2月16日

標　　題： 赦免人，也被赦免

經　　節： 免我們的債，如同我們免了人的債。（馬太福音六章12節）

很少有事物比接受赦免更為寶貴。在背負罪的重擔時，若是被所得罪的人完全赦免，是多麼令人心情舒暢的事！耶穌告訴祂的門徒，每次禱告都要求神赦免自己的罪，因為耶穌知道我們不可避免地會做出不合神尺度的事，所以我們每日得罪神。我們不能匆匆錯過一天，而不需要求神免了我們的債。耶穌警告我們，若不饒恕人的過犯，神也不饒恕我們的過犯（馬太福音六：15）。饒恕是神的天性（出埃及記卅四：6∼7）。如果要作祂的門徒，一定要效法祂的榜樣。神能饒恕最冷酷的敵人，我們也當如此行。耶穌並沒有說某些侮辱是不值得饒恕的，聖經中也無任何根據允許我們心懷怨恨及不饒恕人。若對某人懷怨在心，你的敬拜與禱告都是徒勞無益的（馬太福音五：23∼24）。禱告求神讓你明白生命中的黑暗處，以及你是否對人心懷憎恨。敏銳地洞察自己有被饒恕的需要，會使我們合宜地處理別人所加諸的侮辱。求神使你像基督，即使被迫害時，你也能說：「父啊！赦免他們。」

Forgive to Be Forgiven

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (Matthew 6:12)

Few things are more precious to receive than forgiveness. After carrying the burden of our sin, it is wonderfully freeing to know that the one we have wronged has completely forgiven us. Jesus told His disciples to ask God for forgiveness every time they prayed. Jesus knew that we would daily incur debts against God, as we inevitably fall short of God’s standard. A day does not go by that we do not need to ask God to remove our debt against Him.

Jesus warned that we should expect forgiveness from God as we forgive those who sin against us, for God will forgive us in the same way we forgive others (Matt. 6:15). God’s nature is forgiveness (Exod. 34:6–7). If we are to be His disciples, we must follow His example. If God will forgive our most relentless enemy, we can do nothing less. Jesus did not say that certain offenses are unworthy of our forgiveness. We have no biblical excuse for allowing unforgiveness in our hearts.

If you choose to withhold forgiveness from someone, your worship and prayers are futile (Matt. 5:23–24). Ask God to make you aware of those dark corners in your life where you are harboring resentment. A keen awareness of your own need for forgiveness will put the offenses of others in their proper light. Ask God to make you like Christ so that, even when you are being persecuted, you can pray “Father, forgive them.”