| 1 Peter 1:1–5 |
彼得前书1:1-5 |
| 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. |
1 耶稣基督的使徒彼得，写信给那分散在本都、加拉太、加帕多家、亚西亚、庇推尼寄居的人， 2 就是照着父 神的预知蒙拣选，藉着圣灵得成圣洁，因而顺服，并且被耶稣基督的血洒过的人。愿恩惠平安多多地加给你们。 3 我们主耶稣基督的父 神是应当称颂的。他照着自己的大怜悯，藉着耶稣基督从死人中复活，重生了我们，使我们有永活的盼望， 4 可以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残，为你们存留在天上的基业， 5 就是你们这因信蒙 神能力保守的人，得着预备在末世要显现的救恩。 |
| Trials have a way of revealing our hopes. What do we trust in when things get rough? I remember after the birth of our third child, my wife experienced some serious complications. As a half-dozen nurses and doctors rushed in to attend to her, I began to understand the severity of what was taking place. They gave her papers to sign to authorize various life saving measures. In that moment, the worst case scenarios began to run through my mind. I imagined Adoniram Judson, first protestant missionary sent to Burma, who wandered the streets begging nursing women to nurse his infant after the death of his wife Ann shortly after childbirth. I wondered if my faith would remain intact if my wife died. |
试炼能显出我们的盼望在哪里。艰难时日里我们相信谁？我记得我家老三出生后，我妻子经历了一些严重的并发症。有六名护士和医生赶来照料她，我才意识到情况有多严重。他们让她签各种文件来授权采取各样抢救措施。那一刻，最坏的情况开始在我的脑中盘旋。我想到派往缅甸的第一位新教传教士阿多尼拉姆·贾德森（Adoniram Judson），他妻子安妮产后不久就过世了，他自己沿街乞求哺乳期妇女给他的婴儿喂奶。我不知道如果我的妻子去世，我的信仰会不会有所动摇。 |
| Trials bring forced clarity to our lives, revealing the source of our hope when all else fails. We see this more clearly in the midst of our world today. With a global pandemic, many have felt powerless and hopeless. But even without a global pandemic, our world is filled with trials, pressures, and hostilities that require a sure and steadfast hope. |
试炼使我们的生命更加清晰，在走投无路之时显出我们的盼望从何而来。在当今世界，我们更加清楚地看到了这一点。随着全球瘟疫大流行，许多人感到无助和无望。但是，即使没有瘟疫，我们的世界也充满了试炼、压力和敌意，需要有确定不移的盼望。 |
| This leads us to the message of 1 Peter: Christians have a heavenly hope in a hostile world. Let me set a bit of the context of the book of 1 Peter from 1:1–2. |
这使我们想到了彼得前书的信息：基督徒在充满敌意的世界里有属天的盼望。让我从彼得前书1：1–2节的背景开始。 |
| Context & Opening Verses (1 Peter 1:1–2) |
背景和开篇（彼得前书1：1–2） |
| These opening two verses really could merit a sermon itself, but let me just point to a three themes that will be revisited in coming weeks. |
光开头的这两节就足以讲一次道了，但我只想指出未来几周里将要重温的三个主题。 |
| This is written by the Apostle Peter in his unique office as an “apostle of Jesus Christ” during the rule of the emperor Nero before persecution had escalated significantly. This was written to the Christians in the provinces of Rome in Asia Minor, which would be modern day Turkey. The believers that Peter is writing to are experiencing persecution, trials, suffering, and widespread hostility from the culture around them. |
这是使徒彼得以自己独特的“耶稣基督的使徒”的职分写的，当时正是尼禄皇帝统治期间，逼迫事件显著升级之前。这封信是写给罗马行省小亚细亚地区的基督徒，也就是今天的土耳其。彼得所写的信徒正经历着来自周围文化的迫害、试炼、痛苦和广泛的敌对情绪。 |
| Second, we see a theme of “elect exiles.” These are God’s people—predominately Gentiles—who are scattered throughout Asia Minor living among people who are hostile to their faith. The world finds their beliefs and practices strange. Though they are elect—called and chosen by God—they are also exiles, strangers living in a land that is not their ultimate home. Their God ordained identity is that of spiritual exiles, strangers and aliens in their current culture, ultimately living as citizens of heaven. There is a theme of homesickness running through 1 Peter where God’s people long for their true and ultimate home. |
其次，我们看到了一个主题“蒙拣选的寄居者”。这些是上帝的子民（主要是外邦人），他们分散在整个小亚细亚地区，生活在对他们的信仰充满敌意的人中间。人们认为他们的信仰和行为很古怪。尽管他们是蒙拣选者—是由神呼召和拣选的—但他们也是寄居者，寄居在不是自己终极家园的土地上的异乡人。上帝命定他们的身份在现今文化中是属灵的寄居者、客旅和异乡人的身份，最终将以天国公民的身份生活。乡愁的主题贯穿彼得前书，在书中，上帝的子民渴望获得他们真正的终极家园。 |
| Third, the main character at work in election and salvation is the Triune God—the Father, Son, and Spirit. Verse 2 tells us how the Triune God is powerfully at work in saving his people: |
第三，在拣选和救赎中作工的主要人物是三位一体的上帝-父、子和灵。第2节告诉我们三位一体的上帝在拯救祂的子民中体现出大能大力： |
| • The Father’s Call: Peter’s audience is “elect” because of the foreknowledge of God (emphasizing his sovereignty and initiative in salvation). God has called believers to himself and given them a new abiding identity as “elect exiles.” |
•圣父的呼召：彼得的听众之所以被“拣选”，是因为上帝的先见（强调祂的主权和救赎的主动性）。上帝呼召信徒，并赋予他们新的不可磨灭的身份，即“被拣选的寄居者”。 |
| • The Spirit’s Setting Apart: Here the word sanctification refers not to progressive sanctification, but rather to the “setting apart as holy” that happens at conversion. Believers are sanctified by being called out of darkness into light in salvation (2:9). |
•圣灵的分别：这里圣灵使基督徒的成圣不是指渐进式的成圣，而是指归信时发生的“分别为圣”。信徒因在救恩中出黑暗入光明而成圣洁（2：9）。 |
| • Our Obedience & Christ’s Cleansing: Here we respond in obedience to Jesus Christ because we have a new allegiance, new citizenship, and a new identity. This is possible because of the sprinkling of Christ’s blood (referring back to Exodus 24:3-8) in cleansing and forgiveness of sins by his blood. |
•我们的顺服和基督的洗净：这里我们顺服耶稣基督，因为我们有了新的效忠对象，新的国民身份，和新的位份。之所以这样，是因为基督的宝血具有洁净和赦免罪孽的功效（参考出埃及记24：3-8）。 |
| Peter’s point in the introduction is not merely to say who he is and who he is writing to, but to inform his readers of their identity (i.e., elect exiles) and of God’s sovereign work of divine election. It’s important to note that there is nothing more comforting in trials than to know you have been chosen by God according to his sovereign power and wisdom precisely for that moment. |
彼得在导言中的意思不仅是说明他自己是谁，正在给谁写信，而且还告诉读者他们的身份是什么（即蒙拣选的寄居者）和上帝神圣拣选的主权工作。重要的是要注意，在试炼中没有什么比知道自己已经蒙上帝凭着祂的主权和智慧所拣选时更令人欣慰的了。 |
| That’s the context of 1 Peter. In subsequent weeks we’ll come back to those themes in 1 Peter 1:1–2, but this morning I want to look in greater detail at verses 3–5. |
这就是彼得前书的背景。在接下来的几周中，我们将回到彼得前书 1：1–2中的这些主题，但是今天早上我想更详细地讲解第3–5节。 |
| Main Point & Plan (1 Peter 1:3–5) |
要点和计划（彼得前书1：3-5） |
| The main point in 1:3–5 is because believers have an imperishable hope grounded in the miracle of the new birth, they can withstand trials with worship. Peter’s solution for trials and suffering is hope-filled worship grounded in God’s glorious work in salvation. |
1章3–5节的要点是，因为信徒们有一个不灭的盼望，这盼望立足于新生命的神迹，所以他们可以用敬拜来经受试炼。彼得用来应对试炼和苦难的方法是基于对上帝荣耀救恩充满盼望的敬拜。 |
| My aim is remind us of the miracle of the new birth that gives us an imperishable hope that can withstand any trials that we’re experiencing or may come. |
我的目的是要提醒我们新生的奇迹给了我们一个不灭的盼望，使我们可以承受正在经历或可能发生的任何试炼。 |
| My plan this morning is to look at our passage 1 Peter 1:3–5 and answer these two questions: |
我今天早上的计划是看彼得前书1：3-5并回答以下两个问题： |
| 1）What has God done? |
1）神已经做了什么？ |
| 2）How do we respond? |
2）我们该如何回应？ |
| Part 1: What has God done? |
第1部分：神已经做了什么？ |
| In verse 3 we see that God “has caused us to be born again” (1 Peter 1:3). This emphasizes God’s sovereignty and initiative. We didn’t do anything to cause our physical births, and we contribute nothing to our spiritual rebirths. God alone saves and gives life. |
在第3节中，我们看到上帝“已经使我们重生”（彼得前书1：3）。这强调了上帝的主权和主动。我们没有做任何事情来使我们的身体出生，我们也没有为我们的属灵重生做出任何贡献。上帝独自拯救并赋予生命。 |
| This is precisely Jesus’ point in John 3 when he’s speaking with Nicodemus. Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This was crazy talk to Nicodemus. How can a full grown man enter into his mother’s womb and be born again? This doesn’t compute for Nicodemus. Nicodemus is talking about physical birth, and Jesus is speaking about spiritual birth—being born of water and the Spirit, without which he cannot enter the kingdom of God. |
这正是约翰福音三章中，耶稣对尼哥底母所讲的要点。耶稣对尼哥底母说：“我实实在在告诉你，人若不重生，就不能见 神的国。”（约翰福音3：3）。这话对尼哥底母来说简直就是胡言乱语。一个成年人如何能进入母腹再重新生出来？尼哥底母的脑子转不过弯来。尼哥底母说的是身体上的出生，而耶稣说的是灵性上的诞生-是由水和圣灵所生，若没有这重生，他就不能进入上帝的国度。 |
| Jesus replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5–8). Spiritual rebirth is like wind blowing. We can’t control it, we can’t manufacture it, and we can’t stop it. It happens when God makes it happen. God sovereignly caused you to be born again to a living hope. |
耶稣回答：“我实实在在告诉你，人若不是从水和圣灵生的，就不能进 神的国。 6从肉身生的就是肉身，从灵生的就是灵。7你不要因为我对你说‘你们必须重生’而感到希奇。8风随意而吹，你听见它的响声，却不知道它从哪里来，往哪里去；凡从圣灵生的，也是这样。”（约翰福音3：5-8）。灵里的重生就像风吹一样。我们无法控制它，我们无法制造它，我们也无法停止它。当上帝让它发生时，它就会发生。上帝主权让你重生到永活的盼望里。 |
| I had the privilege of being present for the birth of all five of my children. While I would like to think I “helped” in their births, the reality is that my presence was appreciated but unnecessary. My children had no part in their own birth as well. My wife labored and gave birth. In the same way, God brings his children to experience new life through his prerogative and through his alone. We do not contribute, assist in, or cause our new birth. God does. |
我有幸亲临了我所有五个孩子的出生。尽管我希望自己的在场能为他们的出生提供“帮助”，但事实是我的在场只是一种精神鼓励，但我并不是不可或缺的。我的孩子也没有自己出生。我妻子十月怀胎并生下了孩子。同样，上帝用祂的特权以一己之力使祂的孩子们经历了重生。我们没有任何功劳，协助或促成我们的新生。都是上帝做的。 |
| It is a miracle when God breathes new life into the dead by removing a heart of stone and putting in a heart of flesh. The reality of our new birth as followers of Jesus ought to cause us to marvel at God’s glorious power and work on our behalf. |
上帝移走石心，放入肉心，向灵性已死之人注入新生命，这是一个神迹。作为耶稣的门徒，我们新生的事实应该使我们对上帝为了我们而施行的荣耀的大能大力而惊叹。 |
| Believers are born again to three things in our passage, all with the same preposition: |
在这段经文中信徒重生后发生的三件事，用的都是相同的介词： |
| 1）To a living hope (1:3) |
1）有永活的盼望（1：3） |
| 2）To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading(1:4) |
2）可以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残的基业（1：4） |
| 3）To/for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1:5) |
3）得着预备在末世要显现的救恩（1：5） |
| 1. Born Again to a Living Hope (1:3) |
1.重生有永活的盼望（1：3） |
| “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3) |
“我们主耶稣基督的父 神是应当称颂的。他照着自己的大怜悯，借着耶稣基督从死人中复活，重生了我们，使我们有永活的盼望”（彼得前书1：3） |
| Peter is contrasting a living hope with an empty or vain hope. It is genuine and vital. It is a hope that is sure and guaranteed because it is based upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Believers have a living hope because Jesus is risen, he is risen indeed! |
彼得将永活的盼望与空虚或徒劳的希望进行了对比。这是真实而至关重要的。盼望是确定而有保障的，因为这盼望是基于耶稣基督从死里复活。信徒们有永活的盼望，因为耶稣复活了，祂确实复活了！ |
| Hope is an interesting word. It can be used to convey our uncertainty and the precariousness of a situation, or it can convey our confidence and surety of something coming to pass. I can say, “I hope to grow taller.” The probability for that is likely zero. It’s unlikely, and probably an impossibility, but nonetheless I can hope. On the other hand, we can say “I have hope that I will someday be in heaven.” That is a hope that is confident and sure because it rests on God’s election and foreknowledge, Jesus’ forgiveness and imputed righteousness, and the Spirit’s ongoing work of sanctification (1:2). Peter tells us we have a living, confident, and sure hope grounded in the resurrection. |
希望是一个有趣的词。它既可以用来表达我们的犹豫和局势的不确定，也可以用来表达我们对即将发生的事情的确信和保证。我可以说：“我希望能长高一点。”这个可能性几乎为零。这不太可能，甚至绝对不可能，但我可以说我希望。另一方面，我们可以说：“我希望有一天我会在天堂。”这是充满信心和肯定的希望，因为它取决于上帝的拣选和预知，耶稣的赦罪和归算给我们的公义，以及圣灵正在进行的成圣工作（1：2）。彼得告诉我们，我们有一个永活的、确信的、肯定的盼望，这盼望仍是基于复活。 |
| 2. Born Again to an Inheritance that is Imperishable, Undefiled, and Unfading (1:4) |
2.重生以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残的基业（1：4） |
| “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4) |
“可以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残，为你们存留在天上的基业”（彼得前书1：4） |
| Believers receive an indestructible inheritance. In the OT the inheritance is the land that God promised the twelve tribes of Israel after the Exodus (e.g. Num. 32:19; Deut. 2:12; 12:9; 25:19; 26:1; Josh. 11:23). Peter picks up on this language but rather than a physical inheritance, they are strangers and exiles homesick for a heavenly country: heaven. It speaks of this in Hebrews 11 when describing the faith of those who have gone before (called the Hall of Faith). |
信徒将获得坚不可摧的基业。在旧约中基业是神应许以色列十二个支派出埃及后所要得的土地（例如民32:19；申2:12; 12：9; 25:19; 26：1；约书亚11:23）。彼得选用了同样的词语，但所指的不再是物产基业，而是他们天家的基业，即使他们现在是客旅，是寄居者，思念天上的家乡。希伯来书11章在描述那些已经离世之人的信心时谈到了这一点（称为信心伟人录）。 |
| It says “[They] all died in faith…having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland….they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one….” (Hebrews 11:13–16) |
经文说：“[他们]这些人都是存着信心死了的，还没有得着所应许的，只不过是从远处看见，就表示欢迎，又承认他们在世上是寄居者，是客旅。因为说这样话的人，是表明他们在寻求一个家乡….但是现在他们所向往的，是一个更美的、在天上的家乡。” （希伯来书11：13-16） |
| This inheritance awaits God’s people in heaven. This again taps into our innate understanding that we are not primarily citizens of this country. Our allegiances are not mainly to an earthly kingdom. We labor not mainly to advance the agenda of a singular nation state. Instead believers live as exiles here on earth longing for a heavenly kingdom. As we look towards the presidential election, we know that neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party reflects the values of the kingdom of God. We are exiles—homesick for God’s rule and reign—who make calculated decisions steeped in prayer and wisely considered. |
这基业在天上等待着上帝的子民。这让我们脑洞大开，原来我们首先不是这个国家的公民。我们所要效忠的主要不是地上的国度。我们的工作主要不是为了发展一个单一民族的国家。相反的是，信徒们像寄居者一样生活在地上，渴望一个天家。当我们进行总统大选时，我们知道共和党和民主党都没有反映上帝国度的价值。我们是寄居者-想念上帝的统治和治理-我们在祷告中审慎估量，作出有智慧的决定。 |
| This inheritance is indestructible; specifically Peter uses three adjectives—imperishable, undefiled, and unfading—to convey that reality. What’s the significance of these three adjectives? |
这基业是坚不可摧的。具体来说，彼得使用三个形容词-不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残来传达这一事实。这三个形容词的意义是什么？ |
| This inheritance will not spoil. It doesn’t have a shelf life. It won’t go stale, doesn’t mold, never expires, and doesn’t turn sour. Our lives are like grass that withers and fades. Our time on earth will run out. But our salvation will not perish. This is illustrated by how quickly milk spoils. I read that dairy farms that supply American’s milk are dumping millions of gallons of it down the drain. There’s little demand for some of it since school cafeterias and restaurants are closed. The cows keep producing and they need to be milked, but if you don’t use it, you lose it. But not so with our heavenly inheritance. |
这基业不会朽坏。没有失效日期。它不会变味，不会发霉，不会过期，也不会变质。我们的生命就像草一样会枯萎。我们在地上的时日终将结束。但是我们的救恩不会灭亡。牛奶变质的速度可以说明这一点。我读到新闻里说，美国的奶牛场正在倒掉数百万加仑的牛奶。由于学校食堂和餐馆关闭，牛奶需求缩减。奶牛却仍旧产奶，仍需要挤奶，但是如果你不挤，奶就没了。但是我们天上的基业不是这样。 |
| Not only is it imperishable, but it is undefiled. It won’t get stained, contaminated, infected, or ruined. This is the same word used to denote Jesus’ sinlessness in Hebrews 7:26, where it says we have a high priest who is “unstained” by sin. |
它不仅不朽坏，而且不能玷污。它不会被弄脏，污染，感染或毁坏。这是在希伯来书7：26中用来表示耶稣的无罪无瑕的相同词语，其中说我们有一个大祭司，他“不沾染”罪恶。 |
| It doesn’t lose its luster and beauty, doesn’t diminish in value. Our inheritance is immune to inflation, changes in the stock market, or currency manipulation. It does not wear out, grow obsolete, or disappoint. Can you imagine something that is as good or better 10 years later? I remember as a kid playing video games such as Super Mario Brothers or Street Fighter II. These were amazing video games at the time. So about a year ago visiting family, my brother and I played an emulator where we could go back and play all these old games. After about 5 minutes it was clear that these games had not aged well. The graphics were terrible, the game play simplistic, and the overall experience lacking. They were not what they once were. Not so with our inheritance awaiting us in heaven. In fact, our hope of resurrection and indestructible inheritance gets better and more meaningful every day. |
它不会失去光泽和美感，也不会掉价。我们的基业不受通货膨胀、股市行情或货币操纵的影响。它不会磨损，折旧或令人失望。你能想象有什么能在十年后依然美好如初甚至更好吗？我记得小时候玩电子游戏，例如《超级马里奥兄弟》或《街头霸王II》。这些是当时令人着迷的视频游戏。大约一年前，我和哥哥拜访家人时，做了一个模拟器，用来玩所有这些旧游戏。玩了大约5分钟后，很明显感觉这些游戏过时了。画质太糟糕，玩法太简单，体验太差劲。它们不再是它们曾经的样子。在天家等待我们的基业不是这样。事实上，我们对复活和坚不可摧的基业的盼望每天都在变得越来越美好，越来越有意义。 |
| 3. Born Again to a Salvation Ready to be revealed in the Last Time (1:5) |
3.重生以得着预备在末世要显现的救恩（1：5） |
| “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5) |
“就是你们这因信蒙 神能力保守的人，得着预备在末世要显现的救恩。”（彼得前书1：5） |
| In verse 5 we’re told that this inheritance is a future salvation that will be revealed in the last time. Very often the OT can speak of salvation in a present sense, “you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8–9), but it can also speak of it in a future sense. Peter is doing the latter. The reason believers can be confident of this future salvation is because they are being guarded by God’s power through faith. So God not only keeps and protects our future inheritance, he keeps and protects us by faith so that we do not fall away. |
在第5节，我们被告知，这基业是将来的救恩，将在末世显现。旧约通常可以从当下的意义上讲救恩，“你已经因信得救”（以弗所书2：8-9），但也可以从未来的意义上讲。彼得指的是后者。信徒们对未来的救赎充满信心的原因是，他们因信而受到上帝大能的保护。因而，上帝不仅持有和保护我们未来的基业，祂还通过信心来保守和保护我们，这样我们才不会失丧。 |
| God powerfully protects his children—even in the midst of pain, trials, and challenges to their faith—by sustaining their faith as true heirs. God keeps those who are his. The fact that you and I wake up each morning, still breathing, still trusting in God, not making a shipwreck of our faith, is God’s grace at work in our lives. In the midst of whatever you’re facing, God’s power guards you by faith until final salvation. |
上帝大能地保守祂的儿女--甚至在他们遭受痛苦、磨难和信仰挑战的过程中，也依然维持他们的信心，作为真正的后嗣。上帝保守那些属于祂的人。你和我每天早晨醒来，仍然呼吸，仍然信靠上帝，没有使我们的信仰沉船，这是上帝在我们生命中的恩典。无论你面对什么，上帝的能力都会因信守护你，直到你最终得救。 |
| • So why can we have an imperishable hope? |
•那么为什么我们会有不朽的盼望呢？ |
| • We have a sovereign and almighty Savior. |
•我们有一个主权和全能的救主。 |
| • We are the elect of God according to his foreknowledge. |
•我们是神根据祂的先见而蒙拣选的。 |
| • We have been set apart to be holy by the Spirit. |
•我们被圣灵分别为圣。 |
| • We have been sprinkled by the blood of Christ. |
•我们被基督的宝血洁净。 |
| • We are obedient to the commands of Christ. |
•我们顺服基督的命令。 |
| • We have been born again to a living hope, an indestructible inheritance, and a awaiting salvation. |
•我们重生得着了一个永活的盼望，一份坚不可摧的基业，一份等候着我们的救赎。 |
| • We are being actively kept by God through faith. |
•我们藉着信心被上帝主动地保守。 |
| So if this is what God has done, why did he do it and how do we respond? |
因而，如果这是神所做的，祂为什么要做，我们该如何回应？ |
| Part 2: How Do We Respond? |
第2部分：我们如何回应？ |
| Peter’s antidote to hopelessness is to fight the fight of faith with worship grounded in the new birth. Because we have an imperishable hope grounded in the miracle of the new birth, we can praise God. Hope-filled worship ought to characterize God’s people when they examine God’s work against the backdrop of dire, hostile, or discouraging circumstances. |
彼得对绝望的解药是通过基于重生的敬拜来打信心之战。因为我们在重生的神迹中有着永活的盼望，所以我们可以赞美上帝。当神的子民在严峻、敌对或令人沮丧的情况下审视上帝的工作时，充满盼望的敬拜应该成为上帝子民的特征。 |
| The point of all that God has done is to awaken in us fresh praise, worship, and joy. Verse three begins with the words, “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” All of God’s works in salvation and redemption history are to call us to fresh praise and worship. |
上帝所做的一切就是要在我们里面唤醒新的赞美、敬拜和喜乐。第三节的开头是：“我们主耶稣基督的父 神是应当称颂的。”上帝在救赎中和救赎史上所做的一切，都在呼召我们新的赞美和敬拜。 |
| • “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1) |
• “我的心哪！你要称颂耶和华；在我里面的一切，都要称颂他的圣名！” （诗篇103：1） |
| • “*Oh give thanks to the Lord, for his is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! *(Psalm 106:1) |
• “你们要赞美耶和华。你们要称谢耶和华，因为他是美善的；他的慈爱永远长存！ （诗篇106：1） |
| We respond in praise because God has done all this according to his great mercy (1:3). God saves his people not because of their likeability, hard work, how deserving they may be, nor based on any characteristic or traits we bring. God saves according to his great mercy. |
我们以赞美来回应，因为上帝已按照祂的大怜悯行了这一切（1：3）。上帝之所以拯救祂的子民，不是因为他们可爱、勤奋，或多么应得的荣幸，也不是因为我们所带的任何特征或特质。上帝是照着祂的大怜悯来拯救我们。 |
| Lamentations 3:22–24 tells us of God character, “22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” God mercies never end, and they are new every morning. The fact that we are alive, watching, listening, is God’s mercy poured out on you.
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耶利米哀歌3：22-24告诉我们上帝的属性：22耶和华的慈爱永不断绝，他的怜悯永不止息。23每天早晨都是新的；你的信实多么广大！24我心里说：“耶和华是我的业分，所以，我必仰望他。” 我的灵魂说，“因而我要在他身上寄希望。”上帝怜悯永无止境，而且每天早晨都是新的。我们活着，看着，倾听的事实是上帝的怜悯倾泻在你身上。
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| Like when a child says, “Dad, can you read me a book?” He doesn’t respond, “Well let’s see, were you nice to me today, did you help clean my room, or did you make me breakfast?” No! He scoops that child into his lap and reads him Good Night Moon or the Very Hungry Caterpillar for the 500th time. Why? Because that’s his child. O how much more is God’s heart of love and mercy towards his children. |
就像一个孩子说：“爸爸，你能给我读书吗？”爸爸不是这样回应：“好吧，但是让我们看看，你今天对我礼貌吗？你帮我打扫房间了？还是给我做早餐了？”不是这样的！他会把那个孩子抱在大腿上，第500次给他读《晚安月亮》或《好饿的毛毛虫》。为什么？因为那是他的孩子，上帝对祂的孩子们充满爱与怜悯的心。 |
| There is a danger for all Christians to grow calloused and inoculated to the wonders and glories of the gospel. We might know the lyrics to praise songs, but do we have the heart that can truly sing them? We might have Scriptures memorized, but do we have the affections that accompany them? How do we cultivate praise, worship, and joy in God? Ponder afresh the heights of God’s love against the backdrop of the severity of our sin. Consider the steadfastness of God’s mercy and grace, and how unworthy we are to receive it. |
所有基督徒都有可能变得冷淡，对福音的奇妙和荣耀无动于衷。我们可能知道赞美歌的歌词，但是我们是否有真正可以唱歌的心？我们可能会记住经文，但是我们有伴随着它们的情感吗？我们如何培养对神的赞美、敬拜和喜乐？我们必须以罪的严重性为反衬来重新思考神的慈爱的长阔高深。思想一下上帝怜悯和恩典的坚定不移，以及我们的多么不配。 |
| Don’t study God like a chef, but like a brain surgeon. What do I mean by that? Don’t study God’s word and works such that we become bored with it. Perhaps like a chef that has cooked his signature dish thousands of times, tasted thousands of iterations that he cares not for that dish. Instead, like a brain surgeon that opens up a skull, operates, and is continually amazed by how the brain works. The surgeon understands in part, but is continually amazed at all that he can’t fully grasp. Be like those who ponder God’s work and words with renewed awe and amazement. So that we can exclaim, “I know how God saves, but why would God save me?” |
不要像厨师那样研究上帝，而要像脑外科医生那样学习。那是什么意思？就是不要以让自己厌烦的方式来研究神的话语和行为。也许就像一个厨师已经将他的招牌菜煮了数千遍，品尝了数千遍他并不在意的菜一样。相反的是，要像外科医生一样，他作开颅手术，不断地被大脑运作方式惊叹，他只了解其中一小部分，对自己无法完全掌握的一切感到惊叹。要像那些思考上帝的作为和话语而常存敬畏和惊叹之心的人一样，我们也惊叹地说：“我知道上帝用什么拯救了我，但上帝为什么要拯救我呀？” |
| My challenge is for us to cultivate a heart that is happy in God. George Muller writes, “I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished...I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.” Make it your first and primary business to lead yourself to cultivate a heart of praise that is informed by God’s gracious and glorious work of regeneration. Don’t lose your awe over that miracle. Don’t inoculate yourself from being amazed by simple truths. |
我挑战大家来培养一颗以上帝为乐的心。乔治·穆勒（George Muller）写道：“我比以往任何时候都更加清楚地看到，我每天首要的任务是让我的灵魂以主为乐。首先要关心的不是，我能服侍上帝多少，我能如何荣耀上帝，而是我如何使自己的灵魂幸福，我的内心怎样被滋养……我看到我要做的最重要的事情就是让自己读上帝的圣言并默想之。” 培养自己对神让自己重生的恩典和荣耀有赞美之心，使之成为首要任务，不要对这个神迹失去惊叹，不要让自己对简单的真理失去惊讶。 |
| John Piper writes the following on satisfaction, “If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long as the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great” (John Piper in Hunger for God). Oh how many of our souls are stuffed with social media, YouTube, and Netflix that there is little room left? |
约翰·派博（John Piper）针对满足感写道：“如果你对神荣耀的彰显没有强烈的渴望，那不是因为你沉醉其中已深而感到满足了，而是因为你在属世的餐桌上嚼食已久，你的灵魂已塞满了垃圾食品，再没有空间容纳更好的了”（约翰·派博《饥渴慕神》）。哦，我们有多少人的灵魂已经被社交媒体、油管和Netflix塞满了而无剩余的空间？ |
| Not only do we fight the fight of faith with worship, but it will end someday. There will come a day where we sing and will feel no inkling of self-consciousness, only enraptured with the glory and majesty of God. We won’t critique the musicians, we won’t parse out how we’re feeling, our minds won’t wander to our concerns, because we will see Jesus face to face. No longer will life be marked by sorrowful yet always rejoicing, no longer will it be through a mirror dimly, no longer only knowing in part, but we will experience the full, unmitigated power of God’s love and affection for us. O I can’t wait for that day. |
我们不仅要通过敬拜来打信心之战，而且战争总有一天会结束。总有一天，我们歌唱时陶然忘我，全然沉迷于神的荣耀和威严。我们不会批评音乐家，我们不会解析我们的感受，我们的思想不会走神到我们的忧虑中，因为我们会面对面见到耶稣。生命不再以悲伤而总是充满欢乐为特征，不再需要透过模糊不清的镜子看，不再是只知其一不知其二，而是我们将体验到上帝对我们慈爱的全部，十足的份量。哦，我已经等不及这一天了。 |
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