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你在哪里？

他们二人的眼睛就明亮了才知道自己是赤身露体，便拿无花果树的叶子，为自己编作裙子。天起了凉风，耶和华 神在园中行走。那人和他妻子听见 神的声音，就藏在园里的树木中，躲避耶和华 神的面。耶和华 神呼唤那人，对他说：“你在哪里？”他说：“我在园中听见你的声音，我就害怕，因为我赤身露体，我便藏了。”耶和华说：“谁告诉你赤身露体呢？莫非你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子么？”那人说：“你所赐给我，与我同居的女人，她把那树上的果子给我，我就吃了。”耶和华 神对女人说：“你作的是甚么事呢？”女人说：“那蛇引诱我，我就吃了”（创世纪3:7-13）

亲爱的弟兄姊妹们，亚当和夏娃违背上帝的命令以后，发现自己处于糟糕的境地。他们的第一反应是掩盖他们的罪，而不是“承认”他们的罪。无花果树的叶子虽然可以遮盖身体，却绝不能遮掩他们犯罪的问题根源，就是在今天，我们仍旧用这种方法来试图遮掩我们的罪（7节 他们二人的眼睛就明亮了才知道自己是赤身露体，便拿无花果树的叶子，为自己编作裙子）。我们不是承认并忏悔所犯的罪，而是经常试图迅速地从表面上处理窘境。

亚当和夏娃的第二反应是躲避上帝。他们知道自己违背上帝而犯了罪，但他们不是来到上帝面前，恢复与上帝的关系，而是害怕地躲避上帝（8节天起了凉风，耶和华 神在园中行走。那人和他妻子听见 神的声音，就藏在园里的树木中，躲避耶和华 神的面）。当我们破坏了与上帝的关系，我们也会做同样的事情。你是否曾因为犯罪而感到内疚，就躲避祷告和圣经的学习呢？

第三个反应是试图通过责怪别人，来避免个人的责任（12-13节那人说：“你所赐给我，与我同居的女人，她把那树上的果子给我，我就吃了。”耶和华 神对女人说：“你作的是甚么事呢？”女人说：“那蛇引诱我，我就吃了”）。转嫁罪过于别人是无法赦免我们个人的罪的，因为在上帝面前，我们各自对自己的行为负有责任，不管在什么情况下或涉及到谁。

尽管亚当和夏娃犯了罪，又对罪采取逃避的作法，但上帝仍旧临到他们（9节耶和华 神呼唤那人，对他说：“你在哪里？”）。我们所犯的罪，绝不会大到足以让上帝离开我们，我们的天父一直呼唤我们，寻问我们“你在哪里？”其实祂知道我们做了什么，也知道我们为什么这么去做，但祂仍寻问我们，是让我们能够认识到我们的危险处境。

绝不要让内疚或羞愧使你远离上帝，上帝一直在不断地寻找那些把自己的生活搞得一团糟的人们，并透过祂的话语、祂的灵和祂的子民来与他们讲话。宽恕和一个恢复的关系，正等待着所有乐意听从上帝的话语、并以认罪和悔改来回应的人。

在此，我们夫妻感谢上帝，我们主耶稣基督的父，赐给我们美好的一天，也赐给我们你们这些忠心于主的弟兄姊妹们。

（以上所写的，你们可以用来建造耶稣基督的国度）

Where Are You?

Genesis 3:7-13

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD GOD as HE was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD GOD among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD GOD called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And HE said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13 Then the LORD GOD said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After disobeying GOD’s instruction, Adam and Eve found themselves in a terrible predicament. Their first reaction was to cover up rather than "fess up." Fig leaves can never hide the root problem of sin, but even today, we still try this approach (v 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.). Instead of acknowledging and confessing sin, we often attempt a quick surface fix of the situation.

Adam and Eve's second response was to avoid GOD. They knew they were guilty of disobeying, but instead of coming to HIM to re-establish their relationship, they hid from HIM in fear (v. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD GOD as HE was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD GOD among the trees of the garden.). We can do the same thing when sin breaks our fellowship with the LORD. Have you ever found yourself avoiding prayer and time in the Scriptures because you were struggling with sin and felt guilty?

A third reaction was to try and avoid personal responsibility by blaming others (v12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the LORD GOD said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” ). Shifting guilt to another person can't remove it. We are each responsible before God for our actions, regardless of the circumstances or who else is involved.

Despite Adam and Eve's sin and their evasive ways of handling it, the LORD came to them (v. 9 But the LORD GOD called to the man, “Where are you?”). Our sin is never large enough to keep GOD away; our FATHER still calls to us and asks, "Where are you?" HE knows what we have done and why, but HE questions us so that we can come to realize our desperate state.

Never let guilt or shame keep you from GOD. HE continually seeks those who have made a mess of their life and speaks to them through HIS WORD, HIS SPIRIT, and HIS people. Forgiveness and a restored relationship await all who are willing to listen and respond with confession and repentance.

We give thanks to GOD, the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, for this day and for you, faithful brothers and sisters.

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From Victor n Esther - "My life journey with Jesus"