第四章

4 小子們哪，你們是屬　神的，並且勝了他們；因為那在你們裏面的，比那在世界上的更大。 5 他們是屬世界的，所以論世界的事，世人也聽從他們。 6 我們是屬　神的，認識　神的就聽從我們；不屬　神的就不聽從我們。從此我們可以認出真理的靈和謬妄的靈來。7 親愛的弟兄啊，我們應當彼此相愛，因為愛是從　神來的。凡有愛心的，都是由　神而生，並且認識　神。

11 親愛的弟兄啊，　神既是這樣愛我們，我們也當彼此相愛。 12 從來沒有人見過　神，我們若彼此相愛，　神就住在我們裏面，愛他的心在我們裏面得以完全了。 13 　神將他的靈賜給我們，從此就知道我們是住在他裏面，他也住在我們裏面。

16 　神愛我們的心，我們也知道也信。　神就是愛；住在愛裏面的，就是住在　神裏面，　神也住在他裏面。 17 這樣，愛在我們裏面得以完全，我們就可以在審判的日子坦然無懼。因為他如何，我們在這世上也如何。 18 愛裏沒有懼怕；愛既完全，就把懼怕除去。因為懼怕裏含著刑罰，懼怕的人在愛裏未得完全。

 

默想：

1. 慢慢地開聲讀出這段經文。第二次再讀時，每讀到「愛」，就停頓一下；留意這些神所賜有關愛的禮物（無論是愛、與神的關係、神的生命、聖靈等）。
2. 嘗試畫張簡單的圖，描繪我接受神的愛的禮物。我有什麼感受？
3. 禱告：感謝神將這些禮物傾倒給我。告訴神，我希望像個吸收神愛的海綿器，被祂的愛所浸透，以至我的愛能漲溢出來，去愛別人。

 

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。

 

Chapter4

⁴You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spiritof truth and the spirit of falsehood.   ⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  ¹³We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.   God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

Meditation

1. Read the passage aloud slowly for a few times.  Pause at the word “love” each time coming upon it.  Consider these love gifts from God (love, relationship, God’s own life, the Spirit).
2. Draw a little picture of me receiving God’s love gifts.   How do I feel?
3. Pray:  Thank God for pouring such gifts to me.  Tell God my desire to be like an absorber of His love and to be saturated with His love so it overflows in me and pours out to others.

 

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.