In August 2012, my daughter Esther began English lessons with a college student who isn't a Christian. The student assigned her some essay topics such as "I Have a Dream," "My Favorite Book," and "Opportunity and Challenge." I encouraged Esther to approach each topic from a biblical perspective and even wrote a few essays myself. I aimed to provide her with a model to follow as well as possibly enlighten the student about our faith, and it also gave me a chance to practice my English. The student raised some questions about my viewpoint, and I responded to her.
Later, I sent this article to some Christians abroad for evaluation. They provided encouraging feedback, saying that the piece greatly uplifted them. May the Lord use this for His glory!
My favorite book
My favorite book is the Holy Scripture, otherwise known as the Holy Bible. I hold it dear because its author is the Sovereign God, the omnipotent entity who created everything. This God is all-knowing and reigns over all. When such an author imparts wisdom, it is nothing but the unadulterated truth. He is the sole keeper of the ultimate truth and never engages in falsehood. He fears no one and lacks nothing; thus, he has no reason to lie. While others may unintentionally mislead you with their ignorance or deliberately deceive you out of malicious intent, the Almighty God would never do such a thing.
I am fond of the Bible because it reveals the deepest secrets of God and His actions. It elucidates why and how He created the world, what's wrong with it, what He is doing about it, and its eventual fate. We exist in a world that stems from Him, sustains through Him, and ultimately leads to Him. The only way to live righteously and experience life in its fullest sense is to abide by His guidance. This guidance is beautifully encapsulated in His holy word, the Bible.
I love the Bible because it serves as a family letter from my heavenly Father. My Father, through this scripture, professes His love for me. He crafted me in His image and likeness, enabling me to perceive His actions, comprehend His words, understand His intent, and foster a deep love for Him and others. His love for humanity was so profound that He gifted His one and only Son to the world, promising eternal life to those who believed in Him. He dispatched His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in my stead, thus demonstrating the magnitude of His love for me and His abhorrence for the sin that separates me from Him and has the potential to destroy me.
I love the Bible because it affirms the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, who was crucified. It presents convincing evidence that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, and the promised Lord and Savior of Israel and all humankind. He was rejected and killed by His own people but resurrected from the dead and now sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father, reigning as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
I love the Bible because each time I open this divine book, the Holy Spirit enlightens me through its verses. It nourishes me with God's truth and love, transforms me into a likeness of Jesus, and guides me on the path to eternal life.
So, I love the Bible because it is the absolute truth—every word is essential. It imparts life-altering truths, serving as the ultimate authority for life. Lastly, it acts as a conduit for life-giving love that originates from God, guides us back to Him, and unites us with Him forevermore.
The girl responded: Is the Bible the whole world of Christians?
My standpoint:
First, thanks for your participation in our teaching activities. I do appreciate both you and Mrs. Jiang, for you guys make every effort to help Esther grow up in a healthier and more positive way.
Second, I’ve noticed that all of your family members are Christians. Through your compositions, a strong overflow of devoutness for Jesus strikes me deeply. I’m not a believer in any religion. But I respect your beliefs and have an interest in getting a deeper understanding of Christianity. I have no idea whether the Bible is the whole world to you Christians. Nevertheless, as a bystander with some kind of sophisticated experience, I do hope the Bible is a huge encouragement for Esther instead of confinement. In other words, I believe Esther is a young girl whose parents influence her future to some extent. And you lead her into a new world called the Bible and Jesus. However, it is better for her to experience more interesting things, not just the world of God. She is worth exploring new things at this age and making a choice for herself. It is worth mentioning that here I have the slightest intention to make any judgment on you or even criticize you. All I want to stress is a piece of advice. If there is any offense, please forgive me.
My Response to the Inquiry: Why the Bible is the Complete Universe for True Christians
Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Your constructive comments and thoughtful suggestions are much appreciated, as is your clear and expressive English. Here, I will attempt to address your question concerning the bond between Christians and the Bible.
Is the Bible a Christian's entire universe? Indeed, it is. However, does this insinuate that we only read the Bible and nothing else? Certainly not. Does it imply that the Bible restricts us? The answer is both yes and no.
Firstly, a Christian undergoes a transformative change of heart. Imagine encountering something so enlightening or astonishing that it transcends your understanding and introduces you to a new reality. Such an experience would permanently alter your life, making it impossible to revert to your former self. This is what occurs when an individual encounters Christ and embraces Christianity. Witnessing the glorious life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a person's old self is shattered, making way for transformation into a new person in the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Bible states, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Being in Christ signifies possessing the same life and spirit as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Formerly dead to the realm of God, a person now finds God at the center of their existence. Their primary passion and pursuit now become God—His will, His beauty, His awe-inspiring dignity, and His boundless love. They read God’s word, contemplate it, dream about it, converse about it, and live by it. The Bible thus provides a new language for this newly transformed heart.
Secondly, with this new heart comes a new perception. Once blind, the person now sees. Previously, they might have stumbled in the dark, dependent on a walking stick, a guide dog, or another blind individual. Now, they can perceive everything with their own eyes, feeling liberated rather than confined by their newfound sight. They have freed themselves from reliance on walking sticks or dogs. They are not deprived of these aids but have simply outgrown their need. Consider this analogy: we value the dim light of a candle, a lamp, or even a firefly in the darkness of the night. However, when the brilliant sun rises, we willingly confine ourselves to this one great light. This isn't a limitation, but rather a liberation.
Recognize that God created the world for and with him. If God doesn't rule the throne of your world, chaos ensues, and your life is doomed. The world's wisdom is foolishness to God, as it disregards His role. The world neglects heaven and hell and is ignorant of the world's beginning and end. The concept of the final judgment is scoffed at. People behave as if they were the centers of the world. Their shortsightedness is like being confined to a two-dimensional world, while Christians perceive heaven in multiple dimensions.
The Bible affords me the ability to see and the light by which to see.
Thirdly, the new heart bestows a new identity in God’s family. When His one and only begotten son transforms us, God adopts us as His sons or daughters. As members of the royal family, we must speak with a tone of royal dignity and discuss matters of royal significance. As the bride of Christ, we must maintain purity and chastity, refraining from flirting with the world. As His servants, His word becomes our supreme commandment.
God instructs us to treasure His words, meditating day and night, like a tree planted by a stream. God's word, the Holy Bible, is life-giving water. It is my light, my food, my air, my familial letter, my love letter, my map for a pilgrim journey, and my guide to triumph in the battle of life and death.
However, this doesn’t mean that we are ignorant of or excluded from valuable things outside the Bible and Christianity. We appreciate every classic work through the lens of the Bible, detoxifying its essence rather than diminishing it. A spiritual person perceives everything but remains enigmatic to others. Every good thing is from God, but without the Bible, it's impossible to differentiate good from evil. Unsaved individuals occasionally glimpse the light, but their truth, tainted with deception, is merely a subtle lie. If the essence can't be separated from the dross, it will lead to eventual destruction.
The Bible is either absolute or obsolete. If the Bible isn't your entire universe, it means nothing to you. If God doesn't dominate everything, He becomes a lifeless idol or a pointless concept. If Christ is not the lord of lords and king of kings, He is a deceiver. Faith must be radical, and we should be radically faithful!
(The author is a freelance Christian writer.)
2012年8月，我的女儿以斯帖开始跟一个非基督徒的大学生上英语课。这名学生给她布置了一些作文题目，比如“我有一个梦想”、“我最喜欢的书”和“机遇与挑战”。我鼓励以斯帖从圣经的角度来探讨每个话题，甚至我自己也写了一些文章。我的目的是为她提供一个学习的榜样，向那个学生展示我们的信仰，这也给了我一个练习英语的机会。那位学生就我的观点提出了一些疑问，我又回答了她。
稍后，我将这篇文章发送给了一些海外的基督徒进行评估。他们给予了鼓励性的反馈，称该篇文章让他们感到非常振奋。愿主使用此文来荣耀他的名！
我所最爱的书，就是圣经，或称圣书。我爱它，因为其作者是至高的上帝。上帝创造万有，他知道一切，他统治一切。所以，当这样的一位作者告诉你什么事情的时候，他所说的一定是真理。因为只有他知道终极的真理，并且他绝对不撒谎。他不怕任何人，他也不缺乏任何东西，所以他没有任何理由撒谎。其他的人可能会因为其无知而无意中误导了你，或者因为其邪恶而故意欺骗你，但是对于全能的上帝，他绝对不会！
我爱圣经，因为在其中上帝启示了有关他的存在和作为的最深的奥秘。比如，他为何创造世界，又是如何创造。这世界出了什么问题，他在如何处理这些问题，以及这世界的结局是什么。我们所生活的世界，是本于他，倚靠他，为了他；我们若要正确地生活，并且活出生活的极致，唯一的道路就是按上帝的生活指南---神的话，即圣经---来生活。
我爱圣经，因为它是我的天父所写来的家书。我的父在信中告诉我，他爱我。他按他自己的形象和样式创造了我，使我能够观看他的作为，倾听他的话语，明白他的心意，深深地爱他并且彼此相爱。上帝爱世人，甚至将他的独生儿子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，所得永生。上帝差遣他的儿子耶稣基督，为我死在十字架上。他以此告诉我，他多么爱我，并多么痛恨那些引我离开他，并且将要毁灭我的罪。
我爱《圣经》，因为它肯定了被钉在十字架上的拿撒勒人耶稣基督的神性。它提供了令人信服的证据，证明耶稣确实是基督，神的儿子，应许的主，以色列和全人类的救主。他曾被自己的百姓所弃绝，所杀，如今却从死里复活，坐在父神的右边，作万王之王，万主之主。
我爱圣经，因为每次当我打开这本天上的书，圣灵通过经文教导我，以神的真理和爱来喂养我，转化我，使我更像耶稣，引导我走永生的道路。
所以，我爱圣经，因为它是绝对真实的，字字真言；它讲的是生死攸关的真理；它是生活的终极权威；最后，它是一个爱的通道，这爱给人生命，它是从神而来，又要把我们引到神那里去，并且要把我们与神联合，直到永永远远。
女孩的回答：圣经是基督徒的全部世界吗？
我的立场：
首先，感谢你参与到我们的教学活动中。我很欣赏你们夫妇，因为你们尽了一切的努力帮助以斯帖更健康、更积极的成长。
其次，我注意到你们全家都是基督徒。展读你们的作品，一股强烈的对基督的虔诚扑面而来，深触我心。我不信任何宗教，但我敬重你们的信仰并有兴趣对基督教有更深的了解。我不知道圣经是不是你们基督徒的整个世界。然而，作为一个涉世颇深的旁观者，我希望圣经对她来说是一个巨大的鼓励而不是限制。换言之，我认为以斯帖是一个小女孩，她的视野从某种程度上是由你们父母决定的。你把她领入了一个新的由圣经和耶稣组成的世界。然而，对她来说，经历更多有趣的事情更好，不光是神的世界。她在这个年龄段值得去探索新事物并自己做出选择。
我对这个问题的回答:为什么圣经是真正基督徒的整个宇宙
感谢你一直以来的支持和慷慨。非常感谢您的建设性意见和周到的建议，以及您清晰而富有表现力的英语。在这里，我将尝试回答你关于基督徒和圣经之间关系的问题。圣经是基督徒的整个宇宙吗?确实如此。然而，这是否暗示我们只读圣经而不读其他东西呢?当然不是。这是否意味着我们受到圣经的限制?答案既是肯定的，也是否定的。
首先，基督徒要经历心灵的转变。想象一下，当你遇到一些如此有启发性或令人惊讶的事情，它超越了你的理解，把你引入一个新的现实。这样的经历会永久地改变你的生活，使你不可能回到以前的自己。当一个人遇到基督并信奉基督教时，就会发生这样的事。见证耶稣荣耀的生、死和复活，一个人的旧自我被打碎，为转变成一个像耶稣基督的新人让路。圣经说:“若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人。”在基督里意味着拥有与神的儿子耶稣基督相同的生命和灵性。以前对于上帝的事情是死的，一个人现在发现上帝是他们存在的中心。他们的主要热情和追求现在变成了神——他的旨意、他的美丽、他令人敬畏的尊严和他无限的爱。他们读神的话语，默想神的话语，梦到神的话语，谈论神的话语，并且遵行神的话语。因此，圣经为这颗新转变的心提供了一种新的语言。
其次，有了这颗新的心，就有了新的洞察力。曾经失明的人现在能看见了。以前，他们可能在黑暗中跌跌撞撞，依靠一根棍子、导盲犬或其他同样瞎眼的人。现在，他们可以用自己的眼睛感知一切，他们不是被他们新发现的视力所限制，而是被其解放了。他们已经摆脱了对棍棒和狗的依赖。他们并没有被剥夺这些帮助，只是长大了，不再需要这些。考虑一下这个类比:我们重视蜡烛、灯、甚至是夜晚黑暗中一只萤火虫的微弱光芒。然而，当灿烂的太阳升起时，我们却心甘情愿地把自己局限在这一束伟大的光芒中。这不是限制，而是解放。
要明白世界是由上帝创造的，也是为上帝而创造的。如果上帝不统治你的世界，混乱随之而来，你的生活注定要失败。在神看来，世人的智慧是愚拙的，因为它忽视了神的角色。世人忽略了天堂和地狱，也不知道世界的开始和结束。最后审判的概念被人嘲笑。人们表现得好像他们是世界的中心。他们的目光短浅，就像被局限在一个二维的世界里，而基督徒是从天堂和多维度来感知的。
圣经给了我看见的能力和借以看见的光明。
第三，新心在神的家中赋予一个新的身份。当我们被神的独生子改变时，神就收纳我们为祂的儿女。作为王室成员，我们必须以王室尊严的口吻说话，讨论王室大事。作为基督的新娘，我们必须保持纯洁和贞洁，避免与世界调情。作为他的仆人，他的话成为我们最高的命令。
这种新的身份通过上帝的话语得到表达。
神指示我们要把他的话放在心里，昼夜思想，他把我们比作栽在溪边的一棵树。神的话语，圣经，是赐生命的水。它是我的光，我的食物，我的空气，我的家书，我的情书，我朝圣之旅的地图，我在生死之战中取得胜利的指南。然而，这并不意味着我们对圣经和基督教之外的有价值的东西一无所知或被排斥在外。我们通过圣经的镜头欣赏每一部经典作品，去毒存菁，去伪存真。属灵的人能参透万事，却没有人能看透他。一切美善都来自上帝，但没有圣经，我们就不可能区分善恶。未得救的人偶尔也能瞥见光明，但他们的真理混杂着欺骗，只不过是一个微妙的谎言。如果无法将本质从杂质中分离出来，最终将导致灭亡。
圣经要么是一切，要么什么都不是。如果圣经不是你的整个世界，那它对你来说就毫无意义。如果上帝不主宰一切，他就变成了一个无生命的偶像或一个无意义的概念。如果基督不是万主之主，万王之王，他就是一个大骗子。信仰必须是完全彻底的，我们应该完全彻底地忠于信仰！
我最喜欢的书
In August 2012, my daughter Esther began English lessons with a college student who isn't a Christian. The student assigned her some essay topics such as "I Have a Dream," "My Favorite Book," and "Opportunity and Challenge." I encouraged Esther to approach each topic from a biblical perspective and even wrote a few essays myself. I aimed to provide her with a model to follow as well as possibly enlighten the student about our faith, and it also gave me a chance to practice my English. The student raised some questions about my viewpoint, and I responded to her.
Later, I sent this article to some Christians abroad for evaluation. They provided encouraging feedback, saying that the piece greatly uplifted them. May the Lord use this for His glory!
My favorite book
My favorite book is the Holy Scripture, otherwise known as the Holy Bible. I hold it dear because its author is the Sovereign God, the omnipotent entity who created everything. This God is all-knowing and reigns over all. When such an author imparts wisdom, it is nothing but the unadulterated truth. He is the sole keeper of the ultimate truth and never engages in falsehood. He fears no one and lacks nothing; thus, he has no reason to lie. While others may unintentionally mislead you with their ignorance or deliberately deceive you out of malicious intent, the Almighty God would never do such a thing.
I am fond of the Bible because it reveals the deepest secrets of God and His actions. It elucidates why and how He created the world, what's wrong with it, what He is doing about it, and its eventual fate. We exist in a world that stems from Him, sustains through Him, and ultimately leads to Him. The only way to live righteously and experience life in its fullest sense is to abide by His guidance. This guidance is beautifully encapsulated in His holy word, the Bible.
I love the Bible because it serves as a family letter from my heavenly Father. My Father, through this scripture, professes His love for me. He crafted me in His image and likeness, enabling me to perceive His actions, comprehend His words, understand His intent, and foster a deep love for Him and others. His love for humanity was so profound that He gifted His one and only Son to the world, promising eternal life to those who believed in Him. He dispatched His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in my stead, thus demonstrating the magnitude of His love for me and His abhorrence for the sin that separates me from Him and has the potential to destroy me.
I love the Bible because it affirms the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, who was crucified. It presents convincing evidence that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, and the promised Lord and Savior of Israel and all humankind. He was rejected and killed by His own people but resurrected from the dead and now sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father, reigning as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
I love the Bible because each time I open this divine book, the Holy Spirit enlightens me through its verses. It nourishes me with God's truth and love, transforms me into a likeness of Jesus, and guides me on the path to eternal life.
So, I love the Bible because it is the absolute truth—every word is essential. It imparts life-altering truths, serving as the ultimate authority for life. Lastly, it acts as a conduit for life-giving love that originates from God, guides us back to Him, and unites us with Him forevermore.
The girl responded: Is the Bible the whole world of Christians?
My standpoint:
First, thanks for your participation in our teaching activities. I do appreciate both you and Mrs. Jiang, for you guys make every effort to help Esther grow up in a healthier and more positive way.
Second, I’ve noticed that all of your family members are Christians. Through your compositions, a strong overflow of devoutness for Jesus strikes me deeply. I’m not a believer in any religion. But I respect your beliefs and have an interest in getting a deeper understanding of Christianity. I have no idea whether the Bible is the whole world to you Christians. Nevertheless, as a bystander with some kind of sophisticated experience, I do hope the Bible is a huge encouragement for Esther instead of confinement. In other words, I believe Esther is a young girl whose parents influence her future to some extent. And you lead her into a new world called the Bible and Jesus. However, it is better for her to experience more interesting things, not just the world of God. She is worth exploring new things at this age and making a choice for herself. It is worth mentioning that here I have the slightest intention to make any judgment on you or even criticize you. All I want to stress is a piece of advice. If there is any offense, please forgive me.
My Response to the Inquiry: Why the Bible is the Complete Universe for True Christians
Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Your constructive comments and thoughtful suggestions are much appreciated, as is your clear and expressive English. Here, I will attempt to address your question concerning the bond between Christians and the Bible.
Is the Bible a Christian's entire universe? Indeed, it is. However, does this insinuate that we only read the Bible and nothing else? Certainly not. Does it imply that the Bible restricts us? The answer is both yes and no.
Firstly, a Christian undergoes a transformative change of heart. Imagine encountering something so enlightening or astonishing that it transcends your understanding and introduces you to a new reality. Such an experience would permanently alter your life, making it impossible to revert to your former self. This is what occurs when an individual encounters Christ and embraces Christianity. Witnessing the glorious life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a person's old self is shattered, making way for transformation into a new person in the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Bible states, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Being in Christ signifies possessing the same life and spirit as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Formerly dead to the realm of God, a person now finds God at the center of their existence. Their primary passion and pursuit now become God—His will, His beauty, His awe-inspiring dignity, and His boundless love. They read God’s word, contemplate it, dream about it, converse about it, and live by it. The Bible thus provides a new language for this newly transformed heart.
Secondly, with this new heart comes a new perception. Once blind, the person now sees. Previously, they might have stumbled in the dark, dependent on a walking stick, a guide dog, or another blind individual. Now, they can perceive everything with their own eyes, feeling liberated rather than confined by their newfound sight. They have freed themselves from reliance on walking sticks or dogs. They are not deprived of these aids but have simply outgrown their need. Consider this analogy: we value the dim light of a candle, a lamp, or even a firefly in the darkness of the night. However, when the brilliant sun rises, we willingly confine ourselves to this one great light. This isn't a limitation, but rather a liberation.
Recognize that God created the world for and with him. If God doesn't rule the throne of your world, chaos ensues, and your life is doomed. The world's wisdom is foolishness to God, as it disregards His role. The world neglects heaven and hell and is ignorant of the world's beginning and end. The concept of the final judgment is scoffed at. People behave as if they were the centers of the world. Their shortsightedness is like being confined to a two-dimensional world, while Christians perceive heaven in multiple dimensions.
The Bible affords me the ability to see and the light by which to see.
Thirdly, the new heart bestows a new identity in God’s family. When His one and only begotten son transforms us, God adopts us as His sons or daughters. As members of the royal family, we must speak with a tone of royal dignity and discuss matters of royal significance. As the bride of Christ, we must maintain purity and chastity, refraining from flirting with the world. As His servants, His word becomes our supreme commandment.
God instructs us to treasure His words, meditating day and night, like a tree planted by a stream. God's word, the Holy Bible, is life-giving water. It is my light, my food, my air, my familial letter, my love letter, my map for a pilgrim journey, and my guide to triumph in the battle of life and death.
However, this doesn’t mean that we are ignorant of or excluded from valuable things outside the Bible and Christianity. We appreciate every classic work through the lens of the Bible, detoxifying its essence rather than diminishing it. A spiritual person perceives everything but remains enigmatic to others. Every good thing is from God, but without the Bible, it's impossible to differentiate good from evil. Unsaved individuals occasionally glimpse the light, but their truth, tainted with deception, is merely a subtle lie. If the essence can't be separated from the dross, it will lead to eventual destruction.
The Bible is either absolute or obsolete. If the Bible isn't your entire universe, it means nothing to you. If God doesn't dominate everything, He becomes a lifeless idol or a pointless concept. If Christ is not the lord of lords and king of kings, He is a deceiver. Faith must be radical, and we should be radically faithful!
(The author is a freelance Christian writer.)
My Favorite Book
