12月27日 过犯和罪孽
12月27日，周六
过犯和罪孽
“神啊！求你按着你的慈爱恩待我，照着祢丰盛的怜悯涂抹我的过犯。求你彻底洗净我的罪孽，洁除我的罪。因为我知道我的过犯；我的罪常在我面前。”（诗篇51:1-3）
当我们在圣灵的光照下，因着罪而自责之后，第二步，就是清楚认识我们所犯之罪的真实性质与本质。在诗篇第51篇中，大卫用三个词，极其精准地描绘了罪的不同层面。这三个词分别是：“过犯”、“罪孽”，以及“罪”。
“过犯”是什么意思呢？它指的是叛逆，是人的意志起来反抗权柄，尤其是反抗一位真实、有位格、有权柄的主。 大卫在诗篇中祷告说：“照着祢丰盛的怜悯涂抹我的过犯”（1节）。这等于承认：我不是无意犯错，而是明知故犯；不是软弱失足，而是悖逆权柄。他承认自己向神叛逆，高举自己的意志，自我作主。 他被私欲所驱使，任凭情欲左右自己的决定。过犯的本质，就是人渴望走自己的路，想要照自己的意思行事，而不是顺服神的旨意。说到底，过犯是一种“我要照我自己的方式活”的心态。
那“罪孽”又是什么意思呢？“罪孽”强调的是一种扭曲、败坏的状态。它不只是行为上的犯错，而是显示出人内心已经被罪深深地腐坏了。 大卫说：“求你把我的罪孽完全洗净。”这不是在轻描淡写，而是在承认一件污秽、卑劣、令人厌恶的事。他仿佛在问自己：“到底是什么在我里面，使我会做出这样的事？我一定是已经败坏到了什么地步才会这样行？” 这也是我们每一个人都需要认真面对的问题。当你省察自己时，是否也看见了自己里面的那些扭曲的动机与思想呢？嫉妒、妒忌、恶毒——这些心态本身就显示出了何等严重的扭曲。盼望别人遭遇不幸，却厌恶别人被称赞，这些并非中性的思想，而是扭曲、丑陋、污秽的邪念。 这正是“罪孽”的真实写照。而圣经清楚告诉我们：我们众人都犯了罪孽，没有一个例外。
至于“罪”这个词，它的基本意思是“没有达到目标，未能符合应有的标准”。 就像一个人瞄准靶心射箭，却没有射中。罪并不只是做错了事，而是整个人生偏离了神所设定的方向。我们没有按着神原本要我们活出的样式来生活。 从圣经的角度来看，罪始终意味着这一点：人没有走在神所标出的道路上，而是偏行己路。
默想主题：
我们众人都犯了罪孽，没有一个例外。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：代下32章，启18章
个人灵修：亚14章，约17章
December 27, Saturday
TRANSGRESSION AND INIQUITY
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (PSALM 51:1-3)
The second step when we become convicted of sin is a recognition of the exact character or nature of what we have done. This is put here [in Psalm 51] perfectly in three words. The first is the word “transgressions,” the second is “iniquity,” and “sin” is the third.
What does “transgression” mean? It means rebellion; it means the uprising of the will against authority, and especially against a person of authority. “Blot out my transgressions” (verse 1). In other words, David admits he has transgressed. He has rebelled against an authority. His own will has risen up within him, and he has asserted himself. He has been governed by desire and has allowed himself to be swayed by lust. Transgression means a desire to have our own way, a desire to do what we want to do.
“Iniquity”—what does that mean? Well, iniquity means that an act is twisted or that it is bent. It means perversion, and this is obvious in the case of David. “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity”—the foul thing, that dastardly thing. “What was it in me that made me do it? How perverted I must have been to do that!” I ask you as you examine yourself, do you not see that so many things you do are twisted and perverted? Jealousy and envy and malice—how horrible the twist! The desire that evil may come to someone, the dislike of praise of another—evil thoughts, bent, twisted, ugly, foul— “iniquity”! And we are all guilty of iniquity.
“Sin” means “missing the mark.” We are not living as we ought to be living. A man aims at a target; he shoots, but he misses it. That is what sin always means. A man is not treading the path God has marked out for him.
A Thought to Ponder: We are all guilty of iniquity.