Good Morning City Church: 4/30

Body

Sometimes my children don’t hear what’s most important when I’m speaking to them. (example ???)

Matthew 6:7–15 ““And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 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.”

There are a lot of really important things here that Jesus is teaching us about God, prayer, where we put our trust—but most important is the relationship between belonging to God and forgiveness.

The only way a person could not have their sins forgiven by the Father is that this person did not have their sins atoned for by Christ. We are not talking about a person. whose sins were forgiven by Christ (by grace) who then lost their salvation (by works).

Rather Jesus is making a statement about a defining characteristic of the forgiven person. They will forgive those who have wronged them. This is such a part of our identity that to hang onto unforgiveness is tantamount to not belonging to family of God.