Pardon of God

5. PARDON OF GOD –

Forgive us our debts/trespasses – our sins

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

NAS And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

Forgiveness is the central theme of verses 9-15, being mentioned six times in eight verses.

Psychologist to Mr. Figby (cartoon strip fame) “Mr. Figby I think I can explain your feelings of guilt. You are guilty.”

In our culture, even within the church, we spend great resources trying to assuage our emotional imbalances by not accepting our guilt. Statistically, the primary cause of emotional instability is guilt, estimated at nearly 60 percent of emotional issues. We simply do not want, will not allow ourselves, to acknowledge our guilt before God.

NAS If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We must have a sense of our sin. We are aware of our deficiency, but will not acknowledge it. Outward respectability before men, and inward sin before God often go hand in hand. Before a man can truly and honestly pray this petition of the prayer, he must realize he needs to pray it. Thus we are carrying, literally to our grave, a burden we need not endure.

Worth noting in Jesus model, asking for provision is before asking for pardon. God gives us all things, including the opportunity for daily forgiveness. It is not bargaining for trade. He simply is the gracious proficient sufficient provider. He recognized our limitations and propensity to sin. In His justice He could not leave us without a way out of our plight. Through His love He has provided an opportunity for us to be relieved of our sin guilt in the offering of His Son as a sin sacrifice. In His grace He has set us free from the binding of sin and the debilitating guilt. Asking forgiveness implies confession. Confession means we agree with God about our sin – they are wicked, evil and defiling, and have no part in those who belong to Him. It is the only way to the free and joy-filled life.

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

When we earnestly ask for forgiveness we are reassessing the value of our real worth downward. Our self-esteem will be placed into perspective. We are evaluating ourselves and finding ourselves wanting. We are humbling ourselves, and He then begins to listen

KJV If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

NAS for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

NAS But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The New Testament translates five different Greek words for sin.

1. Hamartia {ham-ar-tee'-ah} <266> Is the more common word for sin, and carries the root idea of missing the mark or the standard of God/s righteousness.

used 174 times • to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act by a single person or by many

NAS If we confess our sins <266>, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins <266> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Paraptoma, rendered “trespass”, is the sin of slipping or falling, and results more from carelessness than intentional disobedience.

3. Parabasis refers to stepping across the line, going beyond the limits prescribed by God, and is often translated “transgression”; more intentional and flagrant than hermatia and paraptoma.

4. Anomia means lawlessness and is a more flagrant and intentional sin – it is open and direct rebellion against God and His ways.

<458> anomia {an-om-ee'-ah} • AV - transgression of the law, the condition of without law, because ignorant of it ,because of violating it, contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

NAS Everyone who practices sin <266> also practices lawlessness<458>; and sin is lawlessness.

5. Opheilema <3783> sin: moral or spiritual debt that which is owed, that which is justly or legally due, a debt, metaphor offence, sin

<3781> opheiletes one held by some obligation, bound by some duty, one who has not yet made amends to whom he has injured: one who owes God penalty or whom God can demand punishment as something due, a sinner

KJV Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt <3783>

Sin is that which separates us from God (). It is the moral and spiritual disease for which man has no cure (). We need to recognize that this prayer was given to Christian Disciples, not non-believers. Immeasurably more important than our daily bread is our need for forgiveness of sin. As believers we have been convicted of sin, found guilty within ourselves. God cannot be our Father until we have been adopted into His family through Christ. Although God has declared there is no condemnation for us as believers. (), He is anxiously waiting to (‘daily’) forgive us our sins and as our Father, to share fellowship with us as His children.

NAS Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us;

We bare the responsibility to be ministers of reconciliation, which is founded in the truth without compromise. If we are to be a minister we must live circumspectly to maintain our testimony’s effectiveness. Just as sin separates us from God it also separates us from others, as we present a hypocritical/false image of our self to others; a mask we continually have to reshape to keep from being recognized. We must for our own protection keep a distance from others to prevent a revelation of our true character. It causes conflict, misunderstanding and friction by our need to be ever evolving. Inconsistencies and coolness in our relationship with others, which would otherwise not need to be there, results frequently in divisions that need reconciliation.

Human forgiveness and divine forgiveness are inextricably combined. Forgiveness is bi-lateral neither can exist without the other. Those who live in the relief of God’s pardon, find it easier to forgive the offenses of others. When I recognize the pollution in/of my own life, it will produce less resistance for me to relate to and forgive another person in their struggles with offenses. Having a forgiving spirit is an evidence we have entered into the forgiveness of God’s pardon and redemption.

NAS "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

This may be a petition in a model prayer, but it is Christ speaking. He is telling us the requirements for forgiveness: to be forgiven, we must be forgiving.