2016年2月11日
不念舊惡 Turn Off the Scoreboard
读经: 以弗所書4章25-32節
Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32
彼此饒恕，正如上帝在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣。-以弗所書4章32節
Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32
全年读经: 利未記11-12章;馬太福音26章1-25節
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 11–12; Matthew 26:1-25
我的朋友鮑柏在他兒子的婚禮上，給予新人忠告與勉勵。他談起附近的鎮上有一位橄欖球教練，每當他的球隊輸球，他就會把輸掉的分數登記在記分板上一個星期，藉以提醒球隊的失敗。但鮑柏卻睿智地勸告這對新人，對橄欖球隊而言，這可能是個有效的策略，但在婚姻方面，卻是個不智之舉。當你的配偶使你生氣或是令你失望，千萬別一直提起對方的過失，而是要丟掉記分板，勿念舊惡。
這真是金玉良言啊！聖經裡有許多要我們彼此相愛、忽視過錯的勸誡，例如：愛是「不計算人的惡」（哥林多前書13章5節） ；我們應該彼此饒恕，「正如上帝在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣」 （以弗所書4章32節） 。
我感謝上帝丟掉了記分板，沒有記下我的過失。祂不僅是在我們回轉時饒恕我們，而且祂叫我們的罪過離開我們，如同東與西相隔那麼遠（詩篇103篇12節） 。對上帝而言，饒恕就是不再注視、也不再追究我們所犯的罪。願祂賜給我們恩典，將赦免之恩擴展到我們周遭的人。
主啊，感謝祢並不計較我的過犯，
反而再次給我機會。幫助我也能寬恕別人，
就像祢已無條件地饒恕了我。
別惦記舊惡，像上帝饒恕你一樣地去饒恕別人。
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At his son's wedding reception, my friend Bob offered advice and encouragement to the newlyweds. In his speech he told of a football coach in a nearby town who, when his team lost a game, kept the losing score on the scoreboard all week to remind the team of their failure. While that may be a good football strategy, Bob wisely advised, it's a terrible strategy in marriage. When your spouse upsets you or fails you in some way, don't keep drawing attention to the failure. Turn off the scoreboard.
What great advice! Scripture is full of commands for us to love each other and overlook faults. We are reminded that love "keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Cor. 13:5) and that we should be ready to forgive one another "just as in Christ God forgave you" (Eph. 4:32).
God doesn't simply forgive when we repent; He removes our sin.
I am deeply grateful that God turns off the scoreboard when I fail. He doesn't simply forgive when we repent; He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). With God, forgiveness means that our sin is out of sight and out of mind. May He give us grace to extend forgiveness to those around us.
Lord, thank You for not holding my sins against me and for granting me a second chance. Help me today to forgive others just as You have so freely forgiven me.
Forgive as God forgives you—don't keep score.