Christian professor Sun Yi claimed we were forced to go through sufferings in order to learn how to obey God’s will in our lives.
Sun Yi, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at Renmin University and a church elder, gave a lecture titled “Sharing in Christ’s Sufferings” in a Holy Week devotional discipline course on March 30.
In the course sponsored by Surrey Christian Alliance Church in Canada, Sun said that we passively learned how to deny ourselves through sufferings in our lives and to obey God’s will.
Sun said, “Knowing that we do not own a thing in the world, we come to know that we have Jesus whom we belong to and we are accepted by him. It seems like while our feet are stepped on a stone, our hearts become steadfast and our souls receive comfort.”
He added, “Then we have a from-death-to-life turn that shows us a clearer picture of the world. It implies that we accept our limitedness and brokenness, know the real world more truly, and realistically do our part. On that basis, we are learning to live a normal life accompanied by dark forces. We don’t fight with dark forces by ourselves, nor do we long for some Utopia without regard to darkness.”
After experiencing the “turn”, we would be aware that we did not have many days to live and we may gain a heart of wisdom, he confessed.
The professor urged the participants to imagine what they would do if they knowingly had only one more year to live.
“At that time, we will deny our own wisdom, convinced that we cannot do anything. Then we may possibly apply our little remaining time to things God entrusts us to do.”
Sun introduced two ways for us to discipline ourselves on making good use of our time.
He explained, “First, sing hymns silently with prayers and meditate on the questions alone every day or two or three times a week: Am I ready if God calls me to him? Am I ready if he permits me to be taken away? Are there some issues I cannot let go of? Are there some things that scare me? Through self-discipline, you can put down anxious things and enjoy freedom in Jesus Christ. Your heart will be powerful enough to face any possible issue.”
The second approach would be sole meditation after singing and prayers in a fasting that would last one or three days at the beginning of the year.
He shared, “What do you want to do the most if you have just one year? List them out on your notebook and turn them into a manipulable plan through prayers.”
“Check them every three or six months to see if your current life is turning away from your previous life. Share your plan with your family or prayer partner and ask for their prayers, encouragement, and support.”
“Through such discipline, we regard what we have received as commissions from God, execute and maintain them heartily. Implement every single thing after you pray about it. Moreover, try to say no to everything which is not included in your plan; at least don't make promises or commitments to those”, he stressed.
He concluded, “In our journey of faith and life, we will encounter sufferings and inner death, but we can walk out of it through Christ and embrace from-death-to-life turns. When we are raised from the dead, we may genuinely know the world and our limited life.”
- Translated by Karen Luo
2021年3月30日北京时间上午10点，素里华人宣道会在线上举办了受难周灵修操练课程，主讲人孙毅博士分享了《与基督一同经历苦难》的讲座。
孙毅博士在讲座上分享到，在生活中我们常常会被动经历某些患难，在被动经历的过程中去学习放下，学习顺服神的安排。就像约伯所说的：“赏赐的是耶和华，收取的也是耶和华。耶和华的名是应当称颂的。”
同时，圣灵的光照让我们在这样患难的经历中，有得救的确据。当突然一无所有的时候，知道自己还有耶稣，知道自己属于他、也被他所接纳。这时，我们的脚好像突然踩到了一个磐石上，我们的心得到安稳，我们的灵魂得到安慰。孙毅博士说：“这时我们有一个出死入生的回转，更清楚的看清这个世界。这意味着我们接受了自己的有限和残缺，更真实地认识了现实世界，及现实地做好自己的本分工作。在这样的基础上，学会在黑暗势力的伴随下过平凡的生活。生活既不是要靠自己与黑暗势力奋战，也不是无视黑暗憧憬某种乌托邦的理想。”
当人经历了出死入生的回转，意味着什么?
孙毅博士分享说：“我们开始清除自己在世的日子不多，并得着智慧的心。”
紧接着，孙毅博士让大家设想一个场景，假如一生告诉你还剩下一年了，你会用这一年的时间做什么？这时，我们会学会放下的智慧，知道有些事情我们确实做不了，才有可能在有限的时间用在某些神托付我们做的事情上。
孙毅博士也给大家介绍两个操练的方式。
一、每天用一段时间或每周用两三次时间，默唱诗歌并祷告、独自默想一下几个问题：如果神现在召我去，我预备好了吗？如果神许可人现在将我带走，我预备好了吗？有哪些事情是我现在放不下的？有哪些事情是我现在想起来就心慌的？通过这样的操练，把心中所挂虑的事情都放下，心灵在耶稣基督的里面得享自由与释放，心里有力量面对当下可能发生的任何事情。
二、在一年之初，禁食一或三天，唱诗祷告后，独自默想：加入自己还余下一年的时间，你最想做什么事情？在笔记本上列出来，并借着祷告，把所想要做的事情变成一个可以操作的计划。每过三到六个月，对着本子检查一次，看自己是否偏离了之前的计划；与家人或祷告的伙伴分享自己的计划，请他们祷告、给予鼓励和支持。通过这个操练，让我们把所领受的当作是神交托给我们的托付，衷心地执行与维护。对每一件要做的事情，都在祷告后去执行。并且学会对不在这个范围内的事情说“不”，至少不要随意地答应。
最后，孙毅博士总结说：“在我们信仰生活，都会经历苦难，内里的死亡，但是借着基督让我们从中走出来，有了出死入生的回转。出死入生，才有可能真实地认识到世界，并且认识到生命的有限，余下的时间不多。”
素里华人宣教会举办受难周灵修操练课程 孙毅博士分享如何与基督一同经历苦难
Christian professor Sun Yi claimed we were forced to go through sufferings in order to learn how to obey God’s will in our lives.
Sun Yi, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at Renmin University and a church elder, gave a lecture titled “Sharing in Christ’s Sufferings” in a Holy Week devotional discipline course on March 30.
In the course sponsored by Surrey Christian Alliance Church in Canada, Sun said that we passively learned how to deny ourselves through sufferings in our lives and to obey God’s will.
Sun said, “Knowing that we do not own a thing in the world, we come to know that we have Jesus whom we belong to and we are accepted by him. It seems like while our feet are stepped on a stone, our hearts become steadfast and our souls receive comfort.”
He added, “Then we have a from-death-to-life turn that shows us a clearer picture of the world. It implies that we accept our limitedness and brokenness, know the real world more truly, and realistically do our part. On that basis, we are learning to live a normal life accompanied by dark forces. We don’t fight with dark forces by ourselves, nor do we long for some Utopia without regard to darkness.”
After experiencing the “turn”, we would be aware that we did not have many days to live and we may gain a heart of wisdom, he confessed.
The professor urged the participants to imagine what they would do if they knowingly had only one more year to live.
“At that time, we will deny our own wisdom, convinced that we cannot do anything. Then we may possibly apply our little remaining time to things God entrusts us to do.”
Sun introduced two ways for us to discipline ourselves on making good use of our time.
He explained, “First, sing hymns silently with prayers and meditate on the questions alone every day or two or three times a week: Am I ready if God calls me to him? Am I ready if he permits me to be taken away? Are there some issues I cannot let go of? Are there some things that scare me? Through self-discipline, you can put down anxious things and enjoy freedom in Jesus Christ. Your heart will be powerful enough to face any possible issue.”
The second approach would be sole meditation after singing and prayers in a fasting that would last one or three days at the beginning of the year.
He shared, “What do you want to do the most if you have just one year? List them out on your notebook and turn them into a manipulable plan through prayers.”
“Check them every three or six months to see if your current life is turning away from your previous life. Share your plan with your family or prayer partner and ask for their prayers, encouragement, and support.”
“Through such discipline, we regard what we have received as commissions from God, execute and maintain them heartily. Implement every single thing after you pray about it. Moreover, try to say no to everything which is not included in your plan; at least don't make promises or commitments to those”, he stressed.
He concluded, “In our journey of faith and life, we will encounter sufferings and inner death, but we can walk out of it through Christ and embrace from-death-to-life turns. When we are raised from the dead, we may genuinely know the world and our limited life.”
- Translated by Karen Luo
Christian Professor: "Use Our Limited Time to Do What God Entrusts Us to Do"
