猶大書
3 親愛的,我曾經迫切地想寫信給你們,論到我們共享的救恩;現在我更覺得必須寫信勸勉你們,要竭力維護從前一次就全交給了聖徒的信仰,4 因為有人已經混進你們中間,他們就是早被判定受刑的不敬虔的人。這些人把我們神的恩典當作放縱情慾的藉口,並且否認獨一的主宰我們的主耶穌基督。5 雖然這一切事情你們都早已知道,我仍然要提醒你們:從前主從埃及地把人民救出來,跟著就把那些不信的人除滅了。6 還有,那不守本位擅離自己居所的天使,主用永遠的鎖鍊把他們拘留在黑暗裡,直到那大日子的審判。7 又像所多瑪、蛾摩拉和周圍城市的人,與他們一樣的淫亂,隨從反常的情慾,以致遭受永火的刑罰,成了後世的鑒戒。8 雖然是這樣,這些醉生夢死的人還是照樣玷污身體,藐視主權,毀謗尊榮。
默想:
- 「恩典」(4節)就是當我犯了罪,若誠心認罪,神必赦免,並仍然接納我為祂的兒女。但若認為反正有神的恩典來赦免、包容、接納、祝福,信徒就可以「為所欲為」的犯罪,而且更加變本加厲的行在罪惡黑暗當中,這就是猶大的警告,我們要警剔那些滲入教會的假教師的錯謬主張。
- 安靜地坐著,回想過去自己曾經「為所欲為」——只顧自己的想法、喜歡,只會悖逆、頂撞——的經歷。再回想曾經接受「恩典」——被接納、饒恕、包容、祝福——的經驗。專注在一件事上,回憶當時的細節,周圍環境如何?我內心如何?有什麼感覺?
- 在今天的一天當中,不斷地思想神的「恩典」。
禱告與筆錄:
繼續安靜在神面前,與神對話,並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想(心得),或是與神的禱告,記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。
Jude 3-8
3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain men whose condemnation was written aboutlong ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lorddelivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
Meditation:
- “Grace”(v4) means when I have sinned, if I confess, God will forgive and will still receive me as His child. But what if I reason that I can do whatever I feel like and turn my back on what is right, after all, I have God’s grace to forgive, to accept and to bless, and to indulge more in this kind of lifestyle. This is the false teaching Jude is warning against that has infiltrated Christ’s church.
- Sit in silence and think back on previous experiences when I’ve done whatever I felt like, turning my back on what was right. Now consider experiences I’ve had with grace. Ask God to show me one of these experiences to focus on. Recall the details. What was it like for me? What was going on around me? What was I feeling?
- Walk through today pondering the grace of this experience.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.