Forgive Us Our Debts

The Lord's Prayer Series

Central Idea: A believer regularly prays for forgiveness.

Application Question: Is your prayer life marked by prayers for forgiveness or for vengeance?

Text: Matthew 6:12, 14-15

Matthew 6:12 NIV

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:14–15 NIV

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

INTRODUCTION

We've been walking through the Lord's Prayer for several weeks now, and today we come to what might be the most uncomfortable part of this prayer:

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

And if that wasn't uncomfortable enough, Jesus doubles down on this teaching immediately after the prayer ends:

"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" (vv. 14-15).

Those are some of the most sobering words Jesus ever spoke. And we need to wrestle with them honestly today.

Because here's what Jesus is teaching:

Forgiveness isn't optional for Christians. It's essential.

Even if you’re not a Christian, extending forgiveness is important for the health of who you are.

I. JESUS'S TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS WAS UNIQUE (v. 12)

The Daily Prayers in Jesus's Time

During the time of Jesus, there was a set of prayers to be prayed three times daily called the Tefillah.

Prayer number six was a prayer to God for forgiveness.

“Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed; for You are a pardoner and a forgiver. Blessed are You, O Lord, the gracious One who abundantly forgives.”

But here's what's striking: None of them had anything about forgiving others, nor did they tie the forgiveness of others to our experience of forgiveness.

In that, Jesus's teaching on prayer was revolutionary. Jesus was sharing that God’s kingdom was an “others” kingdom.

Why Does This Matter?

Jesus isn't just adding a nice sentiment about being kind to others. He's fundamentally redefining what it means to live in relationship with God.

You can't compartmentalize your relationship with God from your relationships with others. The two are inseparable.

II. DEBTS, TRESPASSES, AND SINS (v. 12)

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

The Language of Forgiveness

If you've prayed the Lord's Prayer in different settings, you might have noticed different wording:

• Matthew 6:12 says "debts" and "debtors"

• Luke 11:4 says "sins"

• The traditional version often says "trespasses"

Which one is right? Actually, they all are.

The Aramaic Word Khoba

Jesus spoke Aramaic, and in that language, the word

khoba meant both sin and debt.

The Greek language has two separate words that express each idea. But in Aramaic, they're the same word. So neither translation is contradictory—they're just emphasizing different aspects of the same reality.

Ken Bailey writes:

"The faithful need to remember they are asking for forgiveness for failing to forgive what God requires of them (debts) and for their failure to do the right thing when they did act (trespass)."

Ken Bailey

What We're Confessing

When we pray "Forgive us our debts," we're acknowledging:

We have sinned against his holiness

We have failed in what he requires of us

We need mercy, not justice

This is a prayer of humility. We're admitting we cannot earn our way to God. We're dependent on his grace.

III. FORGIVENESS IS ESSENTIAL TO LIFE (v. 12)

"Forgive us our debts..."

Food for the Soul

John Stott writes:"Forgiveness is as indispensable to the life and health of the soul as food is for the body."

Think about that comparison. We just prayed "Give us this day our daily bread" because without food, the body withers and dies.

In the same way:

• Without forgiveness, the spirit withers

• Bitterness takes root

• Anger consumes

• Vindictiveness poisons everything

Just as the body can die if not fed properly, the spirit can wither up and become bitter if anger, pain, and vindictiveness are held on to instead of forgiveness being granted.

Make It A Regular Practice

Notice Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for forgiveness regularly. This isn't a one-time prayer. It's a daily prayer.

Why? Because we need forgiveness daily:

We sin daily

We fail daily

We fall short daily

We wound others daily (often without even realizing it)

A believer who is growing in Christ is someone who is increasingly aware of their need for grace.

The more you grow, the more you realize how much you need forgiveness. The more mature you become, the more you see your own sin clearly.

IV. THE TERRIFYING CONNECTION (vv. 12, 14-15)

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

As We Have Forgiven

This is the only section of the Lord's Prayer that Jesus expands on after the prayer ends (vv. 14-15).

Why? Because it's that important. And it's that difficult.

Jesus says:

Matthew 6:14–15 NIV

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Let's be clear about what Jesus is saying:

Your forgiveness from God is connected to your forgiveness of others

If you refuse to forgive, you demonstrate you don't understand forgiveness

An unforgiving heart reveals an unforgiven heart

Why Is This So Serious?

Because forgiveness is the very essence of the gospel.

We were enemies of God

Romans 5:10 NIV

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

We deserved death

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We could not save ourselves

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

But God forgave us

Colossians 2:13–14 NIV

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

When we refuse to forgive others, we're essentially saying:

"God should forgive me, but I won't forgive them"

"I deserve mercy, but they deserve judgment"

"My sins aren't that bad, but their sins are unforgivable"

The Demonstration of Repentance

If you are truly repentant for your sins, a demonstration of that humility is sharing forgiveness with others.

Or as Jesus teaches elsewhere:

Luke 7:47 NIV

“…But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

The person who truly grasps how much they've been forgiven becomes a person who forgives freely.

Forgiveness lived out - VIDEO

I want to show you something that brought Jesus' words about forgiveness to life for me this week. This is the story of Chris Carrier, who at six years old was abducted, shot in the head, stabbed, and left to die in the Florida Everglades. He survived, but carried permanent scars—both physical and emotional. Twenty-two years later, when police finally found his attacker, Chris had a choice to make. What he did next shows us what it actually looks like when someone prays "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"—and discovers they can't do it in their own strength. Watch this.

Chris Carrier couldn't manufacture that kind of forgiveness on his own. Neither could Corrie ten Boom when she faced her Nazi guard. And if we're honest—neither can we when someone wrongs us. That's exactly why Jesus puts forgiveness right in the middle of this prayer.

Because here's the point...

When you were forgiven, it changed everything.

Romans 5:6 NLT

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

So let me bring this home with some hard questions:

Is Your Prayer Life Marked by Forgiveness or Vengeance?

What do you spend more time praying for:

Forgiveness?

Or judgment on those who've wronged you?

Are your prayers characterized by:

Mercy?

Or vindictiveness?

Do you pray:

"God, help me forgive them"?

"Or God, make them pay for what they did"?

Who Do You Need to Forgive?

I want you to ask yourself right now: Who comes to mind?

Whose name just popped into your head? That person who hurt you. That person who wronged you. That person who betrayed you.

That's who you need to forgive.

What Forgiveness Is NOT

Before we go further, let me clarify what forgiveness is NOT:

Forgiveness is NOT:

Saying what they did was okay (it wasn't)

Excusing their behavior (it's inexcusable)

Pretending it didn't hurt (it did)

Putting yourself back in harm's way (boundaries are healthy)

Reconciliation without repentance (forgiveness is one-sided; reconciliation requires both parties)

Forgiveness IS:

Releasing your right to revenge

Entrusting judgment to God

Refusing to let bitterness poison your soul

Choosing mercy over vindictiveness

Extending the grace you've received

The Hard Work of Forgiving

Let me be honest: Forgiveness is hard.

Some of you have been deeply wounded. The hurt you carry is real, the pain is legitimate, and what was done to you was wrong.

I'm not minimizing that. Jesus isn't minimizing that.

But Jesus is saying: For your sake, for the health of your soul, you must forgive.

Not because they deserve it. But because you've been forgiven far more than you'll ever be called to forgive.

CONCLUSION

A believer regularly prays for forgiveness.

Not just once. Not just for the big stuff. But regularly. Daily. Continually.

We pray:

"God, forgive me for the ways I've failed you today"

"God, forgive me for the ways I've hurt others"

"God, help me forgive those who've hurt me"

And as we pray this prayer, something happens in our hearts:

We become more aware of our own sin

We become more grateful for God's grace

We become more willing to extend grace to others

We become more free from the prison of bitterness

The Challenge

So here's what I want you to do this week:

Make a list of people you need to forgive

Pray for them by name every day

Ask God to help you forgive from your heart

If possible and appropriate, take a step toward reconciliation

This won't be easy. It might be one of the hardest things you ever do.

But you don't have to do it in your own strength. You pray: "God, I can't do this on my own. Help me forgive. Give me the grace to extend the grace I've received."

And God will help you. Because that's what he does. He gives grace to the humble. He empowers the weak. He transforms the bitter into the forgiving.

Let's pray.

Prayer:

Father, we come to you acknowledging we are debtors. We owe you what we cannot pay. We have sinned against you in countless ways. And yet you forgive us freely, fully, completely.

Now help us to forgive others. You know the names and faces that are coming to mind right now. You know the hurts we carry. You know the wounds we bear.

Give us the strength to release our right to revenge. Help us entrust judgment to you. Free us from the prison of bitterness. And make us people who forgive as freely as we've been forgiven.

In Jesus's name, Amen.

Matthew 6:9–13 KJV 1900

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.