You’re Alive Because God Wants to Love You
你活着因上帝想要去爱你
Mar 22, 2017
"Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure" (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT, second edition).
“就如 神从创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在他面前成为圣洁，无有瑕疵。又因爱我们，就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分。”（弗 1:4-5 和修）
A while back, a man came into my office and said, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere in my spiritual growth. I’m kind of stuck in neutral.”
前不久，一位先生来到我的办公室，说：“我是一个基督徒，但是我不想使我的灵命成长。我有一些止步不前。”
I said, “What do you think the problem is?”
我说：“你认为问题在哪里呢？”
He said, “I think my problem is I just don't love God enough.”
他说：“我想我的问题是因为我对上帝爱的不够。”
I said, “That's not your problem. Your problem is not that you don't love God enough. Your problem is that you don't understand how much he loves you.”
我说：“这不是你的问题。你的问题并不爱上帝不够。你的问题是你不明白上帝是有多么的爱你。”
Love is always a response to love. The Bible says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). When you say, “I don't love God,” it's because you don't understand just how much he really loves you.
爱常常是一种回应的爱。圣经说：“我们爱，因为神先爱我们。”（约一 4:9 和修） 当你说：“我不爱上帝”的时候，那是因为你不晓得上帝是多么真实的爱着你。
To understand your life’s purpose and calling, you have to begin with God’s nature. God is love. Love is the essence of his nature. The only reason there is love in the universe is because of God. Ants and snails do not love, but you were made in God’s image, so you can love.
要明白你生命的目的和呼召，你不得不从上帝的本性开始。神是爱。爱是他的本性。世间有爱的唯一原因就是因为上帝。蚂蚁和蜗牛不会去爱，但是你是照着神的形象被造，所以你可以去爱。
The reason you are alive is because God wanted to love you. The first purpose of your life is to be loved by God! Yes, it is important to serve, obey, and trust him, but your first purpose is to love him.
你活着的理由就是因为上帝想要去爱你。你生命的首要目的就是被上帝去爱！是的，服侍、顺服和相信他都很重要，但是你的首要目的就是去爱他。
Let this sink in: Your first duty is not to do anything but just be loved by God.
来对其深刻理解：你的首要责任不是去做任何事，而是被上帝去爱。
Talk It Over
讨论问题
What is your response to the truth that your first calling is to enjoy a relationship with God?
“你最重要的呼召是享受与神的关系”，你对于这个真理如何回应呢？
Think about your current relationship with God. Has it become more about rules, regulations, and rituals than about love?
思考一下你现在与上帝的关系。是否有许多的规矩、条例、仪式多过了爱呢？
How does enjoying God’s love affect your obedience and service to him?
享受神的爱，对你的顺服和服侍有什么影响？