害怕死去的麥子
未來因祂變得安全
經文
歌羅西書三1-15
1所以，你們若真與基督一同復活，就當求在上面的事；那裡有基督坐在神的右邊。
2你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
3因為你們已經死了，你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面。
4基督是我們的生命，他顯現的時候，你們也要與他一同顯現在榮耀裡。
5所以，要治死你們在地上的肢體，就如淫亂、污穢、邪情、惡慾，和貪婪。貪婪就與拜偶像一樣。
6因這些事，神的忿怒必臨到那悖逆之子。
7當你們在這些事中活著的時候，也曾這樣行過。
8但現在你們要棄絕這一切的事，以及惱恨、忿怒、惡毒（或作：陰毒）、毀謗，並口中污穢的言語。
9不要彼此說謊；因你們已經脫去舊人和舊人的行為，
10穿上了新人。這新人在知識上漸漸更新，正如造他主的形像。
11在此並不分希利尼人、猶太人，受割禮的、未受割禮的，化外人，西古提人，為奴的、自主的，惟有基督是包括一切，又住在各人之內。
12所以，你們既是神的選民，聖潔蒙愛的人，就要存（原文作穿；下同）憐憫、恩慈、謙虛、溫柔、忍耐的心。
13倘若這人與那人有嫌隙，總要彼此包容，彼此饒恕；主怎樣饒恕了你們，你們也要怎樣饒恕人。
14在這一切之外，要存著愛心，愛心就是聯絡全德的。
15又要叫基督的平安在你們心裡作主；你們也為此蒙召，歸為一體；且要存感謝的心。
信息分享
我們發現，當我們降服於全能的穩固者時，就無須降服於不能肯定的一切。肯定了神，我們就沒有肯定其他事物的必要。如果基督徒不願意與主一起行走模糊不清和不能確定的道路，要從路上退縮下來的話，他就等於在說：「我信任的是自己而不是主。」我們並不喜歡採用這些字眼，因為它會挑戰我們的意願，不過我們必須對自己本身有一個清楚的認識，那就是，我們並不喜歡被挑戰、對質或放逐。
然而人的自我必須受到死亡的管教。自我必須首先棄絕「成為第一」這種慾望，然後才能夠以「第二」的身份來生活。這就是為甚麼神的國度的中心是十字架。我們在屬靈上必須經歷耶穌在肉身上所經歷的──必須死以及被埋葬，藉以經歷復活，進入生命的自由和完滿。
有一個屬靈進深小組的弟兄說：「我很明白我需要甚麼，但是我也知道我並不想得到我所需要的。」他這些話說出了我們所有人與自我的爭鬥。究竟誰應當在我們的生命中成為第一，是我自己還是神？這個決定影響著我們其他的決定，因為那是一個根本的決定。你完全降服於基督的那一刻，就已經向自己的慾望和目的死去，從此對生命有了嶄新的看法。從那時開始，你就以基督的心態而不是自己的心態來看待事物。你雖然還是在面對著模糊和不確定的前路，但是你會說：「我可能不知道將來如何，不過沒有關係，因為我知道誰在掌管明天。」
「我知道誰掌管明天」
進深研究
提後二1-13；羅六6；林後四11
1. 哪一句話是可信的？
2. 它如何應用到你的身上？
祈禱
我的父、我的神，我現在明白我錯過了生命的焦點，以致生命的整幅圖畫都模糊和扭曲了。求您幫助我從新的角度，就是從您的角度來看生命。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
The future - safe with Him
Bible reading:
Colossians 3:1-15
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b]
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Message
We are discovering that when we are surrendered to the certain, we need never surrender to the uncertain. Sure of God, we do not have to be sure of anything else. A Christian who shrinks from walking the road of ambiguity and uncertainty in company with his Lord is saying, in effect: "My trust is in myself and not in Him." We don't like to put it in those terms, of course, because it challenges our self-interest. And if there is one thing we must learn about the self, it is that it does not like to be challenged, confronted or dislodged.
The self, however, must be disciplined to die. It must die to being first in order to live as second. That is why the centre of the kingdom of God is a cross. We must go through spiritually what Jesus went through physically - we must die and be buried in order to experience a resurrection into freedom and fullness of life.
A man who was part of a small group who had met together to deepen their spiritual understanding said: "I see what I need, and I see that I don't want what I need." In those words, he identified the struggle we all have with this business of self. Who is to be first - myself or God? That decision decides all other decisions - it is a seed decision. The moment you fully surrender to Christ, you automatically die to your own intentions and purposes and you gain a new perspective on life. From then on, you live in a state of Christ-reference not self-reference. You look out at ambiguity and uncertainty and say: "I may not know what the future holds - so what? I know who holds the future."
"I know who holds the future"
Prayer
My Father and my God, I see now that I've been out of focus, and all of life's pictures have been blurred and distorted. Help me to see life from a new point of view - Your point of view. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
2 Timothy 2:1-13
Romans 6:6
2 Corinthians 4:11
1.Which saying is trustworthy?
2. How does this apply to you?
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