WHAT CONSTITUTES FORGIVENESS?
Matthew 6:12, 14-15

It was Charles Spurgeon who wrote, Nothing hinders prayer like iniquities harbored in the breast; as with Cain, so with us - sin lieth at the door, and blocks the passage...  For God to accept our devotions while we are delighting in sin would be to make Himself the God of hypocrites, which is a fitter name for Satan than for the Holy One of Israel.

So, what is Jesus teaching when He states that we should ask God to forgive us our debts as we also forgive others?  I believe this petition really is saying, "Forgive us our sins in proportion as we forgive those who have sinned against us."  I am reminded of the parable that Jesus told, recorded for us in Matthew 18:23-35.  In that parable, a man owed a lot of money to the King.  Let's just say, to use some figures we can understand, that he owed the King $50,000.  Now, let's say that his discretionary income, after his necessities had been taken care of, amounted to $1,000, meaning that it would take him fifty years to pay his debt.  The King understood that the man was unable to pay the debt and so forgave him that debt.  Now, this same man, upon leaving the palace as a forgiven man, encountered someone who owed him some money, let's say it was $100.  Now this man had a discretionary income of only $100 per year, meaning that the debt could be repaid in a year's time.  But, instead of forgiving as he had been forgiven, he had this man thrown into jail until the debt was repaid.  Jesus concluded by stating that, when the King heard of the encounter, he had the previously forgiven man arrested and thrown into prison until his debts could be paid, probably meaning that he died there.

Friends, Jesus is stating that we need to have hearts that are ready and willing to forgive others.  And, we also need to have hearts that are ready and willing to be forgiven by God.  We need God's forgiveness as a Father.  We need to have our feet washed daily.  Like Peter, there in the upper room, we need to ask for a daily bath from Jesus, being washed from head to toe. 

What is the secret to forgiveness?  How can we learn forgiveness?  First, we need to learn to love.  We must seek the highest good in others no matter what they do to us and no matter how they treat us.  Ouch!  I must admit that is difficult to do.  But we have the model of Jesus asking His Father to forgive those who were putting Him to death. 

Second, we need to learn to understand.  James admonishes us to be quick to hear and slow to speak.  We are quick to condemn, often without having all the facts, or without listening with open minds. 

Finally, we need to learn confession, to learn to agree with God about our sins.  This is probably the hardest of all, because I can make excuses for my sins; I can blame them on other factors.  How I need to remember that God says all sin is sin, period.

In closing our chat today, I would like to use the prayer from an unknown Puritan preacher.  He expresses the thoughts of my heart and I trust yours as well.  Lord, grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, and the exceeding wonder of grace.  Amen.

 

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