7月8日──那就是罪！That is a sin!
讀　　經：詩篇51章1-10節
(New living translation)

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

金　　句：「因為我知道我的過犯，我的罪常在我面前。」（詩篇51章3節）

全年讀經：以賽亞書4-6章

有位職業棒球選手因吸食古柯鹼被球隊禁賽。他告訴記者那不是他的過失，而是因他患有化學物品依賴症。雖然這理由並不準確，但這樣的反應是可理解的。有些人可能有先天性的毒癮傾向，但若是我們不想為我們所做的決定負責任時，那麼我們就是沒有去面對自己的問題。「我生病了」這句話畢竟比「我錯了」容易說得出口。

A professional baseball player was suspended by the team because of taking in cocaine. He told reporter that was not his fault, because he had drug dependence disease. Although this reason might not be true, but such response was understandable. Some people possibly have the congenital drug tendency, but when we did not want to take the responsibility for our decisions, then we did not have the courage facing our own problems. After all, "I am sick" was easier to say out from mouth than "I am wrong".

這正是問題的癥結。看起來是解決問題的最容易的方法，最後卻反而讓我們陷入更糟的境況，除非我們找出作出錯誤選擇的根源，否則我們將永遠無法體驗到被饒恕的喜悅。換句話說，如果我們承認我們的過錯、犯了罪，那麼我們才能真正得到上帝和世人的諒解。承認自己的失敗，我們才有資格讓上帝拯救我們的靈魂，才能得著完全的醫治。

That is the point of the problem. Looks like the easiest method to solve the problem, finally let us fall into a worse condition instead, only if we find out the root of making wrong decision, otherwise we will not experience the joy of being forgiven forever. In other words, if we confessed our mistake, committed a crime, then we could truly obtain God and other's forgiveness. Acknowledged our own failure, we only then had the qualifications to let God save our soul, and get the complete treatment.

讓我們不要因為只看到罪的表面，而掩蓋了我們的治療過程，我們也要看到自己的心靈深處。不應太寬待自己。若是我們不承認罪，我們也將無法體驗上帝的完全醫治。
　

Let us not only see the surface of the sin, but ignore the procedure of treatment, we also have to see our own heart's core. Should not treat ourselves too lenient. If we do not acknowledge the sin, we also will not experience God's full healing.

耶穌基督的死是為償清罪債，
並賜予饒恕，
但若我們找藉口來塘塞，
那麼我們將永遠無法得到他的恩典憐恤。

Jesus Christ's death is paying off the debt of sin for us,

And grants our forgiveness,

But if we find the excuse to hide,

Then we will forever never obtain his kindness and mercy.

為罪找個藉口，你的罪就不再是藉口。

Finding the excuse for sin, your sin is no longer the excuse.