7. Manna issue 88 - Set Your Mind on Things Above 專注天國的事
Jachin—Singapore 新加坡 Jachin
Common sense has told generations of guileless Christians
that being too heavenly-minded means you will never be useful on earth.
But this simplistic admonishment neglects to take into account
the millions of lives that have come and gone since the beginning
—lives of the most worldly of people who,
despite pursuing success, wealth, honor, and all varieties of pleasure, are burdened by regret and resentment.
就一般常識而言，心思單純的基督徒代代相傳下來，
若心思太過注重天國，就代表了你在地上永不會有用。
但是這種過於單純的警告，卻忽略考慮了
自創世以來，有成千上萬的生命來來去去，
- 就算是世上最世俗的人，
儘管追求成功，財富，榮耀及各種享樂，
卻承受了遺憾和怨恨。
Perhaps we need to reconsider what the Bible says about heavenly-mindedness.
We know it is good, but what is it exactly?
And how do we achieve it?
也許我們需要再考慮，聖經關於注重天國想法的討論。
我們知道這很好，但那到底是什麼呢？
以及我們要如何去達成它呢？
EARTHLY VERSUS HEAVENLY HOPES 地上天上盼望的差別
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:2)
2你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
(西 3：2)
Here, Paul tells us that to be heavenly-minded is to set our mind on things above.
He urges us to bury our earthly hopes with the fleshly body of sin.
In place of these mortal hopes, we will gain better ones from God Himself
—hopes that are spiritual and eternal.
保羅在這裡告訴我們，
要擁有天國的思維，就要將心思放在天國的事上。
他敦促我們，將肉體上的盼望連同肉身罪惡一起埋葬。
取代這些地上肉體盼望的是，能從神本身獲得更好的盼望
-屬靈及永恆的盼望。
The Christian calling insists that the things of heaven and earth be mutually exclusive;
we can have heaven or earth, but not both.
The choice, then, is this:
be alive on earth and dead in your sins,
or be alive in the heavenly places and dead to your sins.
This is a clear-cut choice, and definitely not an easy one.
But if we want to be a true Christian and please God,
we must ask ourselves: what occupies us,
and what place do we hope to one day occupy?
Our mind is where our hopes are,
so we need to carefully consider what to set our mind on.
基督教徒的蒙召堅持認為，屬天和屬地的事是互相排斥的。
我們不是單獨擁有天國，不然就是只有地上，但不能同時兩者皆得。
那麼，能作的選擇是這樣的：
活躍在人間的，會死在自己的罪惡中，
或是活在屬天之地，而治死自已的罪孽。
這是一個非常明確的選擇，而且絕對不是一個容易下的決定。
若我們想成為真正的基督徒，並且得神喜悅，
就必須自問：我們內心都在想什麼，
若到那一天，自已會希望能住在什麼地方？
我們的心思，會隨著自已的盼望而行，
因此，我們需要謹慎思考，要在什麼事上投入心思。
RENOUNCING SIN 斷絕罪惡
How do we set our mind on things above?
As mature adults with real-world responsibilities,
we rarely give ourselves the time to consider this.
However, in times of uncertainty, referring to the Bible should always be our first resort.
我們如何將心思放在天國的事上呢？
作為身上帶著現實世界責任的有些年紀的成年人，
我們很少留給自己此許時間，好好考慮這件事。
但是，在任何不確定的時候，參考聖經的建議，應該一直是我們最先的方法。
Paul writes: 保羅寫到：
“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth:
fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
(Col 3:5)
5所以，要治死你們在地上的肢體，就如淫亂、污穢、邪情、惡慾，和貪婪。貪婪就與拜偶像一樣。
(西 3：5)
This verse tells us that
a person who sets his hope on things above begins to do so by putting to death his members on the earth.
What are these?
Paul describes various types of sexual impurity.
Our sexual behavior most tellingly reveals the state of our relationship with God.
If we can learn to sever ourselves from our strongest desires and give ourselves fully to God,
who asks for our finite self in return for nothing less than infinity,
then we will be holy and pleasing to Him.
這節經文告訴我們，
懷抱天國盼望的人，會開始將自已地上的肢體治死。
這些那底是什麼東西呢？
保羅描述了各種類型不純潔的性行為。
我們的性行為，最能說明自已與神的關係。
如果我們能學會斷絕自已最強烈的慾望，並將自己完全獻給神，
祂所要求的，是以我們有限的肉身，來換取完全的無限，
那時我們將成聖蒙神喜悅。
Desire applies more broadly to other aspects of our lives as well.
Desire and hope are not bad things
but, misplaced, can lead us to destruction.
If we do not stand our ground in our faith
or guard our desires and hopes with the same possessive jealousy and love with which God guards us,
then we will bring about our own end.
慾望也可以更廣泛地，應用於我們生活中的其他方面。
慾望和盼望不是壞事，
但是若放錯了地方，就可能會導致我們毀滅。
如果我們不堅守自己的信仰，
或好像神一樣，出於獨佔的嫉妒和慈愛，而同樣保守我們，來謹守自已的慾望和盼望，
那麼我們將走向自己的結局。
It is also important to remember that putting to death our members on the earth is not a one-time affair.
Rather, it is a process, in which we must remain ever-vigilant.
同樣重要的是要記住，將自已的肢體在世上治死，不是一次性的事情。
相反地，這是一個過程，處於其中，我們必須時刻保持警惕。
PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN 穿上新人
Paul describes a second step in setting our minds on things above:
保羅描寫了，要如何把心思放天國事上的第二個步驟：
But now you yourselves are to put off all these:
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Do not lie to one another,
since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
(Col 3:8–10)
8但現在你們要棄絕這一切的事，以及惱恨、忿怒、惡毒（或作：陰毒）、毀謗，並口中污穢的言語。
9不要彼此說謊；因你們已經脫去舊人和舊人的行為，
10穿上了新人。這新人在知識上漸漸更新，正如造他主的形像。
(西 3：8-10)
We must put on the new man by knowing and emulating Christ.
It is admittedly very tempting
to dismiss our “minor” sins as negligible and unimportant in the larger scheme of things.
We cannot imagine ourselves suffering serious spiritual consequences simply
because we lose our temper or use profanities.
It may be so.
But to permit ourselves to do such things because we think we will not be caught,
or because the punishment is not all that bad,
is to think as a child—and we must grow up.
我們必須通過了解和效法基督，來穿戴新人的樣式。
不得不說，當身處於更加宏偉計劃的時候，若忽視我們的“微小”罪惡，
看作是微不足道，且很不重要，這樣的作法是很吸引人。
我們無法想像，自己會因而遭受屬靈嚴重的後果，
只因為我們發了脾氣，或是作出褻瀆的事。
或許可能就是這個情況。
但若容許自己做這樣的事情，因為我們認為自已不會被抓到，
或因為處罰沒有那麼糟糕，
就好像是小朋友的想法，然而我們必須要成長。
When God tells us to lead our lives in a certain way,
He wants us to understand and remember the all-important fact that we are different.
And we are.
We must be.
Priests, the elect, the chosen
—we are all these and more;
we are special, called out and loved.
If we seek the anonymity of the world, we scorn our privilege.
God knows our names, and this is a great blessing
—should we spend the rest of our lives trying to make Him forget us?
當神告訴我們，要以某種方式過我們的生活時，
祂希望我們理解並記得，最重要事實的是我們是與眾不同。
我們就是不一樣。
我們必需有所不同。
成為祭師，選民，受揀選的民
-我們不僅如此，而且還具有更多的身份；
我們很特殊，得到呼召，受到疼愛。
如果我們在上世界默默無名，就是輕視了我們的特權。
神認識我們的名字，而這是極大的祝福
-我們難道浪費自已接下來的生命，設法讓他忘記我們呢？
God wants us to put off the old man.
Paul says that when we come into God’s grace,
we should naturally change.
Paul likens this process to changing a set of clothes:
you put off the old set
—the old man with his deeds
—and then put on a new set
—the new man according to God’s image.
This shedding of our old behaviors is not easy,
not by any means, but it is necessary.
To this end, God has given us His word, the Bible, as a mirror, and His Spirit as a Counselor.
They both guide us step-by-step in our pursuit of perfection.
神要我們脫去舊人。
保羅說，當我們進入神的恩典中，
自然而然就會改變。
保羅將這個過程，比喻為換一套衣服：
你會脫去舊衣
-舊人及其行為
-然後穿上新衣
-是按照神的形像造的新人。
要擺脫自已過去的行為並不容易，
一點也不容易，但這卻是必需的。
為此，神賜給我們祂的道理，聖經，就如同鏡子，以聖靈作為保惠師。
他們兩個一起引導我們，逐步去追求完美。
GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 認識神而成長
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(Col 3:16)
16當用各樣的智慧，把基督的道理豐豐富富的存在心裡，
（或作：當把基督的道理豐豐富富的存在心裡，以各樣的智慧），
用詩章、頌詞、靈歌，彼此教導，互相勸戒，心被恩感，歌頌神。
(西 3：16)
In everything Jesus did, He manifested the image of God.
If we are to put on this same image,
we must come to know Jesus better, through His word.
The word of Christ can transform us if we keep it in our hearts,
constantly deepening our understanding of His nature.
Knowledge of God, as any long-time Christian will tell you, is not just knowledge.
It is knowledge that changes you,
that forces you to do something about the way things are.
It is not idle knowledge.
If we choose to accept the challenge and blessing of transformation,
we must continually be renewed in knowledge and allow ourselves to become more Christ-like.
耶穌所做的任何事，都彰顯了神的形像。
如果我們要穿上同樣的形象，
就必須透過透的話語，更深入的認識耶穌。
如果我們將基督的話牢記於心，它就能改變我們，
不斷加深我們對祂本性的理解。
正如任何資深的基督徒會告訴你的那樣，認識神不只有知識而已。
改變你的知識，
會驅使你，照著事情本來的樣子而行進。
這不是無聊的知識。
如果我們選擇接受改變的挑戰，及轉變的祝福，
就必須不斷在知識上更新，讓自己能變得更像基督。
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Col 3:4)
4基督是我們的生命，他顯現的時候，你們也要與他一同顯現在榮耀裡。
(西 3：4)
This is the ultimate aim of a Christian life
—the goal toward which we are all now marching together.
Therefore, let us set our minds, hopes and desires on things above.
Let us make our way to that heavenly place, one day at a time,
until we come to the promised rest with our God who loved us and showed us the way.
這是基督徒生活的終極目標
-我們大家共同朝著這個目標邁進。
因此，讓我們將自己的心思，盼望和期望設定在天國的事上。
讓我們一天一次，向天國之地前行，
直到我們，與那愛我們，並為我們指明道路的神，到達那應許中的安息。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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