Day 18: As we ourselves forgive...

This week we've been considering the line of The Lord's Prayer, "Forgive our sins..." So far, we've seen that Our Father in heaven is the Forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. His forgiveness comes not on account of anything we can or cannot do, but flows out of the heart of who he is. In the words of C.H. Spurgeon, 

"God's mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.* 

And we are all in desperate need of it! Without it God's word says we are children of wrath, dead in our sins, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh, without God and without hope in this world.**

However Jesus does not stop there when teaching his disciples to pray for forgiveness. He says, "Forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us." Jesus is not insinuating that we should ask God to follow our lead in handing out forgiveness(it probably goes without saying, but sadly it wouldn't be the first time we made God in our image), rather he teaches his disciples that we ought to follow God's lead when it comes to forgiving those who have sinned against us. To forgive because He has forgiven.

Ouch. This is hard, right? I get it, but I hope you know I have no interest in handing you spiritual platitudes and sending you on your way. So let's wade through this together.

This part of the line is a reminder to us as we seek God that, “an unforgiving Christian is an oxymoron.”***  As we forgive others, we accept, delight in and walk out our own forgiveness.  To forgive those who have sinned against us shows we understand and value the great forgiveness Jesus afforded us on the cross.  

Conversely, to harbour unforgiveness towards another is to show that we lack understanding of what God has done for us in forgiving our sin. Like Jesus' parable in Matthew 18, it is ludicrous to choke our neighbour who owes us a few bucks when we have just had a debt wiped out for us that we could never pay back in several lifetimes.

Friends, this is easy to say and hard to live out when we have been hurt. This might make sense in our head but to embrace it with our heart is another thing altogether. I know for a fact many of us have experienced real brokenness and trauma at the hand of another. And I'm sorry. I wish it were not so. Like I said, no platitudes. Nothing I can say can make it easier for you to walk in forgiveness in these difficult situations. But I know the way to freedom in this begins with valuing the forgiveness we have been given.

Consider how this line of the Lord’s Prayer seeks to align our heart with the heart of Jesus who forgave even those who put Him to death saying, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do..."? Jesus understands the great cost of forgiveness, he can sympathize with our weaknesses, because he has faced the need to offer forgiveness when it seems unthinkable. It is costly to "forgive everyone who is indebted to us," but we can afford it...we have it to give because Christ himself poured it out freely on us.

I'm excited for you to read Psalm 86 today. As you hear once again the words of David, I pray that you continue to be formed by the understanding of our great and forgiving God. After you read it though once consider: What connections can you make between David's declaration of God's character and this line of The Lord's Prayer? Do you observe anything in the text, and/or know anything from David's story that points to his need to forgive others? Do you see any truth about God that might aid David (and you!) in walking in forgiveness of others?

When you're ready to move on to prayer, make your way through the posture and purpose of The Lord's Prayer; remembering all he has taught you thus far about who he is and how you come to him. Take time to put away distractions, still your mind and body and enter-fully present into your time talking to and being with your Father.

Our Father

In Heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come...

Give us this day our daily bread,

Forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

Today we'll borrow the words of the repentant tax collector from Luke 18 and pray what has come to be known as The Jesus Prayer; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Spend time thinking through what each phrase of that prayer means to and for you.

Then let your heart be comforted by your Father today as you consider those who are indebted to you. Ask God to-kindly and gently by His Spirit- reveal areas in your life where you are harbouring unforgiveness. Open your hands, lay it before Him and take a moment to remember with joy the blood of Jesus poured out for this sin. Receive His forgiveness for you as complete, and ask him by grace to open your eyes to the great cost of this gift you've been given.  Ask Him to be with you as you walk freely in your own forgiveness to bring reconciliation to this situation. 

And lead us not into temptation.

Amen.

Much love to you friends. See you tomorrow...onto our last line of the prayer!

* C.H. Spurgeon, From Death to Life

** From Ephesians 2:1-12

*** Skye Jethani, With God Daily