“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
For
years I knelt in locker rooms and recited this pre-game prayer with teammates.
But I would always quietly change this one line. I would say “forgive my debts and ‘help me’ to
forgive my debtors”.
Why?
…. Because I wanted real forgiveness, not the kind I offer to others.
I
knew the forgiveness I offered came at a high price:
1. You must feel horrible
about yourself.
2. You must never forget that
you failed.
3. You must understand my
forgiveness is temporary and if you stumble again your guilt will all come
flooding back.
That
is not how God has forgiven me…and it is not how I am to forgive others.
Jesus
said exactly what He meant to say … I unwisely edited that sentence because it is
difficult to live out…it is also incredibly important. It is the linchpin that provides
the freedom for me to reflect the heart of God.
We
are commanded to love others - and love does not require others to carry the
weight of their failures for the rest of their life.
The
price paid for our redemption was too great for it to be temporary or partial. The forgiveness Jesus offers is so complete
that once pardoned, our sins are forgotten. (Hebrews 8:12) We are made new and restored
to a perfect relationship with Him.
In
this verse He says I must offer the same.
That
kind of forgiveness might be difficult for me to accomplish… but if thoughts of
your sin creep back into my mind ... I must intentionally take them captive and
allow the blood of Christ to cover your iniquities as completely as it has
covered mine.
Jesus
meant precisely what He said …I am to forgive, as I have been forgiven…The bar
is extremely high but if we clear it…it will set us free.
Is
there someone you need to forgive today?
Remove their chains and you will discover that you are the one who is
liberated.
It
may be a long fight…. You may have to battle those feelings for a while…but it
is easier than carrying the weight of unforgiveness….and your freedom is worth
the effort.
“To
be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the
inexcusable in you.” –C.S. Lewis
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