基督徒的生活

基督徒不單為自己血肉之軀而活,也不單為自己工作,他也為世上所有的人活著。應該說,他僅為他人而活,不為自己活。正如保羅在羅馬書14:7-8說: 「我們沒有一個人為自己活,也沒有一個人為自己死。我們若活著,是為主而活;若死了,是為主而死。所以,我們或活或死總是主的人。」 所以,基督徒不可在今生懶惰不服事他的鄰舍。

為達到這個目的,他制服自己的身體,使自己可以更真誠地、自由地服事他人。他需要用一個信念來指導他一切行為。就是:
他所作的一切,都為要服事他人,使他人得益;
除了鄰舍需要和好處之外,他也就不思考什麼其他的了。

使徒吩咐說:「親手做正經事,就可有餘分給那缺少的人(弗4:28)」,因為,使徒不是說:親手做工,供養自己,所以,我們親手做工的目的是使我們可以施捨給有需要的人。

這也使基督徒照顧自己的身體成為一種「基督徒的工作」。因為,藉著健康和舒適,我們可以工作,以獲取和積攢金錢,可以幫助窮人。強壯的肢體可以服事軟弱的肢體。上帝的兒女要互相照顧,做工也是為人。他們背負彼此的重擔,以此成全基督的律法(加拉太書6:2加拉太書6:2 你們各人的重擔要互相擔當,如此,就完全了基督的律法。[註解一]。這就是基督徒的生活。

在此,
真實的信心
在愛的行動中活出來(加5:6),
在最慷慨的服事中體現出來,
在喜樂和慈愛中完成。
信心使一個人自願服事他人,
完全不希求回報,
因為他富足的信心已經使他滿足。

(他作這些並不是為要成就他的功德和拯救。)
——馬丁路德(EA 31:364-65)《基督徒的自由》

註解一:回到原文
加拉太書6:2 你們各人的重擔要互相擔當,如此,就完全了基督的律法。
The Life of a Christian

A Christian does not live for himself alone in this mortal body to work for it alone, but he lives also for all men on earth; rather, he lives only for others and not for himself. To this end he brings his body into subjection that he may the more sincerely and freely serve others, as Paul says in Rom. 14[:7–8], 「None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.」 He cannot ever in this life be idle and without works toward his neighbors……
Man, however, needs none of these things for his righteousness and salvation. Therefore he should be guided in all his works by this thought and contemplate this one thing alone, that he may serve and benefit others in all that he does, considering nothing except the need and the advantage of his neighbor. Accordingly the Apostle commands us to work with our hands so that we may give to the needy, although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves. He says, however, 「that he may be able to give to those in need」 [Eph. 4:28]. This is what makes caring for the body a Christian work, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to acquire, and lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need, that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be sons of God, each caring for and working for the other, bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]. This is a truly Christian life. Here faith is truly active through love [Gal. 5:6], that is, it finds expression in works of the freest service, cheerfully and lovingly done, with which a man willingly serves another without hope of reward; and for himself he is satisfied with the fullness and wealth of his faith. (EA 31:364-65) “The Freedom of a Christian”