八福
得蒙饶恕！
经文
以弗所书四17-32
17所以我说，且在主里确实的说，你们行事不要再像外邦人存虚妄的心行事。
18他们心地昏昧，与神所赐的生命隔绝了，都因自己无知，心里刚硬；
19良心既然丧尽，就放纵私欲，贪行种种的污秽。
20你们学了基督，却不是这样。
21如果你们听过他的道，领了他的教，学了他的真理，
22就要脱去你们从前行为上的旧人，这旧人是因私欲的迷惑渐渐变坏的；
23又要将你们的心志改换一新，
24并且穿上新人；这新人是照着神的形像造的，有真理的仁义和圣洁。
25所以你们要弃绝谎言，各人与邻舍说实话，因为我们是互相为肢体。
26生气却不要犯罪；不可含怒到日落，
27也不可给魔鬼留地步。
28从前偷窃的，不要再偷；总要劳力，亲手作正经事，就可有余分给那缺少的人。
29污秽的言语一句不可出口，只要随事说造就人的好话，叫听见的人得益处。
30不要叫神的圣灵担忧；你们原是受了他的印记，等候得赎的日子来到。
31一切苦毒、恼恨、忿怒、嚷闹、毁谤，并一切的恶毒（或作：阴毒），都当从你们中间除掉；
32并要以恩慈相待，存怜悯的心，彼此饶恕，正如神在基督里饶恕了你们一样。
信息分享
今天，我们得再讨论一个题目──我们是否必须先饶恕那些得罪我们的人才能得救？昨天我们提到这与我们靠着恩典和信心得救的教导互相矛盾。那么，圣经为什么好像在鼓励我们饶恕别人，使自己也因此得蒙饶恕呢？我认为牠的意义是，我们饶恕别人，便能察觉自己已蒙饶恕的恩典。
我认识很多基督徒，他们虽然已经蒙神饶恕，但却从来都不能够肯定这点。我相信你也认识这样的人。其中一个主要原因是，他们从没有采取任何行动除去心里对别人的怨恨。他们不能感受被饶恕，问题不是出于神，而是在乎他们自己。神已根据他们个人的悔罪饶恕了他们，但这饶恕却不能到达他们属灵生命的中心，除去他们的罪疚感，因为他们对别人仍然怀着不饶恕的态度。
鲁益斯（C.S.Lewis）说过关于感恩的话。他说除非我们为某些东西感谢，否则我们没有真正接受那东西。说一声「谢谢」，并真的心存感恩，便能敞开心怀，踏实的感受自己对那事物的赞赏。感恩的时候，我们心灵的深处正在流动，容让那些发生在我们身上的奇妙事情进入我们的内心。怜恤和饶恕也是这样，当我们怜恤和饶恕别人的时候，我们不只是在表达牠，也是在经历牠。
「当我们向人表达怜恤的时候，我们自己正在经历牠」
进深研究
路十七1-4，二十三34；可十一25；西三13
1.我们应该经常地饶恕别人吗？
2.耶稣怎样成为我们的榜样？
祈祷
天父，我知道我内心深处有您注入的怜恤和饶恕，因此当我向人表达怜恤和饶恕时，我知道牠们应该发自我的心底，我感谢您。阿们。
The Beatitudes
Forgiven!
Bible reading:
Ephesians 4:17-32
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned
21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
26 "In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Message
We must spend another day considering whether or not it is a condition of our salvation that we first forgive those who have sinned against us. We said yesterday that to believe this contradicts the teaching that we are saved by grace, through faith. What, then, is Scripture getting at when it seems to encourage us to forgive in order that we might be forgiven? I think it refers to the matter of realised forgiveness.
I know many Christians, as I am sure you do, who, although they have been forgiven by God, are never really sure of it. And one of the major reasons for this is that they have never taken the steps to get rid of the resentment they hold in their hearts toward others. The problem they experience in not feeling forgiven is not God's fault, but their own. He has forgiven them on the basis of their own personal repentance, but His forgiveness is unable to reach the centre of their spirit and dissolve their feelings of guilt because they harbour an unforgiving attitude toward others.
C.S. Lewis said something similar in relation to praise. He explained that we do not really receive something unless we give thanks for it. The very action of saying "thank you", and meaning it, opens up the spirit to a true sense of appreciation. In giving thanks, something moves inside the centre of our spirits and allows the wonder of what has been done for us to invade us. It is the same with mercy and forgiveness. When we adopt these attitudes toward others, we not only express mercy and forgiveness - we experience it.
"When we express mercy we experience it"
Prayer
O Father, I see that You have fashioned me in my inner being for mercy and forgiveness, and when I demonstrate it, I allow it to invade me to my deepest depths. I am so grateful. Amen.
Further study
Luke 17:1-4; 23:34
Mark 11:25
Colossians 3:13
1. How often should we forgive?
2. How did Jesus set as an example?
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