Forgiveness — the access to the Father!

01 Feb, 2015 - 00:02 0 Views

The Sunday News

TODAY we look at the second of the lines in the prayer pattern the Lord taught us that directly refers to man. Remember we spoke of the structure in the last offering. The prayer is a perfect presentation of divine perfection. It has seven petitions. Seven is the number of perfection. The first three are addressed to God while the next four are addressed to man. We began with the personal or human related petitions last week when we dealt with God’s providence in the line “Give us this day our daily bread.” This refers to man’s physical needs. “Forgive us our trespasses . . .” relates to man’s relational needs. While “Lead us not into temptation . . .” and “Deliver us from evil” refer to man’s security and spiritual needs!

Matthew 6: 12 reads as I have alluded “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” or as other read “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us.”

The selfishness ingrained in man is at times so deceiving. Have you ever heard the common maxim that is peddled by those amongst us who preach reconciliation? There is an emphasis on the offender asking for forgiveness than the need for the offended forgiving the offender. The prayer is clear in this petition. God forgive me as I forgive my offender. The greatest forgiver is God. The Apostle Paul describes to the church in Rome the path of forgiveness in a very graphic sense. We are justified by faith in that while we were yet sinners, lost in our sins, he did not demand our reformation first before he shed his love toward us. He loved (forgave) us while we were yet oblivious of our need to turn to him.

We were the offenders yet he teaches that we will be forgiven as we forgive those that offend us as well. Forgiven by him. Let us not use this in direction to another man or human like us. Do we then demand that the person who has offended should come and apologise before you forgive. No! Not at all! It is not mandatory but preferred! What is mandatory is that you forgive them. Forgiveness is the fundamental condition of the reconciliation of the children of God with their Father and of humans with one another: “so also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Mt 18: 23-35).

God is not going to answer our prayers if we have unconfessed sin or if we have something against someone. We owed a debt we could not pay but Jesus paid a debt He did not owe so that we might have access to God. This is so because sin separates us from God. It forbids us access to God. If you have not forgiven someone, then go to that person and first ask to be forgiven and then come back to God to pray for your own needs or the needs of others. It is about you not them. Do not wait for them to come to you. They may not because they may not see it. That is their problem. Your problem is for you to have access to your father. Deal with the conditionality for that access. Forgive the fool and have access to your Father.

I read the following and I was awed to say the least. When we ask for forgiveness we tend to think of the people instead of our need to access the Father. It was a letter written by a father who wanted to apologise to a young man for not allowing him to marry his daughter, it might resonate with your experience: (I have used fictitious names)

Dear Spokoloza,

I have been unable to sleep since I ordered the breaking of your engagement to my daughter. Will you please forgive and forget?

I was much too sensitive about your shoulder-long dreadlocks, tattoos and pierced nose. I now realise motorcycles are not really that dangerous, and I really should not have reacted that way to the fact that you have never held a job.

I am also very sure that some other very nice people live under the bridge in the park, too. Sure my daughter is only 18 and wants to marry you instead of going to Malaysia on a full scholarship. After all, one cannot learn everything about life from books.

I sometimes forget how backward I can be. I was wrong. I was a fool. I have now come to my senses and you have my full blessing to marry my daughter.

Sincerely,

Your future father-in-law

Manyakavula Siziba

PS: Congratulations on winning the Lottery!

Sounds very familiar does it not? Please do not laugh, this could be you. Forgiveness was sought not for access to the father but for access to the new found wealth of the young Rasta man. We should do what we do in order to gain God’s approval instead of prestige and approval from other human beings. In the petition of the prayer Jesus raises the main question: “Who is our audience?” Are we motivated by the approval of people or the applause of God?

Jesus warns us against praying to impress others. He challenges us to pray with sincerity. Jesus says, “Pray to be heard by God, not to be seen by others.”

Kingdom living is righteous living. Jesus teaches us that living a righteous life is not just a matter of what we do, but also involves why we do it.

Jesus is not just concerned with us doing the right things, he wants us do the right things for the right reasons. For Him the “why” is just as important as the “what.”

Other translations use the word debts instead of trespasses. The word debts is used figuratively. We are debtors to God, but that our sins have a resemblance to debts. It must be used figuratively.

We have not met the claims of God’s law; we have violated its obligations; we are exposed to its penalty; we are guilty; and God only can forgive, in the same way, as none but a creditor can forgive a debtor. These are sins, or offences against God, none but God can forgive. The measure by which we may expect forgiveness is that which we use in reference to others. (Ps 18: 25, 26, Mt 18: 28-35, Mk 11: 25, Lk 11: 4.)

That is how God dispenses pardon. He that comes before him unwilling to forgive, harbouring dark and revengeful thoughts cannot expect that God will show him that mercy which he is unwilling to show to others.

Let me close by what 1 John 1: 6-9 says:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The scripture is clear. God expects that there be no grudge in your heart as you approach Him in prayer. Unforgiveness is deadly. When we hold unforgiveness against another person, we defile our own selves, and it stops the flow of God’s power to us (Heb12: 15). If we cannot from the heart forgive others, we have the assurance that God will never forgive us as well!

Till next week Shalom!

 

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