你喜歡你在照片上的樣子嗎？
以弗所書二章1至10節
1你們死在過犯罪惡之中，他叫你們活過來。
2那時，你們在其中行事為人，隨從今世的風俗，順服空中掌權者的首領，就是現今在悖逆之子心中運行的邪靈。
3我們從前也都在他們中間，放縱肉體的私慾，隨著肉體和心中所喜好的去行，本為可怒之子，和別人一樣。
4然而，神既有豐富的憐憫，因他愛我們的大愛，
5當我們死在過犯中的時候，便叫我們與基督一同活過來。你們得救是本乎恩。
6他又叫我們與基督耶穌一同復活，一同坐在天上，
7要將他極豐富的恩典，就是他在基督耶穌裡向我們所施的恩慈，顯明給後來的世代看。
8你們得救是本乎恩，也因著信；這並不是出於自己，乃是神所賜的；
9也不是出於行為，免得有人自誇。
10我們原是他的工作，在基督耶穌裡造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是神所預備叫我們行的。
信息分享
以弗所書第二章所勾劃出來的，正是我們在認識基督之前的樣子。從前那個樣子真是難看，你同意嗎？經文直言我們昔日是「死在罪中」。我們的行事為人，跟一般罪人的表現一樣，同樣是被撒但所轄制。我們雖然不喜歡這個樣子，卻不得不承認那確是我們的真實寫照。
然而，當耶穌進入我們的心中，祂便給我們的生命帶來重大的改變，因為我們「得救是本乎恩，也因著信」。如今我們的寫照便截然不同了，簡直是脫胎換骨，因為我們已變成了新人。這改變的關鍵是甚麼？
關鍵是在於第4節--「然而，神…」。是神主動進到黑暗的世界，把光明帶給我們。當我們還是身陷罪中的時候，祂甘願紆尊降貴地來到我們中間，拯救我們，引領我們來到祂和祂兒子的身邊。你願意為到神所做的一切而讚美祂嗎？
神為何要這樣做呢？因為祂愛我們。罪使我們永遠與神隔絕，因此，祂要把我們從罪中拯救出來。那麼，我們既已得救，祂又對我們有麼期望呢？祂期望我們每天為祂而活，以致當別人看見我們的重大改變時，也同樣渴望神改變他們的生命。
禱告：
求主幫助我有美好的見證，以致別人在我的生命中看見主。
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR PHOTO?
Ephesians 2: 1 – 10
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Message
Here in Ephesians chapter 2 we have a picture of what we all were like before we came to Christ. It isn’t very pretty is it? It says we were ‘dead in sins’. We behaved just like everyone else. We did the things they did and Satan had us under his control. We have to agree. That is just what we were like.
But what does one of our favourite hymns say? ‘What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.’ Now there’s a big difference. Here’s a picture that is right up-to-date. ‘By grace we have been saved, through faith.’ Isn’t that a wonderful picture? How did it all happen?
Two words in verse 4 are the key –‘BUT GOD’. What did God do? He stepped into our darkness and gave us light. He stooped down to where we were in sin and lifted us up to a place right beside himself and his son. Don’t you praise God for doing all of that?
Why did he do it? Because he loved is. He wanted to save us from our sin and from being separated from him for all eternity. What does he want us to do now? He wants us to daily live for him so that others will want him to make that same tremendous change in their lives that he has made in ours.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY:
May others see Jesus in me today.