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哥林多前书：1:1-3: 1奉神旨意，蒙召作耶稣基督使徒的保罗同兄弟所提尼，2写信给在哥林多神的教会，就是在基督耶稣里成圣，蒙召作圣徒的，以及所有在各处求告我主耶稣基督之名的人。基督是他们的主，也是我们的主。愿恩惠、平安从神我们的父并主耶稣基督归与你们！
哥林多教会在很多方面都一团糟，没有活出他们能活出的样子来。因为个性而结党纷争，不遵守教会的纪律，不能正确理解和实施圣餐礼。还远不只这些。但是他（保罗）仍然称呼他们为圣徒，因为上帝是这样称呼他们的。上帝如此称呼所有相信耶稣是自己生命救主的人。即使他们在世上的生活有些糟糕，在上帝的眼里他们却完美圣洁。
这就是我们的样子。你的生活一团糟，如果你不相信这点，那是因为你没有真正从内向外审视自己。我在心里可能爱论断，没有爱心，易怒，贪婪，但并没有从外在表现出来。我已经学会成为一个法利赛人或是假冒为善的人。你知道“假冒为善hypocrite”这个词的出处吗？它来自希腊的戏剧表演传统。演员们将自己的脸隐藏在面具的后面。我们也是如此。敬虔的言谈举止只是面具，背后是我们隐而未现的不堪。我们尤其喜欢在社交媒体上这样做，展示我们最好的一面，却把生活中糟糕的一面隐藏起来。
但实际上，真正的你既不是你内在感觉的那个人，也不是你外表假装的那个人。真正的你是上帝呼召你成为的那个人。他呼召你成为圣徒，他使你在基督耶稣里面成圣。
当我在讲道的时候，我不断提醒自己，底下这些人都是上帝的圣徒，上帝圣洁的子民，不论他们的生活有多糟糕。早晨起来当你看着镜子里的自己，也要这样提醒自己。在上帝的眼里，不论目前你的生活有多槽糕，你是一名圣徒，你一直活在上帝的恩典之下。那么就下定决心活出你的真实身份吧！
祷告：主耶稣，我祷告每一天都更像你呼召我成为圣徒的样子！我这样祈求是奉你的名。阿们。
1 Corinthians 1: Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth—those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, who are called as saints—along with all in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! (EHV)
The Corinthian congregation was a mess in many ways. Not living up to their potential. Divisions among them that were based on personalities. Not following through on church discipline. Not understanding or practicing the Lord’s Supper properly. And more. Yet he calls them saints, because that’s what God called them. That’s what God calls all who believe in Jesus as their Savior. They are perfectly holy in his sight even if their lives are kind of messy down here.
That is who I am and who you are, too. Your life is a mess. And if you do not think that’s the case, then you aren’t really looking at yourself from the inside out. I can be judgmental and unloving and angry and covetous on the inside without ever showing it on the outside. I have learned to be a good Pharisee and a hypocrite. Do you know where that word comes from? It’s from the Greek custom in their theater productions. Actors would hide their faces behind masks. We do the same. We hide our messiness behind masks of pious talk and behavior. We especially like to do that on our Facebook pages. We put our best face forward and hide the messiness in our lives.
And yet, what you really are is not the person you feel like on the inside. And you are not the person you pretend to be on the outside. You are really what God called you to be. He called you to be his holy ones, his saints, and he has sanctified you in Christ Jesus.
When I preach, I always remind myself that these are God’s holy people, who are God’s saints, no matter how messy their lives might be. When you look in the mirror in the morning, remind yourself that same thing. You are a saint in God’s eyes and you live under the umbrella of God’s grace, no matter how messy your life might be at the moment. Then determine to live up to who you really are!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I pray that I will every day become more like the saint that you have called me to be! I ask this in your name. Amen.