“若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。” – 林后5:17
神是慈爱、讲道理和有创造能力的，所以，按照祂的形像被造的儿女，也是这样的。可是，我们却不尊崇良善、行事不正直、不去创造美好的事和堕入罪恶中（创世记3章）。结果我们轻视、伤害、和破坏了我们的世界和我们与别人的关系。尽管我们仍然有能力作一点善行（因着神的恩典），可悲的是，明显地我们不能达到我们被造时拥有的潜力。我们蓄意犯罪，伤害别人和做破坏的事。
当我们人类第一次背叛神时，我们实在很难想像神感到多么失望和心碎。神本可以消灭了人类，然后再来一次创造的。然而从某个角度来看，祂其实已经带来了一个新的开始。神差遣祂的儿子耶稣到来，祂带着神的形像和从来没有犯罪；在每一方面，耶稣都像我们那样有完全的人性（参看约翰福音 1:14；3:16-18；希伯来书 2:17；4:15）。祂是慈爱、有思想和有创造能力的，这些都是按照神的形像被造的人应有的特性。耶稣按了能够更新人类性情的键。
藉着耶稣我们得拯救是一个神迹，因为我们能够在祂新的创造和祂造的新世界里有份。我们可以再一次成为神家里的成员。藉着祂赐给我们的新生命，耶稣拯救了我们！
祷告
亲爱的耶稣，你是拯救整个创造的急救员，我们感谢你；你赐给我们一个新的开始。求你帮助我们奉你的名忠心地过生活。阿们。
创世记 1:26-31
神说：“我们要照着我们的形象，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地，并地上所爬的一切昆虫。”神就照着自己的形象造人，乃是照着他的形象，造男造女。
神就赐福给他们，又对他们说：“要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地，也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟和地上各样行动的活物。”
神说：“看哪，我将遍地上一切结种子的菜蔬和一切树上所结有核的果子，全赐给你们做食物。至于地上的走兽和空中的飞鸟，并各样爬在地上有生命的物，我将青草赐给它们做食物。”事就这样成了。神看着一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。
Jesus Recreates Us
“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
God loves, reasons, and creates. So do his children, made in his image and likeness. But instead of honoring the good, doing the right, and creating the lovely, we fell into sin (Genesis 3). As a result, we despise, pervert, and destroy our world and our relationships. Though we are still able to do some good (by the grace of God), it is painfully obvious that we do not live up to our created potential. We willfully do wrong, hurt others, and destroy.
It is hard to imagine the disappointment and heartbreak God must have felt when we first turned against him. God might well have destroyed humanity and started over. And in a way he did make a new start. God sent his Son, Jesus, to bear his image without falling into sin; Jesus was fully human, like us in every way (see John 1:14; 3:16-18; Hebrews 2:17; 4:15). He loves and thinks and creates as a human made in God’s image should. He hit the restart button on human nature.
The miracle of salvation through Jesus is that we can become part of the new creation and the new world he creates. We can become part of God’s family again. With the new life he makes possible for us, Jesus saves!
Dear Jesus, thank you for being the first responder for all of creation. You have given us a new start. Help us to live faithfully in your name. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
