第四章

¹ 基督既然在肉身受過苦，你們也應當以同樣的心志裝備自己（因為在肉身受過苦的，就已經與罪斷絕了），² 好叫你們不再隨從人的私慾，只順從神的旨意，在世上度餘下的光陰。³ 因為你們過去隨從教外人的心意，行邪淫、私慾、醉酒、荒宴、狂飲和可憎拜偶像的事，時候已經夠了。⁴ 他們見你們不再與他們同奔那縱情放蕩的路，就覺得奇怪，毀謗你們。⁵ 他們必要向那位預備要審判活人死人的主交帳。⁶ 因此，那些死人也曾有福音傳給他們，好使他們的肉體受了人要受的審判，他們的靈卻靠神活著。

 

 

默想：

1. 彼得所生活的那時代的羅馬世界是個失去理智的社會。暴力、壓迫、殘忍、濫權、性變態等罪行，比比皆是。這正如在今天，我們這性慾橫流的社會裡，信徒是否有可能保持聖潔的性觀念呢？學校裡，同學嘲諷基督徒 不參與飲酒與濫交的活動；公司裡同事不明白，為何我們不與他們一起在星期五晚上去飲酒狂歡。而很多非基督徒很誠懇地問道：究竟你們有什麼娛樂消遣？他們很不解為何我們不與他們一同閑遊浪蕩。
2. 不但如此，彼得還警告道：他們見我們「不再與他們同奔那縱情放蕩的路，就覺得奇怪，毀謗你們」；這就是我們所處的社會。當遇見這樣的情況，要記住，世界一直就是這樣的；但我改變了。有神的幫助，無論要付多大的代價，我決心不再犯罪。神呼召我，「只順從神的旨意」，向那些尚未認識基督的人，傳講福音的真理。
3. 在神面前安靜思想，世界的潮流與文化，對我有多大的影響？我如何活出不同於周圍的人的生命，一心追求神的使命，為要在他們中間，與他們重建破裂的關係？

 

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 4

¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ²As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

 

Meditation

1. Peter describes the Roman world of his day as a society that has lost its mind in excess.  Violence, oppression, cruelty, the abuse of power, and sexual insanity dominate the landscape.  How is it possible for Christians to maintain sexual sanity in a sexually overheated society?  At school, teens ridicule Christian young people for not being involved in drinking and premarital sex.  Coworkers can’t understand why we don’t stop off at the local bar after work to get drunk on Friday night.  And yet so many non-Christians quite sincerely ask, “What do you do for fun?” They think it strange that we don’t plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation.
2. And, as Peter warned, they “heap abuse on you.”  When that happens, remember that you have been transformed by the love of Jesus.  With God’s help, I will determine to be done with sin.  And my calling is to do the “will of God”(v2)—to speak the truth of the gospel into the lives of those who do not  yet know Christ as Lord.
3. Take some time to be silent before God and reflect:  How big is the influence of the world, its trend, culture or value, to me? How can I live my life out in contrast with those around me, but continue to pursue God’s mission in building restored relationships with them?

 

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.