阅读经文 

Lavish（慷慨地施与）这个字甚少在圣经中出现，约翰一书3章用了这个字，是很突出的：“你看父（慷慨地施与）赐给我们是何等的慈爱……”我们的救恩是这样开始的：就是因着神势不可挡和恩典满溢的慈爱。

约翰接下来比较了我们的现在（“我们是神的儿女！”）和将来（“我们必要像祂，因为必得见祂的真体。”）他所描述的是一个作成的工程，就是神在我们心里成全的善工。（参腓 1:6）我们如今“仿佛对着镜子观看，模糊不清”，（参林前 13:12）但当我们见到祂的真体时，我们便会像祂的了。

约翰说：“凡向他有这指望的，就洁净自己，像他洁净一样。”（约壹 3:3）耶稣是一座桥，祂将现今神慷慨地施与我们的爱，以及祂回来时我们像祂一样，这两者之间连系起来，这是神定意要带领我们回家的爱。我们的盼望并非妄想，这盼望乃是活泼的，能洁净人心的，当神的灵烧毁我们一切的污秽邪恶时，这盼望便驱使我们降服在神洁净的灵火之下了。

惟愿我们能养成一个好习惯，反省每一天的时光，把它交给神，又这样祷告说：

The word lavish doesn’t occur very often in the Bible, so its use here in 1 John 3 is striking: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us… ” This is where our salvation begins: with the overwhelming, overflowing love of God.

John then continues by contrasting what is now (“we are children of God!”) with what will be: “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” And this describes the finished project, the good work in us that God is bringing to completion .(Philippians 1:6) Now we see “only a reflection as in a mirror”, (1 Corinthians 13:12) but when we see Christ as he is, we shall be like him.

“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure,” says John. Hope in Jesus is the bridge, the link between the love lavished on us now and becoming like him when he appears. This is love that is determined to bring us home. This hope is not wishful thinking; this is active hope, purifying hope—that is, hope that surrenders to the purifying fire of the Spirit of God as he burns away every part of us that is not pure and good.

It’s a good habit to look back over each day, give it up to God, and pray some words like these: