Bible Readings:
Matthew 18:15-35
Daniel 9:1-27
Sermon Outline:
“And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” — Luke 11:4 (NKJV)
I. The debt of sin
- The Lord’s Prayer instructs believers to continually ask God to “forgive us our debts”.
- The Old Testament uses three primary terms to describe our condition: “sin” (missing God’s mark), “transgression” (rebellion against the government of God), and “iniquity” (the inherently twisted nature of our humanity).
- Jesus specifically frames sin as a “debt” to emphasise exactly what we owe our Creator.
- Every person owes God complete honour, respect, obedience, love, trust, and service.
- Failing to provide these to God results in an overwhelming, accumulating debt that is impossible for humanity to repay on its own.
- This massive debt requires a substitute; Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law and paid the penalty completely with His own blood on the cross.
II. How does a forgiven sinner look like?
They put away bitterness: A forgiven heart actively roots out malice, wrath, and anger, replacing it with the grace they have received.
They take sin seriously: A forgiven person does not treat sin lightly, excuse it as a minor indiscretion, or dismiss it as merely breaking a trivial rule.
They recognise the reality of God: They understand that sin is a direct, personal rebellion against a real God, which produces genuine guilt.
They maintain a short account: True believers promptly confess their daily sins and failures, rather than deceiving themselves by claiming they have no sin.
They value Christ supremely: Knowing the immense, ruinous cost Jesus paid to clear their debt causes them to deeply honour His sacrifice and avoid treating Him with disregard.
They become forgiving people: Because God has cancelled their unpayable debt, they willingly pardon the significantly smaller debts and offences of others.
They reflect God’s mercy: Much like the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 who was forgiven millions but attacked a man over a small sum, a failure to forgive others indicates a severe misunderstanding of one’s own forgiveness.
The Westminster Larger Catechism (A. D. 1647)
194. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favour and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism (A. D. 1647)
Q. 105. For what do we pray in the fifth request?
A. In the fifth request (Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors), encouraged by God’s
grace, which makes it possible for us sincerely to forgive others, we pray that for Christ’s sake God would freely pardon all our sins.