2008-10-17 Devotionals Today

知信行網上團契為各主內肢體提供的每日靈糧，歡迎訂閱，推介及奉獻支持。 《網絡天糧》查詢，請電郵：ccf@ccfellow.org 訂閱天糧 | 轉介天糧 | 修訂訂閱 | 奉獻支持 對世界的心態 粵語 國語 第17天 讀經：   約翰壹書二章15至24節 這段經文所講的「世界」，究竟是甚麼意思呢？聖經豈不是說神創造世界和神愛世人嗎？是的，神愛祂創造的世界和生活在其中的人類，所以祂便要拯救人類脫離罪的捆綁。然而，人愛世界卻是為了享受罪中之樂。神愛世界是甘願為拯救它而犧牲，但人愛世界，卻是為了自私的慾望。 這段經文所說的「世界」，不是指到神創造的自然世界，而是人一手造出來的罪惡世界和無神的世界。這個世界已被撒但的權勢所控制，它棄絕基督，更把基督釘死。因此，信徒不可能既愛基督，又同時愛這個世界。 約翰提到「凡世界上的事」，究竟是指到甚麼呢？世界的引誘自古不變。我們今天仍會讓肉體的情慾──就是我們的私慾──主宰我們的生活。我們的舊人總是愚蠢蠢欲動，撒但也喜歡牽動我們的舊本性來引誘我們犯罪。 外面的花花世界，會惹動我們的眼目的情慾。它可能引發我們的貪念，希望得到別人所擁有的東西。 今生的驕傲是對自己的身分或所擁有的東西感到自滿。這種驕傲的心態，正是導致人類始祖犯罪的因由──希望能夠像神一樣，所以聽信蛇的誘惑吃了果子。 基督曾經歷過這一切試探，但祂總能以神的話語來勝過，並且重申自己的心志是渴望遵行神的旨意。這一切試探，以及我們屈從於試探所帶來的罪，都屬於這個世界。這世界將要過去，但遵行神話語的人將永遠長存。兩者之間，你會怎樣選擇呢？ 禱告： 主啊，當有試探來到的時候，求你使我及時醒覺，並使我立志遵行你的旨意，而不是自己的意思。 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OUR ATTITUDE TO THIS WORLD Day 17 Bible Reading:   1 John 2:15-24 OUR ATTITUDE TO THIS WORLD Do we understand what the world really is? Doesn't the Bible say that God so loved the world? God loved the world in order to save it from sin. Man loves the world in order to enjoy its sin. God's love was sacrificial. Man's love for the world is selfish. But what is meant in these verses by the world? It is not the world God made but the world man has made. I love the world of nature, don't you, but the world that is spoken of here is a world of sin and godlessness. It is the world lying in the power of Satan, the world which rejected and crucified Christ. It is impossible to love such a world and to love Christ at the same time. John speaks of 'all that is in the world'. What is in it? The temptations of the world haven't changed. There is still the lust of the flesh, which is allowing our natural desires to rule our lives. These are temptations from within that come from our old nature, or from Satan working on that old nature. The lust of the eyes is desire awakened by seeing things that tempt us-in other words temptations that come from outside our own selves. This could include covetousness wanting the things other people have. The pride of life is being proud of what I am or what I have. It is a temptation also to get something that we don't have such as the temptation which Satan brought to Eve-'If you eat that fruit you will be as God.' Christ met each of these temptations. His constant answer came from his desire to do the will of God and his knowledge of the Word of God. These temptations and the sin which follows when we yield to them, all belong to the world. That world will pass away but 'he that does the will of God will abide for ever'. Which would you rather have? A PRAYER: Lord help me today to recognise temptation when it comes and to always choose your will and not mine.