Intro: The last petition (bread) began those focused us-ward. What bread is for the body, forgiveness is for the soul. It is an absolute necessity and a universal yearning. There is not a subject on which I could preach which would be more relevant than this one.
Examine the language of this petition:
+ “Debt” in Greek is same as English = it is something you are legally obliged to repay
Romans 4:4 “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.” <—This is same word. A debt is something which is owed or due another.
We owe obedience to God, and we are woefully in debt.
In this case, it refers to our “Sin Debt”
The parallel passage in Luke makes this unmistakable. (Luke 11:4 = Hamartia)
Question: Why do we use trespasses?
It is interesting that many people use trespasses, yet it is not the word in this verse
It is the word which is used in vv.14-15.
It was made popular by the “Anglican Book of Common Prayer” from the 1600s
Trespass carries the connotation of transgression, which is the root idea here.
It is tantamount to saying, “Forgive us our sins”
+ “Forgive” means to be set free from an obligation.
If you have an outstanding debt, and you are released, you say it is “forgiven”.
It speaks of “removal” and “elimination”; to forgive is to “do away with”
The same root is used in Romans 11:27, saying God will “take away” sins.
When we say “forgive our debts” we are saying, “release us from their obligation”.
The ‘obligation’ or ‘wage’ that sin incurs is death.
This is a plea for safety from sin’s consequences; its a cry for our lives.
“Lord, take away that which we deserve!”
+ “Have Forgiven” is in the tense of an already completed action.
When we pray this prayer, there is an assumption we have already forgiven others.
It is not something which is “going to” happen; it is something which is “done”
Before we pray we should always ask ourselves, “Do we need to forgive?”
Likewise, we need to ask, “Would we want God to forgive us ‘as we have’ forgiven?”
This is a simple plea to God, but it reminds us of three very powerful realities for believers.
I. This petition reminds us of our ongoing battle with sin.
+ The phrase “daily” indicates all of these petitions are needed every day.
We sin all the time, sins of commission and sins of omission.
1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
QUOTE: You do not love the Lord as you ought, and you do not shun sin as you should.
You are in constant need of sanctifying grace.
If we didn’t battle sin daily, Jesus was wrong to tell us to pray this prayer.
NOTE: There is a very prominent false teaching that as Christians we are not sinners.
A few weeks ago a man visited here with this false belief.
QUOTE: Famous Female Television Preacher (Joyce Meyer) "I am not poor. I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie…I didn't stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn't a sinner anymore.”
QUOTE: J.C. Ryle “The Christianity which is from the Holy Spirit will always have a deep view of the sinfulness of sin.
The problem is that these people have a shallow view of the sinfulness of sin.
+ IMPORTANT QUESTION: Why keep praying if God has already forgiven our sins?
The forgiveness which is in view here is not justification, but our daily sanctification.
It is not what our relationship with God is established by, but rather what it grows by.
We grow as we daily come to God to have our daily impurities removed.
QUOTE: Joel Beeke “If you lose a daily sense of forgiveness you will also lose a daily sense of communion with God.”
Illustration: Peter asks to be cleaned, Jesus said all that needed cleaning was his feet.
II. This petition reminds us of our obligation to forgive others.
+ This is the only petition to which Jesus adds a qualifier (vv.14-15)
Note: Sometimes people use vv.14-15 to try to prove you can lose salvation.
The forgiveness in view here is not our justification (once for all forgiveness).
This forgiveness involves our daily sanctification and relationship with God.
If we refuse to forgive another, this interrupts our communion with God.
If it continues into a spirit of hatred and resentment, it may be a sign of unbelief
If the person is a believer it could bring the discipline of God (Hebrews 12).
It is not a small thing, it is very serious.
+ If God has forgiven you so much, so too must you forgive others.
Remember the Parable of the man who would not forgive a debt (Matthew 18:23-35).
He was given great forgiveness, but would not extend the same to another, and thus he was punished for his unwillingness to forgive.
+ Objection 1: People say I can't forgive someone because they had done me such great evil.
But is it a greater evil than you have done to God through your sin?
We can never say, “Another has wronged me more than I have wronged God.”
Peter asked "How many times? Seventy times seven” (Matt 18:21-22)
+Objection 2: People say I will forgive, but I won’t ever forget!
If that is our attitude, have we truly forgiven?
You do not have the mental capacity to actually forget, but you choose not to remember.
Note: This is not saying that you continually put yourself in harms way.
+Objection 3: What if a person doesn't want forgiveness or believe they have done wrong?
This is actually something which theologians have wrestled with.
We cannot fully restore a relationship if the person does not see his error.
We can and do stand ready to forgive.
But the relationship cannot be restored if people do not recognize their error.
We can also call out to God for their forgiveness, as Stephen did to his oppressors.
+ The command to forgive is really just an extension of the command to love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
The phrase “resentful” in v.5 could be translated, “keeps no record of wrongs”
Illustration: “The Aged Apostle John” John Stott recounts in his work on the Epistles of John, the following: In his commentary on Galatians 6:10, Jerome tells a famous story of "blessed John the evangelist" in extreme old age at Ephesus. He used to be carried into the congregation in the arms of his disciples and was unable to say anything except, "Little children, love one another.” At last, wearied that he always spoke the same words, they asked: "Master, why do you always say this?” "Because," he replied, "it is the Lord's command, and if this only is done, it is enough.”
It makes sense that this is the same one who wrote, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20) <— Hate often stems from a lack of forgiveness.
+ This has tremendous application within the church.
So many relationships are irreparably severed in the body due to a lack of forgiveness.
“Well she said something which hurt my feelings”
“Well he didn’t do what I wanted him to”
“Well they disagreed with my position on an issue”
We have a desperate need to forgive; for our own sake, and for the sake of the church.
The problem is we often choose not to forgive.
Ask yourself this question: Do you believe in forgiving sin or only excusing mistakes.
We want God to forgive our sins; in fact, we expect that from God.
But we only want to excuse the mistakes of others; when they really sin against… all bets are off.
Someone will say, “Well, he didn’t ask for my forgiveness”
To which I would reply, “Did you go to him and tell him he sinned against you?”
III. This petition reminds us of our only source for forgiveness.
+ We all have a sin problem, and there is only One in the universe who can deal with it.
The beauty of God’s forgiveness is that it is a complete forgiveness.
Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
We may have trouble forgiving and forgetting… but God does not.
+ Built into this petition is a confession:
By saying “forgive us” we are confessing that we need forgiveness.
By saying it in this prayer, we are confessing who we need it from (Our Father).
The beauty of this is that the Bible promises forgiveness to all those who confess their sins and trust in Christ.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
+ God stands ready to forgive: consider the Parable or the Prodigal Son.
CONCLUSION:
Illustration: My Mom’s Favorite Sermon When I first began to preach, I preached a message on forgiveness. My mother was in attendance that evening. She raved about that sermon for years, and to this day will mention it from time to time. I have come to realize that it was not the sermon that was really all that special; it was the subject. There is a desperate need in all of us for forgiveness.
+ We have a mental, and emotional, and spiritual need for forgiveness, daily.
It is a universal need, a universal yearning.
We can be thankful for guilty feelings because they drive us to seek forgiveness.
+ The problem is that many people do not believe it is available to them.
They believe they have been too bad; that their guilt is too much.
They have convinced themselves that they are too far gone for God’s grace to reach.
If I can tell you one thing today, you are not too far gone.
God’s grace is greater than all of your sins.
Lyrics “Grace Greater than our Sins”
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide; What can avail to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide; Whiter than snow you may be today.
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe, All who are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive?
Refrain: Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.
