你曾否被人称为先知、或祭司、或君王、或王后呢?机会大概不多吧。我们大多数人都甚少会这样看自己的,然而神却这样看我们,衪提升我们的地位,好叫我们能过着满有福气和目标的丰盛生活。
在这个月,我们将会看看,以先知、祭司、和君王的身份来事奉神,是什么意思。父神的儿子耶稣基督,受了圣灵的恩膏;根据圣经的教导,耶稣是我们至高的先知,意思是说,衪向我们完完全全地启示神的旨意和神呼召我们应怎样过生活。耶稣也是我们完全的大祭司,衪让我们可以来到神那里,衪又藉着一次过为我们牺牲衪的性命来拯救我们。还有,衪是我们永远的君王,衪以衪的话语和圣灵来治理我们。(参看海德堡要理问答第31题。)
我们也与衪一同受了恩膏;我们蒙召相信和依靠耶稣、尊崇衪的名、以感恩的活祭来事奉衪、和与衪一起永远掌权。大斋节帮助我们把注意力集中在耶稣身上和衪为我们的牺牲,因此,在这段期间,让我们一起思想以上这些真理吧。
有神的灵在我们的生命中作工,我们便能逐渐变得更像耶稣。我们的身份与衪的身份开始配合,在我们实践我们作为先知、祭司、和统治者的呼召(我们的恩膏)来事奉神时,我们对基督的爱和顺服也越发加深。这就成为我们的身份了。
让我们一起学习这个身份的含义、和我们该怎样在今天的生活中把它活出来吧。
主啊,求你帮助我们看到,你以你的恩典拯救我们,好叫我们能与耶稣同受恩膏,并变得更像衪。求你扶助我们去事奉你。阿们。
约翰一书 2:20-27
20 你们从那圣者受了恩膏,并且知道这一切的事。
21 我写信给你们,不是因你们不知道真理,正是因你们知道,并且知道没有虚谎是从真理出来的。
22 谁是说谎话的呢?不是那不认耶稣为基督的吗?不认父与子的,这就是敌基督的。
23 凡不认子的,就没有父;认子的,连父也有了。
24 论到你们,务要将那从起初所听见的常存在心里。若将从起初所听见的存在心里,你们就必住在子里面,也必住在父里面。
25 主所应许我们的就是永生。
26 我将这些话写给你们,是指着那引诱你们的人说的。
27 你们从主所受的恩膏常存在你们心里,并不用人教训你们,自有主的恩膏在凡事上教训你们。这恩膏是真的,不是假的。你们要按这恩膏的教训住在主里面。
"You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." — 1 John 2:20
Have you ever been called a prophet, or a priest, or a king or queen? Probably not often. Most of us rarely think of ourselves that way. But God does. He lifts us up to live a full life of blessing and purpose.
This month we will look at what it means to be prophets, priests, and royal rulers in God’s service. Jesus Christ, Son of God the Father, was anointed with the Holy Spirit. As the Bible teaches, Jesus is our chief Prophet. This means he fully reveals to us the will of God and how God calls us to live. Jesus is also our perfect High Priest, who gives us access to God and has delivered us through the one sacrifice of his life for us. What’s more, Jesus is our eternal King, who governs us by his Word and Spirit. (See Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 31.)
And we share in his anointing. We are called to believe and trust in Jesus and to honor his name, to serve as living sacrifices of thanks, and to reign with him forever. So let’s consider all these things as the season of Lent helps us focus on Jesus and his sacrifice for us.
As the Spirit of God works in our lives, we gradually become like Jesus. Our identity begins to align with his. Our love and obedience to Christ grow as we carry out our calling (our anointing) as prophets, priests, and rulers who serve God. This becomes our identity.
Let’s learn together what this means and how we can live it out in our lives today.
Lord, help us see that you have saved us by grace to share in Jesus’ anointing and become like him. Lift us up to serve you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳