995. And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville South Carolina were continuing our study series on the Lord's prayer and today will hear from Bible faculty member Dr. Kevin Oberlin Bibles and turn to Matthew chapter 6 we look at this passage again together and's exercise in verse nine, Matthew chapter 6 after this manner therefore pray ye are father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come by will be done in earth, as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. When the reading.

There the passage we have here is course found us.

Dr. Hagan said in verse 12. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors were the Fraser forgive us our debts represents while the Greek of this commercial term has a secondary metaphorical meaning of sin as debt to God like Luke the parallel passage Luke 11 verse four refers to sins a course in Matthew chapter 6, 14, 15. The word trespasses used is really a practical note for us this morning. What are key categories.

If you will, of relationships where you need to practice forgiveness. What are key categories of relationships where you need to practice forgiveness. Perhaps you have a spouse. Maybe some of your marriage thing. Several of us are married in this room today or you have a roommate or a coworker or maybe for you it's a classmate or friend other category could be parents or siblings or extended family, relatives that you have church family, or even authority with past and present. These are categories and maybe you can think of something else. Maybe you know some of your parents. Maybe we can think of her own children, but as you look down through this list today and you think back in the use of the words given to you. Can you think of times were you had to either forgive or ask for forgiveness in any one of these categories. We had a moment to actually testify to that. It could be quite daunting.

Just even bringing up some of the hurt some of the trials and the difficulties we had even as we've had to do that sort question this morning is what relationships right now in your life need biblical forgiveness. What relationships in your life right now. Need biblical forgiveness can forgiveness be difficult and even confusing is a fair assessment.

Forgiveness can be that way. Sarah wanted to forgive her husband John for his wrongdoing but she wasn't really ever sure if he actually repented and he had said sorry but it didn't seem like he had actually repented of his sent mushy or can she even grant forgiveness to John who is not repented of his sent and what if she doesn't forgive her husband, according to the passage that we ride Matthew six and looking at looking at others it might seem like her, not forgiving another person means the gun might take back his forgiveness of Sarah and how can God refuse forgiveness to a believer who refuses to forgive others so how does God forgives sinners. Some of you might've had test methodology with Dr. Ingrid October and maybe even did a study on forgiveness and I did as well. I took that it was a helpful for me as I thought about this whole idea. But how does God actually forgive sinners will God forgives sinners he forgive sins a course committed prior to salvation right God forgives sins. Judicially we say when we get saved as this judicial forgiveness and God deals with the penalty of sin and releases the offender from the penalty based upon the righteousness of Christ. Christ, having already paid for that sin.

And this is forgiving forgiveness that is conditional on you must repent, you must believe.

Ephesians chapter 1 verse seven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace aromas for response would to him that work is not believe it on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness or later on chapter 5 it says, but God commended his love toward us in that while were yet sinners, Christ died for us, much more than be now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from his wrath through him because God judicially forgives us God's salvation that actually makes possible for you to have what you have fellowship in the fellowship that has a strong intimacy, a fellowship that provides a intimacies somewhat like maybe perhaps prior to the fall that Adam and Eve would have, although not in the sense that God walk with them. In that sense, but in a sense we can go to God and there's nothing between us. Prior to the fall.

So this fellowship, forgiveness allows us to have releases us from the offense of God because of the judicial forgiveness of God gives to us and establishes this phone fellowship with the believer and God. Of course this is conditional as well. We must repent these in chapter 2, verses 12 through nine talks about this that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from becoming a promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace, who have made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us.

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in the ordinances for making himself of twain one new man, so making peace for 16 and that he might reconcile both unto God into one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you, which were far off to them that were not for through him we both have access by one Spirit onto the father. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints in the household of God, and Paul later in Colossians 120, 21 says this, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things in himself by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your will and your mind by wicked works, he has now reconciled to God has given us forgiveness judicially at the cross is that it provides for us fellowship with him, but what about the sin after the death you are a believer now, on what basis can God forgives sin after salvation well is because the cross as well. Right.

I think you know that were in seminary were rethinking through these things are thinking through the suture logically. How does God forgives sins first onto one of my little children, these things right unto you the sin, not if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous is of Scripture indicates that there is this repetitive, ongoing judicial forgiveness that we have passages like Hebrews Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 N. says wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come in the God by him, seeing that he what that he ever limits to make one for us. Intercession Christ limit on the right hand and on. He's there the right hand of God, ever making intercession on your behalf. That's a precious truth we have and there's an ongoing process, and the lies about God's people that Christ responds even without being asked. We are forgiven in the eyes of God, for ever. But just like there's this repetitive judicial ongoing forgiveness for God so there is a need for repetitive for fellowship, forgiveness, ongoing fellowship with God the needs to be there and what is not there needs to be restored. Ongoing fellowship with God requires that we continue to confess our sin before the war and continue to ask for forgiveness. Even though our judicial forgiveness is automatic, we have the righteousness of Christ, we must acknowledge our sin before the Lord and restore fellowship in a relationship with God in Christianity is not a membership right so you got into the membership in Iran but there there needs to be ongoing relationship. There is well and of course a passage that is profound for believers.

Although we often use it for unbelievers is first on 19 that if we confess our sins he is faithful and he is just he's completely righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So what then what does God require of you in your relationships, one based on scriptural teaching of God's forgiveness. What does God require of you in your relationships, but you put it this way horizontally was a passage in Luke chapter 17 verse three that says, take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against the rebuke him, and if you repent, forgive him and if he trespass against the seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to the same.

I repent, you shall forgive him were commanded to forgive and there's this release of alienation from this person in a horizontal forgiveness that someone is relationship with his relationship. He may put up categorically that there with a we need to actually forgive that person is a Luke 17's concern actually about our relationships with one another and according to Luke 17.

If your family member or your coworker asked for forgiveness. You must forgive, but there's also beyond even this horizontal aspect forgiveness. There is a vertical aspect of forgiveness Mark chapter 11 teaches us, and when he stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your father also is in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. So there's this picture of this man whose praying to God as you pray right at the moment of that prayer something comes the mine is as you stand praying that comes to mind.

You need to forgive right that is that person there will most likely not your praying to God in your saline. There's is okay you forgive one translation says, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your father who also is in heaven may forgive your trespasses. So what does Mark 11 teaches about a relationships to various people in our lives, our classmates or parents or church members.

This is it that you cannot have fellowship with God is in your heart you do not forgive others who have sinned against you if you harbor bitterness or in unforgiveness. The Lord will not restore fellowship forgiveness in your relationship with him. That's a very powerful thought.

Is there someone here today or in your life that you are actually not forgiving our horizontal relationships actually do affect our vertical relationships and so what is the theological motivation for this war tax Matthew chapter 66 responses. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And he goes on to say for if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses and verses 1415 is Matthew six horizontal or is a vertical forgiveness is Matthew six horizontal or vertical forgiveness.

It's horizontal right is Keith regarding the relationship with another person clear Craig Blomberg notes quote our plea for continued forgiveness. As believers, requesting the restoration of fellowship with God. Following the alienation that sin produces absent is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us as verse 15 stresses without this interpersonal reconciliation on the human level. Neither can we be reconciled to God, so failure to forgive horizontally removes the possibility of fellowship, forgiveness, refusal to forgive when someone is repenting, constitute sin which impedes our own fellowship of God and were already suspect to the enemy don't do we already kind of see this in the Bible that your horizontal does indeed affect the vertical relationship.

I think even as we read other passages, we would we would think that that would be true and you have passages throughout the problems worse is my son, give me your heart and course we know of the greatest things that were the greatest achievements of your youth. Is that because of your relationship with godly parents that he would learn how to actually give your heart to your parents so that you can do what Proverbs 356 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and so that's the case if the Solomon wants his child to give him his heart but he wants it so that ultimately his son will give the witness if the his heart to the Lord. There is a horizontal relationship. It definitely affects the vertical relationship right, but also there are other passages like this that are found even in a marriage relationship. First Peter 37 likewise you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, and then the verse says that your prayers be not hindered. That is very convicting verse that you would do well with understanding that there is this horizontal relationship actually does effect the vertical relationship so how do you know whether you are forgiving. How do you know today that you are actually person who is forgiving that you have forgiven some Iranian beyond the fact that some is as you forgive me say yes I'll forgive you, Howdy Lexi, know in reality that that's happened brothers a few different things actually happen right you don't replay little YouTube video clips if you will in your mind over and over again. You don't have a feeling in your heart or in your stomach when you see the person you discount like you know and you can make eye contact and you actually wants with what's best for that person. Can you do that for people who have asked you to forgive them. Are you expecting from others who view vast forgiveness isn't always easy is it, forgiveness is not always easy but it is necessary. So how do we learn to forgive. Like God forgives. How do we learn to forgive my God forgives well first of all, God forgives forgiveness releases us from the penalty of our sin. God doesn't continue to dwell our sin or use it against us. We also need to forgive others by not dwelling on how we have been wrong to me.

This is perhaps the most important and initial barrier you have to remove in the process of forgiveness. The barrier within yourself. You have to decide to see another person instead of the offense, and often the decision to let go has to be renewed daily, hourly, or even more often than that if need be. The bigger the offense the more challenging it can be to let go, but the less you really on the fence and feed your anger, the easier it actually becomes me forgiveness means letting go of your right to punish another in choosing through the power of God by God's love to hold onto the other person rather than his or her offense that is forgive root forgiveness require forgetting what you want to notice in a glass of how I forget that we doesn't forget that. Will Jeremiah 3134 does talk about the fact that God will forgive their iniquity will remember their sin no more. Course would God's not talking about is his cognitive knowledge of that sin. Remember, does not equal, recollect recollection, but it determination to act in the words failure to remember equals choosing not to act upon. In God's forgiveness took great sacrifice to me.actually took upon himself to harm so that we could draw near to him.

People who are rebels.

So how can we also sacrificially draw near to others when there is threat of imperfection or repeated offense, of course not talking about abuse talking my forgiveness in a way that demonstrates sacrifice does forgiveness remove the consequence of sin will know the damage is different is their trust must be rebuilt. God forgave David, but there was consequences still from his resulted from a sin with Bathsheba and God can actually take our worst life failures and he can accomplish good in our lives in a relationship with him.

God gives us room to grow. God's forgiveness is not simply an eternal probation.

It's a peer. At times he will do it again. God's forgiveness is actually true forgiveness. He knows it will continue to battle with us and even as he helps us grow. When you forgive confessors and right and we all have. We confess our sin and we sin again but God allows us he can restore that fellowship. He allows us to grow and he's totally for us in God's forgiving is an act of love and obedience when you might be here today and so what if I don't feel like forgiving. Can I still forgive if I don't feel like it to me without being hypocritical even will forgiveness as long as an act of both the heart and the will. Scripture commands you choose to forget whether you feel like it or not, and back in Luke chapter 17 verses three through five, when Jesus orders them that you must continue forget even seven times in a day, they turned you again, saying, repent you know, I repent, you must forgive him and the very next verse is what it's in! The apostles themselves and they said, Lord, increase our increase our faith. We need greater faith to be able to do this, so the disciples understood there under their lack of faith or lack of being able to love like that into a bay like that and that really is the issue.

So how do we apply the gospel to our relationships. How is it that we can apply the gospel to our relationship so that we can actually do this because I think that is where the answer is right, the answer is not and somehow we can develop enough strength so that okay I can forgive in this moment okay are those of the drum that up again but actually the gospel itself, apply to our relationship helps us actually provides for us a perspective that lets us get past the offense itself into love.

Even the love that God could give to us ourselves is a book that I read time again by Milton Vinson is Dr. Robinson's brother called gospel primer. How have you ever read this book know a lot of hands, I first read this book and in Don September of fall 2010 and I tried to read this.

Basically every year since marriage is rented out.

Actually really meditated through the paragraphs of this book and it is been very helpful for me and maybe for you as well and when Vincent Dawes is I really allowed him to pastor me and in the in different areas regarding how the gospel affects our relationships infect various parts of our life. He is a few key asset keep key parts in here that I think are applicable for what were doing or talking about here today one of those is the idea of freedom from sin's power to read this quote. The Vincent gives he says as long as I'm stricken with the guilt of my sins, I will be captive to them and will keep recommitting the very sense about which I feel most guilty. The devil is aware of this fact.

He knows that if you can keep me tormented by sin's guilt he can dominate me with sin's power. The gospel however slays sin at this root point and thereby nullifies sin's power over me, the forgiveness of God, made known to me through the gospel liberates me from sin's power because it liberates me first from its guilt and preaching such forgiveness to myself is a practical way of putting the gospel into operation is a notifier of sin's power in my life. So we have a freedom from Satan's power that is very strong in the gospel points us to that the gospel also points us to rest in Christ's righteousness, Vinson writes the gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm, regardless of my performance because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. And then he states this on my worst days of sin and failure. The gospel encourages me with God's unrelenting grace toward me on my dad best days of victory and usefulness the gospel keeps readme relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus righteousness and not mine. The third point I like to give to from the gospel primer discounted really practically put into her own lives into her own thinking meditating through the gospel and how it relates to forgiveness. Is this whole idea of stimulated to love others. Vincent has a slick section on this where it reads when my mind is fixed on the gospel me to say this, is there anybody here today you're having difficulty with forgiveness you feel. I have really been wronged.

Okay your mind is fixed on the gospel when it's done that when that's done I have ample stimulation to show God's love to other people, for I am always willing to show love to others when I'm freshly mindful of the love that God has shown me also. The gospel gives me the wherewithal to give forgiving grace to those who have wronged me for a reminds me daily of the forgiving grace that God is showing me doing good and showing love to those who have wronged me is always the opposite of what my sinful flesh wants me to do. Nonetheless, when I remind myself of my sins against God and of his forgiving and generous grace towards me. I give the gospel an opportunity to reshape my perspective, and to put me in a frame of mind wherein I actually desire to give this same grace of those who have wronged me, I do down there in your own relationships. Have you been able to actually have your thinking reshape recalibrated so that you actually want to coming here I was excited, is also a graduate of the wrong that is what gives gospel to hide his identity because you want to shower upon people. When you been given is like no offense, consent of the way just like no offenses stood in the way the four Dawes forgiving of you and you are just joyous waiting for a moment about the wants and abounds, but they are waiting for a moment that you could actually give this to somebody when you been given is an awesome thought to have is a totally reshaping of your very thinking. Of course, the problem is what that is in the moment. It's very difficult right so I have fought through is regarded as she outlined in maybe five years ago. In this book is three steps that I would go through regarding resolving conflict in my heart course I need to keep reading is to keep putting before me so that I can do this the step number one really and just really practical to one's right on these three steps that I I believe that though we helpful to step number one is you just need to pray to God for grace and mercy to even want to do this last sound is some sometimes my at my own heart and the underbelly and the flashing is my own heart. I should say God I don't want this would help me want this you have to pray to God for grace and mercy to do steps two and three BC your praying first at step number one is the pray that you get your steps two and three so you pray to God for grace and mercy. Step number two is resolve conflict in your heart and you reshape your perspective just like this, you allow the gospel an opportunity to reshape your perspective and put you in this frame of mind. We actually desire to give the same grace.

Those who have wronged you excited about that and then you go do it.

You go actually and in your horizontal relationship. You go to those that may have wronged you, or you need to even do ask for forgiveness and you go and you give them you go and actually give them this same grace you resolve that conflict. And with this shaped perspective. So maybe we could just our heads at this point and I could just have more to pray with you and as I do.

I would ask that maybe you would just pray right now in your own hearts for God's grace and mercy maybe you need to take step one and take a moment to do that. Just ask God to give you the grace and mercy to handle any difficult or secret thing that's going on right now in your life.

Maybe you have been playing and replaying that incident in your mind like a little YouTube video clip over and over again it plays throughout the week and you find yourself eating your thoughts on the offense or multiple offenses and if the trooper told you really don't have a good feeling about being around that person is offended you. It is difficult for you to make eye contact or even have goodwill toward him or her to just pray right now in your own heart just practices. Lord, give me grace and mercy to want to do the right thing. Step number two.

Are you willing to allow the gospel to reshape your perspective and give you the frame of mind what you actually desire to give the same grace to those who have wronged you, you know that you are allowing the gospel to reshape his perspective because you are actually wanting to give the same grace that you have received to those who have wronged you in step number three. If there's a breach of any relationship are you willing to restore fellowship, true fellowship with nothing between you and the other person was made in God's image only if you do this, do you have God's assurance.

You can have fellowship forgiveness with father we pray that our lives would be characterized by this we would be people would continually be reshaped by what you have actually done for us pray in the name of Jesus our precious Savior.

Amen.

You been listening to Bible faculty member Dr. Kevin Oberlin, which is part of the series on the Lord's prayer. We hope you'll join us next time.

As we study God's word together on The Daily Platform