...put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life
and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the
spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
– Ephesians 4:22-24
“The kind of burning sensation is what you’d call the worst kind of pain
ever...”6 Tan Hui Linn was badly disfigured when her father who was
unsound mind, splashed acid on her and her mother in 2009. Nine years
on, despite numerous surgeries, Hui Linn is still partially blind, and has
scars covering her face.
Wesley likened the effects of sin to the disfigurement or scarring of the
image of God (imago Dei), which Man was created in. He writes,
...deprived of the favour of God, but also of his image; of all virtue,
righteousness, and true holiness and sunk partly into the image of the devil,
in pride, malice and all other diabolical tempers; partly into the image of
the brute, being fallen under the dominion of brutal passions and groveling
appetites. 7
This loss of the imago Dei meant our wills are governed by our passions,
and our understanding of God darkened. In short, “the life of God was
extinguished in his soul. The glory departed from him.”8
。。。就要脱去你们从前行为上的旧人,这旧人是因私欲的迷惑渐
渐变坏的;又要将你们的心志改换一新,并且穿上新人;这新人是
照着上帝的形象造的,有真理的仁义和圣洁。
《以弗所书》4:22-24
“那种灼烧的感觉就是你所说那种的最糟糕的痛......” 2009
年,陈慧琳被严重毁容,她那心智失常的父亲向她和她的母亲泼了
强酸。9 年过去了,尽管动了无数次的手术,慧琳仍然部分失明,
脸上满是疤痕。
约翰.卫斯理把罪恶的影响比作对上帝形象(Imago Dei)的毁容,
而人类是按这形象造的。他写道,
。。上帝的恩宠以及上帝的形象皆被剥夺。 所有的美德,公
义和真正的圣洁,部分陷入魔鬼的形象,在骄傲、恶意和所有
恶魔般的脾气中; 部分陷入野蛮的形象,落入残暴的激情和卑
贱的欲望统治之下。
上帝形象的丧失意味着我们的意志受我们的激情支配,我们对上帝
的理解变得暗淡了。总之,“有上帝形象的的生命在他的灵魂中消
失了,荣耀离开了他。”
Reflection 反思
How are you controlled by desires? Is it easy to live a Godly life in your
own strength?
我们怎样控制我们的欲望?靠自己的力量活出敬虔生命容易吗?