Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

你们的光也当这样照在人前，叫他们看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父。–马太福音5章16节

We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10 

我们原是祂的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是上帝所预备叫我们行的。?-以弗所书2章10节

I was struck by a phrase I heard quoted from a contemporary Bible translation. When I Googled the phrase “our way of life” to locate the passage, many of the results focused on things people felt were threatening their expected way of living. Prominent among the perceived threats were climate change, terrorism, and government policies.

有一本英文圣经译本将以弗所书2章10节的下半句经文译为：“这是上帝预先准备好的，是我们的生活方式。”我上网搜寻，看到许多人都谈到我们原有的生活方式受到多方面的威胁，如气候变化、恐怖主义或政府政策等。

What really is our way of life as followers of Jesus? I wondered. Is it what makes us comfortable, secure, and happy, or is it something more?

那我们基督徒的生活方式应该是怎样的呢？是让生活变得更舒适、安稳、幸福吗？或者有什么比这些更重要的呢？

Paul reminded the Christians in Ephesus of the remarkable way God had transformed their lives. “God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5 nrsv). The result is that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (v. 10 nrsv).

保罗提醒在以弗所教会的基督徒，上帝的大能已经改变了他们的生命。“上帝既有丰富的怜悯，因祂爱我们的大爱，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）” (以弗所书2章4-5节) 。我们是“在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善”，这是上帝预先准备好的，是我们的生活方式 (10节) 。

Doing good works, helping others, giving, loving, and serving in Jesus’s name—these are to be our way of life. They are not optional activities for believers, but the very reason God has given us life in Christ.

积极行善、帮助他人、慷慨给予、付出关爱，以及奉耶稣的名服事，都是我们应有的生活方式。对信徒来说，这些事并不是可有可无的选项，因上帝在基督里赐给我们新的生命，为的是要我们行善。

In a changing world, God has called and empowered us to pursue a life that reaches out to others and honors Him.

在这瞬息万变的世界，上帝呼召并加添力量给我们，要我们过一个帮助他人，荣耀上帝的生活。

Father, thank You for the incredible 

riches of Your love and mercy. 

You rescued us from our dead way of living 

and made us alive with Christ.

天父，感谢祢丰盛的慈爱与怜悯。
祢拯救我们脱离那必死的生活方式，
并使我们与基督同活。

Read：Ephesians 2:1-10 New International Version (NIV)

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time,gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

以弗所书 2:1-10

得救是本乎恩也因着信

2 你们死在过犯罪恶之中，他叫你们活过来。 2 那时你们在其中行事为人，随从今世的风俗，顺服空中掌权者的首领，就是现今在悖逆之子心中运行的邪灵。 3 我们从前也都在他们中间，放纵肉体的私欲，随着肉体和心中所喜好的去行，本为可怒之子，和别人一样。 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。

整理：于姊妹