缩小的福音vs拓展的生命

缩小的福音vs拓展的生命 “27只要你们行事为人与基督的福音相称，叫我或来见你们，或不在你们那里，可以听见你们的景况，知道你们同有一个心志，站立得稳，为所信的福音齐心努力。 28凡事不怕敌人的惊吓，这是证明他们沉沦，你们得救都是出于　神。 29因为你们蒙恩，不但得以信服基督，并要为他受苦。 30你们的争战，就与你们在我身上从前所看见、现在所听见的一样。”腓立比书 1:27-30

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“行事为人与基督的福音相称”。许多人希望福音可以来适应我们的生活，然而保罗此处提到福音当是我们的生活要去符合的一个标准。在一定程度上，多数人只希望福音可以缩小到能够适用于我们当下的处境就好；事实上，我们微小的生命需要扩展到可以适应福音信息的宏伟：为了挽救灵魂而去爱和牺牲。

具体来说，我们需要成长，以至于可以与弟兄姊妹合一（即使是那些常与我们意见相左的）（27节）；我们需要成长，以至于可以拥有面对惊吓和伤害的勇气（28节）；我们也需要为基督经历苦难（29节）。如此，我们就成为人前的见证，也为神所见证。别人会因此知道，究竟是我们在利用福音成全我们的生活，还是福音在使用我们成就天国的事工。保罗在这里鼓励我们，让福音来重写我们的生命，因为福音配得。当我们开始使自己的行事为人与基督的福音相称，神要亲自做工来拓展我们的生命。

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Philippians 1: 27-30

To be worthy of the gospel. Many of us want the gospel to fit our lives, but Paul here considers the gospel as the standard to which our lives must pattern itself to. In some sense, while most of us want the full gospel to shrink and apply into our circumstances, the reality is that our small lives need to grow and fit into the magnificence of the gospel message: of love and sacrifice unto the saving of souls. Verse 27 says that our lives need to grow into unity with others (even the ones we disagree with) and into courage as we face those who we fear (verse 28), to grow as we experience suffering (verse 29). This becomes a testimony to others (verse 28) and yourself and to our God. Others will know whether we are the ones who use the gospel, or the ones who let the gospel use us. Paul is suggesting that we allow the gospel to rewrite our very lives because it is more than worthy to elevate us. God is doing the work to elevate us if we allow the gospel to be our standard.