【弗3:17-18】使基督因你们的信，住在你们心里，叫你们的爱心有根有基，能与众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等长阔高深。【Eph 3:17-18】so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

信徒的生命必须在基督的爱里生根建造。主为我们舍命，我们从此知道何为爱，也当为弟兄舍命。A believer’s life needs to take root and be built up in Christ’s love. The Lord gave His life for us; from this we know what love is, and we’re also to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 基督那测不透的爱蕴藏在十字架里。舍命不是单单奉献一切，甚至舍己身叫人焚烧（林前13:3），而是让我们天然人的善恶、私欲都与耶稣同钉十字架，Christ’s unfathomable love is hidden in the cross. Laying down our lives isn’t just giving everything, even handing our bodies over to be burned (1 Cor. 13:3), but letting the old self’s good-and-evil judgements and selfish desires be crucified with Jesus, 使我们的爱不再出于旧人，而是出于神…在清洁的心、无亏的良心、无伪的信心的新人里（提前1:5），让神自由运行，使祂的爱自然流淌出来。so our love comes no longer from the old nature but from God — in the new person of a clean heart, a good conscience and sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5), letting God work freely so His love flows out naturally.

我信主多年，虽有读经、祷告、聚会，却仍常靠自己，用肉体服事，跌倒无数次，才明白肉体里没有良善与真爱。I’ve been a believer for years. Though I read the Bible, pray and gather with others, I’ve often relied on myself, served in the flesh and fallen countless times, only then realising there’s no true goodness or love in the flesh. 凭着肉体去爱，给出去就自夸，越服事越体贴肉体，讨人喜欢，得人夸奖，却不敢责备，不敢指出人的罪，只说人爱听的话，像圣诞老人一样，失去公义和圣洁。When love comes from the flesh, I boast in what I give; the more I serve the more I cater to my flesh, pleasing people, seeking their praise, afraid to rebuke or point out sin, saying only what’s pleasant to hear — like a Santa Claus — and losing righteousness and holiness.

有人说，爱要有“边界”。主啊，求你教导我们，在环境里明白什么是基督的爱。你曾擘饼给五千人、四千人，这是爱；People say love needs “boundaries.” Lord, teach us in our real-life situations what Christ’s love really is. You once broke bread to feed five thousand and four thousand — that’s love; 但当人只想吃饼得饱时，你不但不给，还教训他们：“不要为那必坏的食物劳力，要为那存到永生的食物劳力。” but when people only wanted bread to fill their bellies, You not only didn’t give but warned them: “Don’t work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts to eternal life.” 原来你不是体贴人私欲的“圣诞老人”，而是带人悔改、遵行神的道，明白真理，脱离罪（约8:31），成为满有基督身量的神儿子。这是更你的爱。You’re not a “Santa Claus” who indulges people’s selfish wants, but One who calls people to repent, follow God’s way, know the truth and be free from sin (John 8:31), becoming God’s sons full of Christ’s stature. This too is Your love.

主啊，感谢你是爱的榜样，让我们学习在环境中遵行神的命令，就在神的爱里(约15:10)。你说：“子凭着自己不能作什么，惟有看见父所作的，子才能作；父所作的事，子也照样作。”（约5:19）Lord, thank You for showing us love by Your own example and teaching us to do the Father’s will in our circumstances and so remain in God’s love (John 15:10). You said, “The Son can do nothing by Himself; He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). 爱不是凭感觉好坏，决定做与不做，而是遵行主的命令：主让我给，我就给；主给多少，我就给多少；主不给，我也不勉强给人。主是葡萄树，我们是枝子，祂是爱的源头，Love isn’t ruled by feelings, or by choosing to do or not do, but by obeying the Lord’s commands: if the Lord tells me to give, I give; if the Lord gives a certain amount, I give that amount; if He doesn’t give, I don’t force it. The Lord is the vine; we’re the branches. He’s the source of love. 我领受多少爱，就给出去多少。我不凭自己论断，也不在意别人如何看我是否有爱心。信心、爱心建造到什么地步，就照什么地步行（腓3:16）。我愿十字架治死我旧人的判断和感觉，新人在基督里，爱心不断成熟长大，以基督的心为心。However far my faith and love have grown, that’s how much I give. I don’t judge for myself or worry how others see whether I’m loving. As far as my faith and love have grown, to that degree I live it out (Phil. 3:16). I want the cross to put to death my old self’s judgements and feelings so the new self in Christ can keep growing, with Christ’s heart.

主啊，感谢你拣选我们，成为你的身体。求你带领我们，在各样服事中都连于你元首，彼此相助，使身体渐渐增长，在爱中被建造，Lord, thank You for choosing us to be Your body. Lead us so that in every kind of service we’re joined to You the Head, helping one another, so the body grows and is built up in love, 让众圣徒都不断认识神的儿子，明白你的爱是何等的长阔高深，得以长大成人，满有基督长成的的身量（弗4:12-13,15-16）。so all the saints go on knowing the Son of God, grasping how wide and long and high and deep Your love is, growing into maturity and reaching the full measure of Christ (Eph. 4:12–13,15–16). 愿教会成为你训练众子、彰显你圣洁、公义和真理、恒久忍耐，永不止息--爱的地方。May the church be the place where You train Your sons, showing Your holiness, righteousness and truth, Your patience and never-ending love.

（陈帅弟兄 Raymond Chan）