幾年前，一首由福音合唱團演唱的英文流行歌曲登上排行榜，合唱團在副歌的部分重複唱著「耶穌與我同行」，其實歌詞的背後有一個感人的故事。

這個合唱團由爵士音樂家柯蒂斯·倫迪（Curtis Lundy）創立，當時他正接受可卡因（古柯鹼）成癮治療計劃。他召聚了其他接受治療的成癮者，並從一首古老的讚美詩中找到靈感，寫下這首歌，做為戒毒者的希望之歌。一位合唱團成員談到這首歌時，說﹕「我們唱出自己的生命景況，祈求耶穌拯救我們，幫助我們脫離毒品。」另一位成員發現，當她唱這首歌時，她的慢性疼痛消退了。這個合唱團不只是唱出歌譜上的歌詞，更是發出了渴望得著救贖的禱告。

今天的閱讀經文貼切地描述了他們的經歷。上帝已藉著基督表明，所有人都能得著救贖之恩（提多書2章11節）。永生固然是恩典的一部分（13節），但此時上帝就在你我身上工作，使我們恢復自制力，拒絕屬世的私慾，祂還救贖我們，使我們能與祂同活（12、14節）。正如那些合唱團成員所體會到的一樣，耶穌不僅赦免我們的罪，還使我們擺脫敗壞的生活。

耶穌與我同行、與你同行，也與任何向祂求助的人同行。祂與我們同在，讓我們未來有盼望，現在得救贖。

A few years ago, a popular song hit the charts, with a gospel choir singing the chorus, “Jesus walks with me.” Behind the lyrics lies a powerful story.

The choir was started by jazz musician Curtis Lundy when he entered a treatment program for cocaine addiction. Drawing fellow addicts together and finding inspiration in an old hymnal, he wrote that chorus as a hymn of hope for those in rehab. “We were singing for our lives,” one choir member says of the song. “We were asking Jesus to save us, to help us get out of the drugs.” Another found that her chronic pain subsided when she sang the song. That choir wasn’t just singing words on a sheet but offering desperate prayers for redemption.

Today’s Scripture reading describes their experience well. In Christ, our God has appeared to offer salvation to all people (Titus 2:11). While eternal life is part of this gift (v. 13), God is working on us now, empowering us to regain self-control, say no to worldly passions, and redeem us for life with Him (vv. 12, 14). As the choir members found, Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sins—He frees us from destructive lifestyles.

Jesus walks with me. And you. And anyone who cries out to Him for help. He’s with us, offering hope for the future and salvation now.