2月16日
标 题： 赦免人，也被赦免
经 节： 免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。（马太福音六章12节）
很少有事物比接受赦免更为宝贵。在背负罪的重担时，若是被所得罪的人完全赦免，是多么令人心情舒畅的事！耶稣告诉祂的门徒，每次祷告都要求神赦免自己的罪，因为耶稣知道我们不可避免地会做出不合神尺度的事，所以我们每日得罪神。我们不能匆匆错过一天，而不需要求神免了我们的债。耶稣警告我们，若不饶恕人的过犯，神也不饶恕我们的过犯（马太福音六：15）。饶恕是神的天性（出埃及记卅四：6～7）。如果要作祂的门徒，一定要效法祂的榜样。神能饶恕最冷酷的敌人，我们也当如此行。耶稣并没有说某些侮辱是不值得饶恕的，圣经中也无任何根据允许我们心怀怨恨及不饶恕人。若对某人怀怨在心，你的敬拜与祷告都是徒劳无益的（马太福音五：23～24）。祷告求神让你明白生命中的黑暗处，以及你是否对人心怀憎恨。敏锐地洞察自己有被饶恕的需要，会使我们合宜地处理别人所加诸的侮辱。求神使你像基督，即使被迫害时，你也能说：“父啊！赦免他们。”
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.”
