神的異象
神的獨一無二
經文
彼得前書二1-12
1所以,你們既除去一切的惡毒、(或作陰毒)詭詐,並假善、嫉妒,和一切毀謗的話,
2就要愛慕那純淨的靈奶,像才生的嬰孩愛慕奶一樣,叫你們因此漸長,以致得救。
3你們若嘗過主恩的滋味,就必如此。
4主乃活石,固然是被人所棄的,卻是被神所揀選、所寶貴的。
5你們來到主面前,也就像活石,被建造成為靈宮,作聖潔的祭司,藉著耶穌基督奉獻神所悅納的靈祭。
6因為經上說:看哪,我把所揀選、所寶貴的房角石安放在錫安;信靠他的人必不至於羞愧。
7所以,他在你們信的人就為寶貴,在那不信的人有話說:匠人所棄的石頭已作了房角的頭塊石頭。
8又說:作了絆腳的石頭,跌人的磐石。他們既不順從,就在道理上絆跌;(或作:他們絆跌都因不順從道理)他們這樣絆跌也是預定的。
9惟有你們是被揀選的族類,是有君尊的祭司,是聖潔的國度,是屬神的子民,要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
10你們從前算不得子民,現在卻作了神的子民;從前未曾蒙憐恤,現在卻蒙了憐恤。
11親愛的弟兄阿,你們是客旅,是寄居的。我勸你們要禁戒肉體的私慾;這私慾是與靈魂爭戰的。
12你們在外邦人中,應當品行端正,叫那些毀謗你們是作惡的,因看見你們的好行為,便在鑒察(或作:眷顧)的日子歸榮耀給神。
信息分享
當我們繼續來看以賽亞的異象時,我們看到這句話:「他的衣裳垂下,遮滿聖殿」(賽六1)。這裡所傳遞的信息是神的獨一無二。在這崇高的地方沒有空間給別人──神就是一切。
陶恕(A.W. Tozer)在《渴慕神》(The Pursuit of God)這本書中說:「宗教作出了定論後,除了神自己以外,我們再沒有甚麼其他需要。」我們很多人對神的信心都是以這樣的方式表達出來:神和一份好工作、神和健康的身體。沒錯,人都會期望得到這些,這是人之常情,但當它們成為一種渴求時,這就反映出我們內心真正信靠的所在。請讓我問你:神在你的生命中是否顯得足夠?也許你剛知道自己患了絕症,感到十分孤單,那麼這時候你是否感覺到有神的同在就很足夠呢?又也許你花了畢生的努力建立了一門生意,但那生意失敗了,你感到孤單透底,這時候,神對你來說是否足夠?也許你的配偶已經離你而去,你現在只有神,神是否能滿足你的需要?神是否足夠?正如魯益思(C.S. Lewis)曾經說過:「除非到了生死攸關的時候,你才知道你所相信的是甚麼。」
我們始終會經歷一個時刻,就是發覺世上的諸神都不是真神。當那一刻來到的時候,我們應當信靠甚麼?在宇宙的至高處,只有我們的神,並無別神。對你來說,祂是否足夠?是否能令你全然滿足?我自己會全心全意地說,祂是足夠的。希望你也能夠這麼說。
「神就是一切」
進深研究
腓三1-21;約十二24-25;可八35
1. 保羅追求甚麼?
2. 他樂意放棄甚麼?
祈禱
天父,我全心全意地確認,對我來說有了您就已經很足夠了。我往往倚靠自己或別人的供應而感到滿足,而不是倚靠您,求您赦免我。求您現在就饒恕我,釋放我。奉主耶穌的名祈求,阿們。
The Vision of God
The exclusiveness of God
Bible reading:
1 Peter 2:1-12
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."[b]
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"[c]
8 and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Message
As we continue looking at Isaiah's vision we come to the phrase: "...and the train of his robe filled the temple" (Isa. 6:1). The thought being conveyed here is of the exclusiveness of God. There is no room for anyone else in this high-exalted place. God is all in all.
A.W. Tozer, in his book The Pursuit of God, said: "When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself." So many of us have a faith in God which expresses itself something like this: God and a good job; God and good health. These things are fine as desires, but when they become demands we are revealing where our real trust lies. Let me ask you: Is God sufficient in your life? Maybe you have just learned that you have a terminal illness and you feel desperately alone. Is God enough? Or perhaps you have worked all your life to build up a business that has come crashing down and now you feel absolutely alone. Is God sufficient? Maybe your spouse has walked out on you and all you have left is God. Is He sufficient? Is He enough? As C.S. Lewis once put it: "You will never know how much you believe something until it is a matter of life and death."
The moment comes to us all when we find that the gods of this world are not gods. When that moment hits us where is our trust to be placed? At the highest point of the universe there is room for no one else but the Lord our God. Is He sufficient? Is He enough? With all my heart I say - He is. I hope you are able to say it too.
"God is all in all"
Prayer
O Father, with all my heart I affirm You are my sufficiency. You are enough! Forgive me that so often I rely on my own self-sufficiency or the sufficiency of others instead of depending on You. Forgive me and release me now. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Philippians 3:1-21
John 12:24-25
Mark 8:35
1. What was Paul's pursuit?
2. What was he willing to give up?
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