【双语灵修】神的宏大工程GOD’S BIG PROJECT

彼得前书 2:4-10

主乃活石，固然是被人所弃的，却是被神所拣选、所宝贵的。 你们来到主面前，也就像活石，被建造成为灵宫，做圣洁的祭司，藉着耶稣基督奉献神所悦纳的灵祭。 因为经上说：“看哪，我把所拣选、所宝贵的房角石安放在锡安，信靠他的人必不至于羞愧。” 所以，他在你们信的人就为宝贵；在那不信的人有话说：“匠人所弃的石头，已做了房角的头块石头”， 又说：“做了绊脚的石头、跌人的磐石。”

他们既不顺从，就在道理上绊跌；他们这样绊跌也是预定的。 唯有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗、入奇妙光明者的美德。 你们从前算不得子民，现在却做了神的子民；从前未曾蒙怜恤，现在却蒙了怜恤。

4月30日

神的宏大工程

“唯有你们是被拣选的族类……是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民……” - 彼得前书 2:9

当神忙于预备新创造时，祂正在进行一项特别的工程。祂正在建立一个被拣选的族类，一个圣洁的国度，就是彼得在今天的经文中所说的“属神的子民”（special possession）。

彼得对神子民的这些称呼是借用自旧约圣经。它们最初是用来描述古以色列人，表明他们作为神选民的特殊地位。现在，这些标签被赋予给所有“在基督里”聚集的人，即神从各族、各国、各方呼召归向祂自己的人，那些正在等候神新创造的基督信徒。

所有信靠基督为主、为救主的人都是这群体的一部分，他们聚集自世界各地，贯穿历世历代。我们这些生命“在基督里”的人，是神正在聚集的这广大群众的活路标，是即将到来的新创造的重要组成部分。

今天，试着透过《圣经》这面镜子来照镜：如果你是基督的信徒，你注视着的就是一个新造的人—一个在基督里正在被更新的人。你注视着的是神—就在此刻，正在建造的那个宏大新创造的一个活路标。而且，在某种意义上，你正在注视着一个全球性的、跨越时间的、深受眷爱的群体—就是神的圣洁子民。这一切都证明了：旧事已过，都变成新的了！

祷告

噢，神啊，能够“在基督里”，并作为你圣洁子民的一部分，在你的新创造中，盼望与你同住的生命，这是多么喜乐的礼物。我们赞美并尊崇你，因你将一切都更新了，也包括我们在内。阿们。

1 Peter 2:4-10

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

GOD’S BIG PROJECT

You are a chosen people . . . a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . . —1 Peter 2:9

While God is busy preparing the new creation, he is working on a special project. He is building a chosen people, a holy nation, the “special possession” that Peter talks about in our text for today.

Peter’s labels for God’s people are borrowed from the Old Testament. They were first used to describe ancient Israel, to signify their special status as God’s chosen nation. Now those labels are given to the collection of all who are “in Christ,” people from every nation and language that God calls to himself, believers in Christ who are waiting for God’s new creation.

All who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior are a part of that crowd, gathered from across the globe and throughout the ages. We whose lives are “in Christ” are living signposts of the great multitude that God is gathering, an important part of the coming new creation.

Look in the mirror today with this biblical lens: If you are a believer in Christ, you are gazing at a new creation—someone who is being made new in Christ. You are gazing at a living signpost of the big new creation that God is—even now— building. And you are somehow gazing into a global, timeless, and much-loved gathering— God’s holy people. All of this is proof that the old has gone, and the new has come!

What a joyous gift, O God, to be “in Christ” and looking forward to life with you as part of your holy people in your new creation. We praise and honor you for making all things new, including us. Amen.