What kind of an exhortation and reminder to us is the fact that God has forgiven our sins?

The fact that God forgives us our sins solely by His grace

1. Exhorts us with grateful hearts to forgive, from our hearts, all of our neighbor’s sins against us.
   

   Col. 3:13: Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.



2. Reminds us, that whoever does not want to forgive his neighbor, but still believes that he himself has God’s forgiveness, is deceiving himself. Such a person truly does not know his own sins, and does not have forgiveness for them, but in his impenitence brings God’s judgment on himself.
   

   Matt. 6:15: If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Assignment: Read Matt. 18:23-35: Jesus’ parable of the merciless servant.

Luther: “If, therefore, you do not forgive, then do not think that God forgives you; but if you forgive, you have that consolation and assurance, that you are forgiven in heaven, not on account of your forgiving – for God forgives freely and without condition, out of pure grace, because He has so promised, as the Gospel teaches – but in order that He may set this up for our confirmation and assurance for a sign alongside of the promise which accords with this prayer, Luke 6:37 ’Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven’. ”

When we pray for forgiveness, why do we add the words “as we forgive those who trespass against us” to our prayer?

Our forgiveness does not cause God to forgive us our sins, for God has already forgiven our sins and the sins of all people in Christ His Son, because of His Son’s work of atonement. We do not therefore earn forgiveness for ourselves by forgiving the sins of our fellow men, who have sinned against us. We receive forgiveness for our sins solely by grace, through faith, without our works. It is a free gift of God.

In the Lord’s Prayer our Savior does not teach unbelievers how to pray, but rather teaches those, who already believe that their sins have been forgiven, and who know the grace of God. Thus in this petition the Savior teaches believers, that they are always to watch, so that their hearts will not become hardened toward their neighbor, and so that they will not in this way drive out the Holy Spirit from their hearts, and lose their saving faith and forgiveness, because of their unbelief.

Assignment: Read Matt. 5:21-26: Jesus teaches the disciples to live together in harmony.

How often do we need this prayer?

Because we always have with us our flesh that has been corrupted by original sin, and we sin in many ways every day and deserve nothing but punishment, we therefore constantly need the comfort of forgiveness. Just as we pray for daily bread every day, so we also need to pray for spiritual bread or forgiveness of sins every day.

Gen. 32:10: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast showed unto They servant.

Luke 15:21: Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in they sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Dan. 6:10,11: He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Dan. 9:18-19: We do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive.

For what do we pray in the Fifth Petition?

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor on their account deny our prayer; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we also heartily forgive, and readily do good to, those who sin against us.

Our Savior teaches us to ask God to forgive us our sins. For it is our own sins that cause us and all our fellow believers the greatest and bitterest distress.

Ps. 130:3-4: If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.

Luther: “Not as though God did not forgive sin without and even before our prayer, for He has given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or even thought about it. But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept such forgiveness.”