双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：8月3日 神就是爱

8月3日

神就是爱

“人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。”

约翰福音 15:13 

神就是爱。许多人误解了上帝本性的这一部分。神就是爱并不意味着一切都是甜蜜、美好和快乐的，神的爱也不意味着不会惩罚罪。

神的圣洁要求所有的罪都得到惩罚，但上帝的爱为有罪的人提供了救赎和拯救的计划。神的爱为我们预备了耶稣基督的十字架，人类可以通过十字架得到赦免和洁净。正是神的爱使耶稣基督走上了十字架。

谁能描述或衡量神的爱？我们的圣经显明了神就是爱这一事实。当我们传讲审判时，这 审判就包含着爱；当我们传讲公义时，这公义是以爱为基础；当我们传讲赎罪时，这赎罪是因着爱，源于爱，成于爱。

当我们传讲基督的复活时，我们是在传讲爱的奇妙。当我们传讲基督的再来时，我们是在传讲爱的完成。

无论我们犯了什么罪，无论它有多黑暗、肮脏、可耻或可怕，上帝都会以永恒的爱来爱我们。

如果不是因为神的爱，我们中间没有人会有永生的盼望。但感谢神，神就是爱！因为祂是圣洁的上帝，我们的罪使我们与祂分离，但因为祂的爱，我们就有一条救赎之路， 通过祂的爱子耶稣基督我们可以回到上帝的身边。

今日祷告：

天父，感谢祢，感谢您的爱。求祢帮助我爱别人，就像祢所命令的那样；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

August 3

THE WAY BACK TO GOD

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

God is love. Many people have misunderstood that part of God’s nature. The fact that God is love does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful, and happy and that God’s love could not possibly allow punishment for sin.

God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished but God’s love provided a plan of redemption and salvation for sinful man. God’s love provided the Cross of Jesus Christ by which man can have forgiveness and cleansing. It was the love of God that sent Jesus Christ to the cross.

Who can describe or measure the love of God? Our Bible is a revelation of the fact that God is love. When we preach justice, it is justice tempered with love. When we preach righteousness, it is righteousness founded on love. When we preach atonement, it is atonement necessitated because of love, provided by love, finished by love.

When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love.

No matter what sin we have committed, no matter how black, dirty, shameful, or terrible it may be, God loves us with an everlasting love.

Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But thanks be unto God. He is love! Because He is a holy God, our sins have separated us from Him, but because of His love there is a way of salvation, a way back to God through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Pray for the Day:

Thank You, Father，for Your love. I pray that you will help me to love others, even as You have commanded; in Jesus’ Name, Amen.