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哥林多前书：15:32-34: 32若死人不复活，“我们就吃吃喝喝吧！因为明天要死了。”33你们不要自欺，滥交是败坏善行。34你们要醒悟为善，不要犯罪，因为有人不认识神。我说这话是要叫你们羞愧。

        “我们就吃吃喝喝吧！因为明天要死了”，保罗引用了一位希腊诗人的名言，这种哲学在当时的伊壁鸠鲁学派中特别受欢迎。在我们的文化中也有类似的说法，，“你的生命只有一次，所以抓住所有你能得到的乐趣吧”。几年前，有一部名为“遗愿清单”的电影，使这种哲学再次流行起来。有一个男人发现自己快死了，所以他想在他“死”之前，去做所有他一直梦想做的疯狂的事情。我曾经看到一对退休的夫妻，他们在旅行房车的保险杠上粘了贴纸，上面写着：“我们正在花光你们的遗产。”如果我们的生命只有一次，这的确是一种合理的人生哲学。

              但是，如果神已经为我们预备了天上的产业，就是那不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残的永恒生命呢？就像“奇异恩典”这首赞美诗里唱的，“将来禧年 圣徒欢聚/恩光爱谊千年”如果这是真的呢？那么，所有自私的野心和虚荣的享乐都将放在一边，在上帝给我的有生之年我将全力以赴，服事上帝和我的邻舍。

              这是我们应当去过的美好生活。小时候我看到一只猎犬曾经在我家的农场里狩猎，整个下午它都在茂密的草丛中搜寻，时而沿着小路，时而穿过草丛。每过一分钟，这只猎犬就会跳起来约有1.5米高，为的是能紧紧跟住它的主人。傍晚的时候，狗的主人把它带到卡车那里，他打开车门。那只狗试着跳到座位上，但它筋疲力尽，没跳上去摔在地上。他的主人把他抱起来，放进卡车。我们可以不再为生活中的事情所挂虑，我们可以放下，因为我们拥有对复活和永生的盼望。到那时，上帝会将我们轻轻地抱在他的怀里，带我们回天家，那里将远远超过我们所有梦想的生活。祷告：天父上帝，在这个世界的东西，常常给我们带来的只有虚荣的快乐，短暂的兴奋，永远不会令人满足，也不会长久。我祷告愿我用此生的生命，以无私的爱来服事你和我的邻舍。因为我知道，藉着我的救主耶稣基督，最好的还没有到来。阿们。

1 Corinthians 15: If the dead are not raised, then “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived! “Keeping bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Use sober judgment, as is right, and do not sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.  (EHV)

Paul quotes the Greek poet, Menander, whose philosophy was especially popular with the Epicureans of that day. We have a similar quotation in our culture. “You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get.” That philosophy was made popular in a movie a few years ago called “The Bucket List.” A man found out he was going to die, so he wanted to do all the crazy things he always dreamed of doing before he “kicked the bucket.”  I saw a retired couple with a bumper sticker on their RV that said, “We are spending your inheritance.”  If this is the only life we live, then that would be an appropriate philosophy.

But what if God has prepared for us an inheritance in heaven which will never rust, spoil, or fade? What if it is true that “when we’ve been there ten thousand years, we’ve only just begun?” Then selfish ambitions and vain pleasures take a back seat to serving God and my neighbor with every ounce of energy that I have in the time that God has given me.

This is my picture of a life well lived. I saw a springer spaniel hunting on our family farm when I was young. He hunted all afternoon in the heavy cattails along the tracks and through the deep grass. Springer spaniels jump about five feet in the air every minute to keep an eye on their master. Late in the afternoon, the dog’s master brought him to his truck and opened the door. The dog tried to jump up on the seat, but was so exhausted, that he fell short and fell to the ground. His master picked him up and lifted him into the truck. We can leave it all out on the field because we have the hope of the resurrection to eternal life, when God will gently fold us in his arms and bring us home to a life that will far surpass all of our dreams.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, this life holds out nothing for me except vain pleasures, exciting little baubles that can never really satisfy or last. I pray that I will use my life here to serve you and my neighbor in unselfish love, knowing that the best is yet to come, through Jesus Christ my Savior.  Amen.