第一週■週六

w01d06-ch

晨興餧養

彼前一10 ～ 12『關於這救恩，…眾申言者，已經詳細的尋求考察過，就是考察在他們裏面基督的靈，豫先證明那要臨到基督的苦難，以及後來的榮耀，所指明的是甚麼時候，並怎樣的時候；他們得了啓示，知道他們供應這些事，不是爲自己，乃是爲你們；那些靠着從天上差來的聖靈，傳福音給你們的人，現在將這些事報給你們…。』

在彼後三章十六節彼得說到『這些事』。彼得在他…的兩封書信裏，說到神的整個經綸，從創世以前已過的永遠，…說到將來永遠的新天新地。…他…揭示，眾申言者所豫言、眾使徒所傳講…神經綸中重要的事。（彼得後書生命讀經，一三三頁。）

信息選讀

㈠從三一神一面說：父神在永遠裏照着祂的先見揀選了一班人，…並且呼召他們進入祂的榮耀。…基督在創世以前，是豫先被神知道的，卻在這末後的時期纔顯現出來；…祂已經憑祂的代死，…藉祂生命中的復活，並大能裏的升天，…救贖並拯救了神所揀選的人。…從天上差來的那靈，已經聖別並潔淨基督所救贖並拯救的人。…（天使也渴望詳細察看這些事…。）三一神的神能已將一切關於生命和敬虔的事賜給他們，…要保守他們得着完全的救恩。…神也藉着祂一些不同的行政審判…管教他們，…又藉着祂全般的恩典成全、堅固、加強他們，給他們立定根基。…主對他們恆忍，使他們都有機會悔改得救。…然後，基督要顯現在榮耀裏，給那些愛祂的人帶來完全的救恩。

㈡從信徒一面說：信徒是神的產業，爲神揀選，…蒙祂用祂的榮耀和美德所召，…爲基督所救贖，…藉神活的話由神重生，…並藉基督的復活得救。…他們現今蒙神的能力保守，（彼前一5，）得潔淨以致彼此相愛，（22，）藉着話奶的餧養而長大，（二2，）在生命裏發展屬靈的美德，…被變化且被建造成爲屬靈的殿，就是聖別的祭司體系以事奉神。…他們是神所揀選的族類，是君尊的祭司體系，是聖別的國度，是作神私有產業的奇特子民，以彰顯祂的美德，…受神行政審判的管教，…憑佳美的品行和敬虔，過聖別的生活，以榮耀神，…在長老作榜樣的牧養之下，…作神諸般恩典的好管家服事人，叫神藉着基督得榮耀，…並且期待、催促主的來臨，…叫他們得着豐富充足的供應，以進入主永遠的國。…他們更期待永世裏有神的義居住其中的新天新地，…並且不斷在我們的主和救主耶穌基督的恩典和知識上長大。

㈢從撒但一面說：撒但是信徒的對頭，是魔鬼，如同吼叫的獅子，徧地遊行，尋找可吞喫的人。

㈣從宇宙一面說：墮落的天使被定罪，等候永遠的審判；…上古不敬虔的世界被洪水毀滅；…不敬虔的城被焚燒成灰；…背道的假教師和異端的譏誚者，以及過邪惡生活的人，都要受審判遭毀壞；…諸天和地要被燒盡；…並且所有的死人和鬼都要受審判。…然後，那作新宇宙的新天新地就要來到，有神的義居住在其中，直到永遠。（彼得後書生命讀經，一三三至一三五頁。）

參讀：神新約的經綸，第十八章。

WEEK 1 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation the prophets…sought and searched diligently,…the Spirit of Christ in them…making clear, testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories after these. To them it was revealed that…to you they ministered these things, which have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit…

In 2 Peter 3:16 Peter speaks of “these things.” In his two Epistles…Peter covered the entire economy of God, from eternity past before the foundation of the world… to the new heavens and new earth in eternity future…He unveiled the crucial things related to God’s economy, concerning which things the prophets prophesied and the apostles preached…, from four sides. (Life-study of 2 Peter, p. 112)

Today’s Reading

(1) From the side of the Triune God: God the Father has chosen a people in eternity according to His foreknowledge…and called them into His glory… Christ, foreknown by God before the foundation of the world but manifested in the last times…, has redeemed and saved God’s chosen people…by His vicarious death…through His resurrection in life and ascension in power…The Spirit, sent from heaven, has sanctified and purified those whom Christ has redeemed and saved…(The angels long to look into these things…) The Triune God’s divine power has provided the redeemed ones with all things that relate to life and godliness…to guard them unto full salvation…God also disciplines them…by some of His varied governmental judgments…, and He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground them by His all grace…The Lord is long-suffering toward them that they all may have opportunity to repent unto salvation…Then Christ will appear in glory with His full salvation for His lovers.

(2) From the side of the believers: The believers, as God’s possession, were chosen by God…, called by His glory and virtue…, redeemed by Christ…, regenerated by God through His living word…, and saved through the resurrection of Christ…They are now being guarded by the power of God (1 Pet. 1:5), are being purified to love one another (v. 22), are growing by feeding on the milk of the word (2:2), are developing in life the spiritual virtues…, and are being transformed and built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to serve God…They are God’s chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and peculiar people for His private possession to express His virtues…They are being disciplined by His governmental judgment…, are living a holy life in an excellent manner and in godliness to glorify Him…, are ministering as good stewards of His varied grace for His glorification through Christ…(under the elders’ exemplary shepherding…), and are expecting and hastening the coming of the Lord…in order to be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord…Further, they are expecting the new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells, in eternity…, and they are growing continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

(3) From the side of Satan: Satan is the believers’ adversary, the devil, who as a roaring lion is walking about, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

(4) From the side of the universe: The fallen angels were condemned and are awaiting eternal judgment…; the ancient ungodly world was destroyed by a flood…; the ungodly cities were reduced to ashes…; the false teachers and heretical mockers in the apostasy and mankind in his evil living will all be judged unto destruction…; the heavens and the earth will be burned up…; and all the dead men and the demons will be judged…Then the new heavens and the new earth will come as a new universe, in which God’s righteousness will dwell for eternity. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 112-114)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” ch. 18