Our worth is measured by what God paid to rescue us.

我们何其宝贵，因上帝以重价赎回我们。

It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed . . . but with the precious blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18–19

知道你们得赎……不是凭着能坏的金银等物，乃是凭着基督的宝血。-彼得前书1章18-19节

There is a story that in 75  a young Roman nobleman named Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. When they demanded 20 talents of silver in ransom (about $600,000 today), Caesar laughed and said they obviously had no idea who he was. He insisted they raise the ransom to 50 talents! Why? Because he believed he was worth far more than 20 talents.

据说在公元前75年，年轻的罗马贵族尤利乌斯·凯撒（Julius Caesar）被海盗绑架了。当海盗要求20他连得银子（约今日60万美金）当做赎金时，凯撒放声大笑，说这群海盗肯定不知道他的身分！凯撒坚持要海盗将赎金提高至50他连得！为什么？因为他知道自己的身价绝对不只20他连得银子。

What a difference we see between Caesar’s arrogant measure of his own worth and the value God places on each of us. Our worth is not measured in terms of monetary value but by what our heavenly Father has done on our behalf.

狂妄自大的凯撒以金钱来衡量自己的价值，但上帝赋予我们每个人的价值绝非如此。我们的价值并非由金钱来衡量，乃是取决于天父为我们所付出的一切。

What ransom did He pay to save us? Through the death of His only Son on the cross, the Father paid the price to rescue us from our sin. “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19).

那么，天父为了赎回我们付出什么代价呢？天父为我们付出极重的赎价，藉着祂的独生子在十字架上受死，拯救我们脱离罪恶。如经上所记：“知道你们得赎、脱去你们祖宗所传流虚妄的行为，不是凭着能坏的金银等物，乃是凭着基督的宝血。”（彼得前书1章18-19节）

God loved us so much that He gave up His Son to die on the cross and rise from the dead to ransom and rescue us. That is what you are worth to Him.

上帝爱我们如此之深，甚至愿意让祂的独生子死在十字架上，并从死里复活，为要将我们从罪中赎回并拯救我们。对上帝而言，这就是你我的价值。

Father, thank You for the love You have shown 

to me and for the price You paid for my forgiveness.

 Help my life to be an ongoing expression of gratitude,

 for You are the One whose worth is beyond measure.

天父，感谢祢，如此爱我，
用尊贵无比的生命为我付了赎价，让我得着赦免。
求祢帮助我，一生都能向祢表达我的感恩。

1 Peter 1:17-23 New International Version (NIV)

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially,live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[a] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

彼得前书 1:17-23Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

17 你们既称那不偏待人、按各人行为审判人的主为父，就当存敬畏的心度你们在世寄居的日子， 18 知道你们得赎，脱去你们祖宗所传流虚妄的行为，不是凭着能坏的金银等物， 19 乃是凭着基督的宝血，如同无瑕疵、无玷污的羔羊之血。 20 基督在创世以前是预先被神知道的，却在这末世才为你们显现。 21 你们也因着他，信那叫他从死里复活，又给他荣耀的神，叫你们的信心和盼望都在于神。

借着神的道得重生

22 你们既因顺从真理洁净了自己的心，以致爱弟兄没有虚假，就当从心里[a]彼此切实相爱。 23 你们蒙了重生，不是由于能坏的种子，乃是由于不能坏的种子，是借着神活泼常存的道。

整理：于姊妹