As we have forgiven

An unknown author once said, "I cannot say "FORGIVE US OUR SINS" if I harbour a grudge against anyone." Anyone who has ever read the disciple's prayer and studied the words in depth understands this.

Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Notice here that, "as we also have forgiven our debtors" is in the past tense! If we cannot from the heart forgive them, we have the assurance that God will never forgive us.

What is most interesting here, to me, is how Jesus portrays God the Father. What are your thoughts about the two final verses 34-35, "34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

I come away from the parable and the Disciple's prayer realizing that our debts, our sins, are a mountain compared to the molehill of the other we come to petition. The King has forgiven so much, but in the eyes of the King are we unmerciful and unforgiving by comparison?

Matthew 18

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Possibly the hardest thing to understand about forgiveness is that the offended party bears the price,, it sounds outrageously unfair, and in many ways it is, yet, it is the very essence of Gods unconditional love

Question: "Since God does not forgive until a person confesses/repents, does that mean we can withhold forgiveness from those who sin against us until they confess/repent?"

http://www.gotquestions.org/withhold...rgiveness.html

Edited by SF Staff

[Left Behind]

Excellent lesson, TeeHee.

Jim

[jojo50]

Originally Posted by TeeHee

An unknown author once said, "I cannot say "FORGIVE US OUR SINS" if I harbour a grudge against anyone." Anyone who has ever read the disciple's prayer and studied the words in depth understands this.

Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Notice here that, "as we also have forgiven our debtors" is in the past tense! If we cannot from the heart forgive them, we have the assurance that God will never forgive us.

also one who would want Jehovah God to forgive them,but refuse to forgive. are acting out of arrogance. and this is something God doesn't want his servant to have. he won't forgive us for sure, because we obviusly would be feeling we're too good to forgive. and so good that God will forgive us, sad! peace