Confession and Rescue

Bible Passage: Matthew 6:12–13

Summary: In these verses, Christ teaches His followers the importance of forgiveness both in their relationship with God and with each other, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging our sins and asking for divine help to resist temptation.

Application: This sermon can help Christians realize that true freedom comes from confessing our shortcomings and embracing God's forgiveness. It encourages believers to extend grace to others just as they have received it, which can heal relationships and restore community.

Teaching: The message conveys that forgiveness is not only a vertical reconciliation with God but also a horizontal obligation to forgive those around us. It teaches the principle that God's mercy to us compels us to show mercy to others.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the broader biblical context, this passage highlights Christ's role as the ultimate mediator of our forgiveness. He embodies the grace and mercy that we are called to extend to others, fulfilling the law in our hearts and allowing us to navigate the complexities of human relationships.

Big Idea: We are called to confess our sins and experience God's forgiveness, which empowers us to forgive others, creating a cycle of grace in our relationships.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider diving into the nuances of the concepts of 'forgiveness' and 'temptation' in the Greek texts using your Logos library. Investigate commentaries that discuss the cultural context of forgiveness in first-century Judaism. Explore theological works that connect the themes of sin, mercy, and the character of God, which can deepen your understanding of how confession is pivotal in the life of a believer.

1. Confess and Receive Grace

Matthew The Fifth Petition

Granted that we sin, why must we still daily pray for forgiveness, since through Christ’s atonement we are already cleansed (justified) from every sin?

Answer: It is true that the basis of our daily forgiveness has been established once for all by means of Christ’s atonement. Nothing need be and nothing can be added to that. But this total, objective cleansing needs daily application for the simple reason that we sin every day

Matthew 6:12

Perhaps you could start by exploring how Jesus instructs us to seek forgiveness for our transgressions, underscoring the necessity of acknowledging our sins to receive God's grace. By contemplating Christ's sacrifice, we see that God's forgiveness is both a gift and an invitation to repent. This divine pardon fuels our ability to forgive others, creating a life marked by grace. Encouraging the congregation to embrace this reality can foster personal healing and relational restoration, thereby aligning with the nature of Christ, who forgave even those who wronged Him.

The Gospel according to Matthew b. Prayer, 6:5–15

This must surely be taken as an aspiration rather than a limitation, or none of us would be forgiven; our forgivenesses are so imperfect. But the prayer recognizes that we have no right to seek forgiveness for our own sins if we are withholding forgiveness from others, and perhaps even that we cannot really seek it (cf. Buttrick, if anyone says, “I’ll never forgive you!” that person “is not penitently aware of his sins, but only vengefully aware of another man’s sins”

2. Channel Forgiveness Outward

Matthew 6:12

You might illustrate how the reception of God's forgiveness naturally extends into our interactions with others. This principle embeds the truth that forgiving others is a reflection of God's own forgiveness towards us.

The Gospel according to Matthew b. Prayer, 6:5–15

It is not that the act of forgiving merits an eternal reward, but rather it is evidence that the grace of God is at work in the forgiving person and that that same grace will bring him forgiveness in due course

By embodying Christ's teachings, believers participate in a transformative cycle of grace, where mercy received becomes mercy given. Encouraging believers to address lingering grudges or unresolved conflicts can lead to powerful testimonies of reconciliation and renewal within the community.

“The change of mind that characterises our repentance towards God must be a change of mind that characterises our attitude towards others—particularly those who need our forgiveness.” 1 - Charles Price

1  Charles Price, Matthew: The King in His Kingdom, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 1998), 128–129.

Matthew The Fifth Petition

it is God who plants in our hearts the seed of faith and of the forgiving disposition. Moreover, the power to believe and the power to forgive are from God. At every step—beginning, middle, and end, all along the way—God is both present and active

3. Call for Divine Strength

Matthew 6:13

Consider examining Jesus' guidance to pray for deliverance from temptation, highlighting the power of God's guidance in preventing sin from taking root in our lives. Christ is our ultimate rescuer, demonstrating how dependence on God safeguards our walk with Him. Encouraging believers to trust in God's strength over their own might embolden them in moments of trial, embodying the victory that is found through Jesus. This reliance not only leads to personal growth but also fortifies relationships, as temptations that harm are resisted and overcome.

Matthew: The King in His Kingdom c. Moral Need

He is never the author of temptation. James wrote, ‘When tempted, no one should say “God is tempting me”. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone …’ (

Jesus is saying that to fail to forgive others is to demonstrate that one has not felt the saving touch of God

 Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 149.

Opening Up Matthew Pattern for Prayerfulness (6:1–18)

It is possible for this model prayer to become a set of ‘empty phrases’, such as Jesus warns against in verse 7. There is certainly nothing wrong with using this prayer; after all, Jesus teaches us these words. But he also says we are to pray ‘like this’, that is, to ensure that our prayers reflect this pattern and paradigm. The Westminster Larger Catechism summarizes it well when it says, ‘The Lord’s prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer.’