365-The Lord's Prayer Series 6 - Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Forgive Our Debtors#
365-Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Forgive Our Debtors
(JP Text Group - Benjamin Compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord. Today is Sunday, and we gather here to share God's word.
Continuing with the sixth lecture of the Lord's Prayer series: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:9-13:
9 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (or: the evil one). For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen (some ancient manuscripts do not have "for... Amen")!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us. We come before you, and at this moment, you will give us strength, supplying us with what we need through your word. As we start this first day of the week, we are willing to receive the truth first and live with the truth. You are the God who cares for us, and you give us strength so that we can live out the likeness of Christ on earth. We understand your love for us, and when our sins are forgiven, we can forgive others. Father, thank you for giving us such words to renew our thoughts and intentions. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
First, I want to tell everyone that this is not a request. This phrase does not mean: "Lord, please forgive my sins, please forgive my debts because I have forgiven others' debts." This is not a prayer of exchange, but rather a declaration that the Lord has already forgiven our debts and has forgiven us. In prayer, when we see what God has done for us, we have the strength to receive it. When interacting with others, there will inevitably be unfair and unjust situations. When these situations arise, will we choose to harbor resentment or choose to forgive? If we want to forgive, where does the power to forgive come from? If we want to forgive but feel powerless, we can pray to the Father in heaven and ask Him to give us strength. This is His promise in prayer, and it is what the Lord personally teaches us.
First, let’s look at what a debt is. The meaning of "debt" in this article, in Greek, is synonymous with "sin," which can also be understood as forgiving our sins. What is sin? In Hebrew, it is illustrated by a more vivid example: when a person draws a bow and shoots an arrow but does not hit the target, that is sin. Simply put, when a person does not act according to God's way and does not meet God's standards, that becomes sin. God commands us to love others and to obey Him in all things. If we fail to meet His commandments, statutes, and ordinances, that is sin. If there are impurities in our thoughts and intentions, that is sin. Because this deviates from God's standard, when we realize we cannot meet God's standard and discover we have done wrong, what should we do? Many people will feel regret and condemn themselves. Jesus teaches us to pray not to make us feel remorseful but to give us strength.
The first point of sharing: Our debts of sin have been forgiven.
In relationships between two people, there can be a situation where one person is in trouble and borrows money from the other. In the process of borrowing, a creditor and a debtor are created. When the creditor and debtor are together, there will inevitably be some discomfort. For example, the debtor always feels indebted to the creditor. Brothers and sisters, how should we deal with such situations? Or how do we repay the debt? If the debt is very large, it may be impossible to repay in a lifetime. What then? Everyone is in debt before God, and we truly cannot repay what we owe to God. No matter how hard we try, we cannot repay our debts of sin. Should we continue to live in condemnation and regret, declaring our own corruption every day? Of course not; this is not what God wants us to do. God wants us to see that our debts of sin have been forgiven. In the Old Testament, God gave different commandments to the Israelites.
Let’s look at Deuteronomy 15:1-6:
1 "At the end of every seven years, you shall grant a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord's release. 3 Of a foreigner, you may require it; but you shall release your claim on whatever is owed to you by your brother. 4 If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 5 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you."
This teaches the Israelites how to live. If a brother is in trouble and borrows a large sum of money from another person, when the year of release comes, which is the last year of every seven years, our God has designated this year as the year of release. This means that whatever your neighbor has borrowed from you, whatever your brother has borrowed from you, you must release him. The meaning of "release" is that you will no longer pursue it. If it has reached the seventh year and he cannot repay, just let him go.
This is different from how many people in the world behave. Many people will pursue the debt no matter how many years have passed. However, in the Lord, among God's people, God has such regulations. Some may say: What if he deliberately drags it out to seven years? Wouldn't I be the one losing? Your concern is valid; indeed, some people are clever in their own eyes. But have you thought about who blesses you? It is our Lord. Moreover, this regulation only applies to those who believe in the Lord, where both parties understand God's grace. If this system is applied to those who do not believe in the Lord, it will certainly lead to deceit. If both parties are believers, they can use God's regulations, whether they are neighbors or brothers, because the Lord has declared the release. God's word says so; can you do it this way? I want to tell everyone that God's word is powerful and carries blessings.
Verses 4-6 provide blessings and encouragement for these creditors. These creditors might say, "He owes me a lot of money; if he doesn't pay me back, my loss will be great." But God does not say under what conditions you can demand from your brother. Instead, He says that once the year of release comes, you must let go, regardless of what it is or how much was borrowed. We see that God gives blessings to these people: If you carefully listen to the words of the Lord your God and observe and do all these commandments which I command you today, then there will be no poor among you (in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as a possession, the Lord will greatly bless you).
In other words, if you are a believer, believing that all your blessings come from God, you will willingly forgive others and release their debts. When you do this, you will see God's blessings come upon you. Of course, this cannot be forced; there will always be some people who are unwilling to do all of this. But I want to tell everyone that the Israelites are still blessed to this day. Many people do not accept God's grace; they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, yet they are still blessed because they strictly follow the five books of Moses, which are the first five books of the Bible. This passage is something they are still practicing, and they have been following it for generations.
For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you. What is God's promise in this passage? At the end of the seventh year, you shall carry out the release. If you can believe all of this, believe that you have released, God will greatly bless you. The subsequent promises and blessings are also for you. You will lend to many nations but will not borrow from them; brothers and sisters, do you want to be someone who often borrows money from others, or do you want to be someone who can often lend money to others? The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive. Why is it more blessed to give than to receive? Because "giving" represents that you have a lot and are continually giving out, and the source is God. His way is different from that of the world. The world thinks, "This is mine; if I give it away, I will have less." The more I give, the less I have... But in our Lord, you know that God is your blessing. He will bless you, and He will make you lend to many nations, and you will not borrow from them. You will govern many nations, but they will not govern you.
If you are a business owner and are willing to follow these words, willing to live according to these words, and willing to be a person who forgives others' debts, do you know? You will manage many people and will always be a boss; you will not suddenly become unemployed or be governed by others. When God's word comes into our lives, we must apply it. First, we must believe that you are a person forgiven by God. God has given you so much and has never forced you to repay, right, brothers and sisters? In the Lord, we must believe that all our blessings, no matter what we have, are given to us by God. Indeed, there is your effort, but God blessed you first, and you worked hard, and then God gave this to you. If God had not blessed you, no matter how hard you tried, it would be very difficult to obtain. Amen!
Believe in God's word, believe in God's promises, and this blessing will come upon you. Therefore, to receive God's promises in Christ, to hold on to the promises and live by them, you will surely be blessed and will see blessings come upon you, no matter what year it is. We are under the New Testament; are such verses still useful to us? They are still useful, but you must have wisdom. They are only useful to those who share a common faith, meaning everyone must understand God's words before using them. This is why God says, "If you lend to a foreigner, you may demand it back; this is your right." You must pay close attention to God's words. First, you must believe that God has forgiven all our debts of sin. Amen!
Romans 3:23-26:
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26 He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
In this passage, God speaks very clearly to us: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God's perfect standard is the Ten Commandments. No one can fully obey the Ten Commandments when placed before them. Do not forget that just because you obeyed today does not mean you will obey for a lifetime. God says that one must not sin for a lifetime. In this sense, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; this is a debtor. We owe a debt of sin. What should we do? Does believing in Jesus mean we just realize we are the worst of sinners and know how corrupt we are, declaring every day how much worse we are than others? Of course not. Believing in Jesus is meant to let you know what Jesus has done for you. If you only know how corrupt people are, you can find that out without believing in Jesus; other religions can also tell you how corrupt people are. But now, we are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is the good news.
Although we are debtors who owe God a lot and cannot meet God's righteous requirements, we are now justified freely by God's grace. This grace refers to what you do not deserve, what you should not receive, and what you are not entitled to, but because of Jesus' redemption, you can receive it freely. Hallelujah! Just like the Old Testament regulations I mentioned earlier, a person whose debt has been forgiven has no right to claim they should be forgiven because it is the seventh year. No! This is God's grace coming upon that person. You have nothing to boast about; it is God's grace that has come upon that person. From a spiritual perspective, none of us deserve God's grace, but He is willing to give it to us. Because of the redemption of Jesus Christ, we can receive forgiveness freely. Amen!
God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement. What does atonement mean? Your relationship with God has been restored. Just like I mentioned at the beginning, when a debtor sees the creditor, no matter how bold you are, you will always feel uncomfortable. Jesus shed His blood for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. Through Jesus' blood, our relationship with God is completely restored. We should no longer see God and feel that we owe Him or that we are unworthy... Every time we seek God, we should come with a grateful heart. "Lord, you have given me such great grace. Through Jesus' redemption, I can be justified freely and receive so many blessings from you. You are so good, and you love me so much." This is what we should realize every time we come before God, not focusing on how we are. Every time you seek God, you should realize what Jesus has done for you, which demonstrates God's righteousness.
If you believe incorrectly and always focus on what you have done, always focusing on human corruption, every time you come before God, your heart may be filled with condemnation and possibly anger and resentment. If you come to seek God with a grateful heart, you will see God's forbearance and His forgiveness towards you. Every time you seek God, you can remember: "Lord, you have forgiven all my sins. These are debts I cannot repay, but you have forgiven me. I cannot do anything but lift this cup of salvation and praise your name." When you realize these things, you are demonstrating God's righteousness. God also acknowledges that you possess His righteousness because you believe in Jesus, and God has forgiven all your debts of sin. This forgiveness is not a forgiveness of cost; it was paid for by Jesus' life. This price is very high. Jesus is the beloved Son of God, but He died on the cross for you. This reveals our Father's righteousness, and His forgiveness towards you is also justified. Amen!
Let’s revisit the passage we just read. What kind of heart should the creditor have to forgive those who owe debts? If he says, "I am merciful and generous, so I forgive you," then when the creditor sees this person the next year, there will be pride, and he might say, "I have forgiven you..." What kind of heart should the creditor have towards others? He should still be a grateful person, saying, "The Lord has forgiven me, so I am willing to listen to His words and forgive my brother." The next time the two meet, both should be grateful to God. This is why we must realize that we are all debtors forgiven by God. If we do not realize this, it is easy to develop a sense of unfairness, especially when the forgiven person one day does not express gratitude towards you; you will not be able to bear it.
Let’s look at a passage from Matthew 18:21-22:
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Now there is a problem between two brothers. Peter, as the disciple loved by Jesus, feels wronged and comes to his Master, saying, "My brother has sinned against me; how many times should I forgive him? Is seven times enough?" From a human perspective, forgiving someone seven times is already quite generous. It is essential to understand what has happened: Peter's brother has sinned against Peter, and Peter has been forgiving him. This relationship must be clear; it is not that you have sinned against someone else, and you forgive them. Do not get this wrong.
In life, it is inevitable to have some friction with others. If someone has not acknowledged their mistake towards you, should you keep that mistake and resentment in your heart? What does it mean to forgive? It means that the matter has passed, and it is no longer mentioned; it is no longer in your heart. That is what forgiveness is. It is not like some people say, "I will temporarily not hold this against you." That still means you will keep a tally. God's forgiveness is not remembered anymore, just as God's forgiveness of our sins is not remembered anymore; it has been wiped away. Even in the future kingdom, this matter will not exist; there will be no issue of bringing up old accounts.
When we interact with others, whether between spouses, children, or colleagues, often holding resentment towards someone is because there are some things that have not been let go. Perhaps it is because of something they did that you were not satisfied with, and you have kept it in your heart. This bitterness has taken root in your heart. Peter is definitely feeling this now, which is why he comes to Jesus to complain, "How many times should I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus did not praise Peter, saying, "Well done; seven times is quite good; most people would only forgive three times."
Jesus said, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
There will always be some people who contradict God's words, saying, "Doesn't this condone others to deliberately cause trouble?" Do not forget that both are brothers. This certainly does not apply to the world, but you still need to forgive them because forgiving others releases yourself. God does not want you to harbor resentment, jealousy, disputes, or grievances in your heart. This is why Jesus said you should forgive him seventy times seven, not just four hundred ninety times. In the Bible, "seventy" is a complete number, and "seven" is also a complete number. Simply put, forgive to completeness, complete forgiveness. Amen! No matter how many times others offend you, you should always forgive them. This is Jesus' heart.
Because Peter asked Jesus, Jesus told him, "I will tell you how I forgive you." Indeed, the disciples have offended Jesus many times, but Jesus forgave them all. Especially before Jesus went to the cross, from a human perspective, He particularly hoped to receive support from His disciples, but they all ran away. After Jesus rose from the dead, He personally sought out these disciples and did not bring up past matters because Jesus' heart was truly filled with forgiveness. He completely forgives us.
If you can think of how Jesus has completely forgiven us, you should believe that there is no evil or hatred in God's heart, but rather complete love. In complete love, a person is free. No matter the environment or how unfair things are, he is free. God hopes we live in such freedom, unharmed, and that your supply comes from above. Whenever you feel wronged, come before the Father in prayer: "Lord, I know you have forgiven my sins; I can forgive others." Hallelujah!
Many times, we cannot forgive others because we overlook God's grace. We are still seeking fairness, looking for what we perceive as fairness in our minds. However, many things are simply different viewpoints between people, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish right from wrong because things in the world are not very absolute. This is right, and that is wrong; it is just because of different perspectives, different ways of thinking, and different positions that we need to forgive others.
For example, if you see someone with a particularly reclusive personality who is difficult to get along with, you might say that it is too hard to deal with such a person. But then you find out that their parents were not around since childhood, and they have been oppressed by others, feeling an extreme lack of security, filled with hostility towards everyone, afraid of being hurt, and not knowing how to love others. They also long for good friends but ruin every opportunity. Knowing their upbringing allows you to forgive and understand them. However, the power to forgive must come from God. If we seek fairness, we will certainly be unwilling to interact with such a person again. But if you return to God and say, "Lord, you can forgive me for being such a person; give me strength to forgive others in all things because I know you have forgiven me more." Amen!
The second point of sharing: Being forgiven gives us the power to forgive others.
Luke 11:4: "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (some ancient manuscripts do not have the last sentence)."
There is a slight issue with the Chinese translation here. Let me read the meaning of the Greek original: "Forgive us our sins, therefore we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." In Greek, there is also the meaning of "therefore," "because of this reason." This sentence flows completely. Because people first realize that God has forgiven our sins, we then have the power to forgive everyone who is indebted to us. This kind of indebtedness does not necessarily refer to financial debts or economic disputes; it can also refer to how others treat us unfairly, maliciously slandering us, or deliberately fabricating accusations against us. What we give out is forgiveness, regardless of the reason. We have a powerful strength to forgive everyone who is indebted to us because it is unfair to you; this is all called indebtedness.
The forgiveness under the Old Testament is different from the forgiveness under the New Testament in terms of power. Under the Old Testament, the power of forgiveness comes from within the person. It feels very difficult to do, just like under the law, because God's words say so, so it must be done. No matter what method you use, you must think of ways to fulfill God's words. This can be burdensome, and over time, it becomes a laborious burden.
Let me read these verses for you: Matthew 6:14-15:
14 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
This is under the Old Testament, which the Jews still hold onto today. In fact, it is some of the Old Testament regulations. When Jesus came, He first repeated the words from God's laws. This is God's word. However, the Israelites no longer follow these. They condemn each other and destroy each other. The scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of that time were at odds with each other. If they had truly forgiven each other, these problems would not exist. If they had truly lived in the process of mutual forgiveness, when Jesus came, they would have been able to hear Jesus' words. However, they united to resist Jesus precisely because their hearts were filled with unforgiveness. When Jesus spoke to them, He said, "If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." This is Jesus reiterating the Old Testament laws. If you do not forgive, do not forget that according to the law, if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you. This is the mandatory enforcement of the law.
Mark 11:24-26:
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses (some ancient manuscripts do not have this verse)."
This is about prayer. Many people particularly like to use Mark 11:24: "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
Some people have a question: "I have prayed like this; why haven't I received?" You need to check if there is a reason for this because the next verse mentions a very important interpersonal relationship, and the previous verse just mentioned prayer.
In verse 25, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
If you remember that someone has offended you, it does not mean you often offend others; it means someone has offended you, and you remember it. This indicates that at this moment, your heart is still harboring hatred towards this person and cannot let go of this person or a certain matter. You can imagine that many people might say, "Why does God want this? Why must we clean this up before we pray?" If we do not forgive others, can we not pray?
Brothers and sisters, what does God want to emphasize? Let’s make a hypothesis. Suppose before you pray, you remember your adversary. When you think of him, you might tremble all over. In your prayer, you will certainly mention this person: "Lord, deal with this person; judge this person." Do you think God can accomplish these things for you?
But if your heart is filled with love, you have already let go of this person, or you want to let go but do not have the strength to do so. That is already letting go. "Lord, I also know that this person has their reasons; please bless them." This is someone who has already let go. This matter may not have passed, but in your heart, it has become the past. You can bless and pray for them, and you have already received release.
Too many people pray to God filled with resentment, bitterness, and complaints. This makes it very difficult to accomplish anything because when you are filled with hatred, you expect God to be our weapon to attack others. God will not accomplish such things. For these reasons, our God says, "If you remember that someone has offended you while praying, you should forgive him." This forgiveness does not mean you must find this person; it means you need to let go of this matter in your heart. You need to let go of this person. When you let go, you can choose to reconcile with your adversary and then return to pray to God.
Of course, in other gospels, it also mentions, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, go and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift to God." God hopes that every time you come before Him, you do not carry such burdens, hatred, or condemnation. Amen!
When we forgive, we gain from God, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. This is under the Old Testament. If you do not forgive your brother, God will not listen to all your prayers. If you do not forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive you your trespasses. Have you noticed? Under the Old Testament, people must have the strength to learn to forgive others. Even if they do not have the strength, they must forgive, which makes it very difficult. This is why people cannot follow the laws of the Old Testament because they cannot obtain the power of forgiveness and can only rely on themselves. The more strength they have, the more they can forgive.
So when Jesus came, He found that this group of Israelites no longer followed God's words. Brothers and brothers were taking advantage of each other, fighting, and not forgiving. When Jesus came, there were many poor people, many people were like sheep without a shepherd, wandering aimlessly. At the beginning of the verses we read, God said: "You shall release your brother every seven years." There should be no poor among you because every seven years, wealth will be redistributed, allowing the poor to catch their breath and start anew. The rich will continue to be blessed by God, so there will be no poor among you. However, when Jesus came, He found that there were many poor people because the Israelites no longer lived according to God's words.
Let me emphasize again that even if you are under grace, if you are unwilling to live according to God's words, it will be difficult to see this blessing. It is not that God does not bless; it is that you block the flow of grace in your life. Not forgiving and not releasing is precisely holding tightly to the source of blessing and not letting go. If you truly understand Jesus' love for you and know the Father's forgiveness towards you, you will have the strength to forgive your adversaries and let go of many people and many things from the past. You will suddenly feel relieved, and perhaps your illness will be healed, and your insomnia will be resolved. Too many people carry pressure and burdens. If you carry these burdens to pray and still carry them afterward, how can you obtain freedom? Under the New Testament, God gives us the strength to understand Christ's forgiveness towards us, and we have the strength to forgive others.
Let’s look at Ephesians 4:29-32:
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
This is the standard of living that God gives us under the New Testament. Do not treat it as law; this is something we can do. Moreover, the Holy Spirit helps you. As long as you often think about Jesus' forgiveness towards you, you will have the strength not to do the above things because doing the above things brings you no benefit.
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. If you often speak corrupt words, you first corrupt your heart, right, brothers and sisters? Then you will also corrupt others. We should not be such people. Instead, let us speak what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. The words Jesus gives us are meant to build us up. You are a disciple of Christ. Do you know how much Jesus loves you? He particularly hopes that you live a blessed and free life on earth. We say, "Lord, I know you love me this much; give me the strength to change my speech." Some may say they still cannot do it. You need to read the Bible often, listen to sermons, and naturally, you will be able to live it out. When you open your mouth, you will speak the words of God stored in your heart.
Jesus once said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." If you store God's words and God's truth in your heart, your mouth will surely speak God's words. God's words will not bring us curses or cause us to condemn each other but will bring us benefits. Some may say they still cannot let go of past matters. These bitterness and anger remain in your heart, which will grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be very concerned about when you will be willing to let go.
Please remember, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, waiting joyfully for the day of redemption. In the days before God comes to take us back, we should not focus on the things that have happened in the past, whether good or bad. Please let go and let it pass. You can pray to God, and He will give you strength as long as you are willing. This is God's promise. This passage means that when you are willing, God can enable you to forgive others. Hallelujah!
In verse 31, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you.
Imagine if Christians are willing to live this way, how harmonious and joyful we would be as a group! However, many people are unwilling to live this way and continue to live in bitterness and anger. It is a pity that God's grace cannot flow out upon them. What should we do? Understand Jesus' love, often think about how Jesus forgave you on the cross, and you will have the strength to treat others with kindness, to have compassion for others, and to forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. You should think about how God forgave me in Christ.
You may say you really do not know how Jesus forgave me. Look at how the disciples made mistakes; did Jesus harbor resentment towards them? Did He keep bitterness in His heart? No! When those disciples betrayed Jesus, did Jesus keep bitterness in His heart? No! Many times, what we do may be worse than what those disciples did. But remember, Jesus forgives those disciples, and He forgives us too. Hallelujah!
Only when you continually think about Jesus' love for you and His forgiveness towards you will you have the strength to forgive others. **This is not about right or wrong. Many times, we care too much about whether it is right or wrong to forgive. When you forgive others, remember that God's forgiveness towards us is because He loves us. When you forgive others, it is also because of God's love. Having this standard is enough. Sometimes, even if you are right, because you love them, you forgive them, you help them, and this more clearly demonstrates the character of Christ in you. Hallelujah! Furthermore, God knows when you forgive others. God knows that you have done this to demonstrate His glory. God can turn bad things into good things and bless you even more in what you have lost.
Finally, let me read a passage of scripture and conclude with a testimony. Genesis 50:15-21:
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died, he commanded, saying, 17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: I ask that you forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Let me briefly explain the background of this story. Joseph and his brothers were in the same family, and their relationship was really good. However, because their father favored Joseph, the brothers harbored resentment and sold him to foreigners, making him a slave. In that era, once sold into slavery, one could never turn back because they could not redeem themselves or repay their ransom. Joseph was sold to Egypt and ended up in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the guard. God favored Joseph step by step, and eventually, he became the prime minister of Egypt.
Brothers and sisters, this is God's grace. If Joseph had harbored resentment and was unwilling to let go of the hatred in his heart, it is clear that what his brothers did was too much, and Joseph had every reason to hate them. But Joseph did not do that; he still looked to God. He believed that God could turn bad things into good things. He did not keep bitterness and resentment in his heart but hoped that God would open a way to save him. Later, God truly made him understand His will. Looking back, he realized that the hatred his brothers had for him actually accomplished the Joseph of today, allowing him to reach such a position in Egypt, and his brothers played a part in that.
If they had loved each other at home, he would not have come to this point. Therefore, all things work together for good, depending on how you view these matters. In a peaceful environment, character is difficult to develop. Many times, difficult and challenging environments actually cultivate us to receive greater blessings in the future. You just need to see God's love and God's hand in all circumstances, and you will be able to let go. The occurrence of these matters must have God's good intention. Amen!
Of course, the premise is not that you deliberately commit sins; that truly has no good intention. It may just be that God wants you to learn a lesson and not do such things again. Joseph's brothers knew they had gone too far and were afraid Joseph would take revenge on them because they had indeed harmed him in this way. If he had even a hint of hatred, it would be easy for him to take revenge on his brothers. His brothers would have no way to defend themselves.
After their father died, Joseph's brothers were very afraid and said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." In fact, it would not be unreasonable for Joseph to want to take revenge on them. "Just treat me as you treated me in the past." Many people want to do this: "You treated me this way in the past, and when I become strong, I will treat you this way." But in Christ, we should not do this. We need to see God's love, see God's forgiveness, and see how God supports you. Everything is meant to lift you up. Amen!
What did Joseph say to them? Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." I hope that this week, brothers and sisters can remember this phrase: Even if those around you want to harm you, God's intention is good. No one can hinder God's good purpose. Even if they treat you with evil, it is only to cultivate you, to remove some bad things from your life, and to spur you on. Sometimes, the words of your enemies are worth pondering. Perhaps they point out the flaws in your life. Good friends may not tell you, but your enemies will tell you very clearly what your problems are. When we realize this, we should truly thank our God and let go of any resentment.
Joseph understood these things. He said, "God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Today's situation includes two aspects:
The first aspect is that God used this matter to preserve his family.
The second aspect is that God placed him in today's position.
His brothers wanted to suppress him and hoped he would never rise again, but God exalted him. This is what I want to tell all dear family members: Do not be afraid, do not worry. God is absolutely a just God. In any situation, we should only do one thing: "Lord, give me the strength to forgive him; Lord, give me the strength to love them." Your heart must be free, just like Joseph's freedom, so that you can face those who have conflicts with you calmly and have compassion for them. Amen!
So Joseph said in verse 21, "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Do you know? In such interactions, I believe that in the latter half of their lives, their relationship will be very joyful. After these events, the brothers should completely submit to Joseph and be grateful from their hearts. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus. We may not live as brilliantly as Joseph, but you can certainly live out a part of it, living out a part of Jesus. Please remember, our God will bless you, allowing you to live every day without a heart of debt, without a heart of bitterness, and without a heart of condemnation. He hopes that you live every day in joy, receiving His abundant blessings, and that you will continuously give out.
We have always emphasized that you will give out what you have stored in your heart. What are you storing in your heart today? Is it bitterness, complaints, or God's abundant grace? I hope everyone will hand over all these wrong things to Jesus, eliminate them, and live with God's grace, believing that the Father has forgiven us and hopes that we also forgive others because He first forgave us. Hallelujah!
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us this time to return to you. You have forgiven our sins, and we have the strength to forgive others. We also know that you are a just God, a God who blesses. You hope that our hearts are filled with your grace and that our hearts are filled with joy. May every day of our lives only see your goodness. When we see this world, it is beautiful, and we have the strength to forgive those around us. We also believe that you make all things work together for good, ultimately benefiting us. Amen!
At the same time, I also believe that when I forgive others, you will give me more. When I release others, you will add more grace to me. I believe your promises will be fulfilled in my life. This week, I am willing to live with a heart of forgiveness and gratitude. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving me such abundant blessings. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!