Whenever we go to God for forgiveness, we proclaim our faith in the marvelous truth that He is able and willing to forgive us. We also proclaim our understanding of the reality that we are continually in need of forgiveness.
One of the most challenging aspects of this petition of the Lord’s Prayer is what we say after we ask the Lord to forgive us of the sins we’ve committed against Him. To seek and be forgiven is one matter; to forgive others is another, and more challenging, matter.
Let’s look first at why the Lord would have us seek forgiveness over and over. Remember, that the Lord was preaching His Sermon on the Mount when He gave His followers this pattern of prayer. So, we can conclude that He was speaking to people who knew the Lord. When we know the Lord, we are forgiven our sins. At the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples to drink from the cup, “for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). The message of the good news of Jesus Christ is that He died for our sins, and that once we come to Christ for forgiveness, the sins are forgiven forever. Why, then, must we return to the Lord for more forgiveness after He has already forgiven?
The sad, but simple truth is that we continue to be sinners, even after God has forgiven us by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our sinful nature does not disappear when we become Christians any more than our humanity disappears as we inherit eternal life. We remain people, wrapped in flesh and susceptible to the temptations that our flesh desires. Knowing this, God provides us a way to seek forgiveness every time we fail. 1 John 1:8-10, says, “8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” The apostle John, writing to believers, says that we continue to sin.
John also writes that God will receive our confession of our sins and forgive us. How? John explains in 1 John 2:1-2,
Forgiveness is always available at the cross of Jesus Christ.
“1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” That word, “propitiation,” refers to the portion of Christ’s work on the cross that satisfied God’s righteous judgment against all sin. God sees Jesus’ death on the cross, Christ’s sacrifice, as taking care of all sin. That is why God will restore the confessing believer to righteousness; because Christ took the fall for the sinners who believe in Him. Jesus Christ continues to advocate for, or to stick-up for, or defend the sinner. He stands before the Father, and says, “I died for that man,” or “My sacrifice took care of her sin,” and the Father forgives.
There are two heretical views regarding the believer and sin. The first view is that when a believer sins, he or she will lose their salvation. If this were possible, then Christ would not be continually advocating for the sinner in heaven. Hebrews 7:25 says, “Consequently, he (Christ) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” This “always lives to make intercession,” indicates a similar promise as we read in 1 John 2:1, that Christ advocates for us in heaven. When we are true believers in Christ, our salvation is secure, though we may slip and fall into sin. No human being—outside of Jesus Christ—is capable of living a sinless life, whether they are Christian or not, which leads to the second erroneous view, that one can live without sin. Review 1 John 1:8-10. These verses clearly tell Christians that sin is a part of being human and that we still have a Father in heaven who loves us and forgives us.
Holding to these wrong views, or even holding to the right view incorrectly, lead many a people to give up on pursuing a holy life. Some will argue that it is impossible to live a holy life, therefore it is futile to try. While it may be impossible, its pursuit is something that God honors. Others use God’s grace as an excuse to abuse their salvation by sinning wantonly and without conscience. Such is the way of the unsaved, according to 1 John 1:6, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” And 1 John 2:4, “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Forgiveness is God’s way. Jesus Christ died so that we imperfect people could one day live in perfect holiness with God for eternity. It’s unbelievable, yet it is true.
The second portion of this part of the Lord’s Prayer puts a burden on the one who is praying. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” This is a call to have a forgiving spirit. In fact, Jesus comments on forgiveness just after the Lord’s prayer, saying, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15). It is essential that we forgive others. John MacArthur writes in his book The Freedom and Poser of Forgiveness, that,
“Unforgiveness is a toxin. It poisons the heart and mind with bitterness, distorting one’s whole perspective on life. Anger, resentment, and sorrow begin to overshadow and overwhelm the unforgiving person—a kind of soul-pollution that enflames evil appetites and evil emotions. Such bitterness can even spread from person to person, ultimately defiling many (Heb. 12:15).
“Forgiveness is the only antidote. Forgiveness is a healthy, wholesome, virtuous, liberating act. Forgiveness unleashes joy. It brings peace. It washes the slate clean. It sets all the highest virtues of love in motion.
“In a sense, forgiveness is Christianity at its highest level.”
Forgiveness unburdens the violator of guilt and the violated of anger.
Forgiveness not only frees us up to be forgiven by God, but it unburdens us from harboring anger and hatred and other ill feelings that diminish our capacity to represent God to the world around us.
On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they have do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus prayed for God to forgive His murderers as He hung on the cross! It is no wonder that He instructed us to pray, “Forgive our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Our Lord holds His followers to a standard that the wisdom of this world cannot understand.
Even in our Christian lives, it is nearly impossible for us to understand how we can forgive others who have violated our trust, hurt us, damaged our property or inflicted harm on our loved ones. Yet that is precisely what we are called to when we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are called to follow the example of our Savior. Do you?
Blessings!
Pastor Bill
