Wednesday, 14th December 2022
Ps Kathy Poon
Section One V1-3 Love in the Truth
We all need love, but a lot of times, we choose to love because we want to have our love in return. Love should not be a feeling, but a truth. We don’t need to be ‘able’ but to be ‘willing’, when we chose to follow the truth, then we will be able. Love is a commitment, we need to be determined to love, it’s not when we are ready to love, but when we choose to love, then we can love. When we are willing to love, then we are able to love. It’s not about the environment, it’s not about the people, it’s not about having anything in return, but it’s about willingness.
V3 ‘Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.’ Love is the truth, when Jesus was on the cross, He did not do anything wrong, but the people still wanted to kill Him. On the cross, He asked the Father to forgive the people because they didn’t know what they were doing. Jesus’ love was rejected by people, He gave up His life for love, because it is the truth.
Section Two V4-6 Love is Commandment
In this section, the word ‘commandment’ appears five times, God commands us to love and there should be no negotiation. We must love no matter what, even when we feel like we cannot love anymore. It’s difficult for us to receive this commandment when it’s about us, so we should stand outside the square, see things from a higher perspective, come out of our own situation, then we will see everything more clearly. it may sound like an easy theory, but it is a difficult thing to do. We cannot love until we really accept that love is a commandment, we don’t hear about this from anyone but from God.
V6 ‘This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.’ Love is not because the other people are good to us then we love, love is unconditional, God loves us unconditionally, and we must do the same. The commandment is for each one of us, it’s not for us to teach others, but to receive this as a commandment for us.
Section Three V7-11 Love Should be Decerned
V7 ‘For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ How do we know who is the deceiver and who is not? The deceiver will not believe Jesus Christ comes in the flesh, because if He did not come in the flesh, He would not have experienced the pain of this world and became the holy sacrifice. We must have the spirit of discernment, we love, but at the same time, we need to be alert.
V10-11 ‘If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.’ That’s also why we need to be connected with our spiritual coverings, because often we cannot decern ourselves. God created churches for us to be protected, so when we face antichrist, we will be able to know how to respond. We should not just love anyone with any means, but to have the decrement from God, so He can teach us how to love.
Section Four V12-13 Love needs to be Communicated
V12 ‘Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.’ We need to have the communicate face to face, and in the foundation of love, there must be communication. It may be misleading when we try to convey everything in writing, may God give us wisdom, to know when to talk face to face. When we use the right means to express our love, then we can better love others with the love of the Father.
约翰二书 – 爱的根基
2022年12月14日 星期三
Kathy 师母
约翰在年轻时脾气暴躁，在年长时则写了很多关于爱的信件，对我们是很好的教导。
一、v.1-3 爱在真理里
V1-2“作长老的”指的是老约翰自己，“蒙拣选的太太”就是教会，“她的儿女”指的就是弟兄姐妹，“诚心所爱”就是在“真理”里所爱的。我们爱人要在真理里，并不是要期待有什么回馈，也不是一个感觉。神要的不是我们“能够”，而是我们“愿意”- 当我们愿意，就可以去爱。在真理的爱是一个决定、承诺、委身，而我们则要照着真理行。当神说“爱”是一个真理，我们就不要先看环境如何或者别人是否回报我们，而是“立志”去遵行神的话。正如耶稣基督被钉十字架的时候面对那些羞辱、唾弃、厌倦他的人，他求父神赦免他们，选择委身在阿爸父给他的职分，行在真理的爱里。
V3 这是一个美好的应许。只要我们行在真理里，神的“恩惠、怜悯、平安”就“必常与我们同在”。“真理”这个词在原文出现5次 – 5这个数字代表“恩典”。在神的真理里，我们爱的付出好像是“吃亏”，但在神却是恩典和祝福。
二、v.4-6 爱是命令
“命令”这个词在这段出现5次，说明我们不管怎样都要去“爱”，好像军令一样没有商量的余地。我们可能很容易去规劝别人要饶恕，但当我们自己陷在同样的光景时，可能就很难去爱那些我们爱不下去的人。因此，要求神帮助我们能走出自己的问题，从神的角度来重新看整个事情，才能真正去爱。我们要从内心真实接受这是从神而来的话，才会行出“彼此相爱”的命令。天父对我们的爱是无条件的，我们也要像他一样去无条件的爱他人。
三、v.7-11 爱要分辨
约翰一书第4章也讲到真理的灵和谬妄的灵。当时有一个异端相信二元论，他们认为灵和肉体是分开的，不承认耶稣道成肉身，所以鼓吹只要在灵里圣洁就好，肉体则继续败坏。我们如何分辨那些声音是否从神而来？就要问他是否承认耶稣基督是道成肉身。耶稣在世上用血肉之躯经历我们所经历的一切痛苦，却没有犯罪，他才能为我们的罪献上自己成为挽回祭。我们要去爱，但也要要“灵巧像蛇”，懂得在真理里分辨，并不要对那些讲自己是基督徒的人全盘接受，因为爱是有界限的，不要在那些敌基督的“恶行上有分”。
V8 我们的爱要有分辨里，做成神的工之后也要靠真理站立得稳。
三、v.12-13 爱是要沟通
老约翰盼望能到弟兄姐妹那里能“当面谈论”，使他们的“喜乐满足”。文字不能代替面对面的沟通，我们说话的表情、语气能帮助消除与人互动中的误会。我们要求神给我们智慧，知道在何时用对的方式与人沟通，更好的传递神与人美好的爱。