Working All Things into the Good
Working All Things into the Good
- Greg Waybright
- Romans 8:14-28
- Made New - A Study in Romans
- 43 mins 59 secs
- Views: 781
Study Notes
Made New: Working All Things into the Good
Romans 8:14‑28
Years ago, after Chris and I lost our middle child in infancy, I sat down one morning and meditated at length on the passage we come to today. I know it’s Mothers’ Day and I wondered whether I should stick with Rom 8:14-28, because it focuses on the pain that is still a part of all our lives. But, then I saw that the passage speaks directly in v. 22 about mothers having a special understanding of its message. Even more, I have sensed strong leading from the Lord to talk to you about what I wrote down one day when, in one of the darkest hours of our lives, God led me through this great Bible passage.
Let me remind you that we have been going through Rom 5-8 for several months as a congregation. These four chapters tell us that God is at work in our world to make everything the ways it’s supposed to be – and that everything includes you and me. Last week, I took the entire sermon to speak about the fact that, while God is remaking us as his children, we must deal with the reality of temptation.
Today, I’ll deal with that other “t” word, i.e., trials. I think you’ll see that God’s message about the pain that is in our world is very different from what we often hear in our society. I want you to consider the thoughts I wrote down 33 years ago about the difference that following Jesus makes in the midst of pain as Chris and I were going through one of the most difficult times in our lives:
#1: We walk through suffering with our “Abba” (8:14-16). The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by the Spirit we cry, “Abba, Father.
God always has been a father. That is among the most profound truths about the being of God that Jesus reveals to us. God didn’t become a loving father-type when Jesus was born. No, in his coming to this world. Jesus simply revealed the eternal fatherhood of God. And Jesus let us know that he also was who He had always been, i.e., the Son of God. Always in the heart of the Godhead, as John puts it so tenderly -- "in the Father's bosom” (Jn 1:18) -- there was Jesus, God's Son.
Here in Rom 8:14-16, the Apostle Paul takes Jesus’ word for his relationship to his Father, i.e., Abba (Dad) and says that God's eternal plan has been to place us into the kind of position of privilege and intimacy with God that Jesus had from all eternity. When we follow Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God as father.
Of course, our being God’s children is different from Jesus' for we are children by adoption whereas Jesus is the one and only Son by his essential nature. Yet, even though we are adopted children, we are heirs, joint heirs with Christ. And what v.15 is saying is that when any child of God prays, through the prompting of God’s Spirit, we pray, "Abba."
That is how a true Christian prays -- not the more formal word some used of “Abbi”, meaning "my Father”, but the way Jesus prayed, with the affectionate “Abba”, a word much like Dad in our language. One of the things that happens when we follow Jesus is that we begin to experience more deeply what it means to know God as “Abba”, as a very personal Father. Have you experienced that?
I think most American Christians don’t have a good idea of what it means to walk with God as Abba. We tend to think of God more like a boss. You may have a decent relationship with your boss but, often, the main point of a relationship to a boss is that the boss has to pay you your wages and benefits if you work hard. The boss will fire you if you don’t. If you think of God that way, you will find it is stifling for your walk with God. You make demands when you do something right – and live in fear when you don’t.
But, when you share life with Jesus in knowing God as Abba, then everything is different. The good Father often lets a child go through some tough times. But, the good Dad never abandons his child. And, if the child is in pain, the Dad hurts too. And, the good Dad never abandons his child. You sometimes simply have to rest in our Father’ care for you, to trust that he knows more about what’s happening than you do, and to trust him to provide when you most need it. Resting in God as my Abba became one of the most life-changing parts of my life as a Christian when I walked through a dark time of pain and loss. I learned a bit better to say, “Father, I don’t know what is happening but I know you do. And, Abba, I trust you.”
#2: We consider suffering as a way to share life with Jesus. We are co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering... (8:17b).
For us, it is a bit surprising when we see the early Christians saying again and again that our own suffering is a way to "share in Christ's sufferings." However, those first followers of Jesus were deeply moved when they realized that the Son of God entered this world and out of love suffered because of us, suffered for us ‑‑ even died for us. Knowing what He had done and knowing that our own salvation came about because of His suffering, they recognized that it was no humiliation to suffer. More than that, they saw it as a means of experiencing oneness with Christ.
In fact, Paul would go so far in his letter to Philippi, written while he was in prison, to express a desire to know "the fellowship of His suffering (Phil 3:10)." Paul had learned an unforgettable lesson about how Jesus and his people shared suffering of Christ when he first became a Christian. While on the road to Damascus, on a mission to persecute and kill Christians, Jesus appeared to Him and said, "Saul, why do you persecute me?" Paul was really persecuting Christians but Jesus said it was the same as persecuting Him directly.
So always think of this as you live through tough times in this world: You and I follow a crucified Lord who suffered for us. When we undergo difficulty or oppression, he understands. More than that, He says He suffers with us. That is one of the reasons why the strongest, most effective Christians, are almost always those who have passed through times of intense trials. There is truly a depth of unity with Christ that can only come through suffering. We consider suffering not as a punishment or indignity but as a way to share life with Jesus
Because of that, there have been times when Christians in their thirst for a deeper unity with Christ refused to run from "the fellowship of Christ's sufferings." The most vivid instance of that may have been Ignatius of Antioch in the second century who had been taken captive. Some from his church wanted to pull off a courageous rescue of their bishop but he said, "No!" Hear his words: "Let fire or a cross; let companies of wild beasts; let breaking of my bones or the tearing of my limbs; let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil come upon me‑‑if only they produce this in me: I want to know Christ."
#3: We are never without hope (8:17b‑25). I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (8:17b-18).
I remind you that these verses about suffering come near the end of four chapters of God’s Word that tell us to look at all that happens in this imperfect world from the perspective that God has promised a day when His creation will be re‑made into it is supposed to be. With that in mind, notice the phrase "in order that" in v.17b: We share in His suffering in order that we may also share in His glory. I’ll come back to this truth when we get to v.28 – but the point is that God uses suffering to bring about glorious things.
God promises us that the suffering is temporary. And that is what vv. 17b-25 deals with. Nothing in this world is what it should be but God promises he is at work now and that he will eventually step in and make all things right. If you truly believe that, then you will be able to wait in the midst of trials in this world without being filled with fear, frustration or anxiety. To the contrary, one of the surest characteristics of genuine faith in Jesus is that a Christian always has hope.
Notice how hoping and waiting are linked in 8:24-25: Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Paul takes us back to Genesis 2-3 in Rom 8:19-21 when, because of human sin, all creation was harmed. He lets us know an amazing truth, i.e., that as God redeems and refashions his people, he also has that affect the rest of creation. Notice v.19: The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
The phrase "in eager anticipation" carries the idea of stretching the neck to see something as clearly as possible. What is all creation longing to see, groaning to be able to see? "The children of God to be revealed." When God finishes his work in us as his people, then he will also finish his work in the rest of creation. That phrase, “to be revealed” means that there is something about us that is not fully seen yet in our world. When most people see you, they are not aware of the fact that God’s Spirit is dwelling in you. Right? But someday, it will all be revealed. You will be seen to be a child of the kings.
In that day, Paul says, all creation will be liberated from the bondage to decay and God will refashion His entire creation to be what it should be. Paul says that right now all creation is groaning because it is all subject to decay, and ruin and pollution. And, he says, we groan too. “Groan” a strong word. It’s a word that speaks of intense pain and agony. But, even though there are times in this world when we all experience intense suffering, we have hope that God will end the pain and bringing about glory. Do you believe that?
What is it like? Paul indicates that mothers understand this better than anyone. In v.22, he writes, “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. When Brandon was being born, Chris at one point went through such intense labor pains that she got her arm around my neck and squeezed and said, “This is the last one. No more. If we’re going to have another one, you’re going to have it!” But, at the end, with child in her arms, she had an inexpressible joy. It’s like that, the Bible says. The pain sometimes seems to be too much to bear -- but she knows it will end.
When we have that kind of certain hope ahead, it changes our whole perspective on suffering in this world. We Christians live in a tough world but we live in it with hope. God promises that pain will not last forever!
# 4: We have a Helper when we are exhausted (8:26-27). The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
Hope is not the only thing that God gives you. Paul knew that sometimes life is so hard that we have no idea what to say or do. So, he steps in quickly to say that God's Spirit is present with us so that, when we think we can go no further, God's Spirit is present to help. This is something that I find hard to speak about – but that I have experienced again and again in my years of following Jesus. I pray you do as well.
The specific example of weakness Paul gives is our prayer life. The Bible indicates here that there are times, even as Christians, when we don’t even know how to pray. Like the Psalmists often experienced, we have times when we’re confused and don’t know how to pray – we’re angry and pray for wrong things – we’re consumed with self and pray out of wrong motives – or we’re just weak and don’t know how to pray at all
Just to encourage you, notice too that when the great apostle Paul speaks of this kind of weakness, he includes himself. He speaks of "our" weakness. Paul was very aware of the fact that God still had work to do in him too. But Paul had learned that, no matter how exhausted or confused he felt, he was not alone. No, God's Spirit was within him to help.
Not one of us in church today is free from weakness. Some of us have psychological and emotional weakness. For others, they are physical or relational. Sometimes, we feel like we have them all! Weakness is something that Christians share with non‑Christians. And times of weakness are hard to navigate.
But the difference is that, as we grow in our faith, we who follow Jesus learn to count upon God’s Spirit to help us. I pray that you experience this in your walk with God. I have experienced the Spirit’s presence and help in so many ways: providing the exact message I need in a sermon, providing a Christian friend who gives support, providing financial support when I was at the end of resources… Maybe we as a church can provide some of God’s help to you with our prayer team after the service.
Much more could obviously be said about this but let me at least add this word: It’s not bad when you feel weak. When you feel weak, then you are less apt to be self‑sufficient. When I’ve felt the weakest in my life, I’ve found that I was more open to the work of God in my life. On the other side, when I am complacent or self‑satisfied, I know I have little hope of experiencing the strength that comes from simply falling in faith upon God to help.
#5: We are confident God has a purpose for all things (8:28). For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This is one of the most beloved passages of Scripture. Today, we have a chance to see it in its context, i.e., that of suffering. From vv.28-39, God’s Word brings Romans 4-8 to its climax, driving home the point that God is at work in this world using all that happens to make all things new, including your life and mine.
- Notice the phrase “all things” – As you read down into v.35, you’ll see that those “all things” include “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.” I think a lot of the groaning we do in hard times comes because bad things happen and you think they shouldn’t be happening. A famous book by Harold Kushner suggests that people think that, “Bad things shouldn’t happen to good people”. Of course, that isn’t true. The sin and evil in this world affects all people. But God is at work in all things – both good and bad.
- Notice also the phrase “for the good” – The Apostle Paul literally says God work all things “into good” or “to the good”. As we observe the world and ourselves, we see that so much seems to be falling apart. Just look at a picture of yourself 5-10 years ago and you’ll see what I mean. But, if we could see from God’s perspective, we would see that he is using all things – good and bad – to bring about his good. It’s not that he promises to make the circumstance good. And, it certainly isn’t that God makdes bad things good. No, he uses bad things to bring about his eternal good. That good is to make all things new – all things right and whole.
- Notice that the promise is for all who are in Christ – That’s what Paul means by “for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” With that promise, we know that any pain you and I experience now is not random but is something God is at work in the midst of.
I will come back to Romans 8:28 again next week -- but now I’ll simply point out that this may be the most distinctive part of a Christian's perspective on suffering, i.e., Christians are convinced that there is a purpose to even the worst tragedy. Why? ‑‑ because we are convinced that God is not distant but present. We are convinced that God is at work in every phase of history, yes, even in every phase of our lives. Thus, even though we often cannot see the purpose of pain, we trust Him.
I thought about this when my daughter Brittany died. The non‑Christian sees a child die and, not knowing whether there is any life beyond this, is filled with doubt and perhaps even despair. I’ve thought about this in times of financial distress. The non‑Christian loses his/her job or home or business, and, thinking that material well‑being is the end‑all in life, is sent into utter despair. But, everything changes when we come to know and love God through faith in Jesus. We know that there is purpose behind suffering and that purpose is the good of our world, yes, even our own personal good. God uses even suffering to bring about His good in our lives.
It is indeed the message of the cross. That cross made no sense to those who followed Jesus. But, the God who is at work in all things was using even that “thing”, that blood-inducing thing, to bring about his greatest victory, i.e., our salvation.
It's not necessarily that the circumstance will work out all that well: that we'll get our jobs back, or get revenge over our enemies, or become healthier. The good is for our eternal being, as the Bible says in Rom 8:30, God’s works all things so that you and I will one day be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.
Being assured that there is some good purpose to pain is a great help in making that pain bearable. Just as a child is born through great labor pain, and young people experience remarkable physical growth only when there are growing pains, so too, Christlikeness is often developed through pain.
I come back to these five points that I wrote down 33 years ago again and again in my life with God. I pray you will find them to be helpful to you as well. I leave you with Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Right now, we all fall short of the glory of the God in whose image we are made. Someday, he will make his glory shine through us without hindrance. You and I will be all that our Abba made us to be. God works all things to that end – even this sermon. May it indeed be used to his glory.
Chinese Study Notes
新造的人:萬事互相效力
羅馬書8:14-28
很多年前,我和克麗絲失去了我們尚在繈褓中的第二個孩子。有一天早晨,我坐下來花了很長時間思考我們今天所要看的這一段經文。今天是母親節,我不知道是否應當繼續講羅馬書8:14-28,因為這段經文強調的是苦難,直至今天,苦難仍舊是我們生活中的一部分。然而我又看到,這段經文在第22節中直接提到,母親們對其中的信息有特別的理解。更重要的是,神特別感動我,和大家分享我在生命最黑暗的期所寫下的感想,那時神正是藉著這段經文來引領我。
我想提醒大家,幾個月以來,我們在崇拜中一同學習了羅馬書第五至第八章。這四章經文告訴我們,神在世上作工,為的是要成就祂所定規的一切,包括你和我。上周,我的整篇講道都在講一個信息,那就是神既然使我們成為祂的兒女,我們就必須要學會面對試煉。
今天,我們就來講一講試煉。我想你會看到,神關於世上苦難的信息,與我們平時在社會中所聽到的有很大的不同。33年前,在我和克麗絲經歷我們人生中最艱難的時刻,那時我寫下了一些感想,我想讓大家思索一下,跟隨耶穌使我們在經歷艱難的時候有怎樣的不同:
第一:我們與“阿爸父”一同經歷苦難(8:14-16)。你們所受的,乃是兒子的心,因此我們呼叫阿爸,父。
神永遠是我們的父。這是耶穌向我們所啟示的神最深刻的屬性之一。當耶穌降生來到世上的時候,神還不是一個慈父的形象,是耶穌向我們啟示了神永恒的父親的形象。耶穌讓我們知道,祂是神的兒子,永遠是神所愛的,正如約翰筆下溫柔的描述:“父懷裏的獨生子”(約1:18)----那就是耶穌,神的兒子。
在羅馬書8:14-16,使徒保羅用耶穌的話語來描述他與父神的關系,就是呼叫祂為阿爸父,並且告訴我們,神對我們永恒的計劃使我們有權柄與祂建立親密的關系,就像耶穌一樣。當我們跟隨耶穌時,我們就與父神建立了關系。
當然,我們成為神的兒女,與耶穌不同,因為我們是神所收納的,而耶穌則是在神的屬性中為祂獨生的兒子。然而盡管我們是神所收納的兒女,我們仍與基督同為屬神的後裔,第15節的意思是,任何一個神的兒女藉著聖靈禱告時,都要說:“阿爸父”。
一個真正的基督徒就是如此禱告的----不必使用更正規的詞,比如“我的父親”,而是以耶穌禱告的方式,用充滿感情的“阿爸”,就像我們平時所說的“爸爸”。我們跟隨耶穌後會,就會因此而開始更深入地體會到,稱神為阿爸父的含義是什麽,你經歷過嗎?
我認為,大多數美國基督徒並不了解,與阿爸父神同行的含義是什麽。我們常常覺得神更像老板,你可能會和你的老板有很深厚的關系,但是與老板之間關系的重點經常是,如果你努力工作,老板就付給你工資和福利,否則你就要被解雇。如果你以這種方式思考神,你會發現,與神同行是一件令人窒息的事情。當你做正確的事情時,你會提出要求;如果不這樣做,你就會生活在恐懼之中。
但是分享耶穌的生命,認識神是你的阿爸父時,一切就都不同了。一個好父親經常會讓祂的孩子經歷困境,但卻永遠不會放棄祂的孩子。並且如果孩子身處痛苦之中,那麽父親也會痛心。一個好父親從不會放棄祂的孩子。有時候,你只需要在父親的照顧下安息,而且相信祂比你更了解即將發生的一切,也要相信祂會在你最需要的時候供應一切。當我經歷最黑暗的痛苦和失落的時候,安息在阿爸父神的懷裏成為了我做基督徒的生命中最具改變大能的一部分。我學會了嘗試著說:“父阿,我不知將要發生的事,但是你知道,阿爸父,我信靠你。”
第二,我們將痛苦看作與耶穌同享生命的方式。你們與基督同作後嗣。如果我們與祂一同受苦……(8:17)
早期的基督徒一再強調,我們的痛苦是“與基督一同受苦”,這使我們有些驚訝。然而,當早期跟隨耶穌的信徒們看到,神的兒子降生世上,為愛世人而經受痛苦,甚至為我們而死,他們被深深地感動了。明白了耶穌所做的一切,和我們所得到的救恩是因著祂所承擔的痛苦之後,他們就體會到,承擔痛苦並不是一件屈辱的事,不僅如此,他們將此看作是在經歷與基督的合一。
事實上,保羅在獄中寫下了腓力比書,其中就描述了他渴望與基督一同受苦的願望(腓3:10)。保羅在最初成為基督徒的時候,學到了一個令人難忘的功課,那就是耶穌是與祂的子民一同受苦的。在保羅去大馬士革迫害和殺害基督徒的路上,耶穌向他顯現,對他說:“掃羅,你為什麽逼迫我?”事實上,保羅所逼迫的是基督徒,但是耶穌說,這與直接逼迫祂並無分別。
因此,當你在世上度過艱難時刻的時候,要常常這樣想:我們是在跟隨那位為了我們而承受痛苦被釘十字架的主。當我們在困難與壓迫之中的時候,祂懂得我們所經歷的。不僅如此,祂說,祂與我們共患難。也正因如此,那些最剛強、最有成效的基督徒,總是那些曾經經歷過強烈試煉的人們。惟有經歷苦難,才能與基督有真正深層的連結。對我們來說,痛苦不是一種懲罰或羞辱,而是與耶穌分享生命的一種方式。
因此,有些時候,那些渴慕與基督有更深連結的基督徒,拒絕逃避“與基督一同受苦”。最典型的一個例子,可能是第二世紀被俘的安提阿的伊格內修斯主教了。他教會的一些人想要救他,但是他說:不要!請聽他說的話:“無論是火還是十字架,是野獸的陪伴,是骨頭破碎、四肢的撕裂,碾碎整個身體,還是撒旦把一切的邪惡都用在我的身上,只求這一切都能使我渴慕認識基督。”
第三,我們永遠不會失去盼望(8:17-25)我們現在的苦楚,若比起將來要顯於我們榮耀,就不足介意了。(8:17-18)
我想提醒大家,羅馬書第五至八章從神應許的角度,看到了在這個不完美的世界中所要發生的一切,並在結束之前寫下了這些關於苦難的經文。請大家留意17節“也必”這個詞語:如果我們和祂一同受苦,也必和祂一同得榮耀。等我們讀到第28節時,我們再回來看這個事實,重點是,神藉著使用苦難帶來榮耀。
神應許我們,苦難只是暫時的。這就是第17-25節所說的重點。神應許我們,祂此時正在作工,祂最終一定會使一切臻於完全。如果你真的相信,那麽你就能夠毫無畏懼、沒有沮喪或焦慮地在世上的試煉中等待祂。一個基督徒真正相信耶穌的特征之一,就是永遠懷抱希望。
請註意在8:24-25中希望與等待之間的連結:我們得救是在乎盼望。只是所見的盼望不是盼望。誰還盼望他所見的呢?但我們若盼望那所不見的,就必忍耐等候。
在羅馬書8:19-121節,保羅將我們帶回了創世紀第2-3章。因著人類犯罪,所有的創造都受到了傷害。他告訴我們一個驚人的真相,那就是,當神救贖了祂的子民之時,也同時影響了所有的創造。請留意第19節:“受造之物,切望等候神的眾子顯出來”。“切望”這個詞組包含了翹首以待的意思。所有的創造物都盼望看到什麽呢?就是“神的眾子顯出來”。當神完成祂在我們-----祂的子民身上的工作的時候,也就是祂在其余創造物之中完成工作之時。“顯現出來”這個詞組的意思是,在我們身上有一些東西,還不能顯現在世上。當人們看到你的時候,他們無法看到神的靈住在你裏面。然而有一天,這些都會顯現出來。人們會看到,你是君王的兒女。
保羅說,當那一天到來的時候,一切的被造物都將從朽壞的束縛中解脫出來,神會將所有的被造物重新塑造,使他們成為神最初所定規那樣。保羅說,現在所有的被造物都在痛苦中嘆息,因為他們都必將衰敗與毀滅。並且他說,我們也在嘆息。在這裏 “嘆息”是一個很重的詞。 它表達了強烈的痛苦。雖然有時候我們也在這個世界上經歷著這樣劇烈的痛苦,但是我們卻懷著神將要結束這痛苦、帶來榮耀的希望。你有這樣的信心嗎?
這是怎樣的狀況呢? 保羅指出,母親比任何人都更了解這一點。 在第22節,他說:“我們知道一切受造之物一同嘆息、勞苦,直到如今。”在布蘭登出生的那一刻,克麗絲經歷了劇烈的生產之痛,她緊箍著我的脖子說:“這是最後一個,不可以再有了。如果我們再要一個的話,就你由來生!“但是最後,把孩子擁在懷中之時,她卻有著一種不可言說的快樂。正如聖經所說的。有些痛苦似乎難以忍受,但她知道總會有結束的時候。
當我們確信前面有希望的時候,我們對在世上蒙受痛苦的整個看法都會不同。 基督徒生活在一個艱難的世界中,然而我們卻是充滿希望地生活在其中。 神應許我們,痛苦不會永遠持續下去!
第四:當我們疲憊的時候,我們有隨時的幫助(8:26-27)。 聖靈在我們軟弱的時候幫助我們。
希望並不是神所給你的唯一的東西。 保羅知道,有時生活是如此艱難,以至於我們不知道該說什麽或做什麽。 因此他接下來說,神的靈與我們同在,當我們覺得自己無力面對未來的時候,神的靈就會與我們同在,幫助我們。 我覺得這個部分是很難解釋的,但這確實是在我跟隨耶穌的歲月裏,多次經歷過的。 我禱告你也能有同樣的經歷。
保羅指出,有關軟弱的具體例子,就出現在我們的禱告生活之中。 聖經在這裏指出,作為基督徒,我們有時甚至不知道如何禱告。像詩篇的作者常常經歷的那樣,我們有時候很困惑,不知道如何禱告以,我們可能會生氣,為錯誤的事情禱告,我們可能自我損耗,因著錯誤的動機而禱告,或者我們只是軟弱,完全不知道如何禱告。
我們也註意到,正是為了鼓勵你,偉大的使徒保羅說到這種軟弱時,他也將自己包括在其中,因此他說“我們”的軟弱。 保羅非常清楚,神仍然要在他裏面繼續做工。 但保羅知道,無論他覺得多麽疲憊或困惑,他都絕不是孤單一人,因為神的靈在他裏面幫助他。
今天,我們的教會中沒有一個人沒有軟弱。 有人有心理和情感上的軟弱。而另一些人或許在身體或人際關系上存在軟弱。 有時,我們會覺得我們具有其他人所有的弱點!弱點是基督徒與非基督徒共有的東西,並且有時軟弱的時刻是很難跨越的。
然而不同之處在於,隨著我們在信仰上的成長,我們這些跟隨耶穌的人學會了依靠聖靈的幫助。在此我為你們能在與神同行之時經歷到這一切而禱告。我曾在許多方面親身經歷了聖靈的同在和幫助:在預備講道時提供我需要的確切信息,為我預備一個支持我的屬靈同伴,在我資金缺乏之時為我提供財務上的支持......也許今天的主日崇拜結束之後,教會的禱告團隊可以一同為你提供一些來自神的幫助。
關於這方面,還有很多可以分享的內容,但我只想再補充一句話:感到軟弱並不是一件壞事。 當你真正感到軟弱的時候,你就不會自滿。 當我感受到我生命中最軟弱的那一刻,我發現自己對神在我生命中的工作更加敞開。 而當我自鳴得意或自我滿足時,我知道自己很少能夠因著信靠神而經歷神的大能並尋求祂的幫助。
第五,我們確信,神在一切事上都有祂的旨意(8:28)。我們曉得萬事都互相效力,叫愛神的人得益處,就是按照祂的旨意被召的人
這是人們最喜愛的經文之一。今天,我們有機會來一同看看它在苦難之中的含義。第28節到39節帶來整段經文的高潮,描述了神藉著所發生的一切,將我們的生命完全更新。
- 請留意“萬事”這個詞----當你讀到第35節時,你會看到,“萬事”包括了“患難,困苦,逼迫,饑餓,赤身露體,危險,和刀劍。”我想,我們在艱難時期的很多抱怨,都是因為我們認為一些不好的事情原本不應發生。哈羅德·庫什納寫過一本很出名的書,他認為,人們總是會覺得“壞事情不應當發生在好人的身上。”這當然不會是真的。世上的罪與邪惡影響到所有的人,但是神在萬事上都在作工,無論是好事壞事。
- 請留意“得益處”這個詞----使徒保羅清楚地說明,神使萬事互相效力,使人得益處。看看這個世界和我們自己,我們看到很多東西都是破碎的。單看看你自己五至十年前,你就知道我在說什麽了。然而,如果我們能從神角度來看所發生的一切,我們就能看到,祂使用萬事----無論好事還是壞事 ---- 都為我們帶來益處。這並不是說,祂應許要使我們的境況變好,當然,也不是說神會把壞事變成好事,而是說,祂使用壞事帶來祂永恒的益處。這個益處,就是使萬物都變成新的,使一切臻於完美。
- 請留意,神的應許是賜給凡屬基督的人的 ---- 這就是保羅所說的“愛神的人,就是按照祂的旨意被召的人。”有著這個應許,我們現今所經歷的一切痛苦都不是偶然的,而是神作工的過程。
我下周會回到羅馬書8:28,但是現在,我想說,這可能是基督徒對苦難最獨特的看法,基督徒相信,即使是最壞的悲劇,都自有其目的。為什麽?因為我們相信,神沒有遠離我們,而是與我們同在。我們相信,神在歷史中的每一個階段作工,是的,祂也在我們人生的每一個時期作工。因此,即使我們無法看到苦難的目的,我們仍然要相信祂。
當我的女兒布瑞特妮去世的時候,我也想過這一點。當非基督徒看到一個孩子死去了,他們不知道此生之後是否還有來世,因此便會充滿疑慮絕望。在財務危機之時,我也思考過這個問題。當非基督徒失去工作、家園或生意之時,他們覺得物質的富足就是人生的一切,因此而陷入完全的絕望。然而,當我們藉著信靠耶穌而認識神的愛時,一切都改變了。我們知道,苦難的背後有其目的,而這個目的就是我們的益處,甚至是我們個人的益處。神能夠使用苦難為我們的人生帶來屬祂的益處。
這其實就是十字架的信息。看起來十字架對那些跟隨耶穌的人沒有意義,但是在萬事上作工的神,甚至能使用十字架,那個血腥的刑具帶來祂最大的得勝,就是我們的救恩。
並不是所有的境況都一定會如意:比如我們會重得工作,報復仇敵,或者重獲健康。這個益處是為了我們永恒的生命,就像聖經在羅馬書8:30所說的,神在萬事上作工,使我們有一天能有耶穌的樣式。
確信苦難背後的益處,能幫助我們忍受痛苦。正如忍受生產的痛苦會得到孩子一樣,年輕人經歷成長的痛苦,就會體驗到身心的成長,同樣,基督徒往往也是通過經歷痛苦才能有基督的樣式。
在我與神同行的生命中,我一次又一次地重溫我在三十三年前所寫下的這五點。我祈禱這些也能成為你的幫助。我想把羅馬書8:18送給大家:我想現在的苦楚,若比起將來要顯於我們的榮耀,就不足介意了。現今,我們都虧缺了神當初造我們的形象。有一天,祂將會使祂的榮耀藉著我們毫無阻礙地彰顯出來。你和我都會成為阿爸最初創造我們的樣式。神最終將使萬事如此成就----包括這篇講道。但願它蒙神使用,彰顯神的榮耀。
榮耀歸給神,
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧師