What a strange way to teach believers how to pray. We are to seek God’s forgiveness as we “have forgiven” those who have sinned against us. What? How can we forgive those who sin against us before we’ve been forgiven? Well, we can’t, only in hearing, seeing and believing by faith the message of the cross—Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins are we able to forgive others. We extend this forgiveness to others who have sinned against us because God has forgiven our debts, took our sins away and judged them in the Son He loves who died in our place. Jesus was treated as if He were not the Son of God on the cross filled with our sin so He could adopt us as his very own children.
“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT)
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13 (NLT)
Finally, we are pleading with our Father not to let our flesh yield to the temptation that may have overpowered us; the temptation that has led us astray, the temptation that has kept us in slavery to sins sickness and power and the Tempter who deceives the world.
Question 5: How wonderful that the cross would remove sins temptation “from us” and at the same time “rescue us” from the evil one. Please share your thought here.
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Friend, the cross is where Jesus died to remove sins power and passion out of your heart. The place Jesus received His Father’s name and kept it holy and where the will of God was made possible through the sacrifice of the Son. Jesus was broken like the bread that came from heaven to give us the food we need each day and where we receive the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus received all the arrows as God’s penalty and wrath for our sin, tempted in every way but without sin and defeated the evil one who has tried to lead us astray!
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:14-15 (NLT)
The cross is so powerful that if we are praying cross-centered prayers we are praying according to the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is teaching us how to pray the gospel in such a way that we would always remember it. Not praying to be seen. Not praying with babbling or vain repetition like the Gentiles do. But to pray with power to affect our lives, all believers, and the world in which we live.
Now notice how Jesus concludes His teaching on prayer, with the need to forgive how we've been forgiven. And in Christ though His death and resurrection our mountain of sin was completely wiped out and cast into the sea of forgetfulness. Friend, while Jesus was on the cross God was extending His compassion to us but His judgement and wrath on Jesus who absorbed the wave of punishment for our mountain of sin."You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19
"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15
Look at Calvary's hill where Jesus was crushed underfoot and hurled into the darkness where our sins debt were pardoned in God's compassion. Oh see the forgiveness and grace given to you but withheld from God's only Son! Oh friend, doesn't this give you a new desire to pray for others and forgive as God has forgiven you?
Question 6: Jesus taught us how to have our prayers filled with power while being focused on the cross so that the church grows and matures in faith and forgiveness. Please share your final thoughts on this lesson.
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