A Lifetime 一生之久
Author: Rev Ng Eng Keng
Translate: Sis Charis Ong
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ”
The ‘work’ mentioned in this verse refers to the ‘work of grace’ God had started in the lives of the Philippians when they received the Good News preached by Paul. Their subsequent fervent participation in the work of the gospel message was also an external expression of the ‘work of grace’ that had taken root within them.
The believers in Philippi were united in spreading the Good News of God because God has set in motion a ‘transformation’ in their lives. This ‘transformation’ included growth and maturation in their spiritual life, which spurs them on to submit to God more willingly and respond to His call of the noble mission of spreading the Good News.
We all belong to the Lord and have received His saving grace in our lives, and this grace is like a seed that is planted in the fields of our hearts, that will grow and mature day by day. Today, our lives must experience growth and maturation so that we may have healthy lives to be witnesses of God.
Dear brothers and sister, the ‘spiritual rebirth’ of life is an event that takes place in just a moment – from unbelief to belief, from a state of hopelessness to one with living hope. Yet, the nurturing of it is a process of a lifetime. My brothers and sisters, we are not wandering around cluelessly on our own. We are in the company of believers who are traveling with us on the same road. And for sure, and most importantly, we have the presence of God, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is present for a lifetime, till Jesus returns.
文/黄永庆牧师
“我深信那在你们中间开始了美好工作的，
到了基督耶稣的日子，必成全这工作。”
在这一节经文当中的“工作”，乃是指当腓立比人接受保罗所传的福音时，神在他们生命中开始那“恩典之工”。而他们随后之所以对福音工作能有如此积极的参与，也是因为这根植于他们内在“恩典之工”所产生的外在生命表现。
腓立比的信徒，之所以能够如此同心传扬主的福音，乃是因着神在他们生命中的“改变”。这改变包括了他们生命的提升、成长与灵命的成熟。这种成熟的生命促使他们更愿意降服于主，并愿意回应神那伟大福音使命的呼召！
我们都是属于主的人，在我们的生命中都已经领受了神救赎的“恩典”，而这“恩典”就好比如一粒种在我们心田的种子，会一天一天的成长、一天一天的趋向成熟。今天，我们的生命必须一天一天的成长与成熟，以致于我们有健康的生命，能够为主作见证！
亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，生命的“重生”是一瞬间，即从不信到信、从绝望到有永生的盼望。但培育生命的成熟却是一生之久的过程。亲爱的弟兄姐妹，我们不是孤单一人在那里乱闯，乃是有许多的信徒在我们周围，陪伴我们，与我们同行。当然，最重要的就是有神的同在、有圣灵的引领，而且他的同在与引领是一生之久，直到耶稣基督的再来。