Sermon Tone Analysis

14–15.

This comment on v. 12 adds little to what was implicit in the prayer itself.

It in turn may be interpreted from 18:23–35, where the connection between our forgiving and being forgiven is graphically expounded.

The point is not so much that forgiving is a prior condition of being forgiven, but that forgiveness cannot be a one-way process.

Like all God’s gifts it brings responsibility; it must be passed on.

To ask for forgiveness on any other basis is hypocrisy.

There can be no question, of course, of our forgiving being in proportion to what we are forgiven, as 18:23–35 makes clear.

Matthew

14.

For introduces a reason for praying in the way Jesus has just outlined: first, those who forgive in the way suggested in the prayer will find forgiveness themselves, whereas those who do not forgive will not be forgiven.

The conditional implies nothing as to the fulfilment or otherwise of the condition; it simply suggests a hypothetical possibility.

Men, of course, is quite general and has no particular reference to adult members of the male sex; it means “people.”

Offenses are activities in which other people really take action against us in some way; forgiveness of such sins is not automatic.

But Jesus expects it of his people, and he assures them that such forgiveness means that the forgiveness of God is certain.

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.

15.

But is the adversative conjunction that introduces the other side of the coin.

The change that puts offenses in the second clause in this verse instead of in the first clause as in verse 14 is largely stylistic, but it perhaps emphasizes the activity of forgiving rather than the nature of the offenses.

Forgiveness is important for the followers of Jesus, whereas the nature of the offenses committed against them is not.

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

as we forgive our debtors—the same view of sin as before; only now transferred to the region of offenses given and received between man and man.

After what has been said on Mt 5:7, it will not be thought that our Lord here teaches that our exercise of forgiveness towards our offending fellow men absolutely precedes and is the proper ground of God’s forgiveness of us.

His whole teaching, indeed—as of all Scripture—is the reverse of this.

But as no one can reasonably imagine himself to be the object of divine forgiveness who is deliberately and habitually unforgiving towards his fellow men, so it is a beautiful provision to make our right to ask and expect daily forgiveness of our daily shortcomings and our final absolution and acquittal at the great day of admission into the kingdom, dependent upon our consciousness of a forgiving disposition towards our fellows, and our preparedness to protest before the Searcher of hearts that we do actually forgive them.

(See Mk 11:25, 26).

God sees His own image reflected in His forgiving children; but to ask God for what we ourselves refuse to men, is to insult Him.

So much stress does our Lord put upon this, that immediately after the close of this prayer, it is the one point in it which He comes back upon (Mt 6:14, 15), for the purpose of solemnly assuring us that the divine procedure in this matter of forgiveness will be exactly what our own is.

The latter part of that verse (12) is important.

Notice the tense: ‘as we also have forgiven our debtors’.

This is spelt out in 6:14–15.

It is not as though God petulantly says, ‘I won’t forgive you unless you forgive those who have wronged you.’

The fact is, he cannot forgive us in those circumstances.

For if we are to open our hands to receive his gracious pardon, we cannot keep our fists tightly clenched against those who have wronged us.

So often our prayers are nullified because there is someone we think we cannot forgive.

We can forgive them, and we must, if we hope ourselves to receive the daily renewing forgiveness of God.

For he cannot and he will not pardon the impenitent, including those who nurse grievances against others.

It is an impossibility while the condition of forgiveness—repentance—has not been met.

14, 15.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Though in the teaching not only of Paul (Rom.

3:24; Eph.

2:8; Titus 3:5) but certainly also of Christ (Matt.

5:1–6; 18:27; Luke 18:13) salvation rests not on human accomplishments but solely on the grace and mercy of God, this does not mean that there is nothing to do for those who receive it.

They must believe.

Included in this faith is the eagerness to forgive.

Unless the listeners forgive men their trespasses, they themselves will remain unpardoned.

3. To forgive his debts just as he has forgiven his debtors.

This is asking God to forgive one exactly as he forgives others.

If one forgives, God forgives.

If one does not forgive, God does not forgive.

Therefore, any person who holds anything against another person is not forgiven his sins, no matter what he may think or has been told by another person.

(See Mt. 6:14–15).

Thought 2. In seeking forgiveness we have a duty both to God and to man.

(1) Our duty to God is to ask forgiveness when we fail to do His will.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is.

55:7).

“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me” (Je.

33:8).

(2) Our duty to man is to forgive his sins against us.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mk.

11:25).

“And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Lu.

17:4).

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ep.

4:32).

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Col.

3:13).

If we wish to be forgiven ourselves, both duties have to be performed.

We must forgive those who sin against us (Mt.

6:12), and we must ask forgiveness for our sins (1 Jn. 1:9).

O.

The Basic Principle of Prayer: Forgiveness, 6:14–15

(6:14–15) Introduction—Forgiveness: note the first word, “for.”

This connects these verses to the Lord’s Prayer.

Immediately after closing the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus explained why He had said that forgiveness is conditional (Mt.

6:12).

This was a necessary explanation for two reasons.

1.

The very idea that a person must forgive others in order for God to forgive him was totally new.

It was a shocking concept, an eye-opener.

It had to be explained.

2. The very idea of forgiveness is just what it says: it is forgiving.

God knows that He cannot forgive an unforgiving heart.

His nature of love and justice will not permit Him to indulge in sin and give license to the passions of a man’s unforgiving spirit.

He can forgive only where the mercy and tenderness of forgiveness are found.

Therefore, Christ had to teach the basic principle of prayer—forgiveness (Mt.

18:21–35; Mk. 11:25–26; Lu. 6:37; 17:3–4; Ep. 4:32).

(See DEEPER STUDY # 4—Mt.

26:28.)

1.

The promise: forgive others and be forgiven (v.

14).

2. The warning: refuse to forgive others and be unforgiven (v.

15).

DEEPER STUDY # 1

(6:14–15) Forgiveness: there are several prerequisites to forgiveness.

For a man to be forgiven, he must do several things.

1.

He must confess his sins (1 Jn. 1:9; see 1 Jn.

1:8–10).

2.

He must have faith in God: a belief that God will actually forgive (He.

11:6).

3.

He must repent (turn away from and forsake his sins) and turn to God in a renewed commitment (see note—Acts 3:19; note 7 and DEEPER STUDY # 1—17:29–30; note—Lu.

17:3–4).

4.

He must forgive those who have wronged him (Mt.

6:14–15).

Hard feelings or anger against a person is sin.

It is evidence that a person has not truly turned from his sins and that he is not really sincere in seeking forgiveness.

1 (6:14) Forgiveness of Others: there is the promise to forgive and thereby to be forgiven.

The word trespass (paraptoma) means to stumble; to fall; to slip; to blunder; to deviate from righteousness and truth.

Note three things.

a. Christ takes for granted that we know that we need forgiveness.

This is seen in His words, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

We are sinners; we have transgressed God’s law and we need forgiveness.

Even the most mature among us fails to keep God’s law perfectly.

We all stumble, fall, blunder, and slip; and we do it much too often.

1) We are seldom doing to the fullest degree what we should do.

We come short.

2) We are always crossing over from the path we should be following.