第三章

¹ 你應當知道，末後的日子必有艱難的時期來到。 ² 那時，人會專愛自己、貪愛錢財、自誇、高傲、褻瀆、悖逆父母、忘恩負義、不聖潔、 ³ 沒有親情、不肯和解、惡言中傷、不能自律、橫蠻兇暴、不愛良善、 ⁴ 賣主賣友、容易衝動、傲慢自大、愛享樂過於愛神， ⁵ 有敬虔的形式，卻否定敬虔的能力；這些人你應當避開。

¹⁵ 並且知道自己從小就明白聖經，這聖經能夠使你有智慧，可以因信基督耶穌得著救恩。¹⁶ 全部聖經都是神所默示的，在教訓、責備、矯正和公義的訓練各方面，都是有益的，¹⁷ 為要使屬神的人裝備好，可以完成各樣的善工。

默想：

1. 慢慢地讀經文，不要以為這經文是在描述別人而不是自己的行為，要認清現在的社會是個自我中心，自我宣揚，玩世不恭、以及沉溺私慾的社會。
2. 再讀一遍這段，留意第一段與第二段的極大區別：

–          聖經如何幫助我從社會流行的風氣中改變過來（16節）？

–          聖經是神默示的——是與我有親密關係的天父向我說的話語，而不是一長列的規條。想一下神 以“教訓、責備、矯正和公義的訓練”向我說話。

3. 是否能想像到，神以輕柔但堅定、或絕對正確的方式，「教訓、責備、矯正和公義的訓練」我？在我還沒有完全搞砸之前，來幫助我？求神幫助我向祂開放，並求神指出我在這時刻需要知道應當改變的細節。
4. 想像一下和神過這種互動的生活：一整天內，都能體會到祂輕柔地教訓，向我指出什麼是真實的；責備我，暴露出我的悖逆；矯正我的錯誤；訓練我活出祂的旨意來。為什麼這會是最好的生活？

 

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 3

¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

MEDITATION

1. Paul’s remarks here, in fact, are directed and relevant to our own age,  considering that modern culture, in general, tends to be self-absorbed, self-promoting, cynical, and addicted to lust. 
2. Read the passages again slowly.  Notice the big change from the first paragraph to the second. 

–          How does the way the Scripture moves us (v 16) help us to be different from the general culture?

–          Scripture is God-breathed – words breathed to me from our relational God, not a bunch of rules.  Picture God speaking to me in “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.

3. Can I imagine God doing these things in ways exactly right for me?  In gentle yet firm ways?  To rescue me before I mess up?  Ask God to help me be open to him.  Ask God to show me specific details that I need to know at this moment. 
4. Imagine such an interactive life with God, one in which all day long I experience him gently showing me truth, exposing my rebellion, correcting my mistakes, and training me to live his way.  Would this be the best way to live?  Why?

 

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.