第二週  在神的行政下過基督徒生活

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詩歌：16

讀經：彼前一17，二21 ～ 24，四17 ～ 19，五6

【週一】

壹 彼得前後書是說到神宇宙的行政：

一 彼得前書的主題是神行政下的基督徒生活，特別在神對祂所揀選之人的對付上，指出神的行政—一2。

二 彼得後書的主題是神聖的供備與神聖的行政，
指出神在管理我們時，供應我們所需要的一切—一1 ～ 4，三13。

三 神藉着審判來管理；神的審判是爲施行祂的行政—彼前一17，四17：

1 彼得前後書是論到神的行政，所以一再說到神與主的審判，作主要的項目之一—彼前二23，四5 ～6，17，彼後二3 ～ 4，9，三7。

2 主神要藉着各種不同的審判，清理並潔淨整個宇宙，使祂得着一個新天新地，成爲充滿祂義的新宇宙，使祂喜悅—13 節。

【週二】

四 彼前一章十七節所說，父所施行的審判，不是將來的審判，乃是神現今、每天在行政上對付祂兒女所施行的審判：

1 父重生了我們，爲要產生聖別的家庭—聖別的父同聖別的兒女——3，15，17 節。

2 我們旣是聖別的兒女，就該照聖別的生活方式而行；（15 ～ 16；）不然，父神在祂的行政裏就要成爲審判者，對付我們的不聖。（四15 ～ 17，來十二9 ～ 10。）

五 神行政中管教的審判，要從神的家起首—彼前四17：

1 神審判任何不符合祂行政的事物；所以，在今世我們這些神的兒女乃是在神每天的審判之下—一17。

【週三】

2 神在祂行政管理的審判中，用火煉的試驗對付信徒，這審判要從神自己的家起首—四12，17。

3 這審判的目的，是要我們在靈裏照着神活着—6 節。

貳 彼得著作的寶貴，在於他將基督徒生活與神的行政結合，啓示出基督徒生活與神的行政乃是成對而並行的—彼前一17，二21，24，三15，四17，五5 ～ 8：

一 在基督裏，三一神經過了漫長的過程，成了賜生命的靈，住在我們裏面；這是爲着我們的基督徒生活—約一14，十四17，林前十五45 下，六17。

二 同時，三一神仍是宇宙的創造主及其管理者—彼前四19。

三 我們雖然從神而生，得着屬靈的生命，成爲新造，但我們仍在舊造裏—約一12 ～ 13，三3，5 ～ 6，林後五17：

1 爲這緣故，我們需要神行政的對付—彼前一17。

2 我們基督徒的生命要長大，就需要神行政的管教—二2，四17，彼後一5 ～ 7。

【週四】

叁 主耶穌在地上時，過一種絕對在神行政下的爲人生活，並且將一切與祂有關的事交給神的行政—約六38，彼前二21 ～ 23：

一 主總是把所受的一切羞辱和傷害，交給那位在祂的行政裏按公義審判的公義之神，使自己服從祂；祂信靠這公義的一位，承認祂的行政—23 節。

二 神指教爲人的基督時，基督藉着與神接觸，祂的心腸就與神是一，並且警戒祂—詩十六7，賽五十4。

肆 我們旣是在基督裏的信徒和神的兒女，就該過一種在神行政下的基督徒生活—約三15，一12 ～ 13，彼前四13 ～ 19，五6 ～ 8：

一 彼得的書信啓示，基督使我們能接受神藉着苦難所施行的行政對付—彼前一6 ～ 8，二3 ～ 4，19，21 ～ 25，三18，22，四1，15 ～ 16，五8 ～ 9。

二 我們在寄居的時日中，該憑聖別的敬畏行事爲人，這種敬畏乃是一種健康、認真的謹慎，引導
我們在一切行事爲人上成爲聖的—一15，17。

【週五】

三 我們該謙卑服在神那執行祂行政之大能的手下—五6：

1 在六節，『神大能的手』是指神執行祂行政的手，特別見於祂的審判中—一17，四17。

2 謙卑服在神大能的手下，乃是讓神把我們作成謙卑的；然而，我們必須與神的工作合作，甘願在神大能的手下被祂作成謙卑、卑微的—五6。

【週六】

四 我們該將我們的魂交與那信實的創造主—四19：

1 神能保全我們的魂；祂慈愛信實的照顧，隨同着祂在行政管理中的公平。

2 當神在祂的行政上審判我們時，祂仍在愛裏信實的照顧我們；我們遭受祂管教的審判時，該把自己的魂交與我們創造主信實的照顧—太十28，十一28 ～ 29。

五 在基督的死裏，我們已經向罪死了，使我們在基督的復活裏，得以在神的行政下向義活着—彼前二24：

1 神的行政乃是建立在公義上；（詩八九14 上；）我們這些神的子民活在祂的行政之下，必須過公義的生活。

2 『向義活着』這辭與滿足神行政的要求有關—彼前二24：

a 我們已經得救，好使我們在神的行政下過正確的生活，就是過一種與神行政中義的要求相合的生活。

b 我們在基督的死裏，已經從罪分別出來，並在祂的復活裏，已經被點活，使我們在基督徒的生活中，在神的行政下自然而然向義活着—羅六8，10 ～11，18，弗二6，約十四19，提後二11。

Week Two

Living a Christian Life under the Government of God

Hymns: 21

Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:21-24; 4:17-19; 5:6

§ Day 1

I. The Epistles of 1 and 2 Peter are on the universal government of God:

A. The subject of 1 Peter is the Christian life under the government of God, showing us the government of God especially in His dealings with His chosen people—1:2.

B. The subject of 2 Peter is the divine provision and the divine government, showing us that as God is governing us, He supplies us with whatever we need—1:1-4; 3:13.

C. God governs by judging; the judgment of God is for the carrying out of His government—1 Pet. 1:17; 4:17:

1. Because 1 and 2 Peter are concerned with the government of God, in these Epistles the judgment of God and of the Lord is referred to repeatedly as one of the essential items—1 Pet. 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7.

2. Through various kinds of judgments, the Lord God will clear up the entire universe and purify it so that He may have a new heaven and a new earth for a new universe filled with His righteousness for His delight—v. 13.

§ Day 2

D. The judgment in 1 Peter 1:17, which is carried out by the Father, is not the future judgment but is the present, daily judgment of Gods governmental dealings with His children:

1. The Father has regenerated us to produce a holy family—a holy Father with holy children—vv. 3, 15, 17.

2. As holy children, we should walk in a holy manner of life (vv. 15-16); otherwise, in His government God the Father will become the Judge and will deal with our unholiness (4:15-17; Heb. 12:9-10).

E. The disciplinary judgment in the government of God begins from the house of God—1 Pet. 4:17:

1. God judges everything that does not match His government; therefore, in this age we, the children of God, are under the daily judgment of God—1:17.

§ Day 3

2. God uses fiery ordeals to deal with the believers in the judgment of His governmental administration, which begins from His own house—4:12, 17.

3. The purpose of this judgment is that we would live according to God in the spirit—v. 6.

II. The preciousness of Peters writings is that he combines the Christian life and Gods government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair—1 Pet. 1:17; 2:21, 24; 3:15; 4:17; 5:5-8:

A. The Triune God has passed through a long process in Christ and has become the life-giving Spirit to indwell us; this is for our Christian life— John 1:14; 14:17; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 6:17.

B. At the same time, the Triune God is still the Creator of the universe and its Ruler—1 Pet. 4:19.

C. Although we have been born of God to have a spiritual life and to be a new creation, we are still in the old creation—John 1:12-13; 3:3, 5-6; 2 Cor. 5:17:

1. For this reason, we need Gods governmental dealings—1 Pet. 1:17.

2. In order for the Christian life to grow, we need the discipline of Gods government—2:2; 4:17; 2 Pet. 1:5-7.

§ Day 4

III. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He lived a human life that was absolutely under the government of God, and He committed everything related to Him to Gods
government—John 6:38; 1 Pet. 2:21-23:

A. The Lord kept committing all His insults and injuries to Him who judges righteously in His government, the righteous God, to whom He submitted Himself; He put His trust in this righteous One, recognizing His government—v. 23.

B. When God counseled Christ as a man, Christs inward parts were one with God and instructed Him through His contact with God—Psa. 16:7; Isa. 50:4.

IV. As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live

a Christian life under the government of God—John 3:15; 1:12-13; 1 Pet. 4:13-19; 5:6-8:

A. The Epistles of Peter reveal the Christ who enables us to take Gods governmental dealings administered through sufferings—1 Pet. 1:6-8; 2:3-4, 19, 21-25; 3:18, 22; 4:1, 15-16; 5:8-9.

B. We should pass the time of our sojourning in holy fear, that is, in a healthy, serious caution that leads us to be holy in all our manner of life— 1:15, 17.

§ Day 5

C. We should be humbled under the mighty hand of God, which carries out the government of God—5:6:

1. In verse 6 the mighty hand of God refers to Gods administrating hand seen especially in His judgment—1:17; 4:17.

2. To be humbled under Gods mighty hand is to be made humble by God; however, we must cooperate with Gods operation and be willing to be made humble, lowly, under His mighty hand—5:6.

§ Day 6

D. We should commit our souls to the faithful Creator—4:19:

1. God can preserve our soul, and His loving and faithful care accompanies His justice in His governmental administration.

2. While God judges us in His government, He cares for us faithfully in His love; as we are suffering His disciplinary judgment, we should commit our souls to the faithful care of our Creator—Matt. 10:28; 11:28-29.

E. In the death of Christ we have died to sins so that in the resurrection of Christ we might live to righteousness under Gods government—1 Pet.
2:24:

1. Gods government is established upon righteousness (Psa. 89:14a); as Gods people living under His government, we must live a righteous life.

2. The expression live to righteousness is related to the fulfilling of Gods governmental requirements—1 Pet. 2:24:

a. We were saved so that we might live rightly under the government of God, that is, in a way that matches the righteous requirements of His government.

b. In Christs death we have been separated from sins, and in His resurrection we have been enlivened so that in our Christian life we might live spontaneously to righteousness under the government of God—Rom. 6:8, 10-11, 18; Eph. 2:6; John 14:19; 2 Tim. 2:11.