Forgive Us Our Debts

Introduction:

We are a nation that lives on debt. It is normal for Americans to live on debt.

The average credit card debt in America was $1 Trillion in 2017.

The average student loan debt in America is$1.5 trillion dollars.

The U.S. National Debt is 15.3 trillion dollars.

We as a people understand debt. And that is true in the spiritual realm as well.

We owe God an infinite debt that we cannot pay in this lifetime. We cannot work away this debt, we cannot be absolved of the debt by simply saying sorry, and we cannot escape our debt.

In fact, we as sinners accrue more and more debt before God as we live our lives. Every time we violate God’s law in our thoughts, our words, or actions, we accrue more debt before God.

Some of us would be horrified with the debt we owe God if God could show us our spiritual debt statement. So what should we do?

This is why this petition in the Lord’s prayer is a mercy for us. We read it in which says,

Matthew 6:12 ESV

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

As Mohler said, if give us this day our daily bread petitions our most urgent physical need, forgive us our debts petitions our most urgent spiritual need.

This prayer is a gospel prayer. We can only say these words and ask these things of God when we stand on the finished, atoning work of Jesus Christ. Indeed, this petition demonstrates that the theological bedrock of the Lord’s Prayer is nothing less than the gospel. We can only rightly pray the Lord’s Prayer when we recognize that we are deeply sinful and only God’s grace in Christ can remedy our souls. Albert Mohler

I. We Owe God An Infinite Debt

Our Debts. The Bible assumes we owe God a debt. Because God is infinitely righteous, when we sin against an infinitely righteous God, we sinned infinitely.

Mohler, Jr., R. Albert. The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution (pp. 123-124). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

We understand this on a human level. The greater the authority, the greater than offense. If I slapped my mother, that would be a grave offense. If I slapped a police officer, that would be a greater offense. And I slapped the president of the US, that would be a offense that can warrant a greater penalty.

And take it to the highest authority in heaven. We understand that God is the highest authority and we owe Him infinitely.

Which means we are in trouble.

II. We Need Forgiveness

Forgive Us

We need forgiveness. This passage is a grace for us because Jesus tells us that God is willing to forgive.

But how can God forgive while at the same time being just?

Well we know God punished His Son in our place so that we can be forgiven.

1 John 2:1–2 ESV

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1–3 ESV

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We can confess our sins freely and ask forgiveness because Jesus Christ has paid our debt. The infinite Son of God became a Human to pay our infinite debt at the cross. And by rising again from the dead to extend pardon and forgiveness because he is our advocate.

III. We Ask Forgiveness Corporately

Us. We are guilty together. And we need a Savior to forgive our corporate guilt. Therefore, it is good to confess our sins before one another and cry out to God for mercy together.

And a truly forgiven person will be willing to extend the forgiveness to others. God’s forgiveness is the grounds of our forgiveness towards others.

If we have not truly experienced God’s forgiveness, we will not be able to ask for forgiveness towards others.

Practical Application:

Confess Sin

1 John 1:10 ESV

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2. Ask for Forgiveness for Specific Sins

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:7–8 ESV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

3. Repent of Sins

Psalm 51:6–7 ESV

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 51:10 ESV

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:6 ESV

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

4. Reset in the Pardon of Your Sins

1 John 2:2 ESV

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.