“你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信，这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的。也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。” – 弗 2:8-9
Charlene坐在RCM庇护所的一张椅子上，她两眼向前呆呆地直望，眼皮感觉越来越沉重，她的头低垂下来，开始打起了瞌睡。在此之前，她刚刚接受了一次美沙酮治疗来帮助她戒除海洛因毒瘾。
Kimberly坐在Charlene对面，她不断把袋中的纸张、信封和便笺本翻来翻去。Kimberly患有偏执型精神分裂症，她会对她头脑中出现的声音说话，她睡在废弃的建筑物内，而她也无法照顾自己。
到RCM探访的人常问，这些来接受帮助的人有没有工作，有时我们会听到人们说：“他们什么时候才能找到工作呢？”这样发问似乎认为人的价值只是在于他们所做的工作。尽管他们这样问并没有恶意，但我们需要知道神看重的是整个人的价值，不单是他们能做什么，或有没有一份工作。
我很感恩我有良好的职业道德，但我肯定神对我们的评价不限于我们的职业道德。
Charlene已进入了一个戒毒所，她已有三个星期保持清醒没有再吸毒了。我们感恩圣灵正在复苏她那如同早已腐朽的生命。
祷告
主啊，感谢你赐我们生命，并在各个方面关心我们。感谢你不以我们的行为来决定我们是否能得救。在基督里，你对我们的爱是不附带条件的。阿们。
以弗所书 2:4-10
4然而，神既有丰富的怜悯，因他爱我们的大爱，
5当我们死在过犯中的时候，便叫我们与基督一同活过来。你们得救是本乎恩。
6他又叫我们与基督耶稣一同复活，一同坐在天上，
7要将他极丰富的恩典，就是他在基督耶稣里向我们所施的恩慈，显明给后来的世代看。
8你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信。这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；
9也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。
10我们原是他的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是神所预备叫我们行的。
But Are You Working?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Charlene sat in a chair in the Roseland Christian Ministries shelter. She stared straight ahead, her eyes grew heavy, and her head nodded as she dozed off. Earlier she had received a methadone treatment to push back the withdrawals from her addiction to heroin.
Across from Charlene was Kimberly, shuffling through a bag full of papers, envelopes, and legal pads. She suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. She talks to voices in her head, sleeps in abandoned buildings, and has trouble taking care of herself physically.
Visitors to Roseland Christian Ministries often ask whether or not the people who come there for services work for a living. “When will they get jobs?” we sometimes hear. Questions like that seem to imply that a person’s worth is based mainly on the work they do. When people ask such questions, they probably don’t mean any harm, but it’s important to know that God sees the whole person, not just what they can do or whether they have a job.
I am grateful to have a good work ethic. But I am certain that God’s measure for us is not limited to our work ethic.
Charlene has since moved into a rehabilitation facility. She is three weeks clean and sober. We are grateful that the Spirit is raising her back to life after being nearly dead for so long.
Prayer
Lord, we thank you for the gift of life and all the ways you care for us. Thank you for not basing salvation on our works. In Christ, you love us freely. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
