Prayer review, Part 7: introduction; John 15:16.Title: Prayer review, Part 7: introduction; John 15:16.
Matt 6:12 'And forgive [imperative] us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [this refers specifically to monetary obligations, no one owes us debt on sin]
“forgiven our debtors” refers to forgiving a financial debt as well as any sins against you.
The mental attitude of gracious giving and forgiving debts and iniquities are God’s way of releasing us from the bondage of wealth and evil people.
Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Through grace, generosity, and sacrifice God prospered.
We are asking the Father to assist us in our understanding of redemption, reconciliation, and propitiation, while at the same time being reminded in prayer that we must forgive others.
The answer may come immediately through the doctrine stored in your own soul, or it may come from the pulpit that night or the next, but always in the perfect timing of God. God must and will answer these three petitions for they are always a part of His will. Again, the procedure for prayer must be followed and you must be taking in doctrine continually, or if you haven’t, you must begin again.
If you do not forgive others and expect forgiveness for yourself then you are claiming God’s justice for yourself only and are not agreeing with His perfect Justice.
If you are hypocritical in this then you don’t actually agree with that justice; rather you only agree with it when it suits or benefits you and so justice cannot apply to you. God treats all in justice, not just a few.
The believer has no right to not forgive his debtors.
A very unique instance of debt existed between the apostle Paul and Philemon to whom the debt was released in the interests of Philemon acting graciously from free will and not by compulsion.
Paul released Philemon from his obligation so that he could act freely in grace and thus bring glory to God, rather than just acting by compulsion.
Philem 18 But if he [Onesimus] has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account;
Philem 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).
This implies that Paul was the one who led Philemon to Christ and also that the church that existed in Philemon’s house was established through Paul’s apostleship. By his office as apostle, Paul could have ordered Philemon to accept Onesimus back.
Philem 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you [as an apostle] to do that which is proper,
Philem 9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you — since I am such a person as Paul, the aged [ambassador; presbutes], and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus —
Philem 10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus,
Philem 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Philem 12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
Philem 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
Philem 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will.
In the same way, our debt has been forgiven by God, which He makes abundantly clear throughout the scripture, and then our forgiveness of the debts of others should be directly from our own free will and not under compulsion.
Matt 6:12 'And forgive us our debts [reinforce and assist us in understanding of our clean slate with You], as we also have forgiven our debtors [not under compulsion but under the same grace].
After being forgiven of a debt of 10,000 talents (approx. 0 million)
Matt 18:28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii (0); and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'
This issue comes up again and again.
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Christ Jesus was invited to a Pharisee’s house and He accepted.
Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee's house, and reclined at the table.
Luke 7:37 And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner [most likely a criminal, prostitute, or both]; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume [big risk of condemnation but she is desperate],
Luke 7:38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume.
Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
Luke 7:40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher.
Luke 7:41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
Luke 7:42 "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?"
Luke 7:43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose [uninterested] the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."
Luke 7:44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
Luke 7:45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.
Luke 7:46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.
Simon the Pharisee didn’t have love for the Lord because he didn’t think he was forgiven of much, being deceived as to the magnitude of sins in his life. However, this woman had great love for the Lord since she was aware of how much she had been forgiven.
This is how God delivers us from vengeance, bitterness, and anger, which are severely destructive to the fabric of the soul – He reveals the forgiveness of all of our sins and instead of bitterness this produces love. The Lord Jesus in His outline of this prayer is telling us to go to the Father for assistance in this pursuit.
To the extent that you have been forgiven, to that extent you will forgive.
This doesn’t mean to run out and sin more: Rom 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be!
We have all been forgiven of more sins that we even know. The key to having forgiveness in your heart is your recognition of the extent of your forgiveness.
Luke 7:47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little [which is no one, they only think they are], loves little."
Luke 7:48 And He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
Luke 7:49 And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?"
Luke 7:50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved [delivered from guilt] you; go in peace."
Can you imagine the relief in her heart when she heard the Lord of all forgiving her of all and granting her peace? Do you experience this same relief?
The last petition in this model prayer:
Matt 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation [peirasmo,j; peirasmos], but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]' not in the original.
The key to this verse is the word “evil”. It means that which causes pain, malignancy, sorrow, and that which does evil and harm.
God does not want to put us in such a place, but yet a place does exist because of evil creatures. Why would God’s universe, filled with His children fall under such evil? It is because in the AC His permissive will allows.
This means that certain trials and temptations come upon you, not because God willed it, but because it must be allowed in a world of fallen creatures who possess a free will.
All sin is evil but not all evil is sin. Sin is an isolated act, while evil is a system of thinking. The prayer here is for our deliverance from temptations that fall under God’s permissive will, the temptation to evil. |