The Lord's Prayer: Forgive us our sins
up to this verse we have acknowledged our relatedness, our Father in heaven, His worthiness, His better reign, His impending return, His provision for us, and our need to take one day at a time. The next line continues to exalt our Father by having us ask for forgiveness for our sins. I reason that since we are asking for our bread daily, it is not unusual to be asking for forgiveness daily also. After reading the rest of the sermon of the mount, I come away with the realization that the sins of the heart are like weeds. Even if the weeds are mowed and can't flower, the roots are still there and still spreading. I can agree with God that my heart is desperately wicked and who can know it. Despite the ugliness He decided to save me and wash my sins white as snow with his blood. It's one thing to say you haven't killed anyone, but special that day will be when i can say i haven't coveted anyone's stuff. Or maybe i'll say someday i've been more concerned with others for an entire day. I've loved others more than myself all day will be heavenly.
Not only am i asking Father to forgive me, i'm asking Him to forgive us, our sins, like Daniel did for the sins of his people. and if i'm asking Him to forgive them, how can i possibly withhold from others the grace that i've asked Father to give them?
Say Mr. X at church slanders me among our mutual acquaintances. Being the normal human that i am, with a long ways to go in my sanctification, i get angry at Mr. X. but Jesus tells me to ask Father to forgive US, our sins.
the crazy thing about this prayer for Americans is the 1st person plural throughout. there is no "I" in the prayer. instead it is full of "our" "us" and "we."
when i ask Father for forgiveness i ask for us.
who is "us?"
sounds like asking who our neighbors are. what if we asked Father to forgive our neighbors' sins as well as ours? don't they deserve what's coming? well i do too but i have a mediator, Jesus, and they don't. maybe i can stand in the gap for them until they see God's kindness that leads to repentance rather than his judgment. asking for forgiveness for "our" sins helps me understand how Job would offer sacrifices every morning for his children in case they sinned the night before.
i think this prayer is best prayed aloud together with other believers. my brother on my right might have in mind a sin of mine that i am blind too while i am praying for the sister next to me whose sin i can smell on her breath. however she might be asking forgiveness for her own sins that are so deep and dark that my prayer for her is only a surface cleaning. nevertheless, what a great thing to pray in community. i don't see how much more than this could be accomplished in a meeting.
sin separates us from our Father. forgiveness restores fellowship with Him. it's all been enabled by the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, our friend, our brother, Jesus. Only a perfect God-man could shed the blood to appease the justice for the greatness of our sins. and daily we can remember what he did for us.
Not only am i asking Father to forgive me, i'm asking Him to forgive us, our sins, like Daniel did for the sins of his people. and if i'm asking Him to forgive them, how can i possibly withhold from others the grace that i've asked Father to give them?
Say Mr. X at church slanders me among our mutual acquaintances. Being the normal human that i am, with a long ways to go in my sanctification, i get angry at Mr. X. but Jesus tells me to ask Father to forgive US, our sins.
the crazy thing about this prayer for Americans is the 1st person plural throughout. there is no "I" in the prayer. instead it is full of "our" "us" and "we."
when i ask Father for forgiveness i ask for us.
who is "us?"
sounds like asking who our neighbors are. what if we asked Father to forgive our neighbors' sins as well as ours? don't they deserve what's coming? well i do too but i have a mediator, Jesus, and they don't. maybe i can stand in the gap for them until they see God's kindness that leads to repentance rather than his judgment. asking for forgiveness for "our" sins helps me understand how Job would offer sacrifices every morning for his children in case they sinned the night before.
i think this prayer is best prayed aloud together with other believers. my brother on my right might have in mind a sin of mine that i am blind too while i am praying for the sister next to me whose sin i can smell on her breath. however she might be asking forgiveness for her own sins that are so deep and dark that my prayer for her is only a surface cleaning. nevertheless, what a great thing to pray in community. i don't see how much more than this could be accomplished in a meeting.
sin separates us from our Father. forgiveness restores fellowship with Him. it's all been enabled by the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, our friend, our brother, Jesus. Only a perfect God-man could shed the blood to appease the justice for the greatness of our sins. and daily we can remember what he did for us.
Comments
I've never seen that in the prayer before. That's awesome :).