Luke 11:1-4 (ESV)
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
One of the most undeniable fact about human existence is that we are sinful. We are born into sin and thus carry in us a sinful nature, but when we believe and are born again Jesus deals with this nature. However, because we still are in this body and in this world, our earthly sojourn is marred by sin – we do things we ought not to do and fail to do things that we ought to do. This is why forgiveness is critical for the believer. Important to note at this juncture is that at the point of salvation, the Christian is forgiven all of their sins so that they now enter into a relationship with the Father. Nevertheless, when the believer sins, fellowship with the Father is broken and thus the need to seek forgiveness in order to restore fellowship. Sin breaks fellowship.
As we come before God seeking forgiveness, we must come with the assurance that He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). But also, we must come before Him having dealt with the sins of others the same way we desire Him to deal with ours. Thus, we must also walk in forgiveness – forgiving others of the wrongs they commit against us. This idea of us forgiving others is so crucial that Jesus would emphasise it when He gives this prayer in Matthew 6 and at the end declare, _“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”_ (Matthew 6:14-15). When we forgive others, we reveal that we treasure and value God’s forgiveness, but when we don’t, we trivialise His forgiveness as though it were not a big deal (See also Matthew 18:21-35).
Let us then go ahead and ask God to forgive us of our sins for none can claim to be without sin. But let us also forgive all those who have sinned against us. This doesn’t mean that forgiveness is easy but with God’s grace and help, we can extend forgiveness. And as we do that, let us continue to enjoy sweet fellowship with the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Reflections
1. What has been your view on seeking forgiveness from God?
2. Is there someone that really hurt you and you have been unable to release them from your heart? Choose to forgive them today.
3. In what ways should your life change from today in view of this lesson?
