Forgiven to Forgive

If you were introducing someone to the Lord’s Prayer for the very first time a child, a friend, or a co-worker what line would you feel most compelled to explain? “Our Father in heaven”? “Your kingdom come”? “Deliver us from evil”?

Interestingly, Jesus Himself highlighted one line for further explanation. And it wasn’t the one many of us might expect.

Right after finishing the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, Jesus circles back to just one phrase: the call to forgiveness. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14–15)

This isn’t merely a postscript. It’s a profound warning. If we want to be heard by God if we want to be forgiven by God we must be willing to forgive like God.

A Daily Need We Don’t Always Feel

“Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts...” (Matthew 6:11–12). Jesus places the need for forgiveness right alongside our need for food. Every day, we eat. And every day, we sin.

While our stomachs remind us persistently of physical hunger, our hearts are much quieter about spiritual hunger. Hunger pangs are loud. Conviction is more subtle restlessness, irritability, impatience, anxiety. But these, too, are symptoms. They signal a deeper problem. And they’re reminding us, if we’re paying attention, to return to God for mercy and cleansing.

According to a Lifeway Research study, 71% of churchgoers say they confess their sins to God privately, but only 39% say they do so on a daily basis. That means most Christians recognize the need for confession, but fewer than half act on it consistently. Jesus teaches us to make it daily.

Why Keep Asking if We’re Already Forgiven?

It’s a fair question: if Christ’s death on the cross fully paid for our sins past, present, and future why ask again and again for forgiveness?

Theologically, believers in Christ are justified once for all (Romans 5:1). We are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). The eternal penalty has been canceled. However, though justification is settled, our communion with God still requires care. Just as we maintain relationships with people through confession and reconciliation, our relationship with God thrives when we acknowledge our sins and seek His forgiveness.

This is not to regain salvation, but to restore closeness. Like a child who knows he’ll never be disowned but still wants to be right with his father, so we confess not to be saved again, but to be near again.

The Roadblock to Forgiveness

Jesus doesn’t just say, “Ask for forgiveness.” He says, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Then He adds, “If you do not forgive others... neither will your Father forgive you.” This is not a side note. It’s a condition. A soul that clings to bitterness cannot lay hold of grace.

We don’t earn forgiveness by forgiving others. But unforgiveness is a sign that we’ve not truly received the forgiveness of God. In other words, forgiven people forgive. It’s one of the clearest marks of genuine salvation.

And forgiveness is hard. It requires letting go of the right to make someone pay. It demands humility, trust in God’s justice, and a willingness to absorb pain. But it's also freeing. A heart that forgives is a heart at peace.

When Forgiveness Heals

James 5:16 encourages believers to confess sins and pray for one another “that you may be healed.” Sometimes, the healing we long for whether emotional, relational, or even physical is blocked by unconfessed sin or unforgiveness. That bitterness you’ve carried for years may be weighing down more than your spirit; it may be affecting your body, your relationships, your prayers.

Studies have shown that chronic unforgiveness can lead to increased stress, higher blood pressure, and even a weakened immune system. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, practicing forgiveness can reduce anxiety and depression and improve heart health. God commands forgiveness not only for His glory but for our good.

Forgiveness Isn’t Forgetting

It’s important to remember what forgiveness isn’t. It’s not forgetting the wrong or pretending it didn’t happen. It’s not removing healthy boundaries or enabling abuse. Forgiveness means releasing the debt. It’s giving up the right to retaliate. It’s choosing to entrust the offender to God rather than carrying the burden yourself.

It’s also not a one-time act, in many cases. Peter asked Jesus, “How often should I forgive? Seven times?” Jesus replied, “Seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22) in other words, as often as needed.

Jesus Makes Forgiveness Possible

The reason we can pray for forgiveness and the reason we can extend it is because Jesus made it possible. Every time we say, “Forgive us our debts,” we are leaning on the cross. We’re remembering the blood that was shed, the pain He bore, the wrath He absorbed.

He didn’t just teach forgiveness. He became forgiveness.

When He taught His disciples to pray for it, He knew the cost He would pay. And still, He taught it because He intended to fulfill it.

So Who Do You Need to Forgive?

If the Lord’s Prayer is to be your prayer, then forgiveness must be your practice. Before you ask God for your needs, ask Him to search your heart. Is there someone you haven’t forgiven? A wound still festering? A name that makes you bitter?

Jesus warns us: We cannot pray the rest of this prayer meaningfully if we refuse to forgive like He does.

And we cannot enjoy the fullness of God’s presence, peace, and provision if we’re clinging to bitterness.

He’s not asking you to forget. He’s asking you to trust Him with justice and offer others the grace you’ve been given.

The next time you bow your head and whisper, “Forgive us our debts,” let it echo in your actions: “As we also have forgiven our debtors.”

If this message stirred your heart, share it with someone or subscribe to our newsletter to grow deeper in grace.