为主所为
陈立福 牧师
经文：徒22：6-10
感谢主，一个真正认识主的人，他一定是甘心乐意事奉主的人，也必定一生为主所用，为主所为。保罗原名叫扫罗，起先他是一个反对耶稣、BP教会的人，要到大马色抓捕基督徒。当他走在大马色路上的时候，被主光照而仆倒在地，扫罗的第一个反映说：“主啊，你是谁？”当天上有声音告诉他是：“我就是你所BP的耶稣”。扫罗第二个问题是决心为主事奉，说：“主啊，我当作什么？”“当作什么”就是甘心乐意为主所为。
一、完全奉献
一个人信主后往往是先向主有所求，并有所得，后才会慢慢地奉献给主。《圣经》中典型的代表人物是旧约的雅各，创28:18-22记载：雅各清早起来，……许愿说：“神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃、衣服穿，使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神，我所立为柱子的石头也必作神的殿，凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你”。雅各先向神求了一大堆：a.神同在；b.路上保佑；c.食物吃；d.衣服穿；e.平安回家。他给神的只十分之一奉献，这是功利型的信仰，这可能代表了大多数人的信仰。但保罗的信仰是奉献型的信仰。当他认识了耶稣基督是复活的主，是上帝的儿子，是犹太人所盼望的弥赛亚时，他就义无反顾，完全的奉献，听凭主耶稣的差遣，一生为主所用。保罗的奉献不是建立在物质的基础上，更不为名利、地位，而是因他认识耶稣为复活的主。大马色路上的经历是他一生奉献的动力，他因复活的主而奉献一生。当他因传福音被捕在亚基帕王及非斯都面前受审，他们认为保罗如此大的学问竟去做传道而断送美好前程深感不可理喻，大声指责保罗是癫狂了。但保罗申辩自己绝不是癫狂，只是没有违背那天上来的异象（徒26:19-29）。“原来基督的爱激励我们。因我们想，一人既替众人死，众人就都死了；并且他替众人死，是叫那些活着的人不再为自己活，乃为替他们死而复活的主活”（林后5:14-15）。为主而活就是完全付出、完全奉献。
二、忠于托付
在大马色路上的经历，使保罗深深明白复活的耶稣基督才是他真正的主。他十分清楚自己做仆人的身份，在许多书信中首先表白自己是基督耶稣的仆人保罗。他知道所求于仆人的就是要有忠心。“人应当以我们为基督的执事，为神奥秘事的管家。所求于管家的，是要他有忠心”（林前4:1-2）。忠心就是对主的完全依靠、绝对顺服。一个对主有忠心的人一定会：
1.遇到难处交托主。“应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念”（腓4:6-7）。徒16章记载保罗和西拉到腓立比传福音而被捕入监，他和西拉在监牢里唱诗、祷告仰望主，终得主的拯救而安全出狱。
2.矢志不改跟从主。“我却不以性命为念，也不看为宝贵，只要行完我的路程，成就我从主耶稣所领受的职事，证明神恩惠的福音”（徒20:24）。这是保罗在离开亚细亚前往耶路撒冷（当时保罗已成耶路撒冷的重要通辑犯）向以弗所教会长老们表白自己，明知山有虎偏向虎山行的大无畏精神。他选择跟从主的那时刻就已把生命置之度外，不以性命为念，为行完主要他行的路程，传扬神恩惠福音。
3.忠贞不渝挚爱主。“谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢？难道是患难吗？是困苦吗？是BP吗？是饥饿吗？是赤身露体吗？是危险吗？是刀剑吗？……然而，靠着爱我们的主，在这一切的事上已经得胜有余了。因为我深信无论是死，是生，是……都不能叫我们与神的爱隔绝；这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的”（罗8:35-39）。
三、尽心竭力
保罗一生事奉主可谓是尽心竭力。主耶稣对一个跟从主承受永生的人的要求是：“尽心、尽性、尽力、尽意爱主你的神”（路10:25-28）。保罗爱主是尽心竭力。
1.竭力追求。“这不是说我已经得着了，已经完全了，我乃是竭力追求，……我只有一件事，就是忘记背后，努力面前的，向着标竿直跑，要得神在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏”（腓3:12-14）。保罗从来都没有满足他过去那丰硕累累的成果，总是不断努力争取更大的成绩。宋尚节博士在1932年3月22日开了一张天国支票，向神要10万个灵魂。
2.浇奠一生。“我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了，从此以后，有公义的冠冕为我存留，就是按着公义审判的主到了那日要赐给我的，不但赐给我，也赐给凡爱慕他显现的人”（提后4:6-8）。浇奠指献祭，古时献祭的人把酒浇在上面，使祭更馨香。保罗不但为主舍命，完全奉献，还要成为馨香之祭，使主得荣耀。
“主啊，我当作什么？”这是保罗对复活的主耶稣基督的回应，也应该成为我们每一个基督徒对主的回应。前美国有位总统曾对国民说：“你们不要想国家要为你做什么，你要想你为国家做什么”。求主感动、帮助我们也能为主做些什么。
The Life of Christians
By Pastor Huang Yuguan
Bible Verse Reading: Psalms 16: 8-11
"I keep the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my hear
t is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Shell, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
1. The life of Christians is peaceful and joyful.
Psalms 40: 2 says, "He drew me up from the desolate pit, /out of the miry bog, /and set my feet upon a rock, /making my steps secure." Because of God's love, there are many who were in a narrow escape, or under the attack of Satan, or in adversity are saved by the LORD. Christians' life is peaceful and joyful. The LORD cares and guides us all the time and we should put all our worries in HIS hands. There is a brother giving his testimony in a gathering of spiritual retreat in Jianyang, Fujian province. Once when he drove a car down a hill, he braked the car in vain and he could not hold it. In this critical moment, he prayed to God, " LORD, I commit my soul and body to you. If it is the time, I'd like to come to meet you;
if it is not yet the time, LORD, you are the Creator of the heavens and the earth, you will protect me." The car suddenly stopped and he immediately got off the car and knelt at the roadside giving thanks and praise to the LORD. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, /I fear no evil; /for you are with me; /your rod and your staff-- /they comfort me." (Psalms 23: 4) Although we have all kinds of difficulties, we have hope of eternity because of the peace and joy God gives us. "…you (are) as aliens and exiles." (1 Peter 2:11) Our hometown is in the permanent heaven where "There will be no more death, no more grief, crying, or pain." (Revelation 21: 4) and where God is always with us.
2. The life of Christians is victorious.
2 Timothy 4: 7 records that "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." This is the victorious song of Paul. We should follow Paul, and with the LORD'S grace and our faith in HIM, we will defeat all temptations and win over everything.
A sister found a wallet when she went to a market in a morning. There was over 300 yuan inside the wallet. A fighting began between her soul and flesh. Finally she subjected herself to the flesh and used the money as a gift (In Chinese tradition, people bring along money as a gift when attending a wedding or funeral ceremony of relatives or friends. -Translator). However, God did not give her up. Instead, God disciplined her. A week later, she got ill and went to see a doctor. There was an accident in the doctor's diagnose, so she had to have her stomach washed. She was miserable. Not only was she tortured physically, but also had she to spent more money. Therefore, we should rely on our LORD to defeat the temptations of evil. "…having once been slaves of sin,…having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18)
We should also rely on God to defeat the tribulations in our life. There was a sister living in poverty. Her relative tried to help her son to go to America in order that he might help change the difficult situation. Her son was detained by the American Immigration Bureau, which made her situation even worse. Her relative attacked her belief, asking her to leave God. But she kept her firm belief under such pressure, and one month later, her son was relieved. Her life was getting better and better and her faith was reinforced as well. As the LORD promised, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28)
We should defeat not only the tribulations in our life, but also the temptations in the world. We ought to know that we work not because we covet for the world. The Bible tells us that "for all that is in the world-the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches-comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16) Christians should seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit with faith to defeat the temptations in the world. "For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith."
There is weakness in Christian's life. "…I can will what is right, but I can not do it." (Romans 7:18) Although Satan often disturbs and attacks us, we must always depend on the LORD to get victory. We should have "our old self crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed" (Romans 6:6) and we will live like Jesus. May that we know better of the LORD'S road, understand HIS will and preach the full gospel."
3. Christians' life is filled with love. (1 Corinthians 13)
God is love. "You should love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind….And the second is like it: 'You should love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-40) Christians' life is lived to love God and human beings.
(1 Corinthians 13: 4- 8) "Let us love, not in word or speech but in truth and action." (1 John 3:18) A sister in Hei Long Jiang province became a widow when she was 32. she hoped that her husband's previous unit would give her some financial help, but failed. However, she believed that "the birds of the sky neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, …heavenly Father feeds them." (Matthew 6:26) Will He much more care her as God's child? Thus she devoted herself to God and obtained abundant love and grace from God. She was no more in poverty, but rather, she managed a factory and helped over one hundred orphans and widowed mothers.
4. Christians' life has testimony.
Hebrews 2: 1 says that "Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it." We should not only be merely hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word. (James 1:19-27) We ought to be the light and salt of the world and practice the Word of the LORD. In Hu Bei province, there was a sister living on rubbish-collecting. Once she found a rugged bag. She thought of taking it back and mending it. She did not see that there was 63,000 yuan in the bag with two fixed deposit bank account until she took it out in the evening. The total amount was well over 120,000 yuan. Although she had never seen so huge amount of money, she knew Christians mustn't be greedy. The next day she handed the money to the church. With some effort the owner was found. When a reporter interviewed her, what she said was, "Because I am a Christian."
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
（根据录音整理）
