哥林多後書5:17［若有人在基督裏, 他就是新造的人, 舊事已過, 都變成新的了.］［案例］公元1683年清康熙22年, 施琅攻下台灣, 次年設立台灣府. 1887年台灣省的首任巡撫劉銘傳, 將台灣省城選在台中市建設. 形狀像八卦. 1979年台中市在慶祝建府九十週年時, 做了許多美輪美渙的垃圾桶, 形狀就像一個府城, 放在每個街上的轉角處, 提醒市民注意市容, 保持清潔的習慣. 有人批評用城府做為拉圾桶的形狀, 頗不相宜, 那表示台中市變成了垃圾桶. 雖然當初設計是為了提醒市民吾愛吾市, 但花了好大的功夫, 做都做了, 也沒有辦法改. 幸好, 每天有垃圾車來清理這些拉圾, 使城府不因垃圾塞滿未及時處理, 而臭氣四溢, 令人厭惡. ［理由］新造的人. 每一個人無論外表如何, 都像垃圾桶一樣, 都必須天天清理心中的垃圾. 這些垃圾, 可能是由外界所投入, 也可能是遺傳自DNA, 也可受環境的影響, 也可能是自己製造, 不願讓別人知道, 而藏在心裏, 而引起憤怒, 惱怒, 嫉妒, 貪慾, 淫念, 軟弱等等罪惡. 這些都是心靈垃圾, 每人每月天都應清理它, 免得垃圾放久了放酵, 腐爛. 如果能常常定期, 用神的話語, 把自己的心靈垃圾移除, 自然而然成為新造的人. 但許多人偏不照主的話去行, 當然不可能在基督裏, 放不下自己的舊皮囊, 總認為信主是舊生活的修補和改良, 不求重生作新人. 表面信主, 但總是帶著舊皮囊去盛新酒. 我們不應單單作修補匠, 而是要找到新門路. 大學曰“苟日新, 日日新, 又日新.” 王陽明的心學認為”心即我的靈明. 我的靈明便是天地鬼神的主宰.” 所謂靈明即指聖靈而言.［結論］親愛的天父上帝的, 我們感謝祢的大愛和恩賜. 感謝耶穌的基督成就了救恩. 使我們應信稱義, 有新的生命, 脫離捆綁我們的罪惡, 成為新造的人. 追求永恆的生命, 充滿上帝的榮美. 但我們還是會有很多軟弱和不足之處, 求主添加聖靈的能力, 幫助我們, 使我們的生活能夠見證祢的榮耀和大能, 能夠討主的喜悅. 禱告是奉主耶穌基督的名, 阿們！
2 Corinthians 5:17 [Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!] [Illustration] In 1683, during the 22nd year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, Shi Lang conquered Taiwan, and the following year, Taiwan Prefecture was established. In 1887, Liu Mingchuan, the first governor of Taiwan Province, selected Taichung as the provincial capital and built it in the shape of a Bagua (eight trigrams). In 1979, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the city’s founding, Taichung made beautifully designed garbage bins in the shape of the old provincial capital. These bins were placed on street corners to remind citizens to maintain cleanliness. However, some criticized this design, claiming it implied Taichung had turned into a garbage dump. Despite its original intention to encourage civic pride, the design could not be altered once completed. Fortunately, regular garbage collection prevented these bins from overflowing and causing foul odors, preserving the city’s cleanliness and beauty. [Reason] A New Creation. Everyone, regardless of their outward appearance, is like a garbage bin—requiring regular cleaning of the “trash” within their hearts. This trash may be imposed by external influences, inherited through DNA, shaped by the environment, or self-generated and hidden within, leading to anger, envy, greed, lust, weakness, and other sins. Such “spiritual trash” needs to be cleared daily to prevent it from festering and corrupting our lives. By consistently applying God’s Word to cleanse our hearts, we can naturally become new creations. However, many refuse to follow the Lord’s instructions. They cling to their old ways, seeing faith as merely patching up or improving their previous lives, without seeking true rebirth. Some profess faith outwardly but attempt to pour new wine into old wineskins, unwilling to let go of their former selves. Instead of merely mending the old, we must embrace a completely new path. The ancient teaching says, “If you can renew yourself one day, you can continue to renew yourself daily and again renew yourself.” Wang Yangming’s philosophy emphasizes the clarity of the heart, equating it to the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, the true master of all creation. [Conclusion] Dear Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your great love and abundant grace. Thank You for the salvation accomplished through Jesus Christ, granting us justification by faith and a new life free from the bondage of sin, allowing us to become new creations. Help us to pursue eternal life, filled with Your glory. Though we are still weak and insufficient in many ways, we ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. May our lives bear witness to Your glory and greatness and be pleasing to You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!