回顾 至今为止，我们已经讨论了： 1) 知识需要有一个起始点
2) 对于基督徒来说，圣经是一切知识、道德、真理的起始点
3) 贯穿圣经的主题──神通过十字架的救赎之工为自己带来荣耀
4) 我们为什么应该信圣经──因为圣经具有自证的权威
5) 圣经的主题──神；神是可知的；我们为什么应该信神
6) 人与神开始建立起关系的方式 今天早上，我们来讨论我们与神建立起关系的目的。 序言 在这一讲中，我首先要讨论的题目是：人生最主要的目的是什么？即我们活着是为了什么？(我可以先把答案告诉大家，那就是：荣耀神，永远以神为乐)。其次，当第二目的或次要目的成为人生的第一目的或主要目的时，会发生什么情况？什么是“荣耀神”？ 一、什么是第一目的或主要目的？ 1) 基督徒做什么？ 基督徒为什么去教会？这个问题看上去太简单了。每个礼拜天早上，数以百万计的基督徒们穿戴整齐，带着孩子们一起去教会。人们对这一活动给出多种解释，其中许多都是高尚的。有人说是为了在属灵上长进；他们有心要与神、与其他基督徒们交通；他们想要多学点有关神的事；或许他们想要洁净一下自己；他们想要得到神的平安；或许只是想去结识一些新朋友......。你没听说过吗？“教会的人都不错。” 作为一个需要被纠错的基督徒，我记得自己曾大胆地对牧师说：“教会的祷告和那套敬拜程序是八股一样的不必要。祷告我自己可以在家里做；我来教会是来学习的！” 学习不是件坏事。上面所列的这些，没有一件是坏事；但这些都不应该是我们去教会的主要目的。让我们进一步挖掘一下这个问题。基督徒或任何其他人为什么做任何事情？目的何在？基督徒为什么去上班、养家、度假、做义工或慈善工作、参军、投票选举，或早上醒来？我们当然有各种各样的理由；但这些都是第二原因。“我早上醒来、起床，因为要给孩子准备早餐啊！”但我为什么要为他们准备呢？“那是我的责任啊！”但我为什么要负这些责任呢？难道就是为了不进监狱吗？尽管遵纪守法是我们行事为人的正当动力，但它不应该是基督徒的主要动力──我们一定有更高的目的。 基督徒为什么去教会？也为什么做任何其它的事？圣经中大量的见证都说明基督徒(或任何其他人)做任何事的目的──除了第二目的或次要目的外──人做任何事都是与他/她和神之间的关系为第一目的。历史上那些最伟大的神学家们通过对圣经的解释，一致认为人生的最主要目的是荣耀神，永远以神为乐。 下面我稍微列出了几处经文来看圣经是如何教导这一真理的。 若有讲道的，要按神的圣言讲；若有服侍人的，要按着神所赐的力量服侍，叫神在凡事上因耶稣基督得荣耀。原来荣耀、权能都是他的，直到永永远远，阿们！(彼前4:11) 所以你们或吃或喝，无论做什么，都要为荣耀神而行。不拘是犹太人，是希利尼人，是神的教会，你们都不要使他跌倒。(林前10:31) 我所祷告的，就是要你们的爱心，在知识和各样见识上多而又多，使你们能分辨是非，作诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子；并靠耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子，叫荣耀称赞归于神。(腓1:9-11) ......叫一切在天上的、地下的和地底下的，因耶稣的名无不屈膝，无不口称耶稣基督为主，使荣耀归于父神。(腓2:10-11) ......那赐诸般恩典的神曾在基督里召你们，得享他永远的荣耀，等你们暂受苦难之后，必要亲自成全你们，坚固你们，赐力量给你们。愿权能归于他，直到永永远远。阿们！(彼前5:10-11) 愿荣耀因耶稣基督归于独一全智的神，直到永远，阿们！(罗16:27) 神能照着运行在我们心里的大力，充充足足地成就这一切，超过我们所求所想的。但愿他在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，得着荣耀，直到世世代代，永永远远。阿们！(弗3:20-21) 但愿尊贵、荣耀归于那不能朽坏、不能看见、永世的君主、独一的神，直到永永远远。阿们！(提前1:17) 愿荣耀、威严、能力、权柄，因我们主耶稣基督归于他，从万古以前并现今，直到永永远远。阿们！(犹25) 2) 以神为乐 我的心哪，你要仍归安乐，因为耶和华用厚恩待你。(诗116:7) 你必将生命的道路指示我；在你面前有满足的喜乐，在你右手中有永远的福乐。(诗16:11) 你们要尝尝主恩的滋味，便知道他是美善。(诗34:8) 二、当次要目的变成主要目的的时候 1) 次要目的 人生的主要目的是荣耀神并非意味着人生就没有次要的或第二目的。 但我劝弟兄们要更加勉励，又要立志作安静人，办自己的事，亲手做工，正如我们从前所吩咐你们的，叫你们可以向外人行事端正，自己也没有什么缺乏了。(帖前4:10-12) 工作、家庭、休息、教育、爱国、善良的品德等等，都是人生追求的高尚目标；在某种意义上说也符合圣经。但是，当我们把这些视为人生追求的最高目标而不是第二目标时，这些东西的美丽外表便开始变色，开始腐朽。 2) 你爱谁更深？ 我的几个孩子常常为这样一句话──“你们爱神要胜于彼此相爱”──产生不解与好奇心。四岁的儿子经常问我一个很难回答的问题：“爸爸，你爱神比爱我还多吗？”对此，我的回答有点含糊其辞但却是真实的：“正因为我爱神，我才会这么爱你。”一个人只有在“荣耀神”成为他的人生主要目的时，他的生活的其它各个方面才有了正确的方向。我们可以来想像一下这样一种情形：一只巨大的气球与海底的一大堆碎片杂物系在一起；气球升起的时候，带起了那些碎片杂物一起升上水面。假如这些碎片杂物仅仅是相互之间联系在一起，无论它们中间有些部份是多么美──或许是沉入海底的财宝──它们也都只能是呆在下面。 3) 更伟大的国家、更真诚的爱、更舒适的休息 当一个国家的人民将他们的勤劳努力看作是为神做的而不是为人做的(西3:23)，那么他们就会比一个单将勤劳努力视为人的主要目标的国家更勤奋。一个把对神负责视为高于对家庭成员之间相互负责的家庭，他们相互之间一定会有更真诚、更深的爱 (约13:34)。按神所决定的方式停下劳作休息的时候，一定比那些只寻求过舒适、安逸生活的人休息得更充份：“唯有耶和华所亲爱的，必叫他安然睡觉 ”(诗127:2)。 当我们的动力与追求目标是神的美善与荣耀时，所产生的就更有果效、更能持久。这一点是很容易看到的。假如驱使我的是别人的良善而不是神的良善，那么上司自身的缺陷常常会让我无所适从。假如我们以别人爱我们的方式去爱别人而不是以基督爱我们的方式，那么我们就会发现自己的爱像潮水一样大起大落。 4) 与碎片杂物系在一起 假如我的主要目的是教育，是爱国，哪怕是自由，而不是神的荣耀，最终我会将自己和受我直接影响的那些人交给无知、独裁、甚至是捆绑。许多叛国罪犯、背信弃义的恶棍常常有很高的学位。要说爱国热忱，很少有人像希特勒那样热爱他的国家。“自由” 一词十分美好动听，但自由本身也可以变成一个模糊不清的抽象概念，甚至成为侵吞、霸占别人财产的理由。当我们把自己的希望系到这些高尚的然而也是不确定的、无个性也无明确定义的东西上的时候，我们就是将自己与那些沉下去的碎片杂物系在了一起。 我当初与妻子谈恋爱时，曾差一点儿遭到她拒绝，因为她认为她与神的关系因我们的相爱而受阻碍了。她告诉我，她若看不出与我建立亲密关系这件事有助于增加她信神的经历的话，那么我们之间的关系就不太会有前途了。而我则从这一点上获得了极大的安慰──竟能娶到这样一位比我更爱神、对神更负责的姑娘。婚姻的双方若是将所有的希望都寄托在对方的优点之上而不是为荣耀神的时候，那么这个婚姻就很可能会是一只驶向冰山的船。 5) 拜偶像 圣经里多处警告我们不可将任何──哪怕是好的东西──置于太高的位置。神叫摩西在旷野里铸的铜蛇曾救了许多以色列民(民21:9)，但他们后来都将它当成偶像来拜(王下18:4)。以利的儿子们把耶和华的约柜抬到战场上，当作自己的秘密武器，结果造成失败与灭亡(撒上4:11)。<使徒行传>十章25节里彼得被神所用传讲福音时，就被人拜过。当人生的主要目的离开了圣洁、公义、伟大的神的荣耀，人就踏出了毁灭与混乱之路的第一步。 三、荣耀神、以神为乐到底是什么意思？ 人怎样开始荣耀神、以神为乐？当然，十五分钟之内我们是找不到一个简单的公式的。下面这段《家庭教育指南》说得很好： 1)当人们对于神具有最崇高的仰慕、最牢靠的信心和最高度的热情，这就是在灵里荣耀神。“你们是重价买来的，所以要在你们的身子和灵里荣耀神。”(林前6:20)[注1] 2)以神为乐就是将自己“安歇在神里”视为最美好、最满足、最快乐。“我的心哪，你要仍归安乐，因为耶和华用厚恩待你。”(诗116:7) 荣耀神、以神为乐就意味着我们对神具有最崇高的敬仰；我们寻求、爱慕他的完全、纯洁、伟大、权能、智慧、圣洁、公义的旨意、荣耀、爱、怜悯、忍耐、丰丰富富的美善、真理、公义等等。我们最大的信心就在于我们信这位神，信这位神的这些特征与属性。这就是我们荣耀神的第一步。 在基督里找到答案 如前所述，这些信息是通过圣经告诉人的。我们很快就会学到，神的最大启示就是神的儿子耶稣基督和他所完成的工作。“因为神本性一切的丰盛，都有形有体地居住在基督里面”(西2:9)。我们应通过参与神已经提供的方式来加深我们与救主之间的关系。 那么，什么是神已经提供的方式呢？这就是我们下个主日要讨论的内容，即：神到底已经提供了什么方式让我们来参与、培养我们与神的关系。 _______________ [注1]
中文和合本圣经只翻译了“身子”，未将“灵”字翻译出来。 | Review It never hurts to review. Up to date, in our Remedial Christianity series, we’ve discussed: 1) the need to have a starting place for knowledge; 2) that for Christians, the Bible is the starting place of all knowledge, ethics, and truth; 3) the over-arching message of the Bible—that God brings glory to Himself through the redemptive work of the cross; 4) why we should believe the Bible—that the Bible is self-authenticating; 5) the main topic of the Bible, God—that He is knowable and why we should believe in Him; and, 6) the means by which the relationship between man and God is to get under way. We will now discuss the purpose of our relationship with God. Preview What I would like to discuss in this portion of the Remedial Christianity series is: What is the primary purpose of mankind—what is our reason for living? (The answer being to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.) Secondly, what happens when secondary reasons for living become primary? And finally, what does it mean to glorify God?
What is the Primary Purpose?
Why Do Christians?
Why do Christians go to church? The question seems simple enough. Millions of professing Christians wake up every Sunday morning, get dressed, load up the kids, and go to church. There are a variety of answers people give for participating in this discipline—many are noble. People wish to grow spiritually. They desire fellowship with God and other believers. They want to learn more about God. They want to clean up a wanton or disheveled life. They want to know the peace of God. Maybe they just want to make new friends. As a remedial Christian I remember boldly proclaiming the folly of too much prayer and liturgy. “I can pray at home, I come to church to learn!” Learning isn’t bad. None of these things are bad, but none of them should be the main purpose for attending church. Let’s push the question a little deeper. Why do (or should) Christians (or people in general) do anything? What is the main purpose for a Christian to go to work, raise a family, go on vacation, do volunteer or charity work, join the military, vote, wake up in the morning? There may be all sorts of secondary reasons for doing things. I may wake up in the morning because one of my children needs breakfast. But why should I provide breakfast. One may answer because it is the responsible thing to do. But why should I do the responsible thing? Is it merely to stay out of jail? Although incarceration may be a legitimate motivation to do the right thing, for Christians it is not, generally, at the top of the motivational list. There must be a greater purpose. Why do Christians go to church? Why do Christians do anything? There is a preponderance of Scriptural testimony regarding why Christians (or people in general) are to do anything. Secondary reasons aside, the primary reason man is to do anything relates to his relationship with God. It has been the uniform testimony of the great theologians of history (through their interpretation of Scripture) that man’s primary purpose in life in is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I have listed below just a few of the many passages in the Bible which give clear testimony to this truth. Glorifying God If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:11). Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11). …that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10, 11). But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10, 11). …to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:27). Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20, 21). Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17). To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen (Jude 25). Enjoying God? Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you (Psalm 116:7). You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). When Secondary Becomes Primary Subordinate Purposes That the chief end of man is to glorify God does not suggest that there aren’t secondary or subordinate purposes in a person’s life. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12). Work, family, rest, education, patriotism, and virtue are all noble quests. But when they are viewed as the ultimate versus penultimate quest of man, the smoothness of their skin crackles with corrosion. Who Do You Love More? My children often muse at the notion that we are to love God more than each other. My four-year-old son often asks me the very difficult question, “Do you love God more than you love me?” To which I give the somewhat evasive, but true answer, “It is because of my love for God that I love you so much.” It is when God’s glory becomes man’s chief end, that all other aspects of life ascend. Imagine a huge balloon tied to masses of debris on the bottom of the ocean. The balloon lifts all the debris attached to the surface. If the debris were merely tied to other debris (no matter how beautiful the other debris might appear—perhaps sunken treasure), it would remain submerged. Greater Nation, Love, Rest The industry of a nation who does their work as unto the Lord rather than unto men (Colossians 3:23) will be more industrious than the nation that views industry as man’s chief end. The family who is answerable to God over each other will have a greater love for each other (John 13:34). Those who rest from their labors, as God has determined, rather than seeking a life of leisure will find their rest more satisfying “For so He gives His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). When the source of our motivation and the goal of our achievements are the goodness and glory of God, excellence and consistency are more efficiently produced. This is easily seen. If I am motivated by the goodness of my boss rather than the goodness of the Lord, the gaps in my boss’ goodness will often leave me empty. If we love others the way they love us rather than the way Christ loves us, our love will find itself ebbing like the morning and evening tides which it is seeking to imitate. Tethered to Debris If my chief purpose is education, patriotism, or even freedom rather than the glory of God I will eventually consign myself, and those under my influence, to ignorance, tyranny, and bondage. Many a treacherous villain had a wall laden with degrees. Few were more patriotic than Hitler and freedom itself becomes a vague, ambiguous term of undefined borders and infringements upon the property and possessions of others. When we tie our hopes to these noble, yet fluid, impersonal, and undefined entities we are tethered to sunken debris. When I was dating my wife she almost broke up with me because she thought that her relationship with God was becoming somewhat stagnant. She told me that if she didn’t perceive that she was becoming richer in her faith as a result of our relationship there wasn’t going to be much of a future for us. I found great comfort in the notion of marrying a woman who was more motivated and answerable to God than to me. Marriages that tie their hopes to the brilliance of the partner rather than the glory of God are heading for icebergs. Worshiping Idols The Scriptures are replete with warnings against placing even good things on too high a pedestal. The bronze serpent, which God told Moses to form in order to save the people from the serpents’ poison, later became a false idol (Numbers 21:9; 2 Kings 18:4). The sons of Eli brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle as if it were their personal secret weapon. This resulted in their defeat and their death (1 Samuel 4:11). Peter, because he was used by God to deliver the gospel, was briefly worshiped (Acts 10:25). When man’s chief end becomes something other than the glory of a holy, righteous, almighty God, it is step one on a path to destruction and chaos. What Does it Mean to Glorify and Enjoy God? How does one go about glorifying and enjoying God? Unfortunately there aren’t five simple steps to glorifying God in fifteen minutes or less. A Family Instructional Guide states it well: When inwardly they have the highest estimation of him, the greatest confidence in him, and the strongest affections to him, this is glorifying of God in spirit. “Glorify God in your spirit, which is God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). To enjoy God, is to acquiesce or rest in God as the chief good, with complacency and delight. “Return unto thy rest, O my soul” (Ps. 116:7). To glorify and enjoy God means we have the loftiest estimations of Him. We seek to see and appreciate His perfection, purity, immensity, power, wisdom, holiness, counsel, righteous will, glory, love, grace, mercy, patience, abundant goodness, truth, justice, etc. It is in God and His attributes that we have our uttermost confidence. It is toward Him that we are to devote our strongest affections. It is when the Christian is immersed in these things that he has the greatest joy for he begins to grasp in whose hands his soul rests. Found in Christ As discussed earlier, the means by which this information is brought to the minds of men are the Holy Scriptures. What we will learn is that the greatest manifestation of God is found in the person and work of God the Son, Jesus the Christ, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). We are to nurture our relationship with our Savior through proper participation in the means God has provided. What has God determined to be the means by which this relationship is cultivated and preserved? This leads us to what God has determined to be man’s role in the nurturing of his relationship with God. Questions for Study 1. What are some reasons people go to church? Do you remember why you first went to church (page 1)? 2. What are some reasons people do anything? What are some of men’s primary motivations in life (page 1)? 3. What should be man’s chief purpose for doing anything (page 2)? 4. What are some of the dangers that take place when secondary purposes become primary purposes (pages 3, 4)? 5. Why will the world be better in every way if men view the glory of God as their chief purpose (pages 3, 4)? 6. What does it mean to glorify and enjoy God (pages 4, 5)? 7. How has God most fully revealed Himself to humanity (page 5)? |
