八福
靈性或心理問題

經文
腓立比書三7-21
7只是我先前以為與我有益的,我現在因基督都當作有損的。
8不但如此,我也將萬事當作有損的,因我以認識我主基督耶穌為至寶。我為他已經丟棄萬事,看作糞土,為要得著基督;
9並且得以在他裡面,不是有自己因律法而得的義,乃是有信基督的義,就是因信神而來的義,
10使我認識基督,曉得他復活的大能,並且曉得和他一同受苦,效法他的死,
11或者我也得以從死裡復活。
12這不是說我已經得著了,已經完全了;我乃是竭力追求,或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的(或作:所要我得的)。
13弟兄們,我不是以為自己已經得著了;我只有一件事,就是忘記背後,努力面前的,
14向著標竿直跑,要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞。
15所以我們中間,凡是完全人總要存這樣的心;若在甚麼事上存別樣的心,神也必以此指示你們。
16然而,我們到了甚麼地步,就當照著甚麼地步行。
17弟兄們,你們要一同效法我,也當留意看那些照我們榜樣行的人。
18因為有許多人行事是基督十字架的仇敵。我屢次告訴你們,現在又流淚的告訴你們:
19他們的結局就是沉淪;他們的神就是自己的肚腹。他們以自己的羞辱為榮耀,專以地上的事為念。
20我們卻是天上的國民,並且等候救主,就是主耶穌基督從天上降臨。
21他要按著那能叫萬有歸服自己的大能,將我們這卑賤的身體改變形狀,和他自己榮耀的身體相似。
信息分享
今天我們要接續昨天的討論:那些飢渴慕義的人怎麼了?答案很明顯:他們必得飽足。以公義為你的目標,你就會永遠得到滿足。如果我能以自己的說話來演繹這節經文,這會是:「恭喜那些熱切渴望改變成為越來越像我、認識我的公義的人,因為他們會找到永遠不會消失或被毀滅的滿足。」
我想問你一個問題:你最渴望得到的是甚麼?是健康嗎?是脫離痛苦嗎?是沒有焦慮嗎?是財務上的保障嗎?這些都是合理的渴望,但如果你的主要渴望不是要改變像基督的話,你就會經歷一種內在的空虛,是你所追求的東西所不能填補的。
讓我再指出可能會令你感到驚訝的一點:你最深的渴望越不是為了神,你就越會經歷靈性和心理上的問題。如果你不渴求神,你就會渴求其他的東西。但假若我們以榮耀神為自己的目標時,就能享受祂。當然,我們不能為了要享受神才榮耀祂。要記得,不管我們多麼周詳地策劃要得到快樂,但快樂這目標卻是難以捉摸的,不過,對於那些以認識神和被神得著為目標的人,快樂卻成為可以自由取用的副產品。
「尋求公義帶來永遠的滿足」
進深研究
詩三十八9,七十三25;賽二十六1-9;彼前二2-3
1. 詩人承認甚麼?
2. 以賽亞的渴望引致他做甚麼?
祈禱
天父,您以您的話語來教導我,求您把您的教導存在我心底裡。求您幫助我降服在您的目標下,讓我可以成為您得勝的工具。阿們。
The Beatitudes
Spiritual / psychological problems

Bible reading:
Philippians 3:7-21
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.
18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their destiny is destructionn, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Message
Today we ask: What happens to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness? The answer is clear: they will be filled. Make righteousness your goal and you will be eternally satisfied. If, once again, I might venture upon a paraphrase of my own, I would put it like this: "Congratulations to those who ardently crave to become more and more like Me and to know My righteousness, for they shall find a satisfaction that will never vanish or be destroyed."
May I be permitted to ask you this personal question: What are you most hungering and thirsting for? Is it health? Is it relief from pain? Is it freedom from anxiety? Is it financial security? All of these are legitimate cravings, but if your primary hunger and thirst is not to become more and more like Christ, then you will experience an inner emptiness that nothing you chase after can fill.
Let me point out one more thing - something that might astonish you: to the extent that your deepest hunger and thirst is not for God, to that extent you will experience spiritual and psychological problems. If you are not hungering and thirsting after Him, you will hunger and thirst after something else. When we make it our goal to glorify God, then we will enjoy Him. We must not make it our goal to enjoy Him in order to glorify Him. Remember the goal of happiness is elusive, regardless of how well-thought-out is our strategy. But the by-product of happiness is freely available to those whose goal is to know God and be found in Him.
"Seeking righteousness leads to eternal satisfaction"
Prayer
Father, You are teaching me Your ways - written in Your Word and also in me. Help me to surrender to Your purposes so that I might be the vehicle of victory. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 38.9; 73:25
Isaiah 26:1-9
1 Peter 2:2-3
1. What was the psalmist's confession?
2. What did Isaiah's desire cause him to do?
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