牧師發辦 Omakase (3) - Changed into His Image

作者: Jim Berg

書名: Changed into His Image (還未有中文翻譯)

程度: 事奉者

種類:成聖生活

以下兩條問題,你的答案會影響你人生的方向：人生的目標是什麼？人如何達到人生的目標？有些基督徒的人生目標就是上天堂。而他也相信上天堂之前,人是完全不用努力。結果,這個人的人生就可能只是享受世界,等死後上天堂。作為一個基督徒,我們當從聖經找出答案。這是我推薦Changed into His Image一書的原因。

Jim Berg 是負責Bob Jones University 神學院的輔導課程。而他的事奉就是專注用聖經輔導信徒。他在「序言」中解釋寫這本書的目的。第一,是從聖經中找出成聖生活的地圖。還有,是他給自己三個女兒的遺產。他說：

I have told you before that your mother and I will probably not be able to pass on to you any kind of earthly inheritance. If we can pass on to you a passion for God, however, we will have given you something more valuable than silver, gold, or rubies and more satisfying than anything a mortal can experience (Prov. 3:13–15). [我之前告訴過你，你母親和我可能無法將任何世俗的遺產傳給你。 然而，如果我們能將對上帝的熱情傳遞給你，我們就會給你一些比銀、金或紅寶石更有價值的東西，並且比凡人所能體驗的任何東西都更令人滿足（箴言 3:13-15）。]

所以Jim Berg 是站在一個聖經學者,但又是一個父母的心情寫這本書。

全書內容簡單來說,人生的目標就是越來越像基督督形象。而他根據以弗所書4：22-24,提出改變的方法,就是脫去舊人;心志更新;穿上新人。這是一本嚴肅的書,但Jim Berg卻能深入淺出的手發,帶出聖經的真理。我很喜歡Jim Berg 常用生動的例子解釋真理。例如,他用「茶包」指出人的問題並非外來,而是因人的罪性而產生。他說：

We sin because each of us has a sinful heart. We can illustrate this biblical truth this way. When we take a tea bag, place it in a teacup, and fill the cup with hot water, the water activates the tea in the bag, unleashing its taste into the water around it. The hot water didn’t create the taste; it merely revealed or drew out what was already in the bag… The pressures around us (the unfavorable circumstances, the temptations, and the commands of God to love Him and our neighbor) merely draw out of our heart what is already in it. [我們犯罪是因為我們每個人都有一顆罪惡的心。 我們可以這樣來說明這個聖經真理。 當我們拿起一個茶包，把它放在茶杯裡，然後在杯子裡裝滿熱水，水會激活茶包裡的茶，將茶的味道釋放到它周圍的水中。 熱水沒有產生味道； 它只是揭示或抽出已經在茶包裡的東西……我們周圍的壓力（不利的環境、誘惑和我們愛神和愛鄰居的命令）只是揭示已經在我們心中的東西。]

這一本書給我很大的幫助,就是Jim Berg指出流行的世俗想法的錯謬。例如,他指出基督徒的人生目標並非作一個奉公守法又開心的人。他說：

Please note that this biblical goal of Christlike humility is a far cry from many currently popular, but unworthy, goals of helping someone become well-adjusted or develop his moral consciousness or achieve personal happiness and success. Our Lord did not come to this planet, … so that those who become His children can merely be well-adjusted, live morally upright lives, and enjoy personal happiness and success. He died to redeem us from the penalty and power of a sinful heart that keeps us from being useful servants of the living God. [請注意，這種以基督般謙卑的聖經目標與許多當前流行但不值得的目標相去甚遠。(流行的目標包括：幫助某人適應良好或發展他的道德意識或實現個人幸福和成功。) 我們的主來到地球，……不是為了讓那些成為他孩子的人能夠適應良好，過著道德正直的生活，享受個人的幸福和成功。 他的死是為了救贖我們脫離罪惡之心的懲罰和力量，使我們無法成為永生神有用的僕人。]

有關成聖生活, Jim Berg 常常提醒我們 "not any change will do" (不是任何一種改變都成)。他指出謙卑是成聖生活和信徒的根基。"There can be little doubt that God sees our independent spirit—the very thing the world considers a virtue—as the root problem of man." [毫無疑問，神將我們自主獨立的精神——世界視為美德的東西——視為人類的根本問題。] "

最後,這本書既有理論也有實踐。例如,父母如何把成聖生活的理論,用在教養兒女身上呢？Jim Berg 形容小孩上學之前"preschool"的目標為「接受命令」"take orders"：訓練孩子樂於接受命令。通過要求小孩收拾玩具,訓練他們接受命令。訓練6至12歲的小孩的目標為「愛惜命令」"value orders"。最後才能成為一個「有用的工人」。

這是一個例子：

When teaching biblical principles, commands, or examples, be sure you teach the attribute of God that lies behind each principle, command, or lesson from a biblical example. Everything in the Scriptures is given to teach us something about God. When your child asks you, “Daddy, why does Uncle John smoke cigarettes and we don’t?” you need to have a solid answer anchored in the nature of God. Depending on your child’s level of understanding, you should be able to tell him something like this:

“Son, God says our bodies are the temples of God (1 Cor. 6:19–20). Since God has chosen to live in us when we become Christians, we should keep our temple healthy and clean. If God were a sinner like us, He wouldn’t mind; but since He is holy and deserves our very best, we want to be as clean and healthy as we can be. Smoking hurts our bodies and wastes our money, so we don’t do it. Uncle John isn’t a Christian yet, so he doesn’t understand how important it is. We need to keep praying for him and witnessing to him.

“But we have to remember something, Son. Smoking isn’t the only thing that hurts our bodies. Staying up late and not getting enough sleep, eating foods that are not good for us, and eating too much food aren’t good for us either. God is a special person, and we want to make our bodies a special place for Him to live in.”

Behind every truly godly practice and principle is something true about God—an attribute that requires a certain response from His creatures. We don’t want those we disciple learning just a code of moral conduct or ethics; we want them to know their God and to respond to Him in each situation.

Berg, J. (2018). Changed into his image, 2nd ed. JourneyForth.

[在教導聖經原則、命令或例子時，一定要教導來自聖經例子的每個原則、命令或教訓背後的上帝屬性。聖經中的一切都是為了教導我們一些關於上帝的事情。當您的孩子問您：“爸爸，為什麼約翰叔叔抽煙而我們不抽煙？”你需要有一個紮根於上帝本性的可靠答案。根據您孩子的理解程度，您應該可以這樣告訴他：

“兒子，上帝說我們的身體是上帝的殿（林前 6:19-20）。因為當我們成為基督徒時，上帝已經選擇住在我們裡面，所以我們應該保持我們的聖殿健康和清潔。如果上帝是像我們一樣的罪人，他不會介意的；但由於他是聖潔的，值得我們最好的，我們希望盡可能地保持清潔和健康。吸煙傷害我們的身體，浪費我們的錢，所以我們不這樣做。約翰叔叔還不是基督徒，所以他不明白這有多重要。我們需要繼續為他禱告，為他作見證。

“但我們必須記住一些事情，兒子。吸煙並不是唯一傷害我們身體的東西。熬夜睡眠不足，吃對我們不好的食物，吃太多對我們也沒有好處。上帝是特別的，我們想讓我們的身體成為他居住的特別地方。”

在每一個真正敬虔的實踐和原則的背後，都有一些關於上帝的真實——一種需要他的創造物做出某種反應的屬性。我們不希望我們門徒學習的只是道德行為準則或道德規範；我們希望他們認識他們的上帝，並在每種情況下回應他。]

我自己曾經讀了這書六七次。但我最喜歡是與五六位弟兄姊妹一起研讀。每星期讀一章,見面時彼此分享。我更把每次讀此書的筆記寫下(每章最後都有思考題目。你也可以另外買這書的研習本 Take Time to Change)。我從筆記見到自己的爭扎和改变。

這本書可以網上購買。也有學生版(年青人版)。你也可以去Jim Berg website聽他的講座。