Forgive Us Our Debts

The second petition in the Lord’s Prayer which deals with our human dilemma is, “And forgive us our debts.” The first three requests relate to the role of God as our Father. The last four focus on our very human needs as God’s children. Of these seven, the matter of forgiveness assumes such enormous importance that it is the only one which our Lord later took the time to reemphasize and develop in depth.

The thoughts and concepts held in the Master’s mind when He said, “Forgive us our debts,” were much wider than this simple petition implies. Evidence of this can be found in the various ways this has been rendered in different translations. Here are some examples:

“Forgive us our trespasses” (knox).

“Forgive us our shortcomings” (wnt).

“Forgive us what we owe to you” (phillips).

“Forgive us our sins” (tlb).

Forgive us the wrong we have done (neb).

Several salient points stand out sharply in this petition and command our attention. When we recognize them, then this prayer becomes a most poignant plea, the deep heart cry of a truly contrite soul.

Thousands of dear people who recite the Lord’s Prayer do not see themselves really as debtors, trespassers, sinners, or offenders.

If we sincerely pray, “Forgive us our debts,” or, “Forgive us our trespasses,” then we are openly and candidly admitting ourselves to be guilty of wrongdoing. Now this really does not come home to many of us who repeat these five simple words. Thousands of dear people who recite the Lord’s Prayer do not see themselves really as debtors, trespassers, sinners, or offenders. They do not consider themselves actually guilty before God.

And, of course, it follows, does it not, that it is not until one feels convicted of wrongdoing that there is any sense of need for forgiveness? The irony of it all is that uncounted people do feel quite innocent. Consequently this petition, instead of being a genuine desire rising from a penitent heart, is often little more than an empty repetition of words by a self-satisfied soul.

All of which leads to the second very searching concept. Do I indeed come to my heavenly Father as one who feels indebted to Him? Do I sense in some deep instinctive way that I have trespassed on His love and generosity? Am I acutely conscious of wrongdoing, of wrong attitudes, of wrong motives? Unless I am, then obviously this prayer is not only pointless but absurd. In saying this I am not advocating or even suggesting that as God’s children we are to indulge in morbid introspection. It is neither wholesome nor beneficial for us to become preoccupied with our particular faults and failings. Rather, the overwhelming emphasis placed upon God’s people all through Scripture is that we are reborn, re-created as new creations in Christ Jesus. We are urged to forget those things which are behind us and to press on to new and abundant achievements through the indwelling power and presence of God’s own gracious Spirit within us (Phil. 2:13).

Yet none of this nullifies the fact that we should come to our Father keenly sensitive to sin and selfishness in our lives. The very recognition and admission that we are debtors and trespassers produces within the human heart a genuine humility that opens our whole being to the presence and Person of God Himself.

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18).

The cross stands central in our Father’s magnanimous scheme for the forgiveness of all men of all time.

Perhaps the next point it is well to remind ourselves of is that our petitions are not likely to be answered if we come in an attitude of arrogance and pride. If we entertain the haughty idea that we are not debtors or trespassers at all, then the likelihood of knowing forgiveness is remote indeed. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

No doubt the thought held uppermost in Christ’s mind when He taught this prayer was that of a human heart coming humbly to seek restoration from a forgiving Father. After all, He Himself made it abundantly clear to us that God’s attitude toward anyone who sought forgiveness was one of immediate reconciliation. God our Father never holds anyone at arm’s length who shows the slightest inclination to turn toward Him in honest and open need of forgiveness.

Now, it may very well be asked, “But what if I don’t feel I have done wrong? What if I don’t feel in need of forgiveness? What if I don’t sense my indebtedness?” The only possible answer which can be given is that such a soul has never yet had a personal encounter with the living Christ. That one has never yet sensed the overwhelming love and concern of God for him as a Father for His child.

It is when we stand alone, quietly, earnestly contemplating the cost to God of our forgiveness made possible by the cross, that there floods over us our deep debt of love to Him. The cross stands central in our Father’s magnanimous scheme for the forgiveness of all men of all time. Someone, somewhere al-ways must pay the penalty for misconduct. He Himself under-took, at Calvary, to bear that cost, to absorb the penalty, to pay the enormous price for our sin.