以弗所书 2:6 神⼜使我们在基督耶稣⾥，与基督⼀同复活、⼀同坐在天上，(中⽂标准译本)
Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,(NKJV)
弟兄姐妹，当我们研读圣经时，分辨⾃⼰⽣活在那⼀个时代⾮常之重要。就像⽣活在没有⼿机、 只能藉着写信来沟通的时代，和今天智能⼿机的时代是两个截然不同的世界，圣经中的不同 时代也代表着截然不同的⽣活⽅式。 如果我们仍然⽣活在亚当之约的时代，那时罪恶和死亡掌权，我们的⽣活必定充满挣扎，还得不断藉着献祭向神寻求赦免。但感谢神 ——我们已经不在那个时代了。我们如今⽣活在恩典的新约之下，这新约是藉着耶稣在⼗ 字架上成就的⼯作所⽴定的。今天，我们处在耶稣已经被钉⼗字架、埋葬、 ⼜复活了的时代。救赎的⼯作已经完成，罪的代价已经付清。我们不再需要努⼒去得着那已经⽩⽩赐予我们的恩典。我们⽣活在⼀个⼯作 已经完成的时代。我们已经活在⼀个最美好的时代——恩典、平安、丰盛与安息 的时代。阿们！
Brothers and Sisters, when we read the Bible, it is important that we also understand the era we are living in. Just as living in a time without cell phones—where communication happened through handwritten letters—is very different from today’s world of smart-phones and instant messaging, the different eras in the Bible also represent different ways of living. If we were still living under the Adamic covenant, where sin and death reigned, our lives would be marked by struggles and the constant need to seek forgiveness from God through sacrifices. But praise God—we are no longer in that era. We are now living under the new covenant of grace, established through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Amen. Today we are living in the time where Jesus has already been crucified, buried, and raised to life. The work is done. The price is paid. We are no longer striving to earn what has already been freely given. We are living in the era where the work has been done. We are living in the best of times—times of grace, peace, and abundance and rest. Amen!