Bible Study January 30, 2024
Matthew 6:9 – 14 (LSB)
“9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] 14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. There is much talk these days about student loan forgiveness. Someone will pay the cost of that. There is no such thing as free forgiveness. Jesus forgives us of our sin but it cost Him His life. Jesus paid a debt we cannot repay. It was free by any means. There is a cost for any forgiveness.
We ask for our sins (debts) to be forgiven but if we do not forgive others our prayer is unheard. There is a price to pay for our sins being forgiven by God. That price is our forgiveness against others. That sometimes seems like a high price based on what someone may have done to you, we have no choice. And yes, it is often a deep hurt but the greater the forgiveness the greater the grace.
What God has forgiven should no longer be of any concern to us. It is forgiven and not to be brought up again. If we continue to dwell on someone or something they did to us we must ask ourselves “Have I truly forgiven them?”
Jesus has forgiven us it went to Calvary with Him; He does not want us to remember it anymore so we can live in peace. He has forgiven it and forgotten it because He said it is to remembered no more.
“There is unspeakable joy … for the person who knows release from guilt and the relief of forgiveness.” Stuart Briscoe
God Bless.
Asbury Chapel 