Want a Fulfilled Life?

We all hear people say that to have a fulfilled life, we must take full control of it. But we soon learn that many problems in life are beyond us. Then some of us humble ourselves and, rather than blaming our genes, our upbringing, or the society, we accept that in many situations, we are the problem (Matthew 5:3).
 
We should not be the master, ignoring God’s sovereignty. We feel sad, acknowledge our mistakes, and accept the consequences (Matthew 5:4-5). Both moralists and Christians are sorry for their mistakes. But moralists think their good behaviors would compensate, while Christians see our actions cannot take us out of God’s wrath.
 
Yet, many of us still yearn to be approved and accepted by the Almighty (Matt 5:6). May be because we want to boost our ego or feel good about ourselves. In any event, God hates sin and could not just accept us (Romans 3:10-12).
 
God is angry because He loves us. If someone we love is consumed by narcotics, destroying his future, we would be angry with him too. We want to free him of this terrible bondage, even if he has to go through severe pain, though we desire for mercy in the suffering.
 
Our path to be right with God is through Christ suffering and taking our punishment. Christ sacrificed Himself for us so we could become God’s children, justified in His eyes. We willingly follow Him and listen to Him at least because of His love for us and His wisdom.
 
God accepts us because we rely on Christ. If we do well, we will not feel puffed up or brag. If we fail, we will not be cast down. What others think of us is not important because God’s acceptance is not based on our works.
 
In conclusion, humbly and sadly, we accept our weakness and mistakes. Then we rely on Christ’s sacrifice to become God‘s children, listening to and following God. This is the way to live a fulfilled life.
 
Summarized from a Tim Keller sermon:
https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/coming-to-christ-6354/
 

 
丰盛生命之路？
 
经常听到有人说想拥有一种完全由自己掌管的丰盛生命，但不久就发现生活中有许多问题无法解决。 于是有些人变得谦卑, 接受在很多情况下自己便是问题的根源，而不是归咎于基因、成长或社会的影响（马太福音5：3）。
 
我们不应该成为自己的主人而无视上帝的主权，应该为罪感到悲哀, 承认自己的过错并接受其后果 （马太福音5：4-5）。 道德主义者和基督徒都为自己的过犯感到抱歉。但道德主义者认为良好的行为可以弥补错失，而基督徒则认为个人的行为无法使人摆脱上帝的忿怒。
 
然而，许多人仍然渴望得到全能上帝的认可和接纳 （马太福音5：6）. 这可能因为想自我提升或让感觉良好。 无论如何，因为上帝恨恶罪，所以不能就直接接纳犯了罪的我们（罗马书3:10-12）。
 
上帝因爱而愤怒。如果有一个我们所爱的人被毒品消耗，破坏了他的前途，我们也会对他感到愤怒。即使要他忍受极度的痛苦，为了使他摆脱这种可怕的束缚,我们也会接受, 但希望他在痛苦中能得到怜悯。
 
我们与神和好的道路是通过基督受难，代替我们接受惩罚，使我们与上帝和好。基督为我们牺牲自己，使我们能够成为上帝的儿女，在祂眼中可以称义。 我们愿意跟随上帝，听祂的话, 至少因为祂对我们的大慈爱和祂无法测度的智慧。
 
上帝接纳我们是因为我们依靠基督。 如果做得好，我们不会感到骄矜； 如果失败了，也不会灰心。 其他人的看法并不重要，因为上帝的接纳并非基于我们所做的事。
 
总而言之，当以谦卑和悲恸的心来接受自己的软弱和错误，然后全心依靠基督的牺牲成为上帝的儿女，聆听祂并跟随祂。这就是通往丰盛生命的道路。