Pray like this: Forgiven to Forgive
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Recap:
Recap:
Give us this day our daily bread:
Jesus here is speaking of physical bread and daily provisions. I do not think it is wrong to apply a spiritual interpretation to this statement as long as we are based in the clear intention of Jesus. Which is to realize that God is interested in your everyday life and things. The early theologians thought Jesus could never have meant the physical and only had a spiritual interpretation. However Jesus is speaking of the physical here.
Prayer is for our needs once we are in tune with our position before God. Humbled by His wonderful grace and His amazing mercy. Again, prayer is for our needs, not our greeds. It is for one day at a time, reflecting the precarious lifestyle of many first-century workers who were paid one day at a time and for whom a few days’ illness could spell tragedy.
Reviewing Homework:
Reviewing Homework:
v 12) Forgiveness of debt leading to more forgiveness
v 12) Forgiveness of debt leading to more forgiveness
The word “debt” (opheilema) means dues, duties, that which is owed, that which is legally due. In relation to sin, it means a failure to pay one’s debt, failing to keep our responsibilities or one’s duty.
Everyone of us have been given responsibilities, certain things to do and not to do. Every man and woman has failed at some point to do what they should. Sin is universal, every single one of us fails in our duties lending to our need for this portion of prayer.
This prayer is asking God to do three things:
To forgive the debt of sin.
To forgive the debt of guilt.
So what is this type of forgiveness? Why is it parental forgiveness?
Forgiveness here doesn’t refer to judicial forgiveness. The forgiveness from the penalty of sin, that can only be given through faith in Jesus Christ.
Remember how this prayer starts out? Our Father, this means that there has already been regeneration within the heart of the person, and a genuine relationship between God and us has been established.
To be able to have a genuine relationship with the Father, there needs to be a “short list” between us and God. Parental forgiveness is necessary to gave close fellowship.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Why is it important to forgive others?
If believers are are unwilling to forgive those who wrong them, how can we expect to be in fellowship with our Father who has freely forgiven us of our own wrongdoings?
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.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 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. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Essentially we are asking God to forgive us exactly has we forgive others. In seeking forgiveness we have a duty to God and man.
Our duty to God is to ask forgiveness when we fail to do His will.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.
Our duty to man is to forgive their sins against us.
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
There are going to be those who:
Smite us
despise us
hate us
compel us against our will
sue us
curse us
persecute us
lie about us
Three additional lessons:
An unforgiven spirit cause pain and hurt and tragedy—both to oneself and other. It can ruin lives, especially the lives of those closest and dearest to oneself.
We can curse ourselves by praying the Lord’s prayer. We are in trouble when praying the Lord’s prayer if we are angry and do not forgive those who sin against us.
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Forgiving others is evidence that God has forgiven our sins.
Homework:
Homework:
How are we to reconcile James 1:13 and “lead us not into temptation?”
How are we to overcome evil and temptation?