第二章

¹ 從前在人民中，曾有假先知出來；照樣，將來在你們中間，也必有假教師出現。他們偷偷把使人滅亡的異端引進來，甚至否認那曾經買贖他們的主，迅速地自取滅亡。² 許多人會隨從他們的淫行，因此真理的道，就因他們的緣故被人毀謗。³ 他們因為有貪心，就用捏造的話，想在你們身上圖利；懲罰他們的，自古以來就沒有鬆懈；毀滅他們的，也不會打盹。

¹⁸ 因為他們說虛妄誇大的話，用肉體的私慾和邪蕩的事，引誘那些剛剛逃脫了錯謬生活的人。¹⁹ 他們應許給人自由，自己卻作了敗壞的奴僕；因為人給誰制伏了，就作誰的奴僕。

 

 

默想：

1. 彼得強調說，願意凡事順服神的人，才能找到真正的自由。假教師宣稱：「我們是自由的，因為我們可以隨心所欲地做任何事情。我們從所有的束縛、規限或控制中得到自由」，但他們的真實情況卻恰恰相反。神創造我們，是為賜給我們自由，但我們只有順從神並遵行祂的旨意，才能找到真自由。假教師漠視神的道，因此在世漫無目標地徘徊。
2. 在我所認識，所關心的人中，是否有人自以為過著自由的生活，卻生活在捆綁、愁苦之中？為什麼？
3. 為這位不願跟隨神的道去享受真自由的人，與神一同為他憂傷；也特別為他禱告，求神賜機會讓我可以和他分享真自由。

 

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

¹But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ²Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

¹⁸For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

Jude 3-8

 

Meditation

1. Peter insists genuine freedom is found in willingly submitting to God in all things.  The false teachers declare, “We are free because we do whatever we please.  We are free from all boundaries, restrictions, restraints.”  Exactly the opposite is true.  We have been created for freedom, but we discover our freedom only by submitting to God and obeying Him.  False teachers ignore God’s way, and are wandering aimlessly.
2. Among the people I know and care, is there anyone who is living in so-called “freedom” but actually in bondage and bitterness?  Why?
3. Grieve with God over this person’s unwillingness to follow God’s way to enjoy genuine freedom.  Pray specifically for this person.  Pray also for an opportunity that I may share the true freedom with him/her.

 

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.