Forgive us as we forgive

Our Father which art in heaven…

Mat 6:12 ...forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors


Forgive.


Have you ever wanted someone to forgive you? Think of a time, just one time out of probably many- at least in my case. Wanting people to forgive us means one thing- we feel guilty for some wrong doing.


Can anyone who is not guilty want forgiveness? Seriously. Sure people can give half-hearted I'm sorry's because they don't really believe they are guilty but want the other person to just stop blaming them for something they perceive they've done wrong. People can even ask forgiveness for something they haven't done, just to make peace in a tense situation. Many under the hands of a torturer have confessed and pleaded for forgiveness- having NEVER done what they've been accused of, simply because they want the pain, the agony, to stop. So yes, people can want forgiveness from someone for something they never did, for something they're not guilty of.


Seeking forgiveness for real guilt- you know what that's like. Do you know what it's like to seek forgiveness from someone and be denied that forgiveness? How does it make you feel- having a heartfelt, deep soul searching need for forgiveness and not getting it?


If you can't think of a time like this, then imagine it. The need to be forgiven after hurting someone, after wronging someone, after sinning against someone is so great. The guilt weighs down heavy and seeking that forgiveness is something you feel desperate for. Finally if you can't get that forgiveness from the one you're seeking it from you're left holding onto the guilt but at least you know you tried to apologize, tried to gain forgiveness. That's how we do it isn't it? We apologize, we repent of our wrong, we promise to never do that wrong again, we hate ourselves for sinning, hate that we sinned against someone.


Sins that aren't against another person can be against God and we need to seek forgiveness from God for our sins against Him and against others.


Jesus tells us to pray this way… forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.


We can ONLY expect forgiveness from our Father in heaven as we forgive others.


We aren't told that we can only expect forgiveness from our Father in heaven as other forgive us. This is important to remember! Our being forgiving is not conditional upon getting forgiveness from each other. Our being forgiving is however conditional upon US forgiving others. People might think that's wrong and a crazy idea- but read it again.


'forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors'


Forgive us… as we forgive.


If we don't forgive how can we ever expect our Father in heaven to forgive us? Seriously.


Impossible to forgive others? Sometimes it feels that way doesn't it? Some hurts seem unforgiveable don't they? Some sins against us seem to be so horrific that even when we try to forgive we find ourselves feeling the same old upset and anger rising up over and over and each time we seek to forgive that person all over again. Yet as we forgive we will be forgiven.


We need to be forgiven don't we? We've sinned, right? When we sin we are transgressing against the laws of God. Some call them laws of nature, especially those who don't want to believe in God, but they are laws of God. Without God there would be no laws. What laws does Satan have? Seriously. Evil has no laws. Evil inherently encourages sinning in every and any form- there is no law to adhere to whatsoever. Evil allows everything- evil sees NO wrong in murder. Evil sees no wrong in stealing. Evil sees no wrong in harming another. Evil sees no wrong in torture. Evil sees no wrong in the deepest depravity in all the world. There is NO standard to hold to with evil, none. Those truly evil people are those who have no sense at all of their sinfulness. People can be blinded to their sinning by evil, and don't for one moment believe that Satan doesn't do ALL he can to blind us to our sins. I've heard people say they had nothing to do with Jesus dying… as if their sins aren't in need of forgiveness and that Jesus didn't die for their sins. Jesus died for all of our sins! For all who repent and seek forgiveness from Him, He will forgive them. If you truly believe you had nothing to do with Jesus' dying then you don't believe He died for you. You can't really believe that Jesus forgives you if you don't believe He died for you. No, you might not have wielded the hammer that nailed Jesus to the cross, but He submitted to that torturous death, He allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross FOR YOU. Figuratively our sins- every sinner forgiven- their sins are the reason our Savior died to pay the price of sin for us. From the first repenting sinner seeking forgiveness right up to the very last repenting sinner seeking forgiveness - Jesus died for them, for us. To those who sought forgiveness before Jesus came, to those who sought and seek forgiveness after Jesus came- Jesus died for them, for us.


'forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors'


Sinners forgiving sinners- that's what we are when we forgive others. We NEED to be forgiven by our Father in heaven. We NEED to forgive others even as we recognize that it is an imperfect forgiveness. Our imperfect forgiveness is just that and it's no wonder that we might find ourselves having to forgive someone over and over for the same offense? We have to expect this and not let Satan use this as something to throw in our faces as in order to tell us that God, our Father in heaven, cannot forgive us because we cannot forgive others. Is it any wonder Jesus tells us this…


Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.


Seventy times seven. Yes, it's saying this regarding someone sinning over and over against you, but you can see where there is NO limit to the forgiveness we can extend. Surely Jesus understood that we have to know that we can forgive over and over. It is by the grace of our Savior that we can forgive at all.


Yes, we need to forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors…we need to do this and we need to pray for this. Pray to BE forgiven and pray TO forgive. We need to pray for this, we need to ask our heavenly Father for this, Jesus would have us learn that we aren't automatically forgiven, we have to ask.


To think that Jesus will forgive us, to think that we will be forgiven automatically is a mistake. Some might say- oh yeah, I was saved and forgiven, I'm fine. But forgiveness is continuous, it's constant.


May we forgive and be forgiven by our Father in heaven.


By His Grace now and FOREVER always!


Amen