Tuesday, 11th May 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-5 Love God; Obey Commandments
V1-2 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” When we love God by faith, we can obey His commandments; and in the same way, when we obey His commandments, we can more easily love God and love people around us.
V3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” It’s actually not difficult to follow God’s commandments, to love Him and love people. But what we tend to do is to live in the cave, to hide ourselves and try not to take responsibility. Today’s scriptures remind us to walk out of our caves and start walking alongside with the family, God has given to us.
V4-5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” How do we receive a life of rebirth and salvation? The answer is simple, to love God and to obey His commandments, and not to be influenced by this world!
Section Two V6-13 Have Life Have Testimony
V6 “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” We have eternal life, which is set apart from the unbelief of the world. The blood shed by Jesus on the cross has covered all our sins, and the water, which is the Holy Spirit, leads us to overcome this world.
V9-10 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.” We don’t just want to have eternal life, but to have a testimony on this world. This is the next step after we receive the life of salvation, because we won’t just die and go to heaven straight after we believed in Christ, there is still unfinished business for us on this world, which is to be a testimony for God.
V11-12 “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” As Christians, we know our sins are forgiven, but our faith does not stop there, God’s salvation plan is for us to be set apart, to be saved by the blood of Jesus, to be led by the water of the Holy Spirit, and to have testimony, which shows people around us the way to salvation.
Section Three V14-21 Have Faith Have Action
V14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” When we pray by the Will of God, He will surely listen. Therefore don’t be afraid to ask when we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. A lot of time we are afraid to ask because we don’t know God’s Will and we are afraid He will not give us what we pray for. Therefore we must seek God’s Will, if what we pray for is that God wants us to do, then He will support us to the end. We need to come boldly before God, humble but not fearful, and believe whatever we ask we will receive.
V16-17 “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.” Furthermore we should pray for our brothers and sisters. What are the sins that must die? To blaspheme the Holy Spirit. But in everything else God gives us the opportunity to return and repent. That’s why we should never stop praying.
V18 “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” We need to action by faith and by prayer, to let us stand firm in God. We can gain strength from God, and we should not think that we can do anything by ourselves without Him!
V19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” The devil is a liar, and we should not listen to it. The devil wants us to hide in the cave with our fantasy, to be antisocial and to only think about ourselves. But the Bible tells us that children are our inheritance, His Will is for us to subdue the earth, to come out and interact with people instead of hiding in our own world.
V20-21 “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” God has given us this wisdom, which is the attitude to fear God, when we know we need to fear God then we will receive wisdom and eternal life. God is with us, we can overcome this world, we need to obey and stay away from idols. Don’t put ourselves to the test, stay with God and we can do all things!
Prayer and Pursuit
Lord, fill us, so we can really believe we are saved. In You, we have power, help us to get rid of the things in us that don’t belong to You. Help us to be willing to give, no longer save anything for ourselves, but by faith, by blood of Christ, by the water of the Holy Spirit, and live out this life of testimony. Take away our un-forgiveness, unfaithfulness, laziness, and everything displeases You. Today, we will treasure the life You give to us and set apart from this world.
Lord, You have given us a new life, help us to see You are with us, we don’t need to be afraid. We no longer need to focus on what we have and what we don’t have, but by faith, we can receive whatever we asked for, which is Your Will. When we face Your teaching and commandments, we can step out boldly and receive victory. Amen!
2021年5月11日 星期二
-潘锡安牧师-
约翰一书 5
一个重生得救的生命
我们很容易被周围的人的冷淡退后影响。如何在这样一个走向死亡和灰暗的生命中重生得救？我们要先回转像小孩子一样。
一、爱神守诫命（v.1-5)
V1“基督”对犹太人来说是非常重要的“救世主”，因为当时犹太人在罗马人的统治下渐渐被外邦人影响，面临失去自己身份命定的危机，但耶稣基督是能够带我们胜过世界的，所以我们要信的不是世界，而是基督。这个信心能够帮助我们爱那些“从神生的”人。当我们半信半疑的时候我们就无法真正去爱，但当我们相信耶稣基督拯救了世界的时候，我们就不再靠着自己去拯救或改变世界，我们才能靠着主去爱那些我们爱不下去的人。
V2 我们爱神，不是用嘴巴说说而已，是要遵守他的诫命 – 就是尽心尽意爱神、又要爱人如己。
V3 守神的诫命 – 爱那些从神生的，就是爱神了。我们不是“独生子女”，我们是有家可归的，所以要走出山洞，学习与人同工、相交，不再留在黑暗中看不见自己，而是活出神给我们的生命。我们要让我们的行动显明我们的信心。神的诫命 – 就是爱神爱人 – “不是难守的”，只要我们有信心。
V4-5 我们常在网络上用对话和表情包来与人沟通，但这样反而失去了神给我们用话语表达自己的能力。所以要“胜过世界”，跨出舒适圈，我们才能得救。世界欺骗我们，当我们面对压力时不是靠主得力，而是沉醉于小说、影视等幻想中。因为我们的时间有限，选择什么，就得到什么，若浪费时间在这些对我们没有益处的事情，就会越来越软弱，失去了神给我们大能的生命。
二、有生命 有见证（v.6-13)
整篇约翰一书写给我们的目的是叫我们“知道自己有永生”(V13 )。永生就是借着水和血而来(V6) – 水洗净我们的罪，让我们从世界分别出来；血就是耶稣基督在十字架上流出的宝血，涂抹遮盖我们的罪，使我们从过去的一切中被救赎；而圣灵是带领我们进入新的生命（V7-8)。有永生的人在地上要见证这水和血在我们身上是大有功效的。我们是否只是停留在只有水和血的阶段？神的永恒计划不仅是救赎我们，更让我们有圣灵，有重生的生命，能对世界作见证。
三、有智慧 有行动（v.14-21)
V14 我们的祷告要按着神的旨意，先求他的国和他的义。所以当我们听到神跟我们的吩咐时，不管事情有多艰难，我们都不需要惧怕，因为事情能成就不是由于我们能做得多好，而是我们谦卑祷告，让神彰显他的大能。所以不要以“自己没准备好”为借口，而要存“坦然无惧的心”来到神面前祈求。
V15 再大再难的事工都是没有问题的，因为若从神而来，他都会让我们“无不得着”。
V16 亵渎圣灵的就是“当死的罪”。我们要为生命代求，要有行动，要明白。
V18 我们不是靠自己保守自己，而是要祷告、跟从和遵行，才能靠主得胜。
V19 全世界 都毫无例外的“卧在那恶者手下”。恶者将罪包装成美好的东西欺骗我们，让我们放下神给我们在世上的使命，沉醉于恶者的欺骗中。恶者让我们躲在自己觉得能够享受的山洞里，轻看了神给我们的产业，但神要让我们出黑暗入光明。
V20 敬畏神是智慧的开端，我们有智慧，就知道我们是有永生的。
V21 我们知道自己有永生后，是否能“自守”呢？还是让我们自己面对试探，放纵我们的软弱彰显，体贴肉体呢？求神帮助我们看到我们是重生得救的人，我们是爱神守诫命、有生命有见证、且有智慧有行动的人。我们要生命影响生命，见证神，得人如得鱼！
*追求：
是的 主，我们是重生得救的人，我们在你里面是大有能力的。求主帮助我们，将我们里面不属于天国的杂质、老我的东西都交给神，不再去保留。我们靠着水、血和圣灵得着永恒的生命。今天求圣灵光照我们，看到我们里面有什么杂质阻挡我们活出属神的生命，包括一切的不饶恕、懒惰……统统交给他。我们要分别为圣，看重神给我们的生命，在祷告中将这些属世的杂质都完全交上给神！
谢谢主帮助我们看到里面那不讨你喜悦的杂质，求主将他们挪去，让我们活出重生得救的生命！帮助我们不再靠自己的能力或血气行事，而是愿意完全信靠主胜过这个世界，存着坦然无惧的心面对挑战。谢谢主让我们知道当我们照着你的旨意求时，你就必垂听，使我们无不得着！奉耶稣基督得胜的名祷告！阿们！