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哥林多前书：1:4-9: 4我常为你们感谢我的神，因神在基督耶稣里所赐给你们的恩惠，5又因你们在他里面凡事富足，口才、知识都全备。6正如我为基督作的见证在你们心里得以坚固，7以致你们在恩赐上没有一样不及人的，等候我们的主耶稣基督显现。8他也必坚固你们到底，叫你们在我们主耶稣基督的日子无可责备。9神是信实的，你们原是被他所召，好与他儿子—我们的主耶稣基督一同得分。
你期待有人这样给你写信，或是电子邮件吗？保罗这封给哥林多人的信函充满了对哥林多信徒的牧者之爱。他直言不讳地指出他们的弱点和失败，但是在这之前他以感谢上帝赐给他们的恩惠开始。正是这个恩惠使他们相信耶稣，也正是这个恩惠带给他们属灵的恩赐来服事耶稣，直到他再来。然后，保罗提醒他们上帝是信实的，他必坚固他们，使他们无可责备，直到耶稣再来的那一天。
这让我今天早上停下来，感谢上帝给了我生命中最重要的东西。人们会说自己真是运气好，能出生在他们出生的地方，或是出生在他们出生的家庭，或是他们生活在美好的环境。这是因为他们幸运吗？我因为信耶稣而拥有的身份，这绝不是我幸运，这完全是上帝的恩典。藉着在耶稣里的信心，我成为上帝的儿女，这完全是靠着上帝的恩典。
“恩典一直安全守护我，恩典也必将引领我回天家。”这是我盼望天堂的理由。不是因为我多有信心，而是因为上帝是信实的。呼召我相信耶稣的上帝，同样也赐给我许多恩赐，使我能在他的国里服事他。他也会保守我坚固我，让我无可责备，直到耶稣再来。我有很多事情应该感恩，但我最感激的是这件事：那就是藉着恩典上帝使我属于他，并安全守护我直到耶稣再来。
祷告：满有恩典的圣灵，谢谢你使我因信耶稣成为上帝的孩子。我无法靠自己的思想和选择来相信耶稣。但你用福音呼召我，用你的恩赐光照我，使我圣洁，并帮助我持守这独一的真信心。我祈求使用你给我的这些恩赐忠心服事我的救主，直到他再来的日子。阿们。
1 Corinthians 1: 4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. 5 You were enriched in him in every way, in all your speaking and all your knowledge, 6 because the testimony about Christ was established in you. 7 As a result you do not lack any gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. (EHV)
Don’t you wish that people still wrote letters like this? Or emails? Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is one that is full of pastoral love for the saints in Corinth. He was not afraid to point out their failures and weaknesses, but he began by giving thanks to God for the grace that God had given them. It was grace that brought them to faith in Jesus. It was also grace that gave them many gifts for serving Jesus until he returns. And then, Paul reminds them that God himself is faithful and he will keep them strong and blameless until the day that Christ returns.
It makes me pause this morning to give thanks to God for the most important things in my life. People will say that they are lucky that they were born where they were born, or into the family they were born, or because of the circumstances of their lives. Luck? Who I am by faith in Jesus has nothing to do with luck, but only the grace of God. I am a child of God by faith in Jesus purely by his grace.
“Grace has brought me safe this far, and grace will lead me home.” This is the reason I have hope for heaven. It is not because I am faithful, but because God is faithful. The same God who called me to faith in Jesus has blessed me with many gifts to serve him in his kingdom. He will also keep me strong and blameless until Jesus comes again. I have so much to be thankful for, but I am thankful for this above all else. God has made me his own by grace and will keep me safe till Jesus comes again.
Prayer: Spirit of grace, thank you for making me a child of God by faith in Jesus! I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in him. But you have called me by the gospel, enlightened me with your gifts, sanctified and kept me in this one true faith. I pray that I will use the gifts you have given me to serve my Savior faithfully until he returns. Amen.