Christ’s Model For Prayer, Part 4

Peter Rufus
26 February 2017
What Christians Pursue
Christ’s Model For Prayer, Part 4
Matthew 6:12 - 15

We have an obligation to God since we are the lawbreakers. Because He has greatly forgiven us, how can we withhold forgiveness from others? Christian forgiveness is based on God's own forgiveness for us.

Sin is a reality in the Christian life. So in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus instructs us to plead forgiveness inasmuch as we have forgiven others. We cannot have close fellowship with God while harbouring bitterness against others. As salvation is not earned or kept by us (Gal. 4:6 - 7), unforgiveness will not separate us eternally from God, but it will make our relationship grow cold.

We often get lose sight of the treason of our sin. Christ's marvellous forgiveness does not mean that our sins are less heinous; but rather that His grace is SO vast. In remembering the evil of sin, we can be more determined to guard against it.

Sin is not defined by us, but God. As David confesses to the Lord in Psalm 51:4, "against You, You only, have I sinned," although his sin did harm others. When we confess, we agree with God on our debt, and ask God to draw us back.

Are we known for our forgiveness? We need to be broken over our sin, agree on its offensiveness, and confess it to God. Only then can we extend forgiveness to others, and walk in intimacy with God.