Matthew 6:
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtor. NKJV
Luke 11:
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. NKJV
Do you really want to get what you deserve? Of course not. Consider all the lawlessness over the course of your life and don’t forget the lawless intent. Consider the envy, strife, boastings, backbiting, and other acts of selfish ambition and sin. The sinner is truly grateful to have his slate wiped clean by the Blood of Jesus Christ. This forgiveness of sin is the cornerstone of Christianity. This forgiveness brings forth the relationship with Our Heavenly Father. We now have the opportunity for fellowship and unity with HIM. But that is not the end of the story. Jesus turned theology upside down with the above statement. We must forgive others to be in full unity with Our Heavenly Father.
Wisdom and understanding lead to forgiveness. The more we understand the big picture, the more we are willing to forgive. For instance, you easily forgive a child of wrong doing because the child does not know any better. When you realize an adult is blind to a Spiritual Truth, you can easily forgive that person of his or her error. When you realize that we all start out as vessels of dishonor and that the Potter forms us into vessels of honor, you begin to have an attitude of gratitude.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shared the concise, simple prayer that embraces the fullness of life. He placed a condition right in the middle of the prayer that cannot be overlooked, we must forgive. No longer can we justify holding a grudge, allowing a root of bitterness to grow, or demanding payment for a wrongdoing. We cannot promote division in the brotherhood but are called upon to promote unity.
Before Jesus shared The Lord’s Prayer, He told us: “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” There is no room for an excuse of not understanding the need for forgiveness.
He further states after The Lord’s Prayer, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Jesus tells us a house divided cannot stand. Let there be not divisions among us.
In the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 11), Jesus said, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
If you have offended your brother, Jesus said, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” No matter if you are the offender or the one offended, forgiveness is critical. If we are to be as Our Heavenly Father who reconciles us to HIM, we must reconcile our brother to us as well. We are to take on HIS character and restore our relationship with others.
If you have unforgiveness in your heart, answers to your prayers will be impeded. Jesus promotes perfect harmony among the brethren. Sin separates man from Our Heavenly Father and unforgiveness separates man from man in like manner. Love provides the binding force. Let Love abound in your life and your prayers will reflect this change.