Forgive Us Of Our Sins

A reality of this life is that we will miss the mark of God's standards, which ultimately is called sin. Our sinful nature leads us to think and eventually act rebelliously toward God. Sometimes, we don't even realize that we cheat, doubt, lie, manipulate, or unjustly judge others. Sin is sneaky and a part of our everyday life whether we acknowledge it or not. Also, we face a daily battle of temptation in our minds, meaning our thoughts can be ungodly.

‌Thus, the need to restore fellowship with God is essential, and the way forward after a failure is to seek our Heavenly Father's forgiveness, which is why Jesus made it part of this prayer. He said in Matthew 6:12a, "and forgive us our sins..." The placement of this petition is noteworthy.

‌If the Lord's Prayer began with confession, we may become discouraged by our shortcomings. Instead, God, in His infinite wisdom, put this segment in the middle of the prayer because we begin by focusing on His goodness and rulership. After that, we are ready to come clean with our Heavenly Father humbly yet confidently! However, all of these prayers for forgiveness are for naught if we do not extend forgiveness to others. The second part of Matthew 6:12 says, "...as we also forgive those who sin against us."

‌Jesus is primarily saying that you can't ask the Father for forgiveness if you do not want to forgive others because that represents someone who does not understand the grace of God. In addition, Jesus told us to be merciful and that He would give us even more mercy. Forgiveness works similarly. Yes, all grace, mercy, and forgiveness are secured for us through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Still, God has built the ability to extend forgiveness within the dynamic of human relationships, and He has chosen to connect that to our receiving of future pardons. We can't precisely measure or quantify it; we need to do it because God said so.

‌Let us be willing to forgive because Christ has forgiven us, and hold on to the belief that more forgiveness is coming when we do. Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

‌To God be the glory for the blessing of forgiveness.