Title: Virtue that saints must possess (德目)
Contents
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Psalm 136:1-9
1. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good and his mercy endures forever.
2. Give thanks to God, who is superior to all gods, for His mercy endures forever.
3. Give thanks to the Lord who is above all lords, for His mercy endures forever.
4. Give thanks to him who alone does great wonders, for his mercy endures forever.
5. Give thanks to him who in wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endures forever.
6. Give thanks to him who spread out the earth upon the waters, for his mercy endures forever.
7. Give thanks to him who made the great lights, for his mercy endures forever.
8. Give thanks to him who made the sun rule the day, for his mercy endures forever
9. Give thanks to him who made the moon and the stars rule the night, for his mercy endures forever.
Col 3:12-17
12. Therefore, as God's chosen, holy and beloved ones, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13. If anyone is accusing anyone, bear with one another and forgive one another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you.
14. Above all these add love, which is the perfect bond.
15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful.
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, praising God with thanksgiving in your hearts.
17. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Content
Title: Virtues to be possessed by saints (德目)
Text: Psalm 136:1-9, Col 3:12-17
“Take your best garment, put it on, and put your ring finger on your hand, and put on sandals on your feet” (Luke 15:22). The appearance of the second son who returned from living in a pigsty must have been 'misery'. What did you wear on your body? There's no way the ring finger was left behind. What would you wear on your feet? It is the moment of meeting between father and son recorded in the Bible. “He was still far away, but when his father saw him, he had compassion on him, and he ran, hugged his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20b). It is a father's unconventional love. This is the father's reaction. ‘It’s still a long way from home’ ‘My father saw me’ ‘He had compassion on me’ ‘I ran and hugged his neck and kissed him.’ It is the culmination of a life experience that transcends time and space. Father's love is almost ecstasy. The son in his arms opens his mouth in the midst of a crisis. It is a confession of sin.
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). These words were prepared after much deliberation after leaving the pigsty behind and returning home (Luke 15:18,19). But the father doesn't even listen to his son. And this is what you say to your servants. “Take your best garment, put it on, and put your ring finger on your hand and sandals on your feet” (Luke 15:22). Just as his father's reaction was unprecedented, the orders he gave to his servants were also radical. There is no accusation of the Son's past. There is no such thing as a promise for future actions. The ‘best clothes’ are now the clothes of the main character of the feast. ‘Garakji’ means wealth and dignity, and it is a concrete expression of favoritism (寵愛). ‘Shoes on the feet’ were a symbol of a free man, not a slave.
With faith in Jesus as the Christ, our identity changes. Our standing before God changes as in the parable of the prodigal son. With identity, everything else changes. As his status changes from being a pig farmer to his father's son, the circumstances of his life also change. It changes from a pigsty to my father's house. Your diet changes too. It changes from a nutmeg to a fattened calf. Everything involved will change. All are the Father's love and grace. Colossians 3 tells how the lives of new people (saints) who have changed their status will change. It changes from a life that was the object of God's wrath to a life of grace and blessing (Colossians 3:5-11). The beginning of a new life begins with throwing off the old.
It is about taking off the old clothes (old people) that smell like pig cages and putting on new clothes (new people) that the Father has given you by grace. Of course, these are blessings from God. Instead of the five deeds of the old man (fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil lust, and covetousness), there are five deeds of the new man. Mercy, mercy, humility, gentleness, long-suffering, etc. The Father gives these clothes of grace (Colossians 3:12). He tells us to forgive one another and forgive one another (Col 3:13), and add love to it (Col 3:14).
It is the practice of the new commandment (John 13:34) given by the Lord. And in the next verse (Colossians 3:15-17), the words of thanksgiving are repeated three times. “Be thankful” (verse 15). “Praise God with thanksgiving in your heart” (verse 16) and “whatever you do…in the name of Jesus… give thanks to God the Father” (verse 17). ‘Gratitude’ is the last virtue that believers must give to God forever (Psalm 136). This virtue belongs to those who have been trained in gratitude from this earth.