第二週■週四

w02d04-ch

晨興餧養

彼前二21 ～ 23『你們蒙召原是爲此，因基督也爲你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，叫你們跟隨祂的腳蹤行；祂沒有犯過罪，口裏也找不到詭詐；祂被罵不還口，受苦不說威嚇的話，只將一切交給那按公義審判的。』

在彼前二章二十三節…『一切』指主所受一切的苦。主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。這指明主在地上生活爲人時，承認神的行政。

我們習慣說，我們將事情交給信實、憐憫或恩慈的主。你曾說，『我將一切交給那按公義審判的神』麼？…我們沒有這樣禱告，原因是我們的禱告、措辭、和發表還是太傳統。這使我們不會去應用神純正話語裏的許多思想和發表。所以，我們讀二十三節這樣的經文，也許將其視爲理所當然，而沒有進入真正的意義。（彼得前書生命讀經，二二○至二二一頁。）

信息選讀

主耶穌在地上受苦時，將一切交給那按公義審判的一位。這簡短的話不但指明主過一種作我們榜樣的生活，也指明祂過一種絕對在神行政下的生活。祂自己始終在神的行政下，祂將一切與祂有關的事交給神的審判。

在彼前一章十七節彼得勸我們，在我們寄居的時日中，當憑着敬畏行事爲人。這是一種聖別的敬畏，如在腓立比二章十二節的『恐懼』；卽健康、認真的謹慎，好叫我們爲人聖別。…『時日』包括我們日常生活的每一分鐘。…幾年前我訪問拉斯維加斯的一些聖徒。其中有些人建議我去參觀賭場，看看是怎麼回事。我回答說，『不，我不會去。…因爲你們邀請了我，現在我同你們在這裏；但我不會去看賭場。』我若去這樣的地方，那一天我就有一些時間不是憑着敬畏行事爲人。…我們寄居的每一分鐘，都必須在敬畏中。這與聖別的行事爲人有關。在我們一切的行事爲人上，我們需要成爲聖的，與世界分別。

彼前一章十八至十九節解釋，爲甚麼我們應當在我們寄居的時日中，憑着敬畏行事爲人：『知道你們得贖，脫離你們祖宗所傳流虛妄的生活，不是用能壞的金銀等物，乃是用基督的寶血，如同無瑕疵無玷污的羔羊之血。』爲甚麼我們應當在我們寄居的時日中，憑着敬畏行事爲人？因爲我們知道，我們已蒙基督的寶血救贖。因爲我們知道這點，現今我們就在我們寄居的時日中，憑着敬畏行事爲人。這裏的點乃是，聖別的行事爲人應當是由基督寶貝、寶貴的救贖產生出來的。

保羅告訴我們，基督已救贖我們脫離罪的咒詛和現今邪惡的世代。然而，這裏彼得告訴我們，基督已救贖我們脫離虛妄的生活。放縱屬世的娛樂或購買屬世的衣物，乃是虛妄的。虛妄的生活也可能與我們買東西的方式有關。有些姊妹非常喜歡買東西。每週她們都到百貨公司去，卽使不買甚麼，至少也到處看看。你們不知道你們是誰麼？你們是王子、公主。你們是王的兒女，不該輕率的到百貨公司去。反之，你們甚至在買東西時，也該是莊重、高貴的。我乃是用這點作爲例子，來說明如何實際蒙救贖脫離虛妄的生活。（彼得前書生命讀經，二二一、一一二至一一三頁。）

參讀：彼得前書生命讀經，第十一、二十一篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 4

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 2:21-23 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model so that you may follow in His steps; who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth; who being reviled did not revile in return; suffering, He did not threaten but kept committing all to Him who judges righteously.

In 1 Peter 2:23…according to the usage of the verb kept committing in Greek, all
needs to be inserted here as its object. This word refers to all the sufferings of the
Lord. He kept committing all His insults and injuries to Him who judges righteously in
His government, to the righteous God, to whom He submitted Himself. This indicates
that the Lord recognized God’s government while He was living a human life on earth.

We are accustomed to saying that we commit things to the Lord who is faithful or merciful or kind. Have you ever said, “I commit everything to God who judges righteously”?…The reason we do not pray like this is that our prayer, expression, and utterance are still too traditional. This keeps us from applying many of the thoughts and utterances in the pure Word. Therefore, in reading a verse such as 2:23, we may take it for granted and fail to get into the real meaning. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 185-186)

Today’s Reading

While the Lord Jesus was on earth suffering, He kept committing all to the One who judges righteously. This brief word indicates not only that the Lord lived a life that was a model for us but also that He lived a life absolutely under God’s government. He Himself was always under the government of God, and He committed everything related to Him to God’s judgment.

In 1 Peter 1:17 Peter urges us to pass the time of our sojourning in fear. This is a holy fear, as in Philippians 2:12. It refers to a healthy, serious caution that leads us to behave holily. The words pass the time include every minute of our daily life. Years ago I visited some saints in Las Vegas. Some of them suggested that I visit a gambling casino just to see what it was like. I replied, “No, I will not go…Because you have invited me, I am now here with you. But I will not go to see a gambling casino.” If I had gone to such a place, then a certain amount of time that day would not have been passed in fear. Every minute of our sojourning must be in fear. This is related to the holy manner of life. In all our manner of life we need to be holy, separated from
the world.

First Peter 1:18 and 19 explain why we should pass the time of our sojourning in fear: “Knowing that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were redeemed from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ.” Why should we pass the time of our sojourning in fear? Because we know that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. It is because we know this that we now pass the time of our sojourning in fear. The point here is that the
holy manner of life should issue out from the dear and precious redemption of Christ.

Paul tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of sin and from this evil age. Peter, however, tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the vain manner of life. It is vain to indulge in worldly entertainments or to purchase worldly clothing. The vain manner of life may also be related to the way we do our shopping. Some sisters very much like to go shopping. Every week they go to the department store at least to look around, even if they do not buy anything. Do you not know who you are? You are sons and daughters of the King. As children of the King, you should not go to
a department store in a light way. On the contrary, you should be stately and dignified even in your shopping. I use this as an illustration of being redeemed in a practical way from the vain manner of life. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 186, 93-94)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 11, 21