In my reflections over this Easter season, I am reminded of the amazing grace of God. What is interesting about this is that I found his grace most evident in the idea that God exists as the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For many, the idea that God is three persons but one God is mostly an intellectual idea, a concept too difficult to fully understand. As a result, it is often one of the more ignored truths when it should be the most central. However, Michael Reeves writes that “it is only when you grasp what it means for God to be Trinity that you really sense the beauty, the overflowing kindness, the heart-grabbing loveliness of God.” It is because God is triune that he is so good and desirable.         

      For those of us who have difficulty making sense of the Trinity (which is to say, most of us), Reeves explains it in terms of music:

     “To hear a tuneful harmony can be one of the most intoxicatingly beautiful experiences. And no wonder: as in heaven, so on earth. The Father, Son and Spirit have always been in delicious harmony, and thus they create a world where harmonies - distinct beings, persons or notes working in unity - are good, mirroring the very being of the triune God.”

      Looking back on Easter, we realize that the song of creation had gone out of tune from what the Creator God had intended. The work of the Son, in his death and resurrection, was to bring a song that has gone awry back into tune. The Spirit then gives us himself and through him we participate in the singing of this song for the glory of the Father.         

      As Christians, we are not only redeemed and forgiven of sin, nor are we merely given everlasting life. The most incredible thing of all is we are given the life of the triune God himself. The Spirit unites us to Christ the Son, and the Father knows and loves us as his son or daughter. This is amazing grace!

      這個復活節裏，在我的反思中，我想起了上帝的奇妙恩典。有趣的是，我發現神奇妙的恩典其實最明顯地體現在於祂以三位一體地存在 - 父﹑子和聖靈。

      對於許多人來說，神是三位卻一神的觀念，很多時是一個學術性的議題，並不容易可以完全理解。因此，它本該是真理的核心，卻往往被忽略了。然而，米高·里夫斯（Michael Reeves）寫道：

    「只有當你掌握了神是三位一體的含義時，你才能真正感受到神的美﹑祂傾倒不盡的善﹑動人心弦的愛。」因為上帝是三位一體的，所以祂就是如此的美善和令人嚮往。   對於那些難以理解三位一體的人（也就是我們中的大多數人）， 里夫斯用音樂來解釋這一點：   「聽到和諧的和唱可能是最令人陶醉的美妙經歷之一；難怪有在天若地的譬喻。父﹑子﹑聖靈一直和諧相處，因此祂們創造了一個和諧的世界 – 宇宙萬物都是和諧共存 – 都是美善的，反映出三一神的本性。」

      再思復活節時，我們意識到創造之歌與造物主所譜寫的原曲早就走了調。神兒子以祂的死和復活的大功要將調子調正。然後，聖靈將自己注入我們的生命中，通過祂，我們得以有份，同奏樂章，謳歌頌讚，頌揚天父的榮耀。

      作為基督徒，我們不僅被救贖﹑罪得赦免，也不是單單得着永遠的生命。最不可思議的是，我們被賦予了三位一體神自己的生命。聖靈使我與基督聯合，天父認識我並且愛我如祂的愛子。這是奇異恩典。 

Comments for this post are now off.