The Lord's Prayer (5)

Matthew 6:12 ESV

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

We need to confess our debts.

There are two terms used for debts in the greek language one is a debt we can financial pay with our income. Meaning hopefully: Our car payment, house payment, credit card payment. ETC.

Second is

Opheilema= A debt we can’t repay= Bankruptcy

Its a debt we sign our name to. It’s a legal debt. and legally it is our to repay, but we cannot afford to repay it.

You cannot afford to pay for your sins. But Jesus has already payed them.

Matthew 10:8 ESV

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Freely we recieved- Freely we shall give.

Some of us cannot forgive others and I believe it’s because we don’t know how to receive forgiveness.

I learned more about money and finance when I was poor and had to depend on God. There was a time in my life where I prayed for every cent I recieved. I couldn’t pay a bills. I had to pray. Then some generous person would give us an unexpected check, or I had random checks show up in the mail.

Se I had physical debts I couldn’t pay, but people gave freely and it radically changed my way of thinking. I wouldn’t be the giver I am today, If first I didn’t receive. Why? Because my family always had. And always having created in me a mindset that if you wanted it you had to work for it. It never crossed my mind that I could work and never have enough to pay for it.

Some of us are in the work for forgiveness mentality in when reality you can’t work hard enough to receive forgiveness.

Let me give you another finance term

2 Corinthians 5:19 NKJV

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

imputing= assigning a value to something based on what it contributes.

Got isn’t assigning value to your sins based on what you can afford or what you bring to the table.

Reconciled= Bring to 0

When we seek forgiveness God reconciles to brings to 0 our debt. Meaning he payed for it.

The awesome thing is He reconciled the world. Even those who don’t believe in God have a 0 debt the issue is that they never bring their bill in to get paid.

If I told you for the month of december all you had to do his hand me your household bills and I would pay them. Many of us would bring in our bills.

But I will not pay that which is not turned in. The money is there, but you are not. Therefore you don’t receive the money.

Now God not only pays our debt, but then he fills our account

Romans 4:3 ESV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

2. Release your debts

Matthew 18:21–22 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Peter wanted to know when he could slap someone. the 8th time>

No Jesus said 70x7

In Hebrew there is a term for this its’ called 70fold. It was used in the OT a few times.

Genesis 4:23 ESV

23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

Genesis 4:24 ESV

24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

Lamech is saying you I will repay back to you more than you could ever imagine.

Christ uses this image knowing Peter would have studied this and said you shall repay forgiveness more than you have ever received.

Matthew 18:25–34 ESV

25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.