52. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Forgiveness, what is in it for you?

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” (Matthew 6:12). The type of forgiveness we ask for is the same type we give. We will therefore only be forgiven once we have forgiven our debtors and in the way we have forgiven. To emphasize this important condition, Jesus added verses 14 and 15. “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14, 15).

This is the model prayer, not the only prayer. We can pray whatever we wish, but our prayers must contain the basic elements of this example. One of the most important elements of prayer is forgiveness. Jesus died specifically to open this door for us. Jesus was dead serious; therefore it would be unwise to live in unforgiveness. Ask any Christian psychologist, and he will tell you that many psychological, as well as physical conditions, have their roots in unforgiveness. I have heard many testimonies in which people forgave others and immediately received healing and deliverance from all kinds of conditions.

We set ourselves a standard concerning forgiveness. In this prayer, we

declare that we want to be forgiven in the same way we forgive others. If we forgive conditionally, refusing to forget wrongs done to us or acting in bitterness, we will receive the same kind of forgiveness. Never forget that Father controls everything in and around us. If we live in forgiveness, we bank forgiveness. Then when we need forgiveness ourselves, we have enough in the “bank” for the Lord to prompt others to forgive us.

Many times, I have forgiven people who owed me, setting them free from their debt. Then I have been forgiven much more. If we have the courage to take God at His word, to believe that His promises are true, and then fulfill the conditions of those promises, we will see them come true. The more we forgive, the more we are forgiven. With forgiveness comes abundant blessing, because then nothing forms a barrier between God and us anymore.

I find it impossible to keep a grudge and therefore have been forgiven much, simply because the Lord is faithful to His Word. Living in automatic forgiveness makes life so much easier because we don’t consider retaliation. An intimate relationship with the Lord is essential in this. Sinful man in himself cannot forgive. If you can say when offended, “The Lord will deal with this person, it is not my problem,” then forgiveness becomes simply passing the offense on to the One who can handle it best.

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you and your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear,” (Isaiah 59:1, 2). If we have sin in our hearts, God cannot hear or help us. If we continue to sin without confessing, we are in trouble. However, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But in this model prayer, there is a condition: as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Do you ever feel your prayers get only as far as the ceiling and then evaporate into thin air? We often cry, “God, where are you? Why don’t you help me?”

He often helps us in unexpected ways, but we should look into our attitudes and behaviour toward those who sin against us. In the model prayer, we ask for God’s forgiveness as we have forgiven our debtors. We set the standard for God’s forgiveness. He is very clever. We cannot treat people as we wish and then expect God to have mercy on us. God is prepared to forgive us in the way we already have forgiven our debtors.

Why does God not hear our prayers? Our sin, which is not forgiven, still forms a wall between God and ourselves, because we were not prepared to forgive those who sinned against us - the ones He loves dearly and cares much for.

Who must we forgive? If nobody sins against you or owes you anything, you’re a lucky person. Does somebody persecute you or is nasty to you because you are a fruit-bearing Christian living a godly life? What about your “unrighteous” government and authorities, or the businessman who has cheated you, and what about the terrorists? If we examine our daily lives, we have many to forgive. To be continued...

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