Complete Forgiveness 完全的宽恕

Complete Forgiveness完全的宽恕 Genesis 50: 15-21 创世记 50 : 15-21

Forgiveness is Important for Our Physical Health Mayo Clinic website: What are the benefits of forgiving someone? Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to: • Healthier relationships • Greater spiritual and psychological well-being • Less anxiety, stress and hostility • Lower blood pressure • Fewer symptoms of depression • Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

Forgiveness is Important for Our Spiritual Health • Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. • 馬太福音 6:15 你们不饶恕人的过犯，你们的天父也必不饶恕你们的过犯。

Complete Forgiveness "Unforgiveness is like taking poison and hoping that the other person dies." Joyce Meyer

Complete Forgiveness It was essential that Joseph forgive his brothers • Glory: If Joseph had not been able to really forgive his brothers then his life of faith would have been incomplete, robbed of its potential glory. • Honoring God: Forgiving his brothers meant that it was God that mattered in his life, now, and not anything anyone had ever done to him in the past, or could do to him in the future. • Freedom: Joseph was saying that by faith he had truly been set free from the bondage his brothers had tried to place him in, not only on the outside, but in the inner man.

Complete Forgiveness • There is a partial forgiveness. • Ex: People who get along until the kids are grown. • Joseph’s brothers would have settled for conditional forgiveness. • Ex. The prodigal son expected conditional forgiveness, "Make me as one of your hired servants." • Luke 15:11-32 浪子的比喻 • 把我当作一个雇工罢！

Complete Forgiveness • What is real forgiveness? • How can I be sure that I have really forgiven the way God intends? • Summary Sentence: We can learn real forgiveness from the way Joseph forgave his brothers.

Complete Forgiveness I. Relief for the Victim (解脱如释重负: And Joseph wept when they spoke to him (50:17b). • Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. • 以賽亞書 43:25 惟有我为自己的缘故涂抹你的过犯；我也不记念你的罪恶。

Complete Forgiveness • Can we really feel, "It's really over and done with."?

Complete Forgiveness • II. Reassurance for the Sinner 再次保证: Joseph said, "Do not be afraid...“ (50:19) • "Do not be afraid..."(50:21) • 創世記 50:19 约瑟对他们说：不要害怕，我岂能代替神呢？

Complete Forgiveness God does not want us to fear His judgement any longer! • For you have not received a spirit of slavery [g]leading to fear again, but you have received [h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15) • 羅馬書 8:15 你们所受的，不是奴仆的心，仍旧害怕；所受的，乃是儿子的心，因此我们呼叫：阿爸！父！ • "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment....." (I Jn 4:18). • 約翰一書 4:18 爱里没有惧怕；爱既完全，就把惧怕除去。因为惧怕里含着刑罚，惧怕的人在爱里未得完全。 • Truly Truly I say to you, he who hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death, and into life. (Jn 5:24) • 約翰福音 5:24 我实实在在的告诉你们，那听我话、又信差我来者的，就有永生；不至於定罪，是已经出死入生了。

Complete Forgiveness Do we forgive people so completely that we don't want them to feel bad anymore?

Complete Forgiveness • III. Rectification of the Wrong (纠正, 改正: (vs 20)"...you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. " • “Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, my great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25) • 約珥書 2:25 我打发到你们中间的大军队，就是蝗虫、蝻子、蚂蚱、剪虫，那些年所吃的，我要补还你们。

Complete Forgiveness • Do you still feel that you were robbed in life by someone? • Are there mistakes you've made that still haunt you, or can you trust God to set it straight?

Complete Forgiveness • IV. Restoration of the Relationship 恢复关系 : • "I will provide..." he comforted them, and spoke kindly. "God will take care of you...“ • Both divine AND human relationships were restored. • With Joseph: "I will provide..." (50:21) • With God!: "God will take care of you...." (50:25)

Complete Forgiveness • Can we, by faith, say, "You're still my brother, you're still my sister, you're still my friend."?

Complete Forgiveness I. Relief for the Victim (解脱如释重负: And Joseph wept when they spoke to him (50:17b). II. Reassurance for the Sinner 再次保证: Joseph said, "Do not be afraid...“ (50:19) "Do not be afraid..."(50:21) III. Rectification of the Wrong (纠正 , 改正: (vs 20)"...you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. " IV. Restoration of the Relationship 恢复关系 : "I will provide..." he comforted them, and spoke kindly. "God will take care of you..."

Complete Forgiveness 完全的宽恕