第二章

¹¹   　神拯救萬人的恩典已經顯明出來了。   ¹²   這恩典訓練我們除去不敬虔的心，和屬世的私慾，在今生過著自律、公正、敬虔的生活，   ¹³   等候那有福的盼望，就是我們偉大的　神，救主耶穌基督榮耀的顯現。   ¹⁴   他為我們捨己，為的是要救贖我們脫離一切不法的事，並且潔淨我們作他自己的子民，熱心善工。

 

默想：

1. 保羅對提多所帶領的群羊有一連串的勸勉、批評和指責。現在他從福音的角度看，前幾節的警告應以信心的肯定來平衡。恩典是賜給眾人的，救恩卻有道德的成分：捨棄與訓練，放下舊我，才能擁抱基督裡的新我。
2. 向神禱告，求主引導我有下面一項的成長：

◊  捨棄“不敬虔的心，和屬世的私慾”

◊  穿上“自律、公正、敬虔的生活”

◊  相信“這個新生命現在就開始了”（在今生過著。。。12節）

◊  要“熱心善工”

◊  其他：_________________________________________

 

 

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。

 

 

Chapter 2 （NIV）

¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

 

Meditation

1. Paul has a rather long string of exhortations, judgments, and condemnations for the flock under Titus’ leadership.  But now he puts his rebuke in the context of the gospel.  The hard admonitions of the preceding verses ought to be balanced with this affirmation of faith.  Grace comes to all.  Yet salvation has an ethical component: renouncing and training, letting go of our old selves in order to embrace our new selves in Christ.
2. Ask God to guide me in one or all of these growth:

◊  turning my back on “ungodliness and worldly passions”

◊  taking on a “self-controlled, upright and godly” life

◊  believing that this new life is starting right now “in this present age”

◊  being “eager to do what is good”

◊  other: __________________________________________

 

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.