Wednesday, 7th December 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-11 To Really Know God
Do we have the assurance that God is with us? Living in the presence is not just a slogan but can be a reality. Jesus has been teaching about living in the presence of God in His 3-year ministry on this world. So how do we live our lives today? Are we continuing to seek the presence of God? Or are we still living in a ‘doing’ mode?
We are all sinners, we cannot force ourselves not to sin, but when we sin, we must know and understand that we have a Father, who can help us. Do not focus on the things of the world, do not worship Jesus like worshipping an idol, but to really know Him, to really know God and to follow with love. When we really know God, then we will know God’s love for us that He already sent Jesus as our Advocate to help us and set us free. God loves us first, God is love, but do we really know God and do we really know His love for us? If we do, then we will be willing to put God first, people next, then the earth. Everyone of us, since the day we were born until the day we die, we are all seeking love. This is God’s purpose when He created people.
When we say we know God, do we only know Him on a knowledge basis? Or have we really seen God face to face like Moses did? When we really love God, then it will be easy for us to keep God’s commandments. When we love God and connect with God, then God’s commandments for us will be easy for us to keep. Because when we are satisfied in God, then very easily we are able to keep everything God instructed us to do. We will be filled with thanks, and we will be set free. God is love, therefore when we come close to God, we will also be filled with love, we will be easy to see the needs of others, and we can see them from the eyesight of God.
But when we are not filled with the love of God, then we can only see how others hurt us, and we will use the eyesight of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to see them. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Book of Genesis, God went to look for them and covered them with love. God took away their shame and embraced them. He is full of mercy and grace, but can we see others in the same way?
Section Two V12-17 To Be Set Free in God
When we follow God and when we serve God, it’s not because we want to receive the reward after we have done all the works for God, and it’s not because we want our sins to be forgiven. Because God has already forgiven all our sins, do we really know God, our Father in Heaven? God is love, we should not follow Him with an orphan mindset. In the beginning, God created the Heaven and Earth, His love for us is everlasting and can conquer the world. But when we love this world instead of loving God, then we will be separated from God. When we connect with this world, and when we want to seek love from this world, then we will not have the love for God.
God created us so we can connect with the love of God and be satisfied simply in God. When we have expectations in the love of people, then we will feel disappointment and we will fail. We must let God rule and reign in all our relationships, people can never satisfy us, but only God. Only in God, we can receive satisfaction, peace, power, and love. May God help us to get rid of all lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life.
Section Three V18-29 To Live in God
We must live in God’s presence, to dwell in Him, and to not let the passion for God grow cold. When we live in God, we are determined to stay in God’s presence ever day of our lives. The end time is near, and we need to be more alert. Jesus brings down to us the love of the Father, but the anti-Christ brings lustful desires. They reject the love of God, they deny Jesus, and they don’t recognize God in their lives.
God is love, in Him, we receive love, peace, and satisfaction. Do we really know if we are following God or not? If we feel burdened and weary, if we are scared and bitter, then we must examine ourselves, and see if we really live in the presence of God.
约翰一书 2 – 活在神的同在里
2022年12月7日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
我们是否有与神同在的确据呢，还是把活在神同在里当成一句口号？耶稣三年的服事不是单打独斗，而是与父一起。我们是否活在自己的努力、doing里面，或是一直在寻找神同在？每一个被神从罪中挽救出来的人都有神同在，这不是一个信念而已，只是为什么我们信主多年却好像没有经历神同在呢？大卫曾在诗篇23篇说过自己即使经过死荫幽谷也不怕遭害，因为他真实经历神的同在。如今我们担忧、害怕，因为倚靠世上的人事物，没有看到神的同在，没有领受神同在的真实。今天的经文帮助我们真实活出神同在的生命。
一、v.1-11 要真认识神
V1 在老约翰眼里，我们都是“小子们”。这句经文再次提醒我们不要把耶稣当成偶像来拜。我们没有人是不犯罪的圣人，其实我们都亏缺了神的荣耀，不要靠自己努力去不犯罪。若把耶稣当成偶像，就无法看见他是我们的“中保”，也看不见他背后的父。我们也要看到我们权柄背后爱我们的父神，不然我们若把权柄当成偶像来跟从，很容易会充满苦毒。我们真的认识我们的神吗？他爱我们，他知道我们会犯错，所以一早就预备了耶稣基督为我们的中保。唯有在天父的爱里我们才能承受耶稣基督赦罪的恩典，因为在孤儿的心态下我们只会靠自己的努力去赚取爱，无法真正享受耶稣给我们的自由。
V2 神的爱不是因为我们先爱了他，而是神先爱了我们。神就是爱，我们认识他吗？我们愿意先神后人再大地吗？我们若真的认识神，就能够放下人和大地去拥抱我们的主。罪使我们与神隔离，当我们得不到阿爸父的爱的时候，我们就四围去寻找爱，以致遍体鳞伤。天父的爱才是我们得自由、得满足的源头。
V4 老约翰在这里说出每一个人生命中的虚假。我们对神的“认识”是头脑里的认识还是与神面对面那样的认识？我们若说要守神的诫命很难，是因为没有在神同在里，靠的是自己的doing来遵守，所以很难。我们若渴慕天父的爱，遵行他的诫命就不难了。神给我们的诫命都是祝福我们，让我们能与父连接。当我们能与他连接，自然就行出了他的诫命。
V5 活在神同在里就是如此简单。
V7 爱神不是陈腔滥调，而是一个关系，唯有在这段关系中我们才能得喜乐、平安、和爱。
V9-11 “黑暗”代表着我们周遭的人。我们感受到神的爱和怜悯后再去爱人就不再困难，因为看到的不再是人对我们不好，而是能有怜悯的心去看到他们的需要和软弱，正如我们的天父看我们一样。我们若不是真的认识神、没有在神的同在中，就不会知道神没有用分辨善恶树的眼光看我们，而是用怜悯的眼光看我们。我们能否用同样的眼光去看我们周围的人呢？
二、v.12-17 要在主里得自由
我们跟从神时，是否觉得自己被捆绑、被操控、失去自由？耶和华对我们所怀的是赐平安的意念。我们跟从神不应该为了去得到奖赏。
V12-13 我们真“认识父”吗，还是在doing里面去“拜耶稣”？我们没有在良善的父的爱里，就很容易有孤儿的心态。
V14 不是神去胜过恶者，而是我们靠神的爱去胜过世界。
V15-16 我们与阿爸父连接，就不再爱这个“世界”了。妻子不要期望从丈夫那里得到爱，这份“恋慕”其实是不自然的，任何人所期待得到的爱唯有在天父那里才能得到满足，因为世上任何人都没有办法满足我们里面渴慕爱的需求。我们对人“重视”，结果就是容易被别人一个眼神或一句话伤害。让我们将自己的不满足与神连接，我们才能得到平安、自由和力量。不要想得到全世界，而是在爱里与良善的父连接，我们才得完全。
V17 无论我们最爱的是谁，他们都会过去，唯有天父的爱永不离开，“唯独遵行神旨意的，永远常存”，所以不要再赚取我们自己眼中所看到的东西。
三、v.18-29 要住在主里面
我们起初对主的火热很容易被现实中的挫折打败，所以要提醒自己活在主里面。
V18 如今我们已经在“末时”了，这个世界是不会存得长久的。
V19 “敌基督”不是只有不信主的人，也包括那些拒绝天父的爱的我们。耶稣基督带下的不仅是救赎，更是天父的爱。我们在跟从神的过程中，无法经历神的爱，反而遍体鳞伤，因为我们是在“追债”的状态下去跟从。
V20 我们有“父”吗，还是只是将耶稣当成偶像来拜、整天去讨耶稣“欠”我们的债？
V24 我们是否看一切的摆上为劳苦重担？要察验自己是否住在主里面。求神帮助我们活在神同在、在地如在天。