Back in the Battle / 重返战场

[Dexu Xia]

Back in the Battle

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

As a child, she had hurled vicious words at her parents. Little did she know that those words would be her last interaction with them. Now, even after years of counseling, she can’t forgive herself. Guilt and regret paralyze her.

We all live with regrets—some of them quite terrible. But the Bible shows us a way through the guilt. Let’s look at one example.

There’s no sugarcoating what King David did. It was the time “when kings go off to war,” but “David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). Away from the battle, he stole another man’s wife and tried to cover it up with murder (vv. 2–5, 14–15). God stopped David’s downward plunge (12:1–13), but the king would live the rest of his life with the knowledge of his sins.

While David was rising from the ashes, his general, Joab, was winning the battle David should have been leading (12:26). Joab challenged David, “Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it” (v. 28). David finally got back to his God-appointed place as the leader of his nation and his army (v. 29).

When we permit our past to crush us, in effect we’re telling God His grace isn’t enough. Regardless of what we’ve done, our Father extends His complete forgiveness to us. We can find, as David did, grace enough to get back in the battle.

Reflect & Pray

What regrets gnaw at your soul? Who in your life might be a safe person to talk to for the reassurance of God’s grace?

Father, may we truly realize Your love defines us.

 

重返战场

我们若认自己的罪，上帝是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。-约翰一书1章9节

小时候，她曾以恶毒的话伤害父母。但她万万没想到，那些恶毒的话竟是她向父母亲最后一次说的话。如今，纵然经过多年的心理辅导，她还是无法原谅自己，内心的罪咎和遗憾使她饱受煎熬。

我们每个人都有遗憾，有些甚至会让我们抱憾终生。但圣经教导我们胜过罪咎的方法，让我们来看一个例子。

圣经没有粉饰大卫王的罪行。在“列王出战的时候”，“大卫仍住在耶路撒冷”（撒母耳记下11章1节）。他远离战场，与别人的妻子偷情，并试图以谋杀来掩盖自己的罪行（2-5、14-15节）。上帝阻止大卫继续陷在罪中（12章1-13节），但大卫的余生都必须面对罪的后果。

当大卫走出丧子之痛时，他的部下约押赢得本应由大卫领导的战争（12章26节）。约押要求大卫，聚集其余的军兵往拉巴去攻城（27-28节），大卫终于再次承担起上帝指派他的任务，继续成为国家和军队的领袖（29节）。

若我们一直活在过去的失败中，则表示上帝的恩典不足够。无论我们做了什么，天父都会完全赦免。我们也能像大卫一样，得着上帝充足的恩典，重返战场继续争战。

你为何事悔恨，致使心灵忧伤？
你能向谁倾诉，从而再次信靠上帝的恩典呢？

因着上帝的赦免，我们无须背负罪咎。