100:00:01,000 –> 00:00:12,340Forgive us our debts. Now that is a really big ask.200:00:12,340 –> 00:00:19,059Imagine going to someone to whom you owe a hundred thousand dollars and saying300:00:19,059 –> 00:00:28,160I’m asking you to write off this debt. And Jesus invites us to make a far400:00:28,200 –> 00:00:33,720bigger ask of God. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m500:00:33,720 –> 00:00:38,740David Pick. Thanks for joining us today. And Colin it’s hard to imagine walking600:00:38,740 –> 00:00:43,680up to someone and asking them to forgive a massive debt like that. And I wonder if700:00:43,680 –> 00:00:48,360sometimes we hesitate to come to God and ask him to forgive our debt, because we800:00:48,360 –> 00:00:53,599can’t quite believe that he will be able to forgive to that extent. Yeah and you900:00:53,660 –> 00:00:58,759know I think that instinct is profoundly helpful. We should never lose sight of1000:00:58,759 –> 00:01:04,239the fact that it is an astonishing thing that God should forgive us our debt. The1100:01:04,239 –> 00:01:07,480great danger is that we say, oh well you know he’s God, it’s his business to1200:01:07,480 –> 00:01:14,279forgive and – but the scripture makes it clear that for God to forgive us comes at1300:01:14,279 –> 00:01:21,639an unimaginable cost. I mean to try and take in that it involved God himself1400:01:21,720 –> 00:01:28,800taking human flesh in Jesus Christ, the Father giving his Son and giving him1500:01:28,800 –> 00:01:35,000into unimaginable suffering as he endures all the consequences of my sin1600:01:35,000 –> 00:01:39,160on my behalf. I mean it is astonishing and yet he’s1700:01:39,160 –> 00:01:44,419done it and the fact that he’s done it is the reason that we can therefore come1800:01:44,419 –> 00:01:50,599with humility and with confidence and say, Oh God for Jesus Christ’s sake will1900:01:50,699 –> 00:01:56,320you forgive my sin and to know with confidence that he’s going to do that2000:01:56,320 –> 00:01:59,959this is a wonderful thing and we’re going to look at it in the Scriptures2100:01:59,959 –> 00:02:04,639together today so I hope you’ll join us if you can in Matthew chapter 6 as we2200:02:04,639 –> 00:02:12,199continue the message God’s Forgiveness. Here’s Colin. Forgive us our debts write2300:02:12,199 –> 00:02:19,460them off cover them over all the ways Lord that I have failed to love you and2400:02:19,460 –> 00:02:26,940all the ways that I have failed to love others this week how can God do that how2500:02:26,940 –> 00:02:34,539can a just and holy God forgive our repeated failure to do what he has2600:02:34,539 –> 00:02:42,279commanded and brothers and sisters you know this takes us to the very heart of2700:02:42,399 –> 00:02:49,820the Bible story we are debtors to God and we are not able to pay the debts2800:02:49,820 –> 00:02:58,960that we owe and in that position our only hope is that someone else will step2900:02:58,960 –> 00:03:06,539in and be willing to pay the debt for us and that is what God has done for us3000:03:06,580 –> 00:03:13,080wonderfully in his love and mercy in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the3100:03:13,080 –> 00:03:20,080debt we owe. How did he do it? Well the Son of God came into the world and then3200:03:20,080 –> 00:03:26,220he lived that perfect life of love that we have not lived. He did what we failed3300:03:26,220 –> 00:03:32,860to do. He lived the perfect life of love. He did it for us fully and completely3400:03:33,100 –> 00:03:40,000and then he laid down that perfect life. And in laying down his life he paid the3500:03:40,000 –> 00:03:50,160price for all of our sins because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross we3600:03:50,160 –> 00:03:59,600can come to the Father and say forgive us our debts and know that when we ask3700:03:59,919 –> 00:04:09,259him He will forgive us and whatever our failures whatever our sins through Jesus3800:04:09,259 –> 00:04:15,399Christ our fellowship with the Father will be wonderfully and beautifully3900:04:15,399 –> 00:04:25,140restored. Now we’ve looked at the why why is it that we need to be forgiven why is4000:04:25,140 –> 00:04:32,320it that we need to forgive we’re looking at the how how is it that we can be4100:04:32,320 –> 00:04:42,820forgiven and now a really important question how can we forgive and here4200:04:42,820 –> 00:04:52,559we’re looking together at the word us forgive us our debts as we also have4300:04:52,779 –> 00:05:02,660forgiven our debtors now it seems to me that this little word us that’s what4400:05:02,660 –> 00:05:09,459forms the hinge between us receiving forgiveness from God and us releasing4500:05:09,459 –> 00:05:18,220forgiveness to others who have sinned against us and our Lord Jesus at the end4600:05:18,239 –> 00:05:23,260of the Lord’s Prayer continues with this theme which indicates the importance of4700:05:23,260 –> 00:05:30,220it verse 14 for if you forgive others their trespasses your Heavenly Father4800:05:30,220 –> 00:05:37,679will also forgive you but if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither4900:05:37,679 –> 00:05:47,239will your Father forgive your trespasses now what does that mean well first this5000:05:47,239 –> 00:05:53,160does not cannot mean that there is something that we have to do in order to5100:05:53,160 –> 00:06:00,079earn God’s forgiveness we do not see in the Lord’s Prayer forgive us our debts5200:06:00,079 –> 00:06:07,079because we have forgiven our debtors and friends I just want to pause here for a5300:06:07,079 –> 00:06:13,940moment this is really important because forgiveness is not easy sometimes we5400:06:14,119 –> 00:06:18,040have to come back to it again and again we think we’ve forgiven and we need to5500:06:18,040 –> 00:06:23,799forgive them all over again and I want you to hear clearly today that if you5600:06:23,799 –> 00:06:30,600are struggling to forgive another person God is not saying to you hey no grace5700:06:30,600 –> 00:06:36,440for you until you get this one sorted out if that was the case there wouldn’t5800:06:36,440 –> 00:06:42,239be anyone who was ever saved but what Jesus is teaching and we need5900:06:42,279 –> 00:06:46,660feel the full weight of it here is that there is the closest connection6000:06:46,660 –> 00:06:52,920possible between us receiving forgiveness from God and us releasing6100:06:52,920 –> 00:07:00,320forgiveness to others and that connection is embodied in the word us6200:07:00,440 –> 00:07:12,619it’s not forgive me my debts it’s forgive us our debts that means that6300:07:12,619 –> 00:07:21,100you want God to forgive not only the debts that you owe but also the debts6400:07:21,140 –> 00:07:32,720that others owe and that includes the debts that others owe to you us means6500:07:32,720 –> 00:07:44,920father forgive me as I have failed to love you and forgive her as she has6600:07:45,119 –> 00:07:53,440to love me the only alternative to this superior of course would be father do6700:07:53,440 –> 00:08:01,480not forgive us our debts as we have not forgiven our debtors that would be to6800:08:01,480 –> 00:08:09,299say I won’t forgive them father and so I don’t want you to forgive them either6900:08:09,440 –> 00:08:15,059and who would ever want to pray that prayer7000:08:15,059 –> 00:08:25,480father do not forgive us would mean father do not forgive me see the human7100:08:25,480 –> 00:08:37,659heart is either hard or soft it’s either open or it is closed the human heart is7200:08:37,659 –> 00:08:47,460either a heart of stone or it is a heart of flesh and if your heart is not7300:08:47,460 –> 00:08:54,500open to pour forgiveness out how is it open for God to pour forgiveness in how7400:08:54,500 –> 00:09:02,820can I ask God to forgive me my sins if I am not ready to forgive others their7500:09:03,179 –> 00:09:13,739sins forgive us our debts now that of course doesn’t stop you from praying7600:09:13,739 –> 00:09:20,059father forgive me when you confess a particular sin but you cannot ask God7700:09:20,059 –> 00:09:29,380for yourself what you would not want him to give to others you’re listening to7800:09:29,940 –> 00:09:34,179Colin Smith on Open the Bible and the message called God’s forgiveness it’s7900:09:34,179 –> 00:09:38,880part of our series Six Things to Ask Of God based on the Lord’s Prayer as we8000:09:38,880 –> 00:09:43,979find it in Matthew chapter 6 and we’ll be back to the message shortly if you8100:09:43,979 –> 00:09:48,059ever miss one of our messages or if you want to go back and listen again that’s8200:09:48,059 –> 00:09:53,500easy to do by coming online to our website open the Bible.org.uk or8300:09:53,500 –> 00:09:57,780you can now find us as a podcast and those are on all the main podcast sites8400:09:57,940 –> 00:10:03,599you can find them by searching for open the Bible UK. Open the Bible is supported8500:10:03,599 –> 00:10:07,539by our listeners and later in the programme I’ll be talking to Open the8600:10:07,539 –> 00:10:11,619Bibles Amanda Cunningham about our special offer this month if you’re able8700:10:11,619 –> 00:10:17,479to begin starting to support open the Bible financially. It’s a book called For8800:10:17,479 –> 00:10:21,700All Who Grieve and it’s our free offer to you if you’re able to start a new8900:10:21,700 –> 00:10:27,659direct debit to support open the Bible. Back to the message now here’s Colin9000:10:27,900 –> 00:10:34,039how then can we forgive those who have wronged us and sometimes this seems like9100:10:34,039 –> 00:10:40,179the hardest thing of all. Forgiveness is hard it took the suffering of the Son of9200:10:40,179 –> 00:10:47,500God on the cross to accomplish it for you and for me. How can we forgive those9300:10:47,500 –> 00:10:52,340who have wronged us? Well the first thing to say is that of course it’s not9400:10:52,340 –> 00:10:59,020natural. What naturally happens, what happens most often, is that sooner9500:10:59,020 –> 00:11:04,919or later what goes into your heart ends up coming out of your heart and being9600:11:04,919 –> 00:11:09,619passed on to someone else. We all know this and we all see this in multiple9700:11:09,619 –> 00:11:16,799ways. The person who is despised ends up despising other people. The person who is9800:11:16,820 –> 00:11:25,219deceived ends up deceiving others. And the tragedy of this, is that the very9900:11:25,219 –> 00:11:29,559thing that was so painful to you ends up being the thing that is channeled10000:11:29,559 –> 00:11:38,159through you to bring pain into the lives of others. Gandhi described this tragedy10100:11:39,099 –> 00:11:51,140said an eye for an eye until the whole world is blind but Jesus said, you have10200:11:51,140 –> 00:11:59,219heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say to you love10300:11:59,219 –> 00:12:09,080your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. When10400:12:09,080 –> 00:12:12,659you’re wronged by another person you know there are two things that are10500:12:12,659 –> 00:12:19,739possible. The first is that the wrong that’s done to you will end up coming10600:12:19,799 –> 00:12:26,820out from you. You’ll pass it on to others and they’ll be wounded as you were10700:12:26,820 –> 00:12:35,099wounded. And that’s, as we all know, the way of nature. The second possibility10800:12:35,099 –> 00:12:44,080though is that what was done to you will end with you. That you do not pass it on10900:12:44,080 –> 00:12:53,059to others, and that is the way of grace. Something better than a world of endless11000:12:53,059 –> 00:12:58,500retaliation, something better than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is11100:12:58,500 –> 00:13:06,979possible, and we see it supremely in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Listen to11200:13:06,979 –> 00:13:11,260these words from 1st Peter as he describes what happened as Jesus11300:13:12,140 –> 00:13:14,140on the cross, he says this11400:13:26,859 –> 00:13:30,539Now take in what he’s saying here for a moment, Peter’s talking11500:13:30,539 –> 00:13:37,979about our calling as Christian believers, and particularly our calling when we are11600:13:37,979 –> 00:13:45,719wronged by other people. And he tells us that what we are to do – what God calls us to do –11700:13:45,719 –> 00:13:49,539when we’re wronged by other people has been modelled for us by the Lord Jesus11800:13:49,539 –> 00:13:54,539Christ. He gave us an example, and he did it so that we should follow in his11900:13:54,539 –> 00:13:59,719footsteps. Now what was the example? Well, the next verse12000:14:08,200 –> 00:14:16,280You think about our Lord Jesus on the cross. He was mocked, he was12100:14:16,280 –> 00:14:25,979shamed, he was insulted, he was treated with utter contempt. That’s what came to12200:14:25,979 –> 00:14:34,520Jesus. And he could have called twelve legions of angels to give a multiple of12300:14:34,520 –> 00:14:42,940it back. But Jesus did not do that, what did he do?12400:14:42,940 –> 00:14:52,440Well Peter tells us, when he suffered he did not threaten, but continued to12500:14:52,440 –> 00:15:01,039entrust himself to him who judges justly. And we look at this and we say now how12600:15:01,539 –> 00:15:11,440did Jesus do that? And the answer is he prayed the Lord’s Prayer.12700:15:11,440 –> 00:15:20,880Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. And then comes this most12800:15:20,880 –> 00:15:27,159amazing description of what actually happened at the cross. Here’s what Jesus12900:15:27,799 –> 00:15:35,140order that this forgiveness should be released, He himself bore our sins in his13000:15:37,780 –> 00:15:43,320and he did it so that we might die to sin and live to13100:15:43,320 –> 00:15:51,679righteousness and it is by his wounds that we are healed. The shame, the13200:15:51,679 –> 00:16:01,479mocking, the spitting, the reviling, the contempt that was heaped on Jesus and13300:16:01,479 –> 00:16:11,520then the guilt of our sins that was laid on Jesus he did not pass it on. He bore13400:16:11,520 –> 00:16:22,119it in his body on the tree. He said, in effect, this ends here. And that brother13500:16:22,119 –> 00:16:30,419sister is how we are forgiven and that is how we have peace with God. And Peter13600:16:30,419 –> 00:16:36,880says this is an example. And we know that on the cross the Lord Jesus Christ made13700:16:36,880 –> 00:16:40,320atonement, we can never make atonement for the world. That’s something that he13800:16:40,320 –> 00:16:45,119did. It can never be done again and only he could ever have done it. But in this13900:16:45,119 –> 00:16:52,880regard, Christ suffering on the cross is an example to us that we are to follow14000:16:52,880 –> 00:17:04,579in his footsteps and we are never more like the Son of God than when we choose14100:17:04,579 –> 00:17:11,959to forgive. Dr. G.I. Packer has a poem that I found helpful and I’d like just14200:17:11,959 –> 00:17:22,160to read it to you, Forgive our sins as we forgive you taught us Lord to pray but14300:17:22,160 –> 00:17:32,699you alone can give us grace to live the words we say how can your pardon reach14400:17:32,699 –> 00:17:41,859an unforgiving heart that broods on wrongs and will not let old bitterness14500:17:41,859 –> 00:17:52,479depart. In blazing light your cross reveals the truth we dimly knew how14600:17:52,560 –> 00:18:04,339small the debts men owe to us how great our debt to you. Lord cleanse the depths14700:18:04,339 –> 00:18:15,579within our souls and bid resentment cease then reconciled to God and man our14800:18:15,579 –> 00:18:24,959lives will spread your peace may that be true of each and every one of us now14900:18:24,959 –> 00:18:35,579will you join me in praying together our Father in heaven we bow before you so15000:18:35,579 –> 00:18:44,260grateful for the grace by which you have reconciled us to yourself in and through15100:18:44,359 –> 00:18:52,180Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord and we are very conscious today of being15200:18:52,180 –> 00:19:02,439your wayward children we are profoundly aware of that which we have thought and15300:19:02,439 –> 00:19:10,479said and done that is displeasing and dishonoring to you15400:19:10,579 –> 00:19:19,959forgive us these sins and father we are profoundly aware today not only of what15500:19:19,959 –> 00:19:26,719we’ve done but of what we’ve not done we have we have come nowhere near a life15600:19:26,719 –> 00:19:32,520that is fully devoted to love you with all of our heart soul mind and strength15700:19:33,520 –> 00:19:41,979ourselves not even close we are profoundly aware of our debt and we ask15800:19:41,979 –> 00:19:54,040that you will forgive us for our frequent failure to love others well15900:19:54,119 –> 00:20:01,640father we are sinners and we have also been sinned against we want to bring16000:20:01,680 –> 00:20:10,000before you the pain of where we have been wronged and asked that by your16100:20:10,000 –> 00:20:18,819grace we will ring out that pain at the foot of the cross of Jesus father thank16200:20:18,819 –> 00:20:27,739you that through our Lord Jesus Christ our many sins can be forgiven thank you16300:20:28,119 –> 00:20:33,319have promised to those who come in humble confession and ask of you that16400:20:33,319 –> 00:20:39,300you will put our many sins behind your back bury them in the depth of the sea16500:20:39,300 –> 00:20:44,400remove them as far from us as the east is from the west through the blood of16600:20:44,400 –> 00:20:52,680the Lord Jesus Christ cleansed for us let the blood of Jesus cleanse us from16700:20:52,719 –> 00:21:04,160every sin we pray and then father give us grace to forgive as we ourselves are16800:21:04,160 –> 00:21:14,660forgiven please help us this week to love other people well grant that we may16900:21:14,660 –> 00:21:25,780grow in consideration in empathy in grace and in forgiveness let the17000:21:25,780 –> 00:21:31,900overflow of your grace to us flow out from us into this harsh and unforgiving17100:21:31,900 –> 00:21:40,300world so that your name will be honored and your kingdom extended17200:21:40,319 –> 00:21:48,219and your will done through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose wonderful name we17300:21:48,219 –> 00:21:51,359pray amen17400:21:51,979 –> 00:21:55,500You’ve been listening to pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible and a17500:21:55,500 –> 00:22:00,219message called God’s forgiveness part of our series six things to ask of God17600:22:00,219 –> 00:22:04,780based on the Lord’s Prayer if you ever miss one of our messages or if you’d17700:22:04,780 –> 00:22:08,619like to go back and listen again you can do that by coming online to our website17800:22:09,300 –> 00:22:11,500openthebible.org.uk17900:22:11,500 –> 00:22:15,619and they you’ll find all the messages which have already been broadcast and18000:22:15,619 –> 00:22:20,219you can also find them as a podcast on all the main podcast sites follow the18100:22:20,219 –> 00:22:25,579link from our website or search for open the Bible UK within the podcast site18200:22:26,099 –> 00:22:31,540Also on our website and available as a podcast is Open the Bible daily a series18300:22:31,540 –> 00:22:35,979of short two to three minute daily reflections based on Pastor Collins18400:22:35,979 –> 00:22:42,099teaching and read in the UK by Sue McLeish open the bible is broadcast and18500:22:42,099 –> 00:22:47,359available online as a result of the generous donations made by our listeners18600:22:47,359 –> 00:22:51,680so if you already give to support the work of open the Bible we want to thank18700:22:51,680 –> 00:22:56,640you so much if you’re considering giving to support open the Bible in that way18800:22:56,640 –> 00:23:01,640this month if you’re able to set up a new direct debit in the amount of five18900:23:02,300 –> 00:23:07,520per month or more or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more we’d love to say thank19000:23:07,520 –> 00:23:11,359you he has opened the Bibles Amanda Cunningham to tell you about our offer19100:23:11,359 –> 00:23:17,900this month thanks David I really loved this book I know that might be a strange19200:23:17,900 –> 00:23:23,359thing to say about a book on grief but I have recommended this book to so many19300:23:23,359 –> 00:23:28,199people the first time I read it I was blessed to not be struggling with grief19400:23:28,199 –> 00:23:33,959but I found it so helpful because it is unique in that it was written off the19500:23:33,959 –> 00:23:39,040back of Colin counseling grieving couples in church and so it is full of19600:23:39,040 –> 00:23:44,160biblical wisdom and encouragement from the book of lamentations but it’s also19700:23:44,160 –> 00:23:49,420full of practical suggestions from those couples he counselled what is a helpful19800:23:49,420 –> 00:23:54,400unhelpful thing to say to someone going through grief how do we encourage people19900:23:55,380 –> 00:24:01,400the Bible but without dismissing their pain and if you are grieving then I hope20000:24:01,400 –> 00:24:05,920you will be able to see from this book that you are not alone in your pain and20100:24:05,920 –> 00:24:10,800that there is hope. So whether you’d like to read this book because you’re20200:24:10,800 –> 00:24:15,400struggling with grief or like me because you would like to think through how to20300:24:15,400 –> 00:24:19,959better support someone in their grief I can’t recommend this book highly20400:24:20,859 –> 00:24:23,199We would love to send you a free copy20500:24:23,339 –> 00:24:28,719when you set up a new direct debit of at least £5 per month or give a20600:24:28,719 –> 00:24:34,099one-off gift of at least £50. We’ll also be including five specially designed20700:24:34,099 –> 00:24:39,640postcards with a verse from Psalm 23 ideal for sending to a friend for20800:24:39,640 –> 00:24:44,520encouragement and if you would like to know what other resources we have on20900:24:44,520 –> 00:24:51,560grief do visit our website at openthebible.org.uk and scroll down21000:24:51,560 –> 00:24:57,459until you see our section on grief. Thanks Amanda. you can find full terms21100:24:57,459 –> 00:25:04,900and conditions, and you can give online at our website openthebible.org.uk21200:25:04,900 –> 00:25:09,540For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pic. I hope you’ll join us again21300:25:09,540 –> 00:25:13,260soon for Open the Bible21400:25:15,319 –> 00:25:21,939Jesus taught us how to pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil21500:25:21,939 –> 00:25:29,540what are we asking when we pray this find out next time on open the Bible