你喜歡你在照片上的樣子嗎？

Bible Reading: Ephesians 2: 1 – 10
讀經： 以弗所書二章1至10節

Have you ever looked at old photos of yourself and your family? Did they look like you? Did you like them or didn't you? It isn't very often that we like photos of ourselves. Somehow we always think we are better looking than that!

你喜歡翻看照片嗎？你在照片上的樣子，是否跟真人的樣子相似？你喜歡自己在照片上的樣子嗎？許多時候，我們都未必喜歡照片上的樣子；總覺得真人比照片上的樣子好看！

Here in Ephesians chapter 2 we have a picture of what we all were like before we came to Christ. It isn't very pretty is it? It says we were 'dead in sins'. We behaved just like everyone else. We did the things they did and Satan had us under his control. We have to agree. That is just what we were like.

以弗所書第二章所勾劃出來的，正是我們在認識基督之前的樣子。從前那個樣子真是難看，你同意嗎？經文直言我們昔日是「死在罪中」。我們的行事為人，跟一般罪人的表現一樣，同樣是被撒但所轄制。我們雖然不喜歡這個樣子，卻不得不承認那確是我們的真實寫照。

But what does one of our favourite hymns say? 'What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.' Now there's a big difference. Here's a picture that is right up-to-date. 'By grace we have been saved, through faith.' Isn't that a wonderful picture? How did it all happen?

然而，當耶穌進入我們的心中，祂便給我們的生命帶來重大的改變，因為我們「得救是本乎恩，也因著信」。如今我們的寫照便截然不同了，簡直是脫胎換骨，因為我們已變成了新人。這改變的關鍵是甚麼？

Two words in verse 4 are the key –'BUT GOD'. What did God do? He stepped into our darkness and gave us light. He stooped down to where we were in sin and lifted us up to a place right beside himself and his son. Don't you praise God for doing all of that?

關鍵是在於第4節--「然而，神…」。是神主動進到黑暗的世界，把光明帶給我們。當我們還是身陷罪中的時候，祂甘願紆尊降貴地來到我們中間，拯救我們，引領我們來到祂和祂兒子的身邊。你願意為到神所做的一切而讚美祂嗎？

Why did he do it? Because he loved is. He wanted to save us from our sin and from being separated from him for all eternity. What does he want us to do now? He wants us to daily live for him so that others will want him to make that same tremendous change in their lives that he has made in ours.

神為何要這樣做呢？因為祂愛我們。罪使我們永遠與神隔絕，因此，祂要把我們從罪中拯救出來。那麼，我們既已得救，祂又對我們有麼期望呢？祂期望我們每天為祂而活，以致當別人看見我們的重大改變時，也同樣渴望神改變他們的生命。

A PRAYER FOR TODAY: May others see Jesus in me today.
禱告： 求主幫助我有美好的見證，以致別人在我的生命中看見主。