神要賜你各樣的福氣

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1: 1 – 7
讀經： 以弗所書一章1至17節

The message or theme of the epistle to the Ephesians can be stated very simply, it is 'all that God has planned for the Church and for each believer'. We could add these words, 'and how that is seen in the daily lives of believers'.

以弗所書的信息和要旨，可以簡單地用一句話概括出來，那就是：「神為教會及每位信徒所定的一切旨意」--我們還可以加上一句：「神如何在信徒的每天生活中將祂的旨意顯明出來」。

Paul deeply longed that the Ephesian believers might know these things for themselves. If you read his two prayers in this letter (1: 15-23 & 3: 14-21) you will see what tremendous requests he made on their behalf. He wanted them to enter fully into all the blessings God had for them.

保羅深切期望以弗所信徒能明白這些道理。你只要一讀他在信中所記的兩個禱告(一15-23及三14-21)，你就可知道他為他們發出了何等大的祈求-他希望他們能完完全全地得著神所賜的福氣。

Where do all our blessings come from? We often sing 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow' don't we, and that is very true. Paul said in verse 3 of our reading, 'God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings'. Everything we have comes from God the Father and it comes to us through Christ. He is the channel.

我們可以向誰求福？我們中國人經常向上天求福；但保羅在這裡的第3節，清楚指出我們的福氣不單是來自「天上」，更是來自掌管一切的父神：神在基督裡賜給我們天上各樣屬靈的福氣！我們所得的一切，都是父神藉著耶穌基督賜給我們的；耶穌基督乃是神賜福和人得福的管道。

You may have seen irrigation channels by which water is brought from a river or dam to the place where it is needed. Sometimes a huge gate has to be opened at the dam to let the water flow.

你可能見過一些引水的管道，它們將河水或水庫的水引到需要灌溉的地方。有些時候，水壩需要開啟它的巨型大閘，才能讓水湧進管道之中。

God has always loved us, but sin prevented the free flow of that love toward us. Then Christ died to take away sin (see v.7). When we accept Christ, God's love flows freely to us with all his blessings. Isn't that wonderful? Let's praise God today for everything he has done for us.

神一直願意將祂的愛賜給我們；可是，罪卻造成了阻隔，使神的愛不能傾流到我們的生命之中。基督為了我們的罪而甘願受死(第7節)，此後，只要我們接受基督，我們的罪便被除去，神的愛連同各樣的福氣便源源不絕地流進我們的生命之中。讓我們為著神在我們身上所成就的一切，同心合意地頌讚祂吧！