Under Construction施工中
Dexu Xia
Under Construction
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:14
They just repaved this road, I thought to myself as the traffic slowed. Now they’re tearing it up again! Then I wondered, Why is road construction never done? I mean, I’ve never seen a sign proclaiming, “The paving company is finished. Please enjoy this perfect road.”
But something similar is true in my spiritual life. Early in my faith, I imagined reaching a moment of maturity when I’d have it all figured out, when I’d be “smoothly paved.” Thirty years later, I confess I’m still “under construction.” Just like the perpetually potholed roads I drive, I never seem to be “finished” either. Sometimes that can feel equally frustrating.
But Hebrews 10 contains an amazing promise. Verse 14 says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Jesus’ work on the cross has already saved us. Completely. Perfectly. In God’s eyes, we are whole and finished. But paradoxically, that process isn’t done yet while we’re still on earth. We’re still being shaped into His likeness, still “being made holy.”
One day, we’ll see Him face-to-face, and we shall be like him (1 John 3:2). But until then, we’re still “under construction,” people who anxiously await the glorious day when the work in us is truly complete.
Do you ever get frustrated that spiritual progress seems slower than you expected? How does this passage from Hebrews encourage you to think about your spiritual growth?
施工中
因为祂一次献祭，便叫那得以成圣的人永远完全。—希伯来书10章14节
当车流变慢时，我纳闷地想着：这条马路才刚重新铺过，怎么现在又要再度把路面挖开！这条路的工程怎么永远做不完？为什么从来没见过有标志写着：“施工单位已完成各项工程，敬请享用这条完美的道路。”
我的属灵生命也有相似之处。刚信主时，我以为把圣经真理全弄懂，或生命被“铺设平整”，就会达到成熟的阶段。但三十年过去了，我却不得不承认，我还处于“施工中”。就像我开车行驶过的那些道路永远都有坑洞一样，我也似乎永远看不到自己属灵生命的“完工”。有时真叫我沮丧。
希伯来书10章包含了令人惊奇的应许。14节说：“因为祂一次献祭，便叫那得以成圣的人永远完全。”耶稣在十字架上所成就的一切，已经拯救了我们。祂完全且完美地做成了！在上帝眼中，我们是完整无缺且已完工。但矛盾的是，我们只要还在世上，这塑造的过程就仍需继续进行，我们仍需被塑造得愈发像祂，愈发成为圣洁。有一天，我们会与祂面对面，且“必要像祂”（约翰一书3章2节）。但在此之前，我们仍处于“施工中”，热切地等着那荣耀的一天到来，在我们身上的工真正地完成。
信实的上帝，有时我会因自己的灵命成长缓慢而感到沮丧。求祢帮助我记住，祢仍在我的生命中动工并且塑造我。求祢让我能变得越来越像祢。
你曾经因为自己的灵命成长不如预期而感到挫败吗？希伯来书的这段经文如何鼓励你，重新看待自己的灵命成长呢？