QT 30/10/2026 Fri. The Battle of the Loves: Self, Money, Pleasure & God 《爱的较量：自我、金钱、享乐与上帝》

QT 30/10/2026 Fri. The Battle of the Loves: Self, Money, Pleasure & God

What happens when “me, my money, and my pleasure” become the centre of our lives? 2 Timothy 3 warns us that this is the spirit of the last days. But here’s the good news: the gospel calls us from self-centredness to Christ-centredness. So, how do we do “Gospel Alive” in such a world?

How to do “Gospel Alive” in the Environment of the Terrible Triplet of the Last Days?

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV)

Paul warns Timothy that “in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” He then describes a culture marked by misplaced loves:

(1) Narcissism — “lovers of self”. Self-love and self-care have their proper place. But narcissism turns the self into the centre of life—my needs, my image, my desires, my recognition—often at the expense of God and others.

(2) Materialism — “lovers of money”. Money is a useful servant but a destructive master. When money becomes an object of love, our identity and security can gradually become tied to what we possess rather than to God.

(3) Hedonism — “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. Pleasure itself is not evil. God gives good gifts for our enjoyment. The problem comes when pleasure becomes the supreme pursuit—when comfort, entertainment, gratification, and personal happiness take priority over loving and obeying God.

The Central Thread: Self-Centredness. What connects these three is disordered love.

• “Lovers of self” — I am the centre.
• “Lovers of money” — What I have is the source of my security.
• “Lovers of pleasure” — What makes me feel good is my highest priority.

The above three life-styles are in error. The gospel calls us away from the self as the centre and back to Christ as the centre. Jesus does not merely tell us to think less about ourselves; He gives us a new object of love. We are to love God and others because Christ first loved us.

“For the love of Christ controls us…” — 2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV)

So the question for the Christian living in the “last days” is not simply, “How do I avoid becoming like the world?” It is: “What does a Christ-centred life look like in a self-centred world?”

How Do We “Gospel Alive”?

(1) Instead of loving self → love Christ and serve others. Our identity is not built on self-promotion but received from Christ. We become free to serve rather than constantly seeking recognition.

(2) Instead of loving money → trust God and practise generosity. Money ceases to be our master. We hold possessions with open hands and use what God gives us for His purposes and the good of others.

(3) Instead of loving pleasure → pursue holiness and delight in God. Christianity is not anti-joy. Rather, it redirects our deepest desire toward God, whose presence and purposes provide a deeper joy than temporary gratification.

A Gospel-Shaped Contrast:

Self-centred life Christ-centred life
Lovers of self        Lovers of God and others
Lovers of money Trusting and generous
Lovers of pleasure Finding joy in God
“What can I get?” “How can I serve?”
Self at the centre  Christ at the centre

The answer to the terrible triplet is therefore not merely better behaviour. It is a transformed heart with a reordered love. The gospel announces that Christ gave Himself for us. And when Christ becomes the centre, the direction of our lives changes:

• From self → to Christ.
• From getting → to giving.
• From consuming → to serving.
• From temporal pleasures → to eternal treasure.

Reflection

Ask yourself:

• Self: Where am I most tempted to make life about me?
• Money: Where does my sense of security depend more on money than on God?
• Pleasure: What pleasures compete with my love for God?
• Christ: What would it look like this week for Christ—not myself—to be at the centre?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, in a world that tells us to put ourselves first, turn our hearts back to You. Deliver us from loving self, money, and pleasure more than we love You. Make Christ the centre of our lives, and help us to live out the gospel with humility, generosity, and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

QT 30/10/2026 星期五 《爱的较量：自我、金钱、享乐与上帝》

当“我、我的钱和我的享乐”成为我们生活的中心时，会发生什么？《提摩太后书》第3章警告我们，这就是末世的灵。但好消息是：福音呼召我们从以自我为中心转向以基督为中心。那么，在这样的世界里，我们该如何践行“活出的福音”呢？

在末世“可怕的三重威胁”的环境中，如何践行“活出的福音”？

经文：提摩太后书 3:1–5
保罗警告提摩太说：“末世必有危险的日子来到。”随后，他描述了一种以错置的爱为特征的文化：

(1) 自恋——“爱自己的人”。自爱与自我关怀本有其应有的位置。但自恋却将自我变成了生活的中心——我的需求、我的形象、我的欲望、我的认可——往往是以牺牲上帝和他人为代价的。

(2) 物质主义——“贪爱钱财的人”。金钱是得力的仆人，却是毁灭性的主人。当金钱成为爱的对象时，我们的身份认同和安全感便会逐渐与所拥有的物质挂钩，而非与神挂钩。

(3) 享乐主义——“贪爱宴乐，不爱神”。享乐本身并非邪恶。上帝赐下美好的礼物供我们享用。问题在于当享乐成为至高追求时——当舒适、娱乐、满足和个人幸福优先于爱上帝和顺服上帝时。

核心主题：以自我为中心。将这三者联系在一起的是紊乱的爱。

• “爱自己的人”——我是中心。
• “爱钱的人”——我拥有的东西是我安全感的来源。
• “享乐主义者”——让我感到愉悦的事物是我的最高优先级。

以上这三种生活方式都是错误的。福音呼召我们不再以自我为中心，而是回归以基督为中心。耶稣不仅告诉我们要少想自己；祂更赐给我们一个新的爱的对象。我们要爱神和爱人，因为基督先爱了我们。

“原来基督的爱催逼着我们……”——《哥林多后书》5:14

因此，对于生活在“末世”的基督徒而言，问题不仅仅在于“我该如何避免变得像这个世界一样？”，而是：“在一个以自我为中心的世界里，以基督为中心的生活该是什么样子？”

我们如何“活现福音”？

(1) 不过度爱自己 → 爱基督并服侍他人。我们的身份并非建立在自我标榜之上，而是从基督那里领受的。我们得以自由地服侍，而非不断寻求认可。

(2) 不贪爱钱财 → 信靠神并实践慷慨。钱财不再是我们的主人。我们以敞开的手掌持守财物，并将神所赐的一切用于祂的旨意和别人的益处。

(3) 不再贪图享乐 → 追求圣洁，以神为乐。基督教并非反对喜乐，而是将我们最深的渴望转向神——祂的同在与旨意所带来的喜乐，远比暂时的满足更深。

以福音为基准的对比：

以自我为中心的生活     以基督为中心的生活
爱自己的人      爱上帝和他人的人
爱钱财的人      信靠上帝且慷慨大方的人
追求享乐的人      在上帝里找到喜乐的人
“我能得到什么？”      “我该如何服侍？”
以自我为中心      以基督为中心

因此，应对这可怕的三重困境的答案，不仅仅是改善行为。而是内心得到更新，爱的次序被重新调整。福音宣告：基督为我们舍己。当基督成为中心时，我们生命的方向便随之改变：

• 从自我 → 转向基督。
• 从索取 → 转向给予。
• 从消费 → 转向服侍。
• 从暂时的享乐 → 转向永恒的珍宝。

反思

问问自己：

• 自我：在哪些方面，我最容易被诱惑，把生活变成以自我为中心？
• 金钱：在哪些方面，我的安全感更多地依赖金钱，而不是依赖上帝？
• 享乐：哪些享乐与我对上帝的爱相冲突？
• 基督：这一周，让基督——而不是我自己——成为生活的中心，会是什么样子？

祷告

天父，在这个告诉我们要以自我为先的世界里，求祢将我们的心转回祢那里。求祢拯救我们，使我们不再比爱祢更爱自己、金钱和享乐。求祢让基督成为我们生命的中心，并帮助我们以谦卑、慷慨和爱心活出福音。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。