Paul's heart
The church sermon series has reached the end of the book of Romans, which described the world as comprised of sinners who, being justified by faith, received the greatest joy because of the peace we have from our faith in God. When we accept the love of Christ, our hearts are renewed and changed. In the church we serve God faithfully, accept each other with love. In Romans chapters 14-15, when Paul was in the Roman church, there was a dispute over what kind of meat to eat. Paul exhorted Christians in the Roman church to accept one another with the goal of glorifying Christ.
In fact, what determined people's attitude and direction in life? Is life for yourself, for others, or for God? If you have a godly attitude your perspective should be different. In the book of Romans, the Christians of the Roman Church were disputing about whether they could eat the sacrifices used for the worship of other gods. For such a difficult issue, Paul said: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Paul advised the Christians at that time to turn from disputing about food and drink to the discussion of the kingdom of God.
If a Christian does not have the kingdom of God in his mind, he will magnify small matters infinitely. Often our focus is misplaced due to our pride. But on the contrary, if a Christian has the kingdom of God in his heart and is Christ like, his vision embraces the whole world, and he is no longer entangled in the disputes of trivial matters.
Paul lifted the vision of the Christians at that time from earth to heaven and saw the world from God's perspective. It’s like looking down at the earth from a plane. You suddenly realise that many things are no longer important. Why should we waste our energy, time, and effort fighting over these trivial matters? Why don’t we set our sights on the kingdom of God, see the world from God’s perspective and height, and see how our lives can have more of the glory of God?
Paul’s concern is not about eating and drinking, but God’s will and plans for Israel and the Gentiles in the Old Testament. Paul focuses on the glory of God and His salvation plan. Paul knew that God’s will is to spread the gospel to the world, so that places where no one has heard the gospel became places where Paul can witness to others the glory of God.
This is Paul, who has the vision of the kingdom of God in his mind. He has a very different attitude towards, and direction of, life. Paul's heart can be a good example for all of us. Whether we can fill our minds with the kingdom of God and matters for the glory of God depends on whether we are able to see people and things, life and the direction of life from the perspective of God and God's glory. In this way, we will be better able to walk with God, in His will, through our life journey.
保羅的胸懷
教會講道系列已經把羅馬書講完了。綜觀羅馬書，從世人都是罪人，因信稱義，因為與神和好，得到最大的喜樂。接受基督的愛，所以心意更新和變化，在教會中，忠心服侍神，在教會中，以愛彼此接納。在最後的14-15章，保羅在羅馬教會，因為食什麼肉，而引起的爭執，保羅勸勉羅馬教會基督徒，以榮耀基督為目標，彼此接納。
其實，人的高度，人的胸襟，決定人的生活態度和方向。生活到底是為自己、為別人、還是為神？如果，胸懷夠大，看事情的角度，處理事情的態度方法便不一樣。
在羅馬書中，羅馬教會的基督徒，他們爭執的，是應否可以吃祭拜過別神的祭物。那麽難解決的問題，保羅以一句：“神的國，不在乎吃喝，只在乎公義、和平並聖靈裡的喜樂。”保羅把當時基督徒，從吃喝的爭執中，提升他們到神的國度裡來討論。
如果基督徒的胸襟沒有神的國度，會把小事情無限放大，但相反，基督徒有神的國在心裡，胸懷之大，會把大事化小。縱使是再難的事情，因為無限大的神的國度，什麼都會變成小事情。很多時候，我們人自以為大事情，只是因為我們的驕傲。如果，在神裡面有著基督的眼光，如基督一樣，眼光是擁抱著整個世界，而再不是糾結現在眼前的爭拗。處理事情的胸懷，一定很不一樣。
保羅可以說，把當時的基督徒，從地，提上了天，用神的視角在看世界。好像是一個人在飛機上，向下面的大地看著。一定是頓然發覺，很多事情，已經不再重要。我們何必為這些小事，而耗費我們的精神，時間，和心力，去爭拗？我們為什麼不把眼光，放在神的國度，以神的眼光及高度看世界，看我們的生活，怎樣是更有神的榮耀。
想保羅所想的，不是吃喝的問題，而是，神在舊約中對以色列人，對外邦人的心意與計劃。保羅糾結的，是為神拯救的榮耀，保羅知道，神的心意，是把福音傳遍地上，每一個角落。以致無人聽過福音的地方，都成為保羅為神見證榮耀的地方。
這便是保羅，有著神國度的眼光，成為他的胸懷，他對生活的態度，人生的方向，就是不一樣。
保羅的胸懷，可以成為我們的借鏡。神的國度，衪的榮耀，是否可以成為我們的胸懷，一切以神的角度，高度，闊度，神的榮耀來看人與事，看生活，看人生方向。這樣，我們便更能與神同行，同走在人生的道路上，活得更合乎神的心意。
