“Be Holy and Useful to Christ 要成為聖潔,合基督使用“(2 Timothy 提摩太後書2:20-21)
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
在富貴人的家(原文作“大房子”)裡,不但有金器、銀器,也有木器、瓦器;有貴重的,也有卑賤的。人若自潔,離開卑賤的事,就必作貴重的器皿,成為聖潔,合主使用,預備行各樣的善事。
Christ’s church is indeed an immeasurably large house because of greatness in its owner, its planned/designed scale, its building cost and its significance. In such unique house of a variety of ‘articles/members’ (Christians), some are for special purposes and some for common/dispensable use. In view of God’s general cleansing for sin, all Christians are the same, not some better (or more spiritual) than others. One cleansing oneself is mostly connected with usefulness for service and closeness to God. Some Christians are more able to be used by God than others because they have cleansed themselves and made themselves more usable to God, in the sense of not only serving in the church but also doing any good work.
基督的教會因著它擁有者的偉大、它計劃/設計規模的龐大、它建造代價的巨大和它重要性的莫大,確實是個不可計量之大房子。在如此獨特的家裡有著多種多樣的「器皿/成員」(基督徒),有特別用處的,也有一般/可有可無用處的。鑒於神除掉人罪普及性的潔淨,所有基督徒都是一樣的,沒有某些比其他更好(或更屬靈)。人要自潔主要地與事奉的有用性,和接近神的親密性是有關連的。有些基督徒比其他基督徒更能被神使用,因為他們潔淨了自己,使自己更能被神使用,程度上不單只是在教會裡的服侍,而且也是行各樣的善事。
Prayer: Father God, many of us might not have made necessary effort to appreciate how great your earthly family house is and what role we should play in it. Thank you for reminding us that it is left to us what and how we want to play our role. Our conduct – clean or unclean; set apart to you or not set apart to you; useful to Jesus Christ or not useful to Him – really matters. It greatly effects if you can use us or not and how you will use us to touch the lives of others. Amen.
禱告: 父神啊,我們中許多人或許未曾盡必須的努力,去意識到你在地上的居所是何等宏大,並我們在其中理應扮演甚麽角色。感謝你提醒我們,我們要扮演甚麽角色和如何扮演都是由我們自決的。我們的行事為人:潔淨或不潔淨;歸你為聖或不歸你為聖;對耶穌基督有用還是沒用,真的很重要。它會大大地影響你能否用得著我們,並你將會如何使用我們去觸動別人的生命。阿們。