神的異象
蒙赦免！
經文
彼得前書二11-25
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。
13你們為主的緣故，要順服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王，
14或是君王所派罰惡賞善的臣宰。
15因為神的旨意原是要你們行善，可以堵住那糊塗無知人的口。
16你們雖是自由的，卻不可藉著自由遮蓋惡毒，（或作：陰毒）總要作神的僕人。
17務要尊敬眾人，親愛教中的弟兄，敬畏神，尊敬君王。
18你們作僕人的，凡事要存敬畏的心順服主人；不但順服那善良溫和的，就是那乖僻的也要順服。
19倘若人為叫良心對得住神，就忍受冤屈的苦楚，這是可喜愛的。
20你們若因犯罪受責打，能忍耐，有甚麼可誇的呢？但你們若因行善受苦，能忍耐，這在神看是可喜愛的。
21你們蒙召原是為此；因基督也為你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，叫你們跟隨他的腳蹤行。
22他並沒有犯罪，口裡也沒有詭詐。
23他被罵不還口；受害不說威嚇的話，只將自己交託那按公義審判人的主。
24他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪，使我們既然在罪上死，就得以在義上活。因他受的鞭傷，你們便得了醫治。
25你們從前好像迷路的羊，如今卻歸到你們靈魂的牧人監督了。
信息分享
今天我們要再來思考從聖殿的那重要時刻所湧流到以賽亞心中的恩典和赦免。讓我們再次來聆聽那些話：「看哪，這炭沾了你的嘴，你的罪孽便除掉，你的罪惡就赦免了」（賽六7）。
在基督徒圈子中，我們經常談及赦免，但我們有否真的明白神要赦免我們，祂需要付出多大的代價？席蒙得（David Seamands）指出，給予饒恕的一方，在饒恕時總需要付出很大代價。他說：「有人傷害我們而我們饒恕對方時，是接受我們感受到的傷害和憤怒，將它們轉向自己。我們不將它們放在對方身上，而是自己承受。」有些人要求別人接受一段考驗，然後才給予饒恕。我認識一個男人，每當他的妻子讓他不悅，他就會令她要苦苦哀求數天然後才得到原諒。真正的饒恕是多麼的不一樣。沒有饒恕，婚姻或友誼都不可能正常的發展。饒恕表示把你自己的自尊、憤怒、傷害，放在你的心上，以你愛的火焰將它燒盡。神赦免我們的時候就是這麼做的。
現在我們要超越以賽亞的異象，進而考慮福音的精神，那就是在神裡面不單有聖潔，也有赦免。不過神的赦免是昂貴的，神要以祂的獨子為代價。今天的經文有力地說：「他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪。」天上地下還有甚麼比這更奇妙的嗎？
「我們是否真的明白神為赦免所付出的代價？」
進深研究
約壹一5-10；詩一三零4；弗一7；賽四十三25
1. 我們怎樣自欺？
2. 接受饒恕有甚麼條件？
祈禱
神啊！有誰給我的傷害，能與我給您的傷害相比？您饒恕了我，求您現在幫助我饒恕別人，是仁慈、不懷怨地饒恕。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Vision of God
Forgiven!
Bible reading:
1 Peter 2:11-25
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.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves.
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."[a]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24 "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."
25 For "you were like sheep going astray,"[b] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Message
We must spend at least one more day reflecting on the wonder of the grace and forgiveness that flowed toward Isaiah at that significant moment in the Temple. Listen to the words once more: "See, this has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for" (Isa. 6:7).
In Christian circles we talk so easily about forgiveness. But do we really understand what it cost God to forgive? David Seamands points out that forgiveness is always at great cost to the forgiving one. He says: "When someone hurts us and we forgive them we take the hurt and indignation we feel and turn it back upon ourselves. Instead of putting it upon them we bear it in ourselves." Some people require of others that they be put on probation before forgiveness is given. I knew a man who, whenever his wife hurt him, would make her almost beg for days for his forgiveness. How different is real forgiveness. No marriage can properly operate without it - and no friendship either. Forgiveness means taking your own pride, your own indignation, your own hurt, holding it to your heart and quenching it in the flame of your love. This is what God does with us when He forgives.
We are now moving beyond Isaiah's vision to consider the genius of the gospel, namely that in God there is not only holiness but forgiveness also. Divine forgiveness, however, is costly. It cost God His only Son. Our text for today puts it powerfully when it says: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree." Can anything in earth or heaven be more wonderful?
"Do we really understand what it cost God to forgive?"
Prayer
O God, nothing that anyone has done or can do against me compares to what I have done against You. Yet You have forgiven me. Help me now to forgive others, and to forgive graciously, not grudgingly. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
1 John 1:5-10
Psalm 130:4
Ephesians 1:7
Isaiah 43:25
1. How do we deceive ourselves?
2. What is the condition for receiving forgiveness?
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