彼得说，基督徒会为他们的信仰受苦，然而，行为不正直或在信仰上妥协也会令我们受苦的；假如我们忽视神的命令，我们就必定要面对后果。雅各又指出，若只犯了律法的其中一部份，我们也算是犯了全律法了（雅各书 2:10）。
以色列民因对主不忠心而受苦，神允许他们受苦，因为他们不守约和不听从主。根据士师记所说，神于是试验他们，要看看“他们肯照他们列祖谨守遵行我的道不肯。”
士师记描述子民因为违命所受的苦，可能令我们想起，雅各曾用一面镜子来代表律法的比喻（雅各书 1:22-25）。思想以色列民受苦的问题，挑起了一个很难解答的疑问：今天神的子民受苦，是因为他们的信仰、还是因为他们的不信呢？
我们时常不断以祷告支持世界各地因信仰受苦的弟兄姊妹；至于那些仍不承认他们受苦、是因为他们行不义或在信仰上妥协的基督徒，我们有没有同样热切地为他们祷告呢？
圣经向每一个世代的神的子民提出这个疑问；这个问题似乎问得不甚客气、或甚至没有爱心，但神的本意是要我们得益处（参看希伯来书 12:10）。
惟愿我们今天的敬拜能激发我们去自我反省，并且为我们灵命健康的缘故仰望耶稣。
主啊，求你指出和赦免我们的罪，如果我们受苦，但愿是为了耶稣的缘故。阿们。
士师记 2:20-23
20于是耶和华的怒气向以色列人发作，他说：“因这民违背我吩咐他们列祖所守的约，不听从我的话，
21所以约书亚死的时候所剩下的各族，我必不再从他们面前赶出，
22为要藉此试验以色列人，看他们肯照他们列祖谨守遵行我的道不肯。”
23这样，耶和华留下各族，不将他们速速赶出，也没有交付约书亚的手。
“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief... ” - 1 Peter 4:15
Peter writes that Christians will suffer for their faith, but unrighteous behavior or compromising the faith will also produce suffering. If we ignore God’s commands, we may well face consequences. And James points out that if we break just a part of the law, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
Israel suffered for their unfaithfulness to the Lord. God allowed this because they did not keep their promises and did not listen to the Lord. So God tested them, Judges says, to see “whether they [would] keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.”
Judges’ description of suffering because of disobedience may bring to mind James’s image of the law as a mirror (James 1:22-25). Looking into the problem of Israel’s suffering here raises an inconvenient question: Are God’s people today suffering for their faith or for their faithlessness?
Unending prayer regularly supports brothers and sisters throughout the world who suffer for the faith. But what about fervent prayer for Christians who cannot yet admit they are suffering for unrighteousness, for compromising the faith?
Scripture asks every generation of God’s people this question. It may seem unkind, or even unloving, but God means it for our good (see Hebrews 12:10).
May our worship today provoke us to self-examination and to direct our eyes to Jesus for the sake of our spiritual health.
Lord, please show us and forgive us our sins—and if we suffer, may it be for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
