即使死亡也喜乐

“For to me, to live is Christ, 

and to die is gain” 

(Philippians 1:21).

“因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处。”

（腓利比书1：21）

In addition to Scripture, God has given us more than adequate spiritual resources to meet suffering and death.

除了圣经，上帝还给了我们更多的属灵资源让我们来面对苦难和死亡。

Wall Street, the name synonymous with the American stock market and financial investing, is a place where confidence can rise and fall with great force and unpredictability, right along with the rising or sinking level of stock prices. Prices always seem to even out, but who can be certain about how they will behave in the future?

华尔街，这个名称与美国股票市场和金融投资的代名词一样，是一个信心可以随着股价上涨或下跌而强有力和不可预测地上涨和下跌的地方。 价格总是看似平淡无奇，但又有谁能确定他们未来的趋势？

The apostle Paul’s spiritual confidence was not based on the changeableness of financial markets but on truths that are stable and reliable. Yesterday we saw his confidence in God’s Word, and today we’ll look at three more reasons Paul could confront death confidently.

使徒保罗的属灵信心不是基于金融市场的可变性，而是基于稳定可靠的真理。 昨天我们看到了他对上帝话语的信心，今天我们再来看看保罗可以有信心地面对死亡的三个理由。

First, Paul had confidence in the prayers of other believers. But it was not a presumptuous confidence because he believed in asking others to pray (see Rom. 15:30). Paul was convinced that “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

首先，保罗对其他信徒的祷告有信心。但这不是一种假想的信心因为他相信并请求他人代求（罗马书15：30）。保罗坚信“义人祈祷所发的力量是大有功效的。”（雅各书5：16）。

Second, Paul was confident that the Holy Spirit would supply all necessary resources to sustain him through any suffering, even death. All Christians can have that same confidence: “The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26).

第二，保罗相信圣灵必在各样的苦难，甚至死亡时供给他所需的一切，来保守他。所有的基督徒都当有同样的信心：“况且，我们的软弱有圣灵帮助；我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只有圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。”（罗马书8：26）。

Third, Paul had the utmost confidence in Christ’s promises. The apostle was sure that God had called him to a specific ministry (Acts 26:16) and that if he was faithful, he would never suffer shame (Mark 8:38). Jesus never abandons His sheep, no matter how bleak and frustrating their circumstances seem (John 10:27-28).

第三，保罗对基督的应许有最大的信心。使徒保罗确定上帝呼召他作专门执事（使徒行传26：16），如果他有信心的话，他就永远不会羞愧（马可福音8：38）。耶稣从来不放弃祂的羊群，不管面临的状况是何等的黯淡和沮丧（约翰福音10：27-28）。

Our verse from Philippians summarizes Paul’s confidence and joy in spite of possible death. As long as he was serving Jesus Christ, he’d just as soon die because death frees the believer from the burdens of earth and lets him glorify Christ in eternity. We can rely on the same promises and provisions as Paul did and have his kind of joy. Jesus “is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

腓利比书中的一节经文总结了保罗在面对可能的死亡时所有的信心和喜乐。只要他服侍耶稣基督，他都想要尽快死去，因为死亡使信徒脱离了世上的劳苦，并在永恒里荣耀基督。我们也要和保罗一样依靠同样的应许和信心，享有同样的喜乐。耶稣“昨日、今日、一直到永远，是一样的。”（希伯来书13：8）

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