们。 第三次宣教旅程自然意味着他之前也经历过第一次和第二次。事实上,确实如此。 不像我们教会今天的宣教旅程通常只限于一个国家,保罗的旅程遍布小亚细亚地区。所以,他访问了许多城市,牧养了数百甚至可能上千的信徒。 保罗对这些相识过的基督徒心怀真诚,也为他们采取了许多实际行动。 保罗曾写道,他切切地想念着腓立比的弟兄姊妹(腓立比书1:8-9)。他也写信给帖撒罗尼迦教会说:“我们即是这样爱你们,不但愿意将 神的福音给你们,连自己的性命也愿意给你们,因你们是我们所疼爱的。弟兄们,你们记念我们的辛苦劳碌,昼夜做工。。。”(帖前 2:8-9) 此外,他明确提到自己为哥林多、腓立比、歌罗西、帖撒罗尼迦的教会祷告(林后13:7;腓1:9;歌1:9;帖后1:11)。 保罗知道神呼召他作“外邦人的使徒”(罗11:13),他也以身作则,成为我们效法的好牧者。 但这还不是全部。 他心中的渴望,仍然是让更多人认识我们的神。 在罗马书10:1,保罗写道:“弟兄们,我心里所愿的,向神所求的,是要以色列人得救。” 这实在令人感动,尤其是因为之前保罗曾尝试向犹太人传福音,但被神引导转向外邦人。 他所做的远超许多人在传福音时可能会考虑的努力。 然而,看到犹太人得救的热情,依然驱使着他。 这让我想到我们的会众对传福音的心。我们有多常将神对人类的爱转化为行动,传扬祂的话语?我们有多渴望看到更多的灵魂得救? 还是说,我们一开始就对自己的得救感到漠不关心? 对于那些渴望传福音,但觉得他人反应不佳而感到无助的人,我们可以用保罗的眼光重新振奋信心。他看到了主的能力和祂的个人努力。 “又有以赛亚放胆说: “至于以色列人,他说: 在神的救赎计划中,祂希望拯救全人类(约3:16)。 保罗看到了通过信仰那唯一真神——耶稣基督,种族和民族都能合而为一的团结。他也看到并被跟随基督、顺服神的义的祝福所激励(罗10:3)。 我们的文化偏见是否渗透到我们的福音工作中,以至于只愿与某些族裔、民族、部落或国家的人分享福音? 我们是否忘记了神的良善、祂呼召的盼望,以及祂在福音中所赐的救恩大能? 在基督里,没有中国人、新加坡人、印度人、缅甸人、伊拉克人、奥地利人、芬兰人、阿尔冈金人、毛利人、加纳人等的区别。。。 今年,你的福音工作将从哪里开始呢?

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