The Good Life
The Good Life
- Greg Waybright
- James 3:13-18
- Examining Our Ways
- 39 mins 18 secs
- Views: 1424
Pastor's Letter
The Good Life - Week 4
In my former job, I flew over 100,000 miles a year. Anyone who travels by air can imagine how often I spent long periods in an airplane seat, circling around airports while waiting to land or sitting on tarmacs waiting to take off. I remember growing impatient as I waited. I would complain about an important meeting I was missing or about the senselessness of the delay. From my perspective in the plane, the seemingly endless circling around the airport or the numbing sitting in the airplane parking lot usually appeared to be pointless.
In my former job, I flew over 100,000 miles a year. Anyone who travels by air can imagine how often I spent long periods in an airplane seat, circling around airports while waiting to land or sitting on tarmacs waiting to take off. I remember growing impatient as I waited. I would complain about an important meeting I was missing or about the senselessness of the delay. From my perspective in the plane, the seemingly endless circling around the airport or the numbing sitting in the airplane parking lot usually appeared to be pointless.
My attitude changed one day when one of the students from my university who worked at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport took me up into the air traffic controllers' center. There, I was privileged to see airport flight patterns and plans from a very different perspective. I saw a screen with glowworm lights indicating the position of every plane within a diameter of many miles of the airport. I saw a meteorological screen pointing to weather patterns, a screen projecting anticipated flights, another indicating altitude of the planes en route, and yet another pointing to the speed of each plane... When I write this, I write from the perspective of a novice remembering something he saw years ago. But, I will never forget being overwhelmed by the seriousness and complexity of it all. I felt foolish when I reflected on the times I had thought that I could make a better decision about what planes should be doing from the vantage point of my seat within one plane. I decided that I probably would be better off if I learned to trust the judgment of the men and women trained for this task and possessing a much better overview of what was going on in the air than I could ever have in my seat.
That visit to the air traffic control center came to mind when I read James 3:13–18 and James' question, "Who is wise and understanding among you?" He calls us to making wise decisions that come not from perspectives based on self-centered desires, world-centered perspectives, or devilish values. He wants us to live lives directed by the only One who has a much higher and better perspective.
Consider James' words: Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere (3:17–18a).
That's the wisdom that we should all want to have guiding our paths.To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Study Notes
The Good Life - Week 4 - Study Notes
English
The Good Life
James 3:13-18
In chapel at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a PhD student from West Africa told about how he came to faith in Jesus. Here's a part of his story: "We often talked about finding 'the good life' in my village in West Africa. I grew up thinking I would find it if I could someday become the leader of my extended family, my clan. I would dream of furthering the amount of land we had, of having more cattle than my family had ever had, of becoming one of the village elders and then of passing it all down to my children with my family name in a more prestigious place than it had ever been. Then one day, I realized that my brothers were dreaming of the same thing and that this put us in deep competition with one another. And I saw how fully I was in conflict with others in my village for the same land and the same positions. I became very disillusioned. I recognized that what I called my pursuit to bring honor to my family was really the pursuit of bringing honor to myself. I knew there had to be more to live for than this."
He went on: "Now I have lived in the western world for seven years. I think people's quest for 'the good life' is more honest here than in my village. People here do not try to hide their personal pursuits behind a veil of furthering the name of their extended family. They talk directly of doing things for themselves here in the US. As an undergraduate, I heard Christians being afraid that their faith would keep them from experiencing many of the things their friends were doing. I meet people who believe that they will find the good life if they achieve something, if they possess something, or if they experience something. It seems all to be about finding something for self. But, I believe people here also will eventually find out that there must be more to live for than self -- and that this pursuit is as disillusioning as I found it to be in my village."
This testimony came to mind as I was reading James 3:13-18 this past week. James was writing to a group of church people who lived centuries ago and in a culture very different from our own. However, I think they would have understood well what the West African student was saying. James wrote to people who claimed to be the ones in the power positions in the church and who claimed to be "wise and understanding". By this, he meant that they claimed to be the ones who had discovered what life is all about. And, it soon becomes clear that they thought they had found it by living life centered on themselves and their positions of honor. Sadly, their self-centered leadership had been devastating for the church:
All kinds of unpleasantness had seeped into their churches and had destroyed the peace. Just look through the next two chapters in James and you'll see James wrote about disorder and evil practice, about fights and quarrels, about worldliness and slander. Quite clearly, the churches he was writing to were divided intensely. Some Christians were at one another's throats. No matter how eloquently the preachers were proclaiming the Gospel, there's no way the gospel could reach the hearts of people when its credibility was being undermined by selfishness and division. A saying has been passed down for generations in the church: In vain does a despicable church seek to commend a beautiful Christ. It can't go on, says James. Things have got to change.
In his usual way, James took this problem on firmly and directly. He wrote in v.13: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. Notice James said that any person who longs to live a life of wisdom, i.e., life as the Creator created it to be lived, must have his actions flow not out of self-centered motives but out of humility!
Then, James moved brilliantly into talking about the two ways that people in every time in history and in every culture seek to find the good life. He says there really are only two paths on which we will seek to find our lives. I think you'll find his words to be as relevant to you as they were to those first hearers:
The Good Life according to the World (3:14-16) -- ...where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
The Main Trait: Everybody putting self at the center.
It's noteworthy that two words come up twice in v. 14 and v. 16, "bitter envy" and "selfish ambition." And, inn between those verses, you have the word "arrogance". All have to do with self-centeredness.
By bitter envy, James probably meant that sort of rigid possessiveness, that intense jealousy that so often feels threatened by other people's gifts and abilities. This person can never rejoice when someone else does well. He envies. He must win every battle.
And that's where the term selfish ambition comes in. The Greek word conveys the idea of campaigning for political office. Can you imagine a gathering when everyone who shows up is there for one reason – to get everyone else to vote for him! Each one having to be noticed. Each one having to be the center of attention. No one interested in welcoming or serving the others who are there. No, each one wants to control things and get his own way.
James was declaring that these self-focused ways are the main characteristic of how the world approaches living the good life. In many different ways, the world tells us that the way to find our lives is to do something for ourselves. With great insight, James used three terms in v.15 that show us where this leads:
1. Earthly – By this, James meant that this is the way that a world not alive to God approaches things. That people who don't know God will be self-focused should not surprise us? How else could the world teach us to live?
2. Natural – James is saying here that focusing on self will be our natural inclination – our normal way of decision-making. Of course, if this is the way that people in your world tell you to find life, you'll find yourself believing it too. That means that, when you're trying to figure out how to find the peace and meaning you want, you'll think it will come by achieving or possessing or experiencing something related to your own desire. Paul would call this, "The pattern of the world" and warn us that we will tend to be conformed to it. So, be aware that self-fulfillment is where your own natural tendency will take you too.
3. Demonic – James concludes his warning with a graphic term: demonic. He meant that living for yourself will take you away from God and from real life. It will devastate your soul. It will rob you of joy. It will make deep and meaningful relationships impossible. It's the way of the devil.
James then went on to make the profound observation in v.16 that the result of everyone pursuing self-centered ends will result in a community filled with disorder and evil. There will be nothing that unites the people who are there and the back-biting, gossip and self-promotion will be unbearable for anyone. All will experience this, but each one will blame everybody else – but, after all, "It's all about me."
I called my friend Jamie Rankin in Princeton, NJ last week and asked, "Can you give me a good example of a community in our world made up of people who are all there for what they get out of it, wanting to be the ones who are noticed for who they are and what they've done...?" There was silence on the phone for about 10 seconds. Then Jamie said, "You've got to be kidding! You don't need an example of that. Just say it and everyone in your church will have dozens of examples fly into their minds. Every faculty that has ever met – every business leader who has ever had a lunch with other leaders – every person who goes to a family reunion... will know what you're talking about. And they'll know how awful that is.
Think of it: Everybody in the gathering just waiting for other people to notice him. Each one wanting to have a chance to tell about what he knows or what he's done. Everybody complaining about how badly those who planned this thing have done it. It's terrible. It's what hell will be like, James says. This is what CS Lewis wrote about in the Great Divorce. People in hell just want everything to focus on them! And they keep moving away from people because the other people want the same thing! It's what the book The Wolf of Wall Street was seeking to describe. It's what Kanye West's song gets at:
Like we always do at this time
I go for mine, I gots to shine
Now throw your hands up in the sky
I go for mine, I gots to shine
Welcome to the good life...
Whether you broke or rich you gotta get biz
Havin' money's the everythin' that havin' it is.
This is the "wisdom" of a world in which each one thinks he will find the good life through focusing on self. It is a world of selfish ambition and vain conceit. It is a world of chaos and evil with no shalom.
But now notice this: James was writing this to church people. Here is what is frightening, even in the church there is a "wisdom" that may seem to be logical and acceptable but which is inspired not by the Holy Spirit but by the evil one. And it's clear to me that James writes this to churches because this "demonic wisdom" can find a foothold in the church and even be viewed by some as "Christian." When that starts happening in a church, then you have a classic recipe for disorder and every other kind of evil in the church too. This self-focused attitude destroys things.
Can you envision a church in which all those who show up are waiting for everyone else to welcome them – to reach out to them – to notice them? As the service begins, some say, "Hey, that song isn't in my heart's language. That's not worship." "They don't let the choir sing enough anymore..." Or, "the choir sings too much. I'm the one who should be doing the singing." "That speaker just talks the language of old white me. It doesn't communicate the way I like it. And it's too long – or too short – or too funny – or not engaging enough!" "They're focusing on everybody but my generation! Why are my needs not being met?" Can you feel it? As moments go on, if you think like that, you will find yourself becoming more frustrated with all things you don't like. Your joy will robbed. Your worship of God will be depleted.
Listen to me carefully – There is a place for constructive suggestions and even correction to be brought forth and considered prayerfully. Those in leadership must be humble and caring enough to receive it and learn. But, this sort of thing moves so quickly into the self-centered thinking that kills unity never fosters shalom. And, because we are human, we can find ways to say self-centered things in intelligent and even spiritual sounding ways. But, they still may be all about self. James says this will not glorify the God of shalom and order.
God has designed us so that "the good life" is not experienced when we have everything flowing in toward us – but when we let the refreshing water of God's grace and life flow into us and through us into others. In Jeremiah 2:13, God said, "My people have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." When we just come in and let things flow into us and sit there, either God's water will flow out of us through those cracks of sin – or it will just sit in us and become stagnant. In other words, we find life with out of our love for the God who has shown us mercy, we give up our own self-centered preferences and allow God's blessing to flow through us into them. And that brings us to James second path toward the good life.
The Good Life according to God (3:17-18) ...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving...
The Main Trait: Putting God at the Center (which leads to good works flowing out of humble hearts) –
The world too often discovers that that the "good life" cannot be found when everyone is doggedly living for himself or herself. Anarchy has never built a peace-filled and joy-filled life. Look at a "motivational saying" found often in our largerculture tries to shows people longing for a different kind of life:
I really enjoy this picture and this saying. But, let me tell you, the forces of the world's cultures and our own natural inclinations will leave us wondering where we might find the power to be liberated from self-centered and self-directed living to a way of living that reaches out in love to others. And, the Bible declares, this is discovered in one place: through faith in Jesus that leads us to surrender humbly to God.
In 3:17-18, James makes the point that he and the Apostle Paul often make, i.e., when we meet Jesus and surrender to him as our Lord, then self can no longer reign in our lives. In these wonderful verses, James wrote a list of qualities that characterize the life surrendered to God. It starts with "pure" – meaning one that is committed to God being the God in our lives with nothing else diluting that or polluting that reality. We who follow Jesus obey the 1st Commandment: we put no gods before God. When James wrote in v. 17 that our lives must be "first pure", he meant we have a simple, single love of truth, of God, and of God's people.
Then, the list of qualities in v.17 that are a part of this "pure life" is not just a random list of good things. James, who is rarely poetic, gives us a powerful and beautiful poetic speech to show us that a God-centered community different from anything in this world. A church in which everyone says, "This is what I want – what I like – what I deserve" -- will be chaos. But, when we all surrender to God and want to honor him out of gratitude and obedience, things will come together and there will be "shalom" (v. 18).
Look at what James says. The first three words all start with the same letter as do the last two – in a rhythmic and artistic collage of words. At its heart are two words in which James declared that it is a community that is "full of mercy" and "never shows partiality". Doesn't that sound like James 1:26- 3:12?
*Peace loving Not angling for a fight. It doesn't feel it has to be aggressive. To the contrary, it's
*Considerate – Meaning gentle. The Greek word conveys the idea of being willing to meet people half way. It's the sort of attitude that won't get itself entrenched in a position from which it is unwilling to budge. This person is more concerned about being just and even handed than to be proved right. He doesn't demand that the other person surrender. He listens and tries to understand.
*Submissive – The Greek word is interesting. It conveys an openness to reason. This is a person who can be approached and urged to think about something in a different way. Heavenly wisdom is open to the points others bring never rigid, never brittle, never inflexible.
*Full of mercy – This is what James longed for the church to be. And, I do too. Mercy is especially important for those times that we do win or are in positions of influence or power. It's at least as important to have a right attitude when we win or when we're right as when we lose or when we're wrong. Heavenly wisdom doesn't exploit a victory to the humiliation of the other person. It's always concerned to lift other people up. It's full of mercy.
*Impartial and sincere – As James has said so often, we have a single-minded focus on following Christ. We don't have to be in two minds. We will view all people as people made in God's image. We will not say say one thing to one person and the opposite to someone else. The one seeking God's way doesn't say one thing and do another. This leads to a consistent life -- because it's sincere in honoring God. Literally, James said this life not hypocritical: no acting, no sham, no deception.
I've tried to put it into my own poetic language for us.
It's pure – not of self – loving God with all its might
Loving peace – making peace -- never angling for a fight.
And it's gentle – never stubborn. Meeting people halfway;
And it listens – it reasons –doesn't have to rule the day.
Loving mercy, it forgives – lifting up those in distress
Never partial – nor fixated on its personal success.
No hypocrisy. No acting. No deception. No sham.
For it's single motivation is to glorify the Lamb.
Worthy is the lamb who was slain.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!
Worthy are You, O Lamb, for you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And when you are the Lord of our lives and the head of our church, there can be no selfish ambition, no vain conceit, and no arrogant self-centeredness. Only gratitude and praise.
This is the kind of Christ-centered, God-glorifying life that is characteristic of the truly wise person. And the church that has such people will be a church at peace – a church filled with shalom.
So, nothing will render the church more despicable in the eyes of the world and of God and more life-draining to you personally than this hellish self centered, envious focus toward finding the good life. Nothing will contribute more to the beauty of the church than humbly letting the love and mercy of God flow through us.
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
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美好生活 3/30/2014 雅各書 3:13-18
在三一神學院小禮拜堂,一個從西非來的博士班學生,述說他如何信耶穌。他的故事裡有這樣一個片段:“在西非的小村莊裡我們常常談論尋找“好生活”。我在成長過程中覺得,如果有一天我能成為我的大家庭、部落的首領,我就能找到好生活。我夢想會擁有大量的土地,比現在更多的牲畜,成為村子裡的首領,並且在一個非常有名的地方,把這一切都傳給我的孩子。忽然有一天,我意識到,我的兄弟們原來與我有同樣的夢想,這讓我們彼此相爭。我發現為了同樣的土地和地位,我與村裡其他人也存在衝突。我非常失望。我發現我為家族追求榮耀,其實是為我自己追求榮耀。我知道生命一定還有其他的意義。”
他接著說:“現在,我在西方世界已經生活了7年。我發現人們對‘好生活’的追求比我村子裡的人更直接。這裡的人們從不想掩飾自己對家族名譽的追求。在美國,他們徑直談論為自己做事。當我上大學的時候,我聽到基督徒擔心他們的信仰會讓他們無法獲得與他們的朋友相同的經歷。我遇到一些人,他們相信,如果他們贏得一些東西,佔有一些東西,或者他們經歷一些東西,就會擁有好生活。似乎只要自己得到某種東西就是好生活。但是,我相信這裡的人最終也會發現,生命中一定有比為自己而活更重要的東西——為自己而活,最終只會得到與我在村子裡一樣的發現。”
這個星期,當我讀《雅各書》3:13-18的時候,這個見證就在我腦海裡出現。雅各這封信是寫給一群教會裡的人,他們生活在很久以前,那個時候的文化與我們現在很不相同。然而,我想他們也明白這個西非學生所說的話。雅各這封信是寫給那些自稱在教會裡有權力的人和那些自稱聰明和有理解力的人。也就是說,雅各認為這些人自稱他們已經發現生命的真意。然而很快就會明瞭,這些人所發現的生命的真意,是以自我為中心、為了自己的地位的生活。可悲的是,他們這種自我為中心的生活,給教會帶來了毀滅:
各種不愉快的事情滲入教會,破壞了教會的和諧。如果看看《雅各書》的後兩章,你會發現雅各寫到了擾亂和壞事,寫到了爭戰和爭吵,寫到了貪戀世俗和誹謗。說的更明白些,雅各正在寫信給一個分裂的教會。一些基督徒正在彼此爭鬥。不管傳道者如何生動地傳講福音,福音也無法打開這些被自私和分裂所侵蝕的心。有一句諺語在教會代代流傳:一個卑鄙的教會讚美美麗的耶穌是徒勞的。雅各說,不能再繼續這樣了,必須要改變。
雅各以他一貫的方式,把這個問題堅決而直接地提出來。他在第13節中寫道:你們中間誰是有智慧有見識的呢?他就當在智慧的溫柔上顯出他的善行來。請注意雅各說,任何想要過一個聰明的生活的人,就是造物者想要他那樣生活的人,必須不以自我為中心,而應當謙卑!
然後,雅各開始談論不同歷史時期、不同文化下追求好生活的兩種方式。他說,只有兩條路可以讓我們找到我們的生命。就像當初那些聽到這些話的人一樣,我想雅各的話和你也有關:
來自世界的好生活(3:14-16) -- ……在何處有嫉妒、分爭,就在何處有擾亂和各樣的壞事。
主要特點:每個人都以自我為中心。
值得注意的是有兩個詞在14節和16節出現了兩次,“嫉妒”和“紛爭”。在這些經節裡,還有個詞是“自誇”。所有這些詞都表現出以自我為中心。 雅各用“苦毒的嫉妒”指偏執的佔有慾和對別人才賦的強烈嫉妒。常為別人的恩賜和能力感到威脅。別人有成績,他們就無法喜樂。他們妒忌,每一戰都必須贏。 這就是“分爭”產生的原因。這個希臘詞彙生動地描繪了為政治地位而競選的意思。你是否能想像這樣一場聚會:每一個人出場都抱有一個相同的目的—就是為了使所有其他人選自己!每一個人都要贏得矚目,成為關注的焦點。沒人願意接待、侍奉別人。不,每一個人都要控制別人,要別人為自己讓路。 雅各宣稱:世上的人為了過好生活,採取的方法最主要的特點就是自我聚焦。世界不斷地、用許多不同的方式告訴我們:尋找“好生活”就得為自己。雅各洞察到、並在第15節用了三個詞叫我們來看這會將我們引向何方:
1.屬世的—用這個詞,雅各指“這是世間的方式,但在神裡面是沒有生命的。那些不認識神的人自我聚焦毫不奇怪。還有什麼世界能教導我們如何來生活?”
2.天然的—雅各指自我中心是我們的天然傾向—是我們做決定的常規方式。如果周圍的人們教你如此尋找生命,你會發現自己認同他們。就是說,當你試圖尋找平安與生命的意義,你總是在試圖“贏得”、“擁有”或“經歷”跟你自己欲望有關的東西。保羅叫它“屬世的方式”,並告誡“我們會傾向於被它們同化”。所以要當心,我們的天然傾向是走向“自我成就”。
3.魔鬼的—雅各形像地用一個詞總結其警告:魔鬼的。他的意思是:一切“自我中心”只能使你遠離神,遠離真正的生命。它毀壞你的靈魂,奪取你的喜樂,使你無法與神建立更深、更有意義的關係。這是魔鬼的道路。
然後,雅各在第16節繼續其深遠洞察:人人追求自我中心只能導致社區的攪亂和壞事。人們無法形成凝聚力,因為無人能夠忍受指責、流言、自我吹捧。所有的人都無法忍受他人,但他們都在指責對方—歸結於“一切為我”。 上星期,我打電話給我在新澤西普林斯頓大學的朋友Jamie Ranin。我問他:“你能否給我舉一個例子,在世界範圍找出一個社區,那裡的人們只知索取、並為自己的成就和經歷沾沾自喜?”電話另一端沉默了約10秒鐘,然後Jamie說,“你開什麼玩笑!你根本不需要什麼例子。你在你的教會問問,就會得到成打的答案。你問問遇到的每個教職員工、每個商業領袖與其他領袖午餐會晤、每一個回去參加家庭聚會的成員。。。都知道你在說什麼。並且,他們都知道結果有多糟。” 試想一下:每一個參與聚會的人都等待別人關注自己;每一個人都在等待機會炫耀自我所見和經歷;每一個人都在抱怨別人的所作所為。簡直糟透了。雅各說,地獄就是這個樣子。這就是路易斯在其著作“天淵之別”中所描述的。地獄中的人們要求一切都聚焦於自己。這就是華爾街之狼所描述的。這就是Kanye West的歌中所唱:
我行我素
為己而行,出人頭地
我伸出雙手
迎接生活。 。 。
潦倒富足,積心鑽營
贏得金錢就是一切
這就是世界所謂的“智慧”,以為將注意力集中在自己身上就能獲得“好生活”。這是一個分爭和虛妄自滿的世界。這是一個混亂和罪惡的世界,毫無平安。
但現在請注意:雅各當時的寫作對象是教會裡的人。可怕的是,即使在教會中有種"智慧",合乎邏輯也可以接受,但這智慧是來自邪靈而不是從聖靈而來的感動。很明顯,雅各之所以就此寫信給教會,是因為這種“魔鬼的智慧”可以在教會裡找到立足點,甚至被有些人視作是“基督徒”所相信的。當這樣的事情開始在教會發生的時候,它開始成為教會混亂的因素,以及各種其壞事應運而生的成因。這種以自我為中心的態度會造成破壞的後果。
你能否想像在一個教會裡,每個到教會來的人都期待所有的其他人來歡迎他們-伸出手來迎接他們-來注意他們?當敬拜開始的時候,有些人說,“嘿,那首歌不是用我心裡的語言,這不是敬拜。”“他們的唱詩班歌唱的不夠。。。”或者,“唱詩班的歌唱得太多了。我應該是那個負責唱歌的人。”“那位佈道者用的是'老白人'的語言。那不是我喜歡的溝通方式。並且它太長了-或太短了-或太搞笑了-或結合的深度不夠!”“他們關注每個人,卻不包括我這代人!為什麼我的需求沒有被滿足呢?”你能感覺到這些嗎?這種時刻蔓延的時候,如果你思路陷在其中,就會對自己不喜歡的那些事越來越沮喪。你的喜樂就會被剝奪。你對上帝的敬拜也會消失。 ”
請仔細地聽我說- 建設性的提議,甚至一些改進,是需要提出並在禱告中來考慮的,他們有一定的位置。領袖必須有足夠的謙遜和關心,來接受建議並學習。但是這類的事迅速佔據以自我為中心的思想,很快地消滅合一的心,永遠不會培養平安的心靈。因為我們的人性,會想方設法,用很聰明甚至聽起來很屬靈的方式來表達這種以自我為中心的想法。雅各說這不榮耀賜平安與秩序的神。
神如此的設計我們,當我們讓一切都涌進自我的時候,並不會經歷“美好的生活”—但是當我們讓充滿神的恩典與生命的活水進入我們裡面,又通過我們進入他人的時候,我們才會經歷“美好的生命”。在耶利米書2:13中,神說,“因為我的百姓作了兩件惡事,就是離棄我這活水的泉源,為自己鑿出池子,是破裂不能存水的池子。”當我們只是為著什麼東西都流向我們,然後就坐在那裡,那麼神的水不是透過罪的裂縫從我們裡面流出去,就是留在我們裡面成為死水。換句話說,神憐憫我們,籍著我們對他的愛,我們才能找到生命,我們放棄了以自我為中心的傾向,允許神的祝福通過我們流向他人。而這就會帶來雅各說的通向美好生命的第二點。
在神看為美好的生活(3:17-18)...唯獨從上頭來的, 先是清潔,後是和平...
主要特點:以神為中心( 從謙卑的心中流出善工)-
世界不難發現,當每個人都埋頭為己而活的時候,必定与"美好生活"交臂失之。 無政府狀態永遠不能建立一個和平,喜樂充滿的生活。"動機理論"的說法,也常常在我們大文化中試圖向人們表明人渴望不一樣的生活。世界的文化勢力和我們自己的天然傾向都會讓人尋求在某處找到自由的力量,可以從自我中心和自我導向的生活中轉向外展、愛人的生活。聖經宣稱,美好生活只能在一個地方找到:通過在基督裡的信心,帶來對神的謙卑順服的生活。
3:17-18節,雅各指出他和保羅常常強調的,比如:當我們遇見耶穌,降服於祂作我們的主,自我就不再在我們的生命中做王。在這兩節奇妙的經文中, 雅各列出一系列的品格,體現降服於神的生活的特點。從"清潔"開始-意為一個委身神的人,以神為中心,不讓任何的外來事物稀釋和沾染這一事實。我們跟隨耶穌的人 遵行第一條戒命:神居首位,別無他神。 雅各17節寫道"先是清潔",意為我們對真理,對神,對神的子民存一顆單純,專一的愛。
接著,17節中的一系列品格,都是"清潔"生活的一部分,不是什麼偶然的一系列好行為。雅各少有詩意,卻給了我們一篇充滿能力、美麗詩篇般的講道,向我們表明一個以神為中心的社區和世界其它任何事物的不同。在一個教會中,人人都說,"這是我要的-我喜歡的-我應該得的-簡直會亂成一團。但是,我們降服神,從感恩、順服中榮耀神,凡事就趨於合攏成為"和平"(18節)。
看看雅各是怎麼說的。前面三個詞都以相同字母開始,最後兩個詞也是-一幅即有韻律又藝術的話語拼圖。圖的中心是兩個詞,雅各稱其為“滿有憐憫”,“沒有偏見”的團體 。聽起來是不是有點像雅各書1:26 - 3:12 ?
*和平-不起紛爭。它也不必張狂。與此相反,它應當
*溫良-意為溫柔。希臘字傳達的意思是願為他人做出讓步。這種態度是不堅守一方,寸步不讓。這樣的人應當關注如何做到公正不偏多於關注如何被證明正確。他不會要求對方降服。他願意聆聽,並試圖去理解。
*柔順-希臘詞很有意思。它傳達了一個開放性的理由。這樣的人可以被接近並被敦促以不同的方式思考問題。天上的智慧是對別人的觀點持開放性態度-不刻板,不固執,不僵化。
*滿有憐憫- 這是雅各對教會的期望。我也有同感。當我們穩操勝券或者位高權重時,憐憫就更為重要。至少,當我們勝利和正確時能擁有一個正確的態度,和當我們失敗錯誤時擁有正確的態度同樣重要。從上頭來的智慧不會把勝利建立在別人的屈辱之上。而總是鼓勵他人。滿有憐憫。
*沒有偏見、沒有假冒-正如雅各常說的,我們要一心一意跟隨主。我們不必三心二意。我們當看所有人都是按神的形象造的。我們說話不能當面一套,背地一套。一個尋求神的道的人不會言行不一。這樣才會有前後一致的生活-因為真誠是榮耀神的。從字面上看,雅各說的這種生活是不虛偽的:沒有演技,沒有偽裝,沒有欺騙。
我試著為大家把這段話演繹成富有詩意的我自己的語言。
清潔-不自私-愛神,盡我所能
愛和平-促和平,從不起紛爭。
且溫柔-不執拗。甘心讓步為他人。
善聆聽-講道理-不必唯我獨尊
喜憐憫,願饒恕-鼓勵困苦中人
不偏頗-不專注成功為個人
不虛偽。不演戲。不欺騙。不偽裝。
唯一動機是榮耀那羔羊。
被殺的羔羊是配得的。 被殺的羔羊,是配得權柄,豐富,智慧,能力,尊貴,榮耀,祝福的! 哦,羔羊,你是配得的,因為你曾被宰殺,你用自己的血買來了神的子民,從各國各族各民各方。 當你是我們生命的主,我們教會的頭,這裡就沒有自私的野心,沒有虛榮的自大,沒有高傲的自我中心。只有感恩和讚美。 這種以基督為中心,榮耀神的生活,是真正有智慧之人的品格。擁有這種人的教會將會是一個和平的教會 -一個滿有平安的教會。 因此,沒有什麼能比這種地獄般的,為尋求好生活而來的自我中心、專注嫉妒更能使教會在世界和神的眼中成為可鄙,更能使你個人的生命枯竭。沒有什麼能比謙卑地讓神的愛和憐憫在我們身上澆灌湧流更能為教會的美好做出貢獻。
荣耀归于神,
格雷格博士
主任牧师
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2014, Lake Avenue Church
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2013, Lake Avenue Church
Study Guide
The Good Life - Week 4 - Study Guide
the good life
James 3:13-18
- Read the text and then make two lists, one with all of the good qualities of heavenly wisdom and another of the bad qualities of non-heavenly wisdom. What stands out to you about the differences between these two lists?
- How do you go about determining "who is wise and understanding among" the Christians with whom you associate (3:13a)? Are your criteria the same as James' criteria (1:13b)? Why is this important?
- See v. 13 again. Humility was not usually valued in James' world (being viewed as weakness). How would you say that most people view humility today? How is it that wisdom comes from humility instead of the other way around?
- How and why would a person "harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in their hearts" (1:14a)? How does the latter half of vs. 14 help you answer this question?
- If you were asked to describe the world's "wisdom" in three words, what would you choose? How do your three words compare with James' in 1:15? Rephrase his three words in terms your friends would relate to.
- The seven qualities listed in v. 17 summarize how God's wisdom should flow into his children's lives. In your own words, give a brief, one-sentence definition for each. How are they consistent with 1:27–2:4?
- Which of the seven qualities would you say is most lacking, and which is the most evident among Christians in our world? In your own life? Why?
- If the qualities are musts in our lives, what might we do to nurture them? What is the main thing you hope to apply to your life about being wise from today's study?
2014 Study Series • Copyright © 2014, Lake Avenue Church