Matthew 6:7-15 - Forgiven and Forgiving

The last thing we’re going to look at in this passage is the second ‘we’ petition in v.12, and the corresponding reiteration Jesus gives in vv.14-15. As mentioned briefly in the previous post, v.12 is an expression of dependence on God for forgiveness and the acknowledgment that God’s willingness to forgive us is contingent upon our forgiving those who sin against us: “And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

The connection between our being forgiven and our being forgiving is so fundamental that Jesus returns to it and clarifies its importance in vv.14-15: “For if you forgive men their transgressions your heavenly Father also will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Does this mean that our salvation is based upon works?

In a nutshell, no. The key here is to notice what word Jesus is using to refer to God. If you remember, I mentioned before that in Matthew, when Jesus is speaking to His disciples about God, He uses the word ‘Father’. When speaking to the larger crowd, He uses the word ‘God’. That the disciples can pray at all, and especially using the name ‘Father,’ is a result of God’s saving grace. When we are saved, we are forgiven by God as Judge and are brought into a right relationship with Him. However, we continue to sin, and need to be forgiven by Him as Father. This is why we are to continue to confess sin (1John 1:8-9).

Unrepentant sin in our lives interrupts our fellowship with our Father. Proverbs 28:9 reads, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

Also, Psalm 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”

To refuse to forgive someone is itself sin, as is indicated by this very passage in Matt 6, and also in Matt 18:21-35. Therefore, when we come to God to ask for forgiveness while we are simultaneously withholding forgiveness from someone else, we have the unrepentant sin of unforgiveness in our lives, for which we cannot be forgiven. That is why Jesus is addressing this as part of His instruction on prayer. The sin of unforgiveness disrupts our fellowship with God, excludes our being forgiven by God for it, and hinders our ability to communicate with Him in prayer. Our asking for forgiveness provides the occasion to reflect on our own heart and look for any forgiveness that we are withholding from others.

So, does Jesus mean that if we don’t forgive someone we lose our salvation or that we were never saved to begin with? No. He is simply saying (and I believe this is the reason for returning to the theme in v.14 right after the last part of the model prayer) that if we are withholding forgiveness from someone, that represents sin in our own life that has not been confessed, we have not repented of it, and therefore we are not forgiven by God. We are still saved. God is still our Father (again, notice v.15, “if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions”). It’s just that our broken horizontal relationship with man has interrupted our perfect vertical relationship with our Father.

Some of you may be breathing a sigh of relief. That’s not a good sign. Short of hell, what could be worse than anything which deprives us of that precious and supremely fulfilling fellowship with the Father for which He killed His Son to provide us? Friends, let’s not take this lightly. If you’re holding a grudge against someone, you must deal with it, now. You must give up any right against that person. It does not matter how deeply you’ve been hurt or what that person did. This passage makes no exceptions.

If the person you need to forgive has already asked for your forgiveness, contact them and extend it. If that person hasn’t asked for forgiveness or doesn’t even know they’ve hurt you, simply forgive them without a word. You’ve been forgiven much, so you must also forgive.

I hope these last few posts have been helpful. I just want to reiterate what I believe is the main idea of this passage. The concern here is our posture of prayer. It should be one of reverence and submission to God in all things. We are not approaching Him to give Him information. We are humbly expressing dependence and deference. We seek His glory, His kingdom, His will, His sustenance, His forgiveness, and His divine protection. His. This kind of prayer is profoundly peaceful and profoundly God-centered.

May it be a hallmark of our lives.

Next time, Matthew 7:15-23. Drink deep.