八福
不再害怕被定罪
经文
约翰福音八21-36
21耶稣又对他们说：我要去了，你们要找我，并且你们要死在罪中。我所去的地方，你们不能到。
22犹太人说：他说：我所去的地方，你们不能到，难道他要自尽吗？
23耶稣对他们说：你们是从下头来的，我是从上头来的；你们是属这世界的，我不是属这世界的。
24所以我对你们说，你们要死在罪中。你们若不信我是基督，必要死在罪中。
25他们就问他说：你是谁？耶稣对他们说：就是我从起初所告诉你们的。
26我有许多事讲论你们，判断你们；但那差我来的是真的，我在他那里所听见的，我就传给世人。
27他们不明白耶稣是指着父说的。
28所以耶稣说：你们举起人子以后，必知道我是基督，并且知道我没有一件事是凭着自己作的。我说这些话乃是照着父所教训我的。
29那差我来的是与我同在；他没有撇下我独自在这里，因为我常作他所喜悦的事。
30耶稣说这话的时候，就有许多人信他。
31耶稣对信他的犹太人说：你们若常常遵守我的道，就真是我的门徒；
32你们必晓得真理，真理必叫你们得以自由。
33他们回答说：我们是亚伯拉罕的后裔，从来没有作过谁的奴仆。你怎么说你们必得自由呢？
34耶稣回答说：我实实在在的告诉你们，所有犯罪的就是罪的奴仆。
35奴仆不能永远住在家里；儿子是永远住在家里。
36所以天父的儿子若叫你们自由，你们就真自由了。
信息分享
昨天，我们明白了净化的出现，不是只靠我们把困难告诉别人，还要视乎对方是否有温暖、接纳和了解的态度。心理学家相信，由于帮助者的温暖、接纳的态度，与给人带来伤害的那种严厉、审判的态度刚好相反，所以压抑的情绪便很容易浮现和释放。
这种人性的常情与我们现在讨论的主题有什么关系？我相信是关系重大的。在耶稣基督里，我们找到了不单渴望得到我们的信任，而且是值得我们信任的一位。与他相处的时候，我们就像是聆听到他对犯奸淫时被抓着的妇人所说的话：「我也不定你的罪，去吧，从此不要再犯罪了！」（约八11）。就是这种接纳，这种怜悯，这种关心，令那些久被压抑的心灵，愿意倾倒出他内心深处的伤痛和恐惧。
正如我昨天说过，我见过无数次这种奇妙和神秘的净化现象在爱和接纳中发生，让被压抑的伤害和观念从人的基本个性里面释放出来。虽然这种自然现像是美丽和奇妙的，但与我们在经历被耶稣基督这位了不起的辅导员净化时，所产生的荣耀和光辉相比，完全不能相提并论。主的净化不单触及心灵的外围，也去到最深处。能够经历这种净化不是所谓的自由，而是一种真正的自由。
「耶稣值得我们信任」
进深研究
约三1-18，五24；罗八1，八34；启十二10
1.谁定人的罪？
2.给信徒的应许是什么？
祈祷
我的父，我的神，我逐渐清晰明白了，您说：「天父的儿子若叫你们自由，你们就真自由了」，原来被您净化能带来真正的自由。求您洁净我，直到我内心的深处。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
The Beatitudes
"No condemnation now I dread"
Bible reading:
John 8:21-36
21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."
22 This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"
23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."
25 "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning," Jesus replied.
26 "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
34 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Message
We saw yesterday that the phenomenon of catharsis comes about not simply through telling someone else our troubles, but when that other person is a warm, accepting and understanding individual. Psychologists believe the explanation for this to be the fact that the warm, accepting manner of the helper is so directly opposite to the harsh, judgmental attitudes of those who caused the hurts that repressed feelings easily surface and are released.
What has this law of the personality to do with the subject now under discussion? A great deal, I believe. In Jesus Christ we find Someone who not only yearns for our trust, but is worthy of our trust. To sit in His presence is to hear words similar to those He spoke to the woman caught in adultery: "Neither do I condemn you...go now, and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11). Such acceptance, such compassion, such concern, cannot fail to produce within every heart a willingness to open up those hurts and fears which have been so deeply repressed.
As I said yesterday, I have witnessed on countless occasions this strange and mysterious phenomenon of catharsis take place as, in the presence of love and acceptance, repressed hurts and ideas are discharged from the personality. But beautiful and wondrous as this natural phenomenon is, it is as nothing compared to the glory and radiance that a person shows when they stand in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counsellor, and experience a catharsis that reaches, not merely into the outer regions of the heart, but to its greatest depths. To have such an experience is not just to be free - it is to be free indeed.
"Jesus is worthy of our trust"
Prayer
My Father and my God, slowly things are coming into focus. I am beginning to understand what You mean when You say: "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Purge me to the depths of my being. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
John 3:1-18; 5:24
Romans 8:1; 8:34
Revelation 12:10
1. Who brings condemnation?
2. What is the promise to the believer?
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